WaterField VertiGo Bag

Gadgeteer Hands On Review by Judie Hughes

August 17, 2005

When I spotted the VertiGo Bag on the WaterField site, I immediately thought it would make an excellent day bag for my then upcoming UK trip. My much-loved AK Taylor Tote is large enough for my daily gadget carrying needs, but it is not something I would want to chance leaving on a BritRail train. I figured that it would be best to carry a shoulder bag on this trip, something that would keep my hands free. Of course, I also had an ulterior motive in mind - if the bag didn't look too girly then it wouldn't be a problem to con Steve into carrying it for me when my shoulder got tired.

Over all of the other bags that I saw on the WaterField site, the VertiGo appealed because of its vertical orientation. Instead of the horizontal width of a messenger style bag, which would make me more likely to bump and bang into things, the VertiGo seemed more stylish and compact. Because of the VertiGo's height, I thought it would still be large enough to carry all of my daily needs. Plus I would be toting a small camcorder, travel book, brochures that I would be picking up along the way and all of the other goodies that I'd need while on vacation in a place that required lots of walking with few opportunities during the day to unload back at our rented flat.

The VertiGo comes in three sizes and there are a variety of trim colors available to accent its black body, including the classic Waterfield checker-board in black & blue, black & green, black & yellow and black & white, as well as the newer green suede, black leather and orange leather. I was sent the medium VertiGo with green suede trim, just like the bag pictured on the site. The majority of the bag is composed of black ballistic nylon, which according to the WaterField site is used in bullet-proof vests. The ballistic nylon gives the bag a slick look with a waffle-texture. The green suede adds a classy splash of color. Everything about the VertiGo's composition shows off the thought put into the bag, as well as the quality of the materials used.

Photo courtesy of the WaterField site - note the handy side mobile phone pocket

The zipper that closes the top of the VertiGo is quite heavy duty, and it features a plastic pull which is attached to a nylon cable.

The Medium VertiGo measures approximately 11" wide x 13.75" tall x 3.5" deep and weighs approximately 1.5 pounds. I was surprised by how big the medium bag turned out to be, as it is larger than the posted measurements. This medium sized bag is actually large enough to carry my Fujitsu laptop, so I'll talk about that in a bit. Although the bag was a little larger than I expected, it seemed like it would do nicely for the trip.

For reference, I am 5'10" and wearing 3" heels, so you can see how large the medium bag actually is

Borrowing the handy diagram from the WaterField site, let's take a peek at the VertiGo's anatomy...

Photo courtesy of the WaterField site

As pictured, the exterior of the bag has three pockets: a quick access open pocket on the front which measures approximately 8" wide x 10" tall, a rear magazine pocket which measures 10.5" wide x 10.25 tall and a side mobile phone pocket which measures 3.5" wide x 5" tall. For the trip, I planned to use the front pocket for plane and train tickets, as well as other items which needed to be immediately accessible.

 

Since my i550 wouldn't work over there, I used the mobile phone pocket to hold my sunglasses. I would use the magazine pocket on the rear for its intended purpose. since it is deep enough that it can hold several thick magazines. Confession time: Once in the UK, I found that even their taller gossip magazines (OK! & HELLO!) fit quite well.

The woven nylon shoulder strap is adjustable and long enough so that it can be worn comfortably hanging at the wearer's side, or across the chest bandolier style. The strap is a generously wide 1.5" winches, and it reminds me of a car's seat belt. On the shoulder the strap is fairly comfortable as is, but once the VertiGo is loaded it will begin to dig. However, there is no need to suffer - WaterField includes their normally sold separately Shoulder Pad with the VertiGo bag. Attaching the pad to the strap is a simple matter of opening the tri-fold and then folding it back over itself on the strap, everything secured by the pad's wide strip of Velcro. Once installed, the pad can be slid up and down the strap's length, but due to the grippy properties of the pad's underside, it will stay put on the wearer's shoulder.

The shoulder pad is pretty substantial, and once installed it makes the VertiGo's strap quite comfy. However, nothing is going to make the bag truly comfortable for hours on end if you are the type that tends to over pack just because you have the space.

Moving on to the interior, we find the front panel, the one that had the green suede accent, which is where the four interior pockets have been placed. Those that are used to bags with the pockets on the back wall, or the wall closest to the wearer's body, might be a bit taken aback by the pocket's placement, but when worn it makes perfect sense. Unzipping the bag while it is on the shoulder makes the pockets and their contents immediately accessible - no matter what is inside the bag.

As I mentioned, there are four pockets. The upper left pocket is specifically for cards or ID, and it can hold a stack of about 15 standard business cards. The upper right pocket is approximately 2.75" wide and 5" deep. It is perfect for a long skinny phone, but instead I used it to carry the BoxWave Battery Adapter for the MiniSync. The lower left pocket is 5" wide x 7" deep and was perfect to hold my passport in its wallet. The bottom right pocket is 4.75" wide by 7" deep and is where my iPAQ resided for the entire trip, when it wasn't in hand.

You'll notice that except for the reinforced black pocket panel, the entire interior is composed of a golden nylon honeycomb lining, against which it is easy to spot items sitting in the bag. Several years ago, Julie reviewed the WaterField Cozmo Bag at which time we both received a Gear Pouch and laptop Sleeve Case with Flap. Although I didn't carry the laptop case on this trip, the case fits perfectly inside the VertiGo effectively turning it into a reinforced laptop bag.

On the trip, I used the Gear Pouch to carry cables and other items that I needed to keep handy daily. Since there are only four interior pockets in the VertiGo, it definitely helped keep things tidy and organized.

As a laptop bag for a compact computer, the VertiGo excels. It comfortably allows its owner to carry just about everything they might need in an organized manner. As a day bag, the VertiGo is comfortable and I wouldn't change a thing about it - except possibly to add a few more pockets on the other interior wall. This bag came in very handy while on vacation. It traveled with me everywhere, even to the Edinburgh Dungeon.

If you have been looking for a versatile day bag that can double as a smaller laptop bag, then you should definitely take a look at the Waterfield VertiGo.

Price: $84
Prices vary according to size and options

Pros:
Extremely well made of quality materials
Comfortable vertical design
Large enough to hold a small laptop and accessories
Interior pocket panel is well thought out and handy

Cons:
I would have liked even more interior pockets - but then I am greedy about pockets