Booq Boa Nerve L Review

Some of you may have seen my thread, "Looking at a booq bag for my lappy486". I'm using this bag with a Dell Studio XPS 16. Well, I received my Booq Boa Nerve L just this past Wednesday. I wanted to give a review of my experience with this messenger bag so far because although I did hear good things about Booq bags on my research, I couldn't find anything specific for the Boa Nerve L. I'm hoping this will help some people out in there decision.

Durability/Build

When I first took the bag out of the plastic, I looked it over. Just by glancing I noticed it was well made. I've had cheap bags and well-made bags (my last bag was from columbia sports-wear). This is a well-made bag. The materials used are strong and durable. The outside and inside of the bag are water-resistant. Water-resistence is almost a necessity living in Portland, Oregon for at least during the winter months. The stitching is strong as well. The interior material is soft but I'm not so sure if I would put my laptop in it without at least some type of scratch protection, especially for the fingerprint hungry, glossy plastic. I assume it would be okay for a couple of times. Luckily, it comes with a laptop sleeve so you don't have to worry about it. The sleeve's interior is padded and looks like a lint-cloth type material. Not sure if lint gets into the computer because of it, but it helps to protect from scratches. The outside of the sleeve is made from the same material as the bag's exterior. I would honestly feel safe just carrying the sleeve around for maximum portability. I'm sure this bag will be able to carry my next laptop.


Design

I won't go over the looks too much because Booq has the pictures on their website. But one of the main reasons why I chose to buy this bag was for its design. I wanted a messenger bag but something that looked a little more professional for the work place. The black exterior fit the bill. The interior is a two-tone white and xbox/lime green with a subtle pattern. I say xbox green but it's not a blatent neon green. It looks nice.

Features

The bag has pockets galore. Although it has only been a few days, I have not needed to use all the provided pockets.

The main flap, which has 2 of those plastic snap clips to close, also has a zippered pocket that I tried to use for the power supply once but it made the front flap bulky for me. I'm sure it could be useful for thinner stuff that you need to take out frequently, like plane tickets. It also has a zipper on the inside to compeletly close the main compartment, which is a great idea. The laptop can be thoroughly protected from any liquid trying to get inside.

When opening the flap, there is a small/medium sized zippered compartment. It's where you put your keys, pens, earbuds, etc. There is also a zippered pocket on the outside and inside of the compartment. I don't have a lot of small things but I do like that it has 2 zippered pockets so they don't fly all over the place when travelling. I don't know if this would be a nuisance to some but the flap covers this compartment when closed so it isn't completely easy access. It doesn't bother me too much so far.

The inside of the main pocket was a surprise because I didn't see this in the pictures on Booq's website. There are 3 little pockets and a medium sized zippered pocket. I've been using those small pockets for small cords and a regular sized mouse. The medium zippered pocket is being used for the power cord. Now this is my first laptop bag so many laptop bag manufacturers may do this but regardless it was a pleasant surprise. Like I said before, the main compartment comes with a laptop sleeve.

My Experience

Well, it's been good to be so far since this past wednesday. It's not too bad to carry around for travelling but it's pretty big once you start putting things into it. I carry my laptop, a big programming book, a spiral notebook, organizer (like a day runner), and laptop accessories. I'm sure you can fit a lot more but I haven't needed to. There's been a couple times where it has been a bit strenuous but I think I need to play around with the adjustable strap a bit more before going back to work. There's some padding on the shoulder strap but not a lot. It's made from the same material as the inside of the sleeve. The sleeve is definitely helpful but leave the sleeve in the bag. It's a bit of a hassle to take out the sleeve, put the laptop in the sleeve, to then put the sleeve back in the bag. Because the sleeve has a laptop in it now, it is a tighter fit and it can be a small annoyance putting the sleeve back in the bag. But I assume that's because the Dell 16 is bigger and the Macbooks would fit better since they are thinner.

Overall

I was a little worried at first because I bought it online and didn't see it in person. A little leap of faith. But I am satisfied and it completely fits my needs. I think it will be perfect once I adjust the shoulder strap. Oh and btw, there are online coupons. I used one and it saved me 20%.

Anyway, I hope this review helped someone out and gives a better idea what they are buying.

 

Wow!
Without providing any pictures, you gave a very detailed review!

Thank you very much! Nice little surprise you got there on the inside of the main pocket! Those are always a good thing...more storage!


Cin

 

nice description and nice wordings.. in short, nice review.

 

Thanks for all the kind words. This is my first review so I was hoping it was okay. I just wanted to be descriptive as possible because I know that is what I was looking for in my research for this particular bag.

Oh ya, gotta love the storage. I liked those surprise pockets because I could be a little more organized instead of just stuffing everything in.

Bottom Line: It's an expensive bag but I don't feel like I got ripped off.

 

awesome review, many thanks i now want one more than ever ha ha. May i ask what website you ordered it off of and where did you get the coupons?