COTEetCIEL backpack mini pictorial

Rucksack - Bags - Store

This pack is Grey Melange 17"

According to the blurb, the COTEetCIEL backpack is a new laptop backpack concept created for "the savvy young entrepreneur or the dynamic creative talent that is always on the move". i.e. an Apple-brandishing spewer of BS with a titanic ego, zero experience/knowledge, a slight whiff of weed and a pretty face. So I may not be the target demographic here. Just sayin'

Worn pack in shot below is empty save for the 17-inch Macbook Pro. If you compare between the shop images and my worn pic, you can see how the pack expands when it has stuff in it. But the expansion is asymmetrical due to the oversized one-side-fastening 'flap' on the front of the backpack. And because of the way it opens, the pack doesn't actually have a regular bottom like most backpacks. Put it this way, it's like carrying a soft holdall on your back.

Laptop shot in pack is 17-inch Macbook Pro. Will accomodate slightly thicker machines with similar area dimensions (e.g. Dell M6500, HP 8740w) but do not expect it to swallow your Clevo / Alienware monstrosity without a struggle.

Compartments:
- One main compartment which opens up on the front like a vertical holdall.
- Laptop compartment is behind back foam and is accessed from the rear of the backpack, by unzipping around the entire back foam area.

Nice features:
- Swivelling easy-release clips on chest strap and other clips
- non-scratch velcro on laptop holding strap

Initial Verdict:
* Capacious for stuff other than notebook, but maybe not best suited to carrying very heavy individual items due to the way it's designed.
* Build quality is decent. High quality materials throughout, stitching quality / attention to detail / etc high. Melange fabric itself appears to be robust (made out of recycled PET bottles), although probably not suitable for very high abuse situations.
* Adequate - although probably slightly less than I'd ideally like, especially as there's no padding between the compartments - protection for laptop.
* A little odd looking (very clean experior when worn but with that odd sticky out bit at the top), but certainly individual and suited to the more designer-wearing type.

Ultimate Recommendation:
I can't recommend it. It's weird. And not just in the shape, which doesn't bother me.

The internal compartment is basically just one large vertical holdall as I said, and there are no subdivisions inside the main compartment - just two small zipped pockets, suitable for wallets, etc and two straps for holding larege objects in place. There are subdividisions in the laptop compartment, and while these are separated from the main compartment literally by a piece of (non removable / non-reconfigurable) cloth, that cloth doesn't really stretch to accomodate larger objects like a thick book. And to get at the laptop compartment, you have to turn the straps out, so it's not a quick 'whip off the pack and unzip compartment'.

All in all, it's hard to know who exactly it's really aimed at / suitable for, with the exception of someone who just wants something that looks a bit different. The materials are actually very good, the detail touches - like the nice clips - are also quality, build quality seems to be pretty decent throughout and it seems that it will last, given reasonable care. But what would you carry in it that you wouldn't feel hampered carrying in comparison to a regular design backpack? It's hard to say. The expandable design is capable of carrying quite a lot - e.g. a change of clothes for the weekend - but if you expand the bag to full, it just ends up looking really weird - like you're carrying a small holdall with pointy corners on your back.

So I will have to say that I think my Targus XL will still be getting quite a lot of use - but the COTEetCIEL will find the occasional outing purely on the basis of its unusual style. But it is pretty likely that on those days, from a practical perspective I will likely wish I was carrying the Targus...


Ask me stuff, if you care.

 

In the last photo, what's the jacket the guy is wearing?

The front of the bag is kind of strange, sort of like... faceless. Reminds me of this:

 

that is a weird looking bag haha, nice review tho.

 

Very nice backpack.
I would so buy this... if my laptop wasn't a Clevo D900F.
Someone buy my D900F.

 

Yeah - too large both in terms of depth and thickness. Anything with an area similar to the Macbook Pro 17-inch / Dell M6500 / HP Elitebook 8740w and with a thickness of up to about 1.7 ish inches should fit.

I do notice that oki-ni carry it so it's clearly one for the fashionistas, as I said. As an everyday-duty backpack though for intensive use, I remain unconvinced due to the 'vertical holdall' style design of the main compartment.

 

Posted verdict updates.

tl;dr: Only buy it if you really like the way it looks, as there are a number of weirdo points and potential deal-breakers.