Mobile Edge Geneva Tote Laptop Bag

Gadgeteer Hands On Review by Judie Hughes

April 28, 2006

If I were looking for a casual backpack or messenger-style laptop bag, the selection would seem endless. With a budget of $100 I could have my pick of fabrics, sizes, pocket types; a near endless sea of options. But if I needed a laptop bag that would look good when I was wearing high heels and a dress, the more casual styles would not fit the bill. When given the task of finding a professionally styled laptop bag that can also serve as a business handbag the pickings become pretty slim, especially in the "under $100" price bracket.

So what's a tech-savvy fashionista that's trying to stick to her budget supposed to do? She might take a look at the Geneva Tote, a black on black microfiber and faux leather trimmed tote offered by Mobile Edge.

Just as a higher end designer bag would, the Geneva comes with its own sleeper to keep dust from the bag's finish while being stored. Opening the bag's fitted sleeper for the first time actually adds to the impression that the contents will be better than average. Hey, I am the first to admit that the little details impress me. But would the Geneva live up to my building expectations?

Measuring 16.75" wide x 12.75" tall x 4.25" deep, this business-minded tote offers so many pockets and sections that it might actually appeal to any woman - laptop toting or otherwise - that needs a dressier everyday carryall. The generous 11.5" drop on the two handles assures that the tote may be comfortably carried in hand, on the arm, or worn on the shoulder - even when its owner is wearing an overcoat or a top with dolman sleeves.

(photo courtesy of the Mobile Edge site)

The rigid body of the Geneva is composed of reinforced smooth black nylon microfiber. A one inch border of smooth black faux leather trims all of the bag's outer edges; it also anchors the bag's straps and protects the bottom. Honestly, if I hadn't read that the trim was faux, I would have thought it was a smooth-grained Napa leather. The embossing seen at the center top of the bag says "ME" and in smaller letters underneath, "Bring it On".

The black faux leather straps are stylishly rolled, until reaching the 8" curve at their tops. That area is left flat so that it will be comfortable on the wearer's shoulder; the 1" wide surface will also help keep the straps from slipping.

On the front side of the bag is a 13.5" long x 4.5" faux leather flap that covers three 7.5" x 4.5" gusseted pockets. The flap is held in place with magnets that are situated on either end, that react with the reciprocal magnets in the centers of the outer pockets.

These three pockets are sized to easily accommodate many popular personal electronics; the gusseting allows them to contract or expand depending upon the size of the stowed object. While these pockets aren't particularly secure from pickpockets, they are extremely convenient for keeping handy frequently needed items such as larger PDA phones, digital music players and other similarly sized items.

The right side of the bag has a gusseted 5.5" long x 2.5" wide phone pocket. It is probably better suited for thinner candy bar phones, as it is too deep and tight for my 4" long x 2" Samsung A900. That does not make the pocket wasted space however, as it is perfectly sized to carry a tube each of clear and colored Lip Fusion. The faux leather flap on the pocket features an embossed Mobile Edge logo, and it is held in place with a small patch of Velcro.

The back of the bag has a 14" wide x 7.5" deep slash pocket which is sized to hold a magazine or folded newspaper. A 2" strip of Velcro keeps it from gaping when not in use.

The left side of the bag is plain, but in this picture the zippered top of the bag is shown, which allows the tote's contents to be securely kept when the bag is stored in an overhead compartment or under a plane's seat.

The bottom of the bag is protected by four 0.25" silver colored metal feet and a 3.25" wide strip of faux leather. The bottom and sides of the bag are reinforced, so that even when loaded the bag will stand rigidly upright on its feet. This reinforcement will help the bag keep its formal style, without becoming too supple or floppy with use.

Unzipping the 17" long zipper reveals an interior lined in ME logo nylon and three main storage compartments with pockets galore...

Located in the center is an open-topped pocket measuring approximately 15.5" inched wide x 2" deep. A two inch wide Velcro-tipped elastic strap secures laptops that measure up to 14.5" long x 11.2" deep x 1.8" thick, or that have up to a 15.4" diagonal screen. The rigid sides of the tote protect the laptop's sides, and the bottom of the bag is lined in Mobile Edge's SafetyCell™ material, which is a thick padding that looks similar to a row of black fabric bubble wrap, if you can imagine such a thing. This material offers almost 1/3" of cushy padding, and while it probably wouldn't keep a laptop from breaking as the result of a long drop, it will certainly protect the computer from hard set-downs and daily knocks.

Here is a shot of my daughter Sarah's new Dell, which measures 14" wide and 1.5" thick. Unlike some computer bags that seem to lose all inner-space once the laptop is inserted, the Geneva gives the impression that there is still plenty of room on either side for storage.

On either side of the middle laptop compartment are two open pockets measuring approximately 14' wide x 1.5" deep. Because of the clever way in which the laptop compartment is sewn in, the laptop area is allowed maximum length expansion, but the contents of the side pockets are kept completely self-contained. For those that aren't carrying a laptop, the middle section is also perfectly sized for a slim hardback book, multiple legal files, up to a 1.5" binder, or other similarly sized items.

Speaking of storage, the back wall of the tote has an organizational wall which on the left features what the Mobile Edge site describes as their "Exclusive Wireless Security Shield Pocket™ that protects wireless devices from data theft, spam and viruses." Hmmmm...okay?!

I didn't see anything on the Mobile Edge site or in the tote's included paperwork that explained how exactly that was supposed to work, and I was very skeptical; so I decided to conduct a couple of experiments. I stuck my mobile phone in the pocket and asked Sarah to call it with hers. Would you believe that my phone never rang?! I told her to let it go until she got my voice mail and to then leave a message. Not once did my phone ring in the bag, evidently it was not receiving any signal at all!

When I pulled it from the Velcro flap secured pocket, it took a moment for the phone to enter the Sprint Service Area. When no message was left, my phone did not show that a call had been received. When a message was left, after the service area was established I received notification of a waiting voicemail. What the heck?! It was as if my phone had entered the twilight zone or something.

No, it's not lead-lined, but I am willing to bet that the silvery soft nylon lining of the 5.5" x 4.5" was woven with signal blocking aluminum thread. Needless to say, this pocket is not the place to keep a mobile phone unless the intention is to keep it completely signal free.

Added 05/05/06: I received an email from Matthew with Mobile Edge, and he had this to say about the pocket:

So that explains the pocket for those that were wondering. :0)

The center of the organizational wall has a three-tiered section which begins with a business card pocket, followed by a 7" x 5" open slash pocket. At the top is a 7" wide x 7.5" deep zippered pocket.

Next on the wall are three elastic pen loops which will hold pens ranging in size from a BIC to a fatter Mont Blanc. The last fat elastic loop is a clever 2.5" tall lipstick holder.

The opposite wall has two side-by-side 8" tall x 7.5" wide open pockets. These pockets are perfect for holding cables, power converters and other slim items that need organization.

On what would be the left side of the front wall (when looking at the bag from head-on) is a metal spring clip which can be used to hold the user's keychain, or...

...the included removable 8" wide x 5" deep microfiber accessory bag.

This accessory bag's zipper has an attached faux leather 6" loop so that the bag may be worn as a wristlet.

Here are a couple of pictures of the Geneva Tote as modeled by my friend and sorority sister Stacey. For reference, she is 5'3".

Amazingly enough, this bag has more features than I would have expected in a bag costing twice the price. The Geneva's versatility allows it to be carried with or without a laptop, and its style will never clash with professional dress. If you are woman that has been looking for a laptop bag that won't compromise your professional style or the safety of your daily cargo, then the Mobile Edge Geneva Tote deserves a long hard look.