WaterField has been making quality bags, pouches, and other accessories for years, and the Tech Folio Plus is one of its latest gear pouches; however, after spending a couple of weeks with the Tech Folio Plus, I can tell you that calling it a gear pouch is selling it short. The good news is, whether you're looking for an elegant way to carry all your important tech accessories around or you want a case for a tablet or a small laptop, the Tech Folio Plus is perfect.
Price: $149Bottom line: The Tech Folio Plus has a ton of pockets of various sizes to carry all the dongles, adapters, headphones, battery packs, and other accessories you might need. Plus, it's absolutely gorgeous and made from quality materials.
The Good
- Handcrafted design
- Gorgeous leather accent
- Tons of pockets
The Bad
- Carrying strap costs extra
Those pockets
Tech Folio Plus: What I like
Right off the bat, the first thing you'll likely notice is just how beautiful the Tech Folio Plus looks and feels. The leather accent has this stunning worn look and feels to it, and the waxed canvas is tough enough to handle your daily commuting. The hand-crafted and quality materials that WaterField uses in all their products is fantastic icing on a pretty delicious cake.
What's even better than the amount of storage is how thoughtful the storage is designed.
Speaking of cake, let's dive into the Tech Folio Plus. The amount of storage space is astounding. Whether you're packing light and heading out to a coffee shop, or you're traveling and need all your gear with you, I personally never found my self lacking in pockets. Most days, I would carry around my 2018 MacBook Air, MacBook Air charger and cable, iPhone, iPhone charger and cable, my go-to wireless earbuds, and a battery pack (plus cable) just in case. I decided to stretch the limits a few times, and on top of all the gear I listed above I also brought along, my over-the-ear headphones, my wirelessly charging pad, my extra iPhone, a few pens, a pad of paper, and sunglasses, and I still had a couple of pockets with nothing in it. Don't get me wrong, stuffing the bag with that much stuff did make it a bit bulkier than you'd want to carry around with you all time, but I appreciate that in a pinch, I can carry everything I would need.
What's even better than the amount of storage is how thoughtful the storage is designed. All the zippers in the main pouch gives you an easy way to store cords, cables, and small bits without having to worry about them getting tangled or lost. While there are also nice padded open pockets that are great for bigger accessories like battery packs or a computer mouse. Plus, the storage in the small pouch on the front is great for carrying around those items you need quick access to.
Should come with it
Tech Folio Plus: What I don't like
The only real negative I have about the Tech Folio Plus is that you have to pay extra for a strap, which considering the size of the Tech Folio Plus, seems like an odd choice, especially since the suspension strap is very comfortable and well designed.
Now, remember, I mostly used (and will continue to use) the Tech Folio Plus as a bag for my MacBook Air. If I were just using it to carry around accessories and didn't have the added weight of a laptop, the handle would likely be good enough.
That being said, getting a strap will cost you an extra $12 for the simple strap, and $22 for the suspension strap.
A few things you should know
Tech Folio Plus and a few other items
So I took a look at three different products from the WaterField and had a chance to use them all, but I'm focusing this review on the Tech Folio Plus because I think it has the most to offer.
The smaller Tech Folio is very similar to the Tech Folio Plus, both in design and function and it's a great smaller tech bag that perfect for iPad or other tablet users. It's also $30 cheaper than the Tech Folio Plus, so if you want to save some moolah and don't mind a smaller package, you should check it out.
I also took a quick look at the WaterField Tech Pocket which is a very small version of the Tech Folio Plus. It's a small padded pouch that costs $49 and holds various smaller accessories like earbuds, chargers, cables, and styluses.
Bottom line
Tech Folio Plus
WaterField knocked it out of the park with the Tech Folio Plus. It's big enough to carry around a slimmer 13-inch laptop (like a MacBook Air) and all the accessories you need with it, but it never feels too bulky.
The zippered pockets are great for storing cables and small accessories that are prone to getting all jumbled or tangled, while the inclusion of bigger and padded open pockets allows you to carry around bulkier items with ease. Plus, the front pouch has quite a few pockets for quick-access items like chargers and cables as well.
I wish the strap was included in the $149 price tag; however, the quality materials, gorgeous looks, and evident care that went into the design make it well worth your money.
