It's risky business going off-piste from the traditional jet-black laptop rucksack design, but Booq has gone for it with this sandy/tweedy backpack and produced a bag that's understated and stylish. See all laptop bag reviews.
Apart from the colour and design, internal design of the Mamba daypack is about as vanilla as they come. There's one big compartment and one smaller front compartment; it's all very symmetrical and straightforward. See also: Be.ez LE bag Pro review.
Inside the bag, there's really not much going on. Aside from the laptop pocket (which neither has a top cover nor Velcro strap) there are a couple of smartphone/iPod-sized pockets and a couple of pen holders (plus a detachable key ring for your keys).
In front of that is a decent space for a gym kit. If you're a light traveller, you might get away with using it as an overnight bag. There's also a front pocket which is quite roomy, but there's a distinct lack of other pockets – nothing on the side or top for your accessories or smartphone.
The laptop sleeve itself (which measures 368×274×32mm) passed our not-very-high-tech “will a 15-inch Sony Vaio fit” test with flying colours. There was ample room to also slot in a tablet or magazine too. Booq has also added some extra padding to the rear of the bag to make it comfortable to carry, and we certainly found the soft, breathable, padded mesh rear and straps helped to lighten the load.
Another nice touch is that the Mamba daypack is that made from Jute, a natural fibre that's both lightweight and waterproof (handy for the UK). There are also some long-lasting YKK premium zippers too. Note that only the exterior fabric is waterproof. We tested it out in the rain for a couple of minutes and all our gadgets were fine, but there's no guarantee water won't get through the zips.
An extra feature you get with Booq bags is a barcode and serial number on the back. If someone finds your lost bag, they can head to the named website, enter the number and hopefully (if you've registered) track you down and return your Mamba and its contents.
At £73, Booq's Mamba daypack isn't cheap, and it doesn't have many pockets. It does offer more room than a lot of laptop bags for your other gear, however.
