I still remember my first laptop and the accompanying bag for editing photos on the go very well. It was an ugly thing, big and clunky, completely dysfunctional, and simply a design that made you not really want to take the bag out.
Fortunately, today you have quite a few more options to choose from for your daily carry. Among others, these include the new Essential Laptop Sleeves by Orbitkey.
The general design of the sleeve is kept very simple and does without flashy decorations or restless patterns. Nevertheless, you immediately recognize that it is an Orbitkey product. Interestingly, this works even though there are no large logos on the exterior surfaces. The bag has a modern look that easily blends into a professional work environment.
The only exterior branding is a small logo on the front, which discreetly integrates into the overall picture. Another “Orbitkey” lettering is located on the strap and on the inside.
The sleeves are available for fourteen-inch and sixteen-inch laptops. This covers the common sizes of most mobile computers and tablets well. For the color choice, you can choose between orange, black, and purple. It would be nice to see a light-colored version here to round off the assortment a little more.
The disadvantage of the black version is that you can see specks of dust very easily. However, these can of course be easily removed by wiping over it with the flat of your hand. So if you are a bit fussy about this, you should perhaps directly choose one of the colored options.
Due to its size and the fact that the strap can be completely removed, the bag can also be stowed in a suitcase or a larger backpack without any problems. This is practical if you travel with a lot of equipment and want to integrate the laptop bag into your carry-on luggage for additional protection.
The outer material feels grippy, and the haptics convey a robust impression for everyday work. The material has a fine structure that largely prevents unsightly fingerprints. At the same time, the surface offers a certain basic resistance against moisture during a light drizzle on the way to the location.
The main compartment can be opened with the water-resistant zipper, which is a reassuring detail on rainy days. Nothing is more annoying than moisture seeping in near expensive work equipment. The zipper runs smoothly and doesn’t tend to jam at the rounded corners.
Here, the compartment opens up to one hundred and eighty degrees. This gives you full access to the entire contents and you don’t have to reach blindly into the bag from above to find something. The inner lining is light-colored, so you can see the contents well even in poor lighting conditions.
The compartment is additionally equipped with a lightly padded separator. This, of course, ensures a little more organization, but also protection inside the bag. This is especially useful if you have important papers on one side and place the laptop on the other. This way, nothing gets crumpled when taking the laptop in and out. Besides documents or a larger notebook, you can naturally also stow a tablet in the main compartment.
The compartment or rather the sleeve is okay-padded, I would say. It’s kind of a middle ground between thinking that I don’t have to worry about my laptop, but also knowing that it doesn’t need to be dropped right now. A fall onto a hard concrete floor could possibly leave marks. However, for normal transport, the padding is completely sufficient.
On the front, there is another zippered compartment for accessories. This has three different-sized subdivisions for organization. A flat mouse, a power bank, or even an external SSD fit well into one compartment, for example. Since external hard drives are often constant companions for us photographers, this dedicated space is very welcome and keeps the storage media close at hand.
Next to it, there is room for a pen. A slightly thicker pen can also be stowed here. Personally, I would have liked another pen slot. Precisely because the compartment next to it is very large, there would have been room for another slot here. Often you have another pen for the tablet or a marker with you. This neighboring compartment offers space for cables and plugs, for instance. Or even a notebook can find a secure place there.
The bag remains relatively shape-retaining even when filled and does not bulge irregularly, as long as you limit yourself to flat objects. A flat mouse fits well, whereas a heavily ergonomically shaped mouse would visibly stretch the outer shell.
The Orbitkey Laptop Sleeve has two eyelets for the detachable strap. The strap is sufficiently dimensioned for a bag of this size and does not cut uncomfortably into the shoulder when carried. The strap features metal carabiners, which produce a solid click when attached and indicate a long service life.
The metal carabiners also rotate smoothly with your movements. This prevents an annoying twisting of the strap when quickly putting it on. The handle on the back has two practical functions. On the one hand, you naturally use it when you grab the sleeve and carry it under your arm like a briefcase.
Furthermore, it serves to attach the sleeve to a suitcase, for example. If you are rolling a trolley case full of lighting equipment across the airport, you simply slide the bag over the handle and have your hands free for other things. All these small features mesh well in everyday life and ensure that you can focus on your work instead of struggling with your gear.
Conclusion on the Orbitkey Essentials Laptop Sleeve
The bag is an interesting middle ground between a laptop sleeve and a laptop bag. You get the organization of a bag, but the size is positioned more in the realm of a sleeve. So you aren’t lugging around unnecessary bulk, but still don’t have to go without organized compartments.
As you would expect from Orbitkey, this product is once again well thought out and looks good doing it. It unobtrusively integrates into a photographer’s equipment and reliably fulfills its purpose. The clean lines in the design ensure a tidy appearance.
If you are looking for a laptop sleeve, the Orbitkey Laptop Sleeve is a great choice. It offers enough structure for an organized workflow and dispenses with superfluous elements that would only make transport more complicated. The balancing act between protection and minimal space requirements has been implemented well here.
I wouldn’t recommend it if you have a lot of accessories. Be it thick adapters or especially multiple cables for different devices. This bag is not intended for that and it would lose its shape if overloaded. However, anyone who works with a minimal setup and is looking for a functional and appealing solution should take a closer look at this model.
Buy
Anyone interested in the product who wants to look at the different colors in detail can do so directly on the provider’s website. There you can take your time to compare which size is right for your own computer. Additionally, the website features further pictures regarding the details of the craftsmanship, as well as all information on ordering and shipping.
Product page: https://www.orbitkey.com/collections/laptop-sleeves/products/essentials-laptop-sleeve
