Booq Mamba Shift L Review — Backpack Extraordinary
It’s no secret that I have a fetish for gear bags; my quest for the perfect bag has been ongoing for years. I had reached a happy place with the Booq Boa XS backpack that I picked up several years ago, so my quest slowed down quite a bit. But I recently finalized the kit I’m taking to cover CES, and came to grips with the realization that this gear would not fit in the Boa. That put me in the market for another backpack, preferably one just a little bigger than the Boa, as I like to keep my travel gear as small and light as possible. My search for a new bag started at the Booq web site, and I quickly settled on the Mamba Shift L backpack. The Mamba Shift looked like it would easily fit my gear, yet remain as small as possible. With the trip approaching, I was getting nervous that the Mamba wouldn’t arrive in time, but today the FedEx guy dropped one off.
The Mamba Shift L is made of the same indestructible nylon material used on the Boa. The Boa has hundreds of thousands of travel miles on it without any visible wear and tear, so I know the Mamba will stand up to the rigors of life on the road. The zippers are high quality, and the attention to detail shows the typical Booq design touches.
What I like most about Booq bags is their slim profile. This is especially important to me on backpacks, as I need one that fits all my stuff yet doesn’t add a lot of bulk on my back. The Mamba has a very thin profile, considering the ample storage space it has in the main compartment. Opening the compartment exposes a number of pockets to fit all kinds of gear, in an organized fashion. There are mesh pockets that expose the contents, pockets with flap closures, and room to fit all sorts of accessories.
The Mamba Shift comes with a small cable pouch that fits in a tapered pocket for transport. This provides a convenient way to carry a few cables while keeping them out of the way of other gear. This is a thoughtful touch for the road warrior.
There’s a zippered pocket on the front of the bag, the perfect place to carry boarding passes and other travel documents to keep them in easy reach. There are two pockets, one on each side of the bag that can be for things that are used a lot. The two shoulder straps have a pocket on them with a tab closure, perfect for iPods or mobile phones.
The laptop compartment is fully padded and made with a velour type of material for protection of the computer. It’s a separate zippered compartment, providing easy access to the notebook. This compartment is on the back of the bag, so the heaviest gear rides comfortably on the back while in the bag. It will fit up to a 17-inch laptop.
Booq bags carry the Terralinq service, which can come into play should the bag be lost. There is a Terralinq serial number on a metal tag in each bag, and once registered (free), should anyone find it they can contact the web site as instructed. The bag can be returned to the registered owner, a nice security feature.
The Mamba Shift L is $149.95 at Booq, and comes with a 5-year limited warranty.
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$150 is quite steep considering competing products cost around half as much. This is overpriced in my opinion.
While some might argue that protecting a $4000 notebook is worth the investment, there are plenty of options out there that cost far less and provide ample padding, pockets and features. My $70 Targus case houses my $3000 Toshiba notebook secure and snug with space for files and extra gear. Never a problem toting it around.
Looks nice, but expensive. I’ve been using one of these:
http://www.wengerna.com/synergy-ga-7305-14
Very well made, lots of pockets, and only about $50 at Best Buy.
Have you considered any of the new bags or backpacks from Tom Bihn? ( http://www.tombihn.com ). The quality of construction is first-rate, and all of his wares are very well designed. And for the record, I have no relation to the company, I am just a satisfied customer.
–Ken
All valid points but my good experience with Booq bags makes me comfortable sticking with them. I know this bag will last forever, and I love the way the pockets keep things organized. I have been packing the bag full tonight, just testing it out, and it will fit so much in a very organized manner. I’m happy with it.
I’m sure the Booq pack is very good, but how about a compare / contrast with something like the NorthFace Surge?
http://www.thenorthface.com/catalog/sc-gear/surge_2.html
Have to second Ken’s comment above – if you do decide to search again take a look at Tom Bihn. Because of my job and bike commuting I have tried a fairly large number of different bags in the past 5 years and the Tom Bihn is the best I have found.
As a gadget bag / laptop connoisseur, I have to agree that Booq makes the best. There just isn’t any comparison to say, the NorthFace type bags when it comes to the quality of materials, and overall sturdiness of the bag, let alone the aesthetics and overall design Booq has to offer. If you’re the type of person to carry a backpack that you just throw all your stuff into haphazardly, the Northface bag might fit the bill just fine. Booq’s just have all the specialty compartments, and areas that the others don’t. Especially like the red / orange fabric (a feature many high end camera bags have) -that lets you find all your dark colored gadgets a bit more easily. Also, the Booq’s rate high in the ergonomic department. They engineer the backs, and straps to flow well around the body. My two cents!
C
I have the Synergy bag from Wenger too. I love it. This Booq bag looks great, I’d love to try it, but it more than double what I paid for the Synergy bag. That’s just a little too much for me.
I prefer my GoLite (http://www.rei.com/product/793634) Pack. It’s 20% bigger and almost a pound and a half lighter!
But then I don’t wear a watch because it weighs too much… :D
I’ve owned several Tom Bihn bags, and I really like their quality and design. However, I purchased a Booq Mamba saddle bag earlier this year, and I couldn’t be happier. I believe it’s well worth the cost. It’s sturdy, gorgeous, and opens up like the mouth of a whale to reveal a vast assortment of compartments.
I highly recommend Booq.