LivingTravelReview: Airpocket Travel Organizer

Review: Airpocket Travel Organizer

If you’re like most travelers, your carry-on is a multipurpose home for many things. In my case, I often end up carrying a laptop, tablet, chargers, headphones, sunglasses, e-book or reader, portable battery, passport, boarding passes, reservation confirmations … the list goes on.

As a result, going through security becomes a frustrating exercise, especially in airports where absolutely all electronic components must come out of the bag. Once on board, finding something inside the bag is equally annoying, whether it’s under the front seat or stored in the overhead compartment.

I’ve seen a number of organizers over the years, all touting the ability to easily store, transport, and use your travel essentials, but none have particularly caught my eye. However, Australian company Airpocket thinks they came up with something a little different and sent a sample of their Kickstarter-funded version to take a look.

Features and design

Measuring 11.8 “x 9.8” x 2.4 “, the Airpocket is made from thick, durable neoprene. It’s soft enough not to scratch screens or glasses, with enough padding to offer reasonable protection for whatever is inside. counts as a personal item for most airlines; in other words, you can generally take it in the cabin in addition to your carry-on luggage.

You don’t want to drop it onto concrete from head height, but it offers great protection against the kinds of bumps and drops that you typically throw at your electronic devices. On the other hand, the padding makes the Airpocket bulkier than many other organizers.

Style-wise, it’s mostly black in design, with red accents for the band on the back and the inner bags. The band is quite wide and is used to slide the organizer over the extended handle of a rolling suitcase. That’s a smart idea, as it makes it easier to transport when you’re on the go.

Speaking of carrying, it comes with a removable strap that can be attached to a pair of hooks near the top so you can use it as a messenger bag. Once on the plane, the Airpocket is designed to fit in a standard seat back pocket.

Inside, the organizer is divided into several compartments. Two sections run in their entirety, intended for tablets, books, electronic readers or the like, as well as paper documents. You could possibly fit a small laptop like the 11 “Macbook Air, but it would be a tight grip. Anything bigger would be out of the question.

The other compartments are of different sizes, allowing you to put things like phones, passports, chargers, and other accessories. There’s even a narrow section to hook a pen on, to complete those pesky landing cards.

The company also sells a clear service case at an additional cost, which can fit inside the Airpocket and store a bunch of smaller items together.

Real world tests

Putting the Airpocket to the test on a transatlantic trip, I filled it with the key things you would probably want on the eight hour flight. To that end, I included a 7 ″ tablet, passport, portable battery and charging cable, the book I was reading, a smartphone, and a pen.

Everything that usually lived inside its own case, the tablet, the phone and the passport, remained that way. The end result was a somewhat bulky and heavy organizer, but everything fell into place without a hitch. I was also able to quickly drop my keys and wallet when going through security scanners.

Since my carry-on was a backpack rather than a rolling suitcase, I wasn’t sure how well the Airpocket would work for me. In the end, I opted to wear the strap and wear it on my body, sitting it on one hip with the backpack on top. It was more useful and comfortable than expected, and I was still able to easily unzip it and get my passport out at check-in without having to remove my backpack.

On board, the organizer easily fitted into the seat pocket, although the added thickness was noticeable. It’s something that would be a bigger problem on super-tight budget airlines, where legroom is already an issue. I would like to reduce the internal amount to an absolute minimum when taking one of those flights.

Verdict

I liked the Airpocket more than expected. It’s well designed and tough enough to take a few hits. The option of carrying it in three different ways (on a suitcase handle, such as a messenger bag, or by hand) is welcome, making it useful in more situations than much of the competition.

Being made of neoprene has advantages and disadvantages. On the plus side, the extra stretch is helpful if you’re trying to squeeze a larger item, and that material choice provides some much-needed padding and water resistance. It definitely adds to the volume though, and if you’re already struggling with legroom on your flight, you’ll notice the difference, especially if you’ve tucked yourself in quite a bit.

The price is reasonable for a solid piece of luggage like this, around $ 70, although it can be difficult to justify for the price, as you will most likely get used to flying. In general, if you travel regularly and are looking for an organizer with some description, the Airpocket should appear in your favorites list.

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