Friday, October 28, 2005

I'm almost afraid to spread the word about this company since I'm fond of being the only person I've ever seen with one of these bags, but -- can you feel the love? -- I'm going to do it anyway. For messenger or other shoulder bags, I've never found anything as perfect as those by Waterfield Designs. They seem to have thought of every detail: the pockets are just where they should be for easy access, the inside of the bag is colored bright yellow to make it easy to find things, the shoulder pads are covered with a suede-like material so they don't slip off. As far as I can tell, they are also indestructible. After 4 years of daily use, my bag looks entirely new except for some paint missing on the zipper pull.

The company is a joy to order from (every receipt is hand signed with a thank you message) and their return policy and warranties show just how much they trust what they make.

They also make a number of cases designed specifically for electronic equipment like digital cameras, iPods, and laptops. Their sleevecases are terrific for people who carry a laptop around but don't want to put it in a special, steal-me case. You just put the computer in the padded sleevecase, then put the sleevecase in your regular backpack, bag, etc. Can you tell I like this company? Their designs aren't for everyone with a bit of an urban-geek thing going on, and they are also more expensive than most basic bag manufacturers out there. If you don't mind those two things, however, you should check them out.