Leather has a great appearance, but the fact that it is soft is a potential problem for your portable computer. Laptop cases typically have lots of reinforcement to prevent damage during transit. This is especially important if you are going anywhere near an airport. If you are checking the bag, rest assured those bag handlers will be tossing your computer all about the place, that much is certain. Anyone who checks a leather laptop bag is really asking for trouble. Make sure you take that bag with you on the plane. Keeping that in mind, make sure the bag is not too large to go on a plane if you travel frequently by air.

So what are the important factors to look at when choosing from all available leather laptop bags out there? Number one is use. If you travel a lot and you have a lot to carry, a rolling bag is your best option. If you want a little style and don’t intend to rough up your computer, then leather is a good option. The drawback is potentially less protection for your portable computer. Leather is soft so it needs to be reinforced with panels inside to provide an effective barrier from the elements. These panels can be made of anything from wood to composite resin materials which are strong and light and expensive. As I’ve said before, when you go out shopping, please bring your computer with you because nothing is more embarrassing than coming home with a bag that doesn’t fit your computer.

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.

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.