Speaking of function, you do know that the bag is supposed to hold and protect the laptop, right? Yes, leather is beautiful, but if the bag is for your computer, it should have some necessary features or don’t bother no matter how nice the bag. First thing’s first and the inner compartment for the notebook should have padding on all sides to absorb impacts from accidental bumps and falls. The inner compartment of any bag made for a portable computer should be stiff to protect the screen from an accidental kick or bump.

Your bag should also fit all your other stuff. The computer charger or power supply should always go with you. If you don’t need anything else, then you’re good to go. Don’t assume that you have enough battery power to last you until you get home because trust me on this, you won’t. Nothing is a bigger downer than having inspiration strike and having a dead battery. I told you so, so be smart and take the power supply with you. Leather computer bags should be stylish but they should always be functional and do the job you bought them for.

A rolling laptop bag should have a sturdy extendable handle. Most well-constructed bags have aluminum handles. The benefits of aluminum are two fold. First of all, aluminum is very lightweight which is important because excess weight is to be avoided. Second, aluminum is strong and flexible. It can take a lot of abuse without breaking, a great benefit to those road warriors out there. To extend the handle, you simply press a button and pull. The handle extends so that you can easily roll the bag around. When you are finished, another push of a button collapses the handle and it retracts into the bag, perfect for storage purposes. The bag should have a dedicated compartment that protects the laptop and separates it from the other contents in the bag. The laptop compartment should have enough padding to allow the laptop to survive being dropped when in the bag. Other features to look for include dedicated storage for common computer supplies and accessories such as CD/DVD discs and usb memory devices and power supplies and such.

If you travel a lot and/or have lots of stuff to lug around, then rolling laptop bags are a good option. You can easily carry your laptop computer and all the peripherals and accessories you might need. These bags can be heavy, so for those of you who travel light, this option may not be for you. Whatever choice you make, be sure to take the laptop with you and make sure it fits in your intended purchase.

Most laptop bag manufacturers have drop specifications. They basically guarantee that a drop from x number of feet will not damage the laptop. I would recommend a 4 foot guarantee at a minimum. This will assure you that the bag has adequate protection for your computer in the event of an unfortunate incident. Imagine dropping a $2,000 computer and shattering the lcd screen. This is not something you want to happen and you should take steps to protect your investment. Even if the computer is not worth much, your data certainly is. If you are a computer professional, you already know that when looking for 17” laptop bags, protection is a top consideration.

If you travel frequently, I would suggest a bag with rolling hardware or a shoulder strap. Shoulder straps are great for relieving the stress from your hand. If you routinely carry lots of things in addition to your computer, consider getting a bag with wheels. If you get a bag from a reputable manufacturer, there will be other thoughtful touches. There should be dedicated places to put optical discs, peripherals such as cables and external usb devices like usb mice or usb memory sticks. All these little refinements can make life much easier and you should look at everything when selecting your computer bag.

You may have a smaller computer than the 17” laptop bags are designed for. Maybe your computer has a 15” screen. It is OK to go larger, getting a smaller bag is the problem. Always get a bag that fits your largest laptop and one that has room for expansion. You never know what the future will bring.

Most laptop carrying cases have some things in common. The first is there should be a way to keep your computer stationary. You should be able to easily secure your notebook so that it doesn’t move. This is essential for good protection. You don’t want your notebook bouncing around the case. Another thing to look out for is extra inserts to use for different sized computers. Most people have more than one laptop so make sure that your case can handle it. One option is to use velcro on the tips of the inserts. The reason they do this is so that you can move the insert so that it is touching the laptop. The insert can be moved around and secured so any size laptop will be accommodated. This is very convenient as you can easily move the padding to suit the computer you will be carrying.

Make sure that there is enough room left in these laptop carrying cases to store the incidentals too. I usually bring other peripherals with me. I bring the charger, maybe an external backup drive, reference books, etc. Just be sure that everything you need to carry can be easily stored in the case. You certainly don’t want to have to carry more than one bag or case around with you if you don’t have to.

Most cheap laptop bags are made of ballistic nylon. If you go the cheap route, make sure that the bag has a soft insert. This is critical. If your bag does not have a smooth surface on the inside, you will create tiny scratches on the exterior of your computer. Over time, these tiny scratches will accumulate and the finish of the computer will look dull and will seriously degrade the resale value. A little caution here can save you lots of aggravation later. I know this personally because I have a laptop that looks like I rubbed it with sandpaper because of a cheap bag. You don’t want to make the same mistake, trust me.

There are advantages to having several bags to choose from. Generally, cheap laptop bags don’t bother with things like metal clips for shoulder straps, padding to prevent damage and are really flimsy. This has a side benefit. These bags usually are very light. Light weight is good. After carrying a laptop everywhere for hours, your arms can feel like they are about to fall off. So you see, although I don’t like to go cheap often, there are some advantages to having a bag that is light, especially if you are a careful person and if you are going to carry the computer all day with you. Light and cheap have their place too, just make sure you don’t drop the bag, especially if you are outside. Concrete and laptops don’t make good partners.

Manufacturers make laptop computer cases in all different shapes and sizes. For those of us who need to carry lots of things when traveling, a case with wheels may be appropriate. Wheeled cases are a super convenience because your arms are not constantly carrying the brunt of the weight. If you have a heavy briefcase your fingers will tire quickly and your shoulders will start to hurt. You will look for places to constantly put that case down as often as you can. Having wheels on the case will help tremendously. You can thank me later for this piece of advice. My case was so heavy I developed the strongest fingers on the planet carrying it around.

The weight of the computer also plays a role in all of this. Large multimedia notebooks can weigh almost ten pounds or more with their accessories. Add the weight of the bag to the equation and you might be in trouble. Even though it does not sound like much, nobody wants to carry around fifteen pounds of computer and bag all day. Trust me, your shoulders and neck will not like you very much if you go this route. Of all the things to consider when looking at laptop computer cases, weight for me will always top the list. If I can’t carry it, the case is useless to me no matter how nice it looks or how well it protects my laptop.