I’d like to point out in advance that Kensington does not have a history of making good laptop cases, mostly because it hasn’t at all until recently. I’ll have to say that I’m very pleased with their most recent offering, the Contour Active Vertical Messenger bag. The one that Kensington sent me is for 15″ lappies, so I immediately unpacked my MacBook Pro from my trusty BrentHaven Messenger (reviewed late 2006) and went to town.

I knew up front that the Contour Active wouldn’t hold everything that I could carry in the Brenthaven, so I pared down my mobile stash. I’m pleased to report that I’m now able to carry at least 90% of what I carried in the previous bag in the Contour. The only capabilities I now miss are the ability to carry a second lappy (yes, I’m a glutton for pain) and the Brenthaven’s neato expanding bag trick. I’m amazed a what a simple design change will offer in return, though.

The Contour is designed to be a messenger-style bag, except in a vertical orientation. This isn’t simply a twist on the traditional lappy back format just for the sake of change. It actually has a real benefit; center of gravity. By orienting the laptop vertically it shifts the center of gravity across the center of your own center of gravity and brings that center closer to your own center, or, your lappy bag isn’t such a drag on your shoulder any more.

The bag is really easy to carry, as well, and the strap isn’t really anything technologically advanced. Its more like two soft canvas straps with some kind of quick adjust mechanism. It really hugs your shoulder and doesn’t slip or bite. I just sling it up there and away I go. I don’t feel my body adjusting to one side to compensate for the bags weight. In fact, this is the first lappy bag I’ve used where I felt I could walk normally.

Aside from its centrifugal properties, its also quite the lappy bag. It has two external pockets, one on the front and one on the back which is for magazines and books, which are reasonably accessible and there are numerous little sub-pockets inside of those. One thing I would like to see is that the zippers start on the sides so more of the pocket interior could be accessed without compromising what lies below the edge.

There are two additional little pockets along the front edge of the top inside the flap. One is for PDAs or iPods, and the other is for mobile phones, and they are each lined with a kind of felt/suede which I’m guessing can’t scratch your expensive electronics. Inside the bag, the lappy slot is lined with the same material. There is additional storage in front of the lappy slot.

So, let’s now head back to the beginning of the story where I told you I migrated my MacBook Pro over. How did that work? It works okay. Its clear that the bag wasn’t designed for widescreen slim lappies since my MBP is a bit too long and the slot is a little too wide. It makes it a tad difficult to snap the flap shut using the magnetic studs. While it doesn’t have Kevlar shields like the Brenthaven bags, the padding on the backside works well.

Aside from the minor quirks, this is a phenomenal bag with a great price. If you find yourself carrying around a laptop most of the time, you owe it to yourself to get one of these bags. At US$59.99, its a great deal. If you think that’s expensive, how much did you spend on your laptop?

written by Tyler Regas