by Allison Johnson
If you think the way I do, youll agree that its easier to drop a few hundred bucks on a bag you can write off as an "investment piece." That seems to be the idea here - quality materials, good structure, and classic style that will stand up to several years of use.
WaterField Muzetto Laptop Bag Specifications:
- Notebook Compatibility: Up to 13 inch notebook
- Bag Dimensions: 14 x 11 x 2.5 inches
- Construction: Leather exterior, metal hardware, nylon textile interior
- Weight: 1.7 lb.
- Price: $239.00 at www.sfbags.com
WaterField is a San Francisco-based operation, turning out high-end bags and cases for laptops, iPhones and beyond. Their style is urban-meets-professional with an emphasis on higher quality materials. Of course, this all comes at a premium. The Muzetto laptop bag sports a hefty $239 price tag. Is the extra style and quality worth all of that extra cash? This is the question that weighed on my mind as I spent some time with the Muzetto bag slung over my shoulder.
Build and Design
The Muzetto is a messenger-style bag. Its vertically oriented, snug against the hip and takes up relatively little space. The large laptop compartment and a thin pocket on the back are lined in a bright orange material, making it easy to find objects buried deep inside the bag.
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The leather on the bags exterior is treated with oil before it reaches the consumer, so it should be weather-resistant. Metal d-rings connect the woven nylon strap to the body of the Muzetto, and a removable Velcro pad keeps it comfortable against the shoulder.
Under the large, weighted flap youll find the main laptop compartment ready for a 13 inch notebook, a slightly smaller pocket and another shallow pocket for portable devices. WaterField keeps it simple, skipping the small pockets for pens and business cards that youll find on most business laptop bags. Unlike the large compartment, the pockets are lined in a darker textile, making it just a bit more difficult to find that tiny USB key you dropped into the bottom of the bag.
One thing this bag lacks is substantial padding in the laptop compartment. The bag itself is sturdy, no doubt, but without an extra layer to cushion your notebook from the bumps of everyday use, youll want to invest in a sleeve as well.
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Performance
The Muzetto performs just as well as it looks. The hardware is sturdy and the shoulder strap is comfortable. Did we mention that it looks good? It does. It looks very good.
While taking the bag out for a spin, I was caught in a couple of light rain showers. Based on my experience, I can agree with WaterField and say that the Muzetto will stand up to a little bit of foul weather.
Its a slim messenger bag, but I found enough pockets and storage space for my Dell Latitude E6400, an Asus Eee PC 1008HA Seashell netbook, a slim point-and-shoot, and a few other small items. This filled the bag to capacity. You wont be able to fit too many bulky items into the Muzetto, but its spacious enough for a notebook and a couple of lifes necessities. For anything more, youll need to find a bigger bag.
Conclusion
Ill just spell it out - I like this bag. Let me count the ways: premium materials, simple design, and comfortable to use. If it were up to me, it would pack a few small pockets for the hodge-podge of pens, gadgets and nonsense that I tend to carry with me everywhere. It would also cost about a hundred dollars less. Aside from that, the WaterField Muzetto is a very fine bag.
Pros:
- Very attractive design
- High-quality leather exterior
- Gold lining in main compartments
Cons:
- No small pockets for phone, iPod and other gadgets
- Relatively high cost
- Little padding in laptop compartment
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