Going through the security checkpoint at the airport can be a real pain. You’ve got to take off your jacket, slip off your shoes, and empty your pockets of any loose change. They also make you remove your notebook from your bag, letting it go through the scanner on its own. With the somewhat recent changes in TSA regulations, however, specialized notebook bags can avoid this last step.

One such bag is the Zip-Thru 15.4″ Corporate Traveler Laptop Case from Targus. In effect, your notebook computer never has to leave this bag when you put it through the scanner at the airport, making the process slightly less painful.

First Impressions

Targus makes a good variety of laptop accessories, including a range of backpacks and messenger bags. Some cater to the corporate types (like this bag), whereas others appeal more to hip teens and trendy artists.

The Zip-Thru Corporate Traveler Laptop Case is constructed of what Targus calls “durable ballistic 1680 denier nylon.” The lightweight material appears to be tough enough to endure the usual wear and tear, especially since this bag will never be checked-in; it’s designed to be a carry-on. Even so, I found that it was a fair bit larger than some of the other bags on the market. This can be a pro or a con, depending on your perspective.

The Padded Laptop Section

First and foremost, the Zip-Thru Corporate Traveler is meant to carry your laptop. While some other bags try to stay as compact as possible, this laptop case takes a slightly different approach by offering as much protection as possible.

Inside the partition for the notebook is the patented SafePort Air Cushion System. This padding helps to protect your laptop from drop damage, acting as a set of bumpers between your equipment and the hard floor. Naturally, these “air cushions” add some bulk to the bag, but air bags do save lives. For those of us that keep their lives on their laptops extra protection is always welcome.

Inside this area, there’s supposed to be enough space in here for a standard 15.4-inch widescreen laptop. If you were to remove the protective bumpers, you could probably slide a 17-incher in there pretty easily. However, the larger the laptop, the harder it crashes to the ground so do be aware of that before sacrificing protection for space.

Here is a quick shot inside the laptop compartment with my 14.1-inch Dell. There’s a lot of extra space, especially near the top, so it almost seems like a waste to make the Zip-Thru Corporate Traveler so tall. If you want something a bit more compact, Targus has a few other Zip-Thru bags that may be a little more suitable while offering similar features.