I’m pretty haphazard when it comes to getting my stuff together in the morning. Between carting the big kid off to school, and the little one to playdates and daycare, I usually plop down at my local coffee shop to get some words in and realize that I’ve left something vital at home. I’ve tried a number of different backpacks and messenger bags, and realized that what I value the most is a knapsack that’s lightweight, clean, and maybe even a little stylish.
The Case Logic Ibira is made of polyester, which doesn’t immediately scream high fashion, but it’s spacious and sleek and unassuming. The model that I was provided had an orange back and zipper ties. It looks pretty sharp, considering the price, and has a good feature set for a budget bag.
It fits a lot more than I was expecting when I took it out of the packaging. The main pocket fits a 15.6″ laptop (the actual dimensions of the laptop sleeve: 15.2″ x 10.5″ x 1.2″ and fit my MacBook Pro like a glove). On the other side of the main pocket is a sleeve for a 10.1″ tablet. Unless you have a super big computer and a chunky tablet, you can also fit some other stuff between the two pockets. My diaper stash—four diapers and a travel bag of wipes—fit perfectly.
The middle pocket is good for storing headphones, books, and larger items. It has two slots for phones—or, in my case, small board games. Two elastic hooks can hold pens, USB drives, or charging cables.
I really dig the very front pouch, which has a long vertical zipper that opens up entirely and can store writing pads, books, chargers, and other small stuff. The other two pouches don’t open all the way down to the bottom of the bag, which means stuff might get lost down in the recesses if you’re not careful. With the way that the front pouch unzips down the front, you won’t miss anything inside.
Next are two mesh pockets on either side of the bag for water bottles, and a “cash-stash” pocket on the back panel for hiding money, identification, or valuable Magic: The Gathering cards.
Weighing in at a little over 1 lb., the Ibira is a good daypack and could store a change of clothes if you wanted to travel light. If your everyday carry isn’t too hefty, it should house it all. The straps could use a bit more padding, especially if you weigh it down with D&D books like I do, and the zippers aren’t the easiest to pull, but since it retails at around $30 with a 25 year warranty, it’s a bargain compared to more expensive options.
Buy it direct from Case Logic or from Amazon
Disclosure: I received a free Ibira from Case Logic for this review.
