Have Laptop Will Travel
With the design of the Checkpoint Flyer intended to satisfy the TSA “checkpoint friendly” guidelines, it should come as no surprise that much attention has been given to the removable laptop case. As mentioned earlier, the laptop case comes in a variety of sizes and you need to be sure to order the correct size for your laptop. As you can see here, I have a 13″ MacBook and it fits perfectly inside the laptop case. The unique design of the laptop case offers a soft brushed tricot lining and a padded lip that protects your laptop from being scratched by the zipper.
As noted, the laptop case is completely removable; held in place by two clamps that are somewhat difficult to unhook. At first I was somewhat frustrated with the difficulty of unhooking these clamps, although in hindsight I have to say that is probably a good thing, as you wouldn’t want the clamps to accidentally pop open and your laptop to become unsecured.
By offering the ability to remove the laptop case, you are given the flexibility of carrying the bag without the laptop (or carrying the laptop in the main compartment for quick access, although not recommended as there isn’t the same level of padding) but you also have the ability to have (and use) different sized cases for different laptops. While not all of us have multiple laptops, many of us will likely replace our current laptop in the next two to three years. With the removable laptop case, you simply need to purchase a new case to fit your new laptop and the rest of the bag is still functional. This makes the initial outlay for this product easier to swallow as it will be with you for quite some time.
Potential Missing Link?
One thing that might turn some people off is that the Checkpoint Flyer does not come with a shoulder strap. When you are spending a couple of hundred dollars on a bag, you would think it would not be too much trouble to include a basic shoulder strap. However, rather than include a free strap that is lower in quality or include a high-quality strap at an increased cost, TOM BIHN has opted to make this an optional accessory. In addition, since many of their customers have more than one bag, they can now interchange the shoulder strap without incurring the cost of a new one with each bag.
Included with my Checkpoint Flyer was the Absolute Shoulder Strap. While this strap has a somewhat hefty price tag of $30.00, I have to say that it is worth the additional cost. Compared to the strap on my OGIO bag, the soft neoprene padding with a unique stretch backing of the Absolute Shoulder Strap was extremely comfortable. The feel of the strap made me think of the soft gel inserts that some people use in their shoes – are you gellin’?