Funky, Chic and Cool Laptop Bags

Maybe I'm just feeling a little nostalgic for John Hughes this days - but I have to say that my journey with my review copy of the Urban Junket T.O.T.E. reminded me of the teen romance films of my youth.

You know the ones I mean. Those teen movies where the female protaganist is a bit of a tomboy who maybe wears glasses and she's desperately in love with the male protaganist, but he doesn't even see her! But then at the end of the film, he suddenly realizes that the perfect woman was right in front of him the whole time! Well...that's kind of how it was with me and the Urban Junket T.O.T.E.

I confess that when I first received the Urban Junket T.O.T.E., it was summer and I thought it was nice. It wasn't until the days started to get a little darker and the leaves turned that I really started to notice it - arrestingly colourful, slick and chic. How had I not seen it before? And how soon could I come up with an excuse to take it out somewhere??

The Urban Junket T.O.T.E. ("Tote" stands for "To Observe the Earth") comes in two sizes, the 15.4" and the 17", which is the one I have. Its glossy exterior is eco-friendly coated canvas made from non-toxic dyes - a definite plus in my book.

The glossy material is also water resistant - another plus in rainy Vancouver - although there is a little gap between the zipper and the edge of the bag, so you know - don't toss it in the pool or anything.

The T.O.T.E. offers a myriad of carrying options. It has short handles, like a traditional tote, but it also comes with a two adjustable straps you can use to convert it to a backpack for hands-free travel. You can also hook the two straps together for longer strap to carry it messenger-style.

I'm also a fan of the T.O.T.E.'s exterior slide-in pocket - handy for quickly stashing a receipt or carrying a small book. But my favourite exterior feature is the side zipper pocket, which is just the right size for your phone or your keys. It saves you having to dig around in the bag when you hear that "Single Ladies" ringtone you keep meaning to change.

The interior of the bag is very roomy but still nicely structured, so even when you pack it full it doesn't get slouchy. The blue interior fabric is made of recyled plastic water bottles and non-toxic dyes, which makes it even more eco-friendly - and the bright colour makes easy to find what you're looking for.

The inside of the bag is divided into three compartments; the front, which includes a pen holder, a couple of device pockets (one open, one with a magnetic snap), a cool snap-off key chain and a little D-ring to clip the cute little clutch to (did I mention the cute clutch? Perfect for your wallet and anything else that you don't want rolling around loose in your bag.)

The middle of the bag has a deep built-in padded laptop compartment with a little strap to keep your laptop in place. I was able to get my MacBook Pro and all its attendant cords in there, no problem.

The back section of the bag features a good-sized zipper pocket and plenty of space for files, documents, periodicals, etc.

I'd definitely recommend this bag to a wide variety of women - students who want a cool laptop backpack, funky designers with giant laptops, a quirky, bold CEO - really anyone who wants a functional bag with lots of style.

The Urban Junket T.O.T.E. retails for $143 USD and a portion of each sale goes to carbonfree.org, which further helps to minimize the environmental impact of manufacturing and shipping.

Innovative design, environmentally friendly, eye-popping colour, enough room for your 17" laptop AND at a reasonable price? Sounds like Some Kind of Wonderful to me. If you'd like to make the Urban Junket Magenta T.O.T.E. your muse (it also comes in black, chocolate or grass green), check it out at CareerBags.com.

Below you can check out the video where Tracey Dyer, the fabulous designer behind Urban Junket, demonstrates the three different ways to wear your T.O.T.E.