Slappa M.A.S.K KOA Bag Review for G73JH

Please try to refrain from quoting this post as there are a lot of pictures! Thanks!

Hey All,

Intro
So like most of you who have purchased the Asus G73JH, I want a bag that can actually fit it but also had enough room to carry my other stuff. So I went searching. I came across the Dell XPS backpack for $30 from buy.com and couldn't resist to buy it! For the price, it was a steal... just couldn't pass the offer (like most of you ). I got it and was really happy with the quality of the bag. It was pretty much the best bag that I have ever purchased. The amount of space that this thing had, plus the added cushion was enough to make me smile... but one thing bothered me. I really didn't think I would mind it, but the XPS logo was driving me crazy. Plus, the G73JH would have a tough time fitting in the sleeve pouch. It would fit, but it was really tight and difficult to put in and out.

So, having been spoiled by the Dell XPS bag and also have a bag festish , I went looking for a bag that had the quality and the space of the Dell but without the logo. And lo and behold, the Slappa M.A.S.K KOA Custom Backpack! This bag looked like it had everything that I wanted and then some! I also like the fact that you could customize it to your liking. I couldn't really find real pictures or reviews of it, so I decided to take the plunge and see what it was like.

My Order:
[1] M.A.S.K. KOA Custom BackPack
Face: KOA M.A.S.K.
Inner Lining Color: Red
Insert: SLAPPA Silver Crest
[1] HardBody PRO Headphone Case (review for this coming soon!)

The Design
So the bag shipped and arrived super quick! Total of 3 days to PA from NC. Heres some pictures of it .





The backpack came in a pretty big box with slappa logoed tape sealing it. As you can see from the two pictures above, I was very pleased to find the backpack in a draw string bag rather than a plastic bag. It had a nice printed logo on that says "SLAPPA." It's not much, but it gives you an idea of the what kind of company we are dealing with. So far so good , now for the actual backpack.









The face of the backpack may not be for everyone, as it is pretty out there (kind of look like it was made for alienware, you know the alien look?). But the good thing is that you can get a different face for it called "High Five" as the whole thing detaches. The reason that I got the "KOA" face was because it looked to me as it had more space. It does stick out a lot more than the "High Five" but I needed the extra pockets and space.

The material that is used is the 1680D Ballistix Nylon, very similar if not the same as the Dell XPS material. It is very thick and well stitched. I don't think I will worry about it ever ripping, but only time will tell.



The zippers for the main compartments have holes for mini locks, like the ones on the luggage bags do. But I realized that the front set doesn't do much as the other zipper opens the front up all the way and doesn't have the same function to lock it. But it's nice to know that the main back compartment, where your laptop is stored, can be locked.

The Front Pockets







There is a total of three pockets in the front for the KOA. The top to are exactly a like while the bottom is different.

I took three of my standard size game cases so that you can get an idea of how much the front top pockets can hold. Without much effort, I was able to put in the three cases. I fanned the cases out so that you can see them, but it doesn't have to be fanned out for all of it to fit. Both sides are capable of doing this. I have to say I was very surprized just how deep these pockets were, but it makes sense as the front does bulge out quite a bit. One thing I will note is that the front bulge will not stay flatten out. If this bothers you, you might want to get the "High Five" which is flat.



The bottom pocket is a smaller pouch that has a key latch. You could probably throw in some small things, but it won't hold too much.

The Side Pockets



Right Side:
The pocket has three pens/pencils holders, a small slotted space, and one that is a little bigger. The part that flaps out has a nice mesh pocket.





Left side:
Your standard mesh water bottle holder. I wish it was a little higher to secure it a little more, but it will do. Cans will hold without a problem.

The Back



On each of the straps, there are two loops that I believe you can attach additional pouches (like a cell phone holder) but honestly I'm not sure what they're for. I'm not sure it slappa sells any pouches, but you can always find some from different company. Note: pen is in there only to show you the loops. The strap is not padded as well as the Dell XPS, but it is better than your normal strap.



The back has the slappa logo as the cushion, creative! Again, it's not as well padded as the Dell's, but I'm pretty sure the way it is designed it will help to keep some space between you and the bag for ventilation. I'm not sure about the comfort for a long travel, but then again how long do you plan to hull a huge amount of weight?



The handle is made of sturdy plastic. Again, Dell's is a little nicer, but this isn't that important.

Compartment #1
In this compartment, there is two ways that you can get in it. The first zipper opens all the way, allowing to take off the face completely. The second zipper opens up only half way for quick access.



Opened most of the way so you can see what it looks like .





This is the insert that I chose. Everything minus a couple were a little too loud for me. This one was the one that I liked the best, nice and simple. It is held in by velcro all around the edge to keep it secure. I don't see it coming off too easily, especially for daily use. Slappa says that there will be options later down the road where you can purchase additional different designs. This is also said to be true for the faces of the bag. But for the time being, you are stuck with the one that you choose, so choose wisely !





In these two pictures, what you see is the single zipper that opens up all the way. How this closes is that the zipper overlaps about an inch. Note: this is the reason that I stated before on why the first zipper that has the mini lock holes are useless as this single zipper has no way to be locked and can be easily opened. But I really don't think I will be locking it anyway .





On the back of the face, we see three pockets and two elastic loops. The top two pockets are identical to each other while the bottem is a lot larger.

The top pocket is easily able to hold the HP voodoo mouse that the G73JH came with, wire and all. It closes nicely by velcro.



On the bottem we see two elastic loops that I have absolutely no idea what they are for . So let me know what you think!

The bottom pocket is opened and closed by zipper. It is capable of holding 2 standard DVD/Game cases. I tried a third case, but it would not fit. So two is the max, fitting easily.



This is the second way of getting in to the main compartment. It only opens up half way for quick access. What you also see is the two sets of semi-circle loops. I'm guess that these are used to insert a strap to secure the bag even more from popping open.



The first compartment is a little shy of 1 DVD/Game case width. You could definately put some books or even a second laptop as its bigger than the second compartment (main).

Compartment #2 (Main)



This is what I consider the main compartment as it holds the laptop. It's really nice to see zipper opens up most of the way so that you can easily put your laptop into the sleave. Note: this is the compartment that you can lock up .



There is a total of 2 velcro, 1 zipper, and 1 mesh pocket. It also has a velcro loop that comes out to hold your headsets. Also notice the nice red lining ! You have a choice from this red, blue, and regular black for your lining.



Once again, I used the HP Voodoo mouse to show you how big the mesh pocket is. I don't believe I can squeeze the wires in comfortably.



This middle pocket may seem like it is the same size as the one on the right, but with a careful look, you can see that this is a little bigger. This pocket is capable of holding the HP Voodoo mouse with the flap closed, but definately not the wires.



The right pocket is a little smaller than the middle one. As you can see the HP Voodoo mouse does not fit all the way and the flap cannot be closed.



Heres the velcro loop in action with my Audio Technica ATH-M50. You can shorten it and have a tighter hold by rolling up the rest.



This bottom zipper pocket is a lot bigger than the one in the first compartment. It can hold about 4 DVD/Game cases. I think it could probably hold a small 10in netbook, but don't quote me on that. But if it could that would be really nice, as I plan to get one so I don't have to whip out the beast all the time for simple things .





And finally, here's the G73JH in the laptop sleave! It actually fits into the sleave really nicely, withou much effort at all ! But the only draw back is that the flap does not close all the way. Honestly, it's not too big of a problem . If you really wanted to, you could always get some cheap velcro strips and extend it so that it can close the flap. I think I might do this.



And heres a picture showing the zipper closing up the second compartment. Its looks like its a little close to not fitting, but in actuality it fits nicely! I didn't have any trouble closing the zipper up all the way. No tricks, methods, or any other non-sense like the Dell XPS!

The Comparison
And for those that have the Dell XPS backpack, or the free Asus standard backpack, heres a comparison shot of all three together side by side. The Dell is taller than the Slappa. Slappa is fatter than the Dell, but both still makes you look like a ninja turtle . The Asus is the smallest out of them all.

Link to the Dell XPS backpack pictures and review by thauch: http://forum.notebookreview.com/6133320-post97.html
Link to the Asus backpack pictures and review by Ziddy123: http://forum.notebookreview.com/6125326-post92.html









Conclusion
So far, my experience has been great with Slappa. Their customer service is amazing. They forgot to ship me one freebee thing which wasn't that big of a deal, but Dom on this forum quickly responded, apologied, and said that he would get it out that same day! I'm still waiting for it, but once I receive it I will add it to this review.

After using this bag, I really have no major cons about it. I can confidently say that this is probably the best backpack that I have ever bought. The material that they used is great, the craftmanship is excellent, the functionality is amazing, and the looks are customizable! The only draw back that I see people having might be the price. It's priced at $130. But I can easily say that it was worth every penny.

If you have the G73JH, then look no further because this is the bag for you! Look for my DJ headset case review from Slappa as well! http://forum.notebookreview.com/acc...-headphone-case-quick-review.html#post6198632

Aesthetic = 9
Quality = 10
Functionality = 10
Cost = 7

 

Really nice review, love the pics. I have the XPS bag myself for my G73, which I like so far.

Still though, Good job!

 

Awesome review! I almost bought this bag for my M17x, but I went with a Slappa Spyder instead.

 

Awesome review +1 rep

 

Thanks guys! I hope this helps some of you decide on a bag ! Let me know if you have any questions.

 

I have this bag too, and love it. It's really nice. I actually fold the flap down inside the laptop pouch so it's not in the way at all. Just got back from my 3rd trip with it, and it's great in the airport. It's a little snug up top when you zip it up but I bring SO much stuff that I have no complaints about the bag at all.

 

YOU! It's because of you that I spent over $100, lol ! I just want to thank you because I found this bag because of the post you wrote in the G73 bags. I would have never found it if wasn't for that! Thanks !

 

LOL!

I seriously love the bag- I had people asking me about it during my trip when I pulled out my laptop, power supply, mouse, a switch, three network cables, power brick, notepad, pen, gum, RSID token for VPN and still had plenty of pockets. "How'd you get all that into that bag?!" and, "Man, that laptop is huge- it fits in that?!"

I got mine with the black interior and black Slappa logo, but I almost got the red. Oh, and the thing is great to pop open at the airport security gate and not have to take out the laptop, and then slide it under my seat on the plane (don't like overhead compartments for it). I get through security with far less hassle now.

 

Thanks for sharing those images! I'm also shopping for a backpack for my g73 and this one certainly looks nice! Good job with the review!

 

Thanks! It looks like we might also get some pictures of the "High Five" face later tonight from lethial. If he post in the review forum, I'll like it to here .

 

Awesome review!

Just wondering, how susceptible is the red lining in compartment 2 to dust and dirt? The red looks nice, but it does seem like it could dirty up and lose that sheen...

 

Si3
Nice review

 

Great review! Very helpful.

 

Thanks! As for the red lining, I don't know what to call it, but its like a silky material that is very smooth to touch. It's definately not a fleece material where dust, lint, or other things will dirty it and stick on it. But just like anything else, if you spill color liquid on it, it probably will stain as it does not seem to be water proof. As long as you use it carefully to hold your laptop and accessories and not going through a wild jungle it should be fine . By the way, it definately will not loose its shine .

Thanks guys! Glad I could help !

 

Man the g73 is friggen huuuuge XD

 

put it on and take a picture. ha

 

It looks beautiful on my back, as I'm only 5'6in, lol . It literally makes me look like a preschooler going to school with a hugh bag, but it's better than the Dell as that made me look like a turtle, haha... But I don't mind as long as I have all my stuff with me!

 

Thanks for the review. +1

That conjured up the image of Dana Carvey in the movie The Master of Disguise when he went to the Turtle club. LOL

Dana Carvey wearing Dell XPS backpack:

 

I like the slappa one the best as far as design and aesthetics...but $130? Man, that's a lot for a backpack, especially when the XPS is $30. I think you could probably remove that big xps label too.

 

Nice review! Esp. the comparison among the different bags.

Personally I might go with a Dell XPS Bag. Although it looks cheaper and a bit ugly, it's bigger, taller and thinner than the shorter and fatter slappa bag. It's also cheaper at only $30.00 at newegg.. only bad side is it's out of stock :S

+Rep man!

 

No problem . Heres a picture of a person who actually has it on their back!

See, thats what I thought to, but if you look carefully, the logo are every where and most of them you can't remove otherwise I would have done it a long time ago. So, it you have a problem with the logos, you don't want to get this bag, otherwise its a great bargin for what you paid!

Thanks! Don't get me wrong, the Dell XPS bag is a great bag! I just couldn't live with the logos every where.

 

Yeah, I looked heavily at the XPS bag too, and heck, I may even still pick one up as I'm kind of addicted to having bags too, apparently.

Honestly, I didn't pay $130 for mine. I'll agree that's a lot for a bag, but it does have a year warranty on it and exceptional build quality. I've already put the warranty to the test on another bag and they came through beautifully. I would definitely recommend any SLAPPA product.

 

One question, when you say the g73 fits snugly how snug is it? I notice the corners tend to stick out. Do they rub against the zipper? If this continues woudl the corners of my laptop become scratched?

 

The way the compartment sits, the zippers aren't rubbing against the laptop. They're actually in front of it. The fabric does rub a bit, but thus far I have seen no scratches or wear from it at all. The bag is the normal home of my laptop since I use it downstairs more than I do up in the computer room/attic.

I know it's an expensive bag, but I still love my SLAPPA, and their service is awesome. Mine is all black (so that I can bring it in the office) and I have the same KOA face and removeable insert.

 

Awesome thanks so much for the reply I just got my G73 today ordering this bag either this paycheque or next! One other question I'm also looking at buying an ssd drive to put into my X1 where did you get the bracket to put it in?

 

Either the ASUS e-store (which has it listed but last I checked was not in stock) or asusparts.eu (which is where I got it, but it's a bit pricey).

 

Here is an e-mail I got A MONTH AND A HALF AFTER I sent them the question, ugh.

Dear Mr. ______,


Thank you for your inquiry.


I’m very sorry for our late respond and any inconvenience may have caused you or your business.



Unfortunately this item is still out of stock.



G73 Series HDD Bracket Assembly

Name:
G73 Series HDD Bracket Assembly
Item#:
13GNY81AM020-1

** Pending Stock Notice as of 6/1/2010 **



This item is currently pending our first shipment with headquarters and ETA is unknown at this time.



We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and greatly appreciate your patience. Once we have more information on the availability we will update this page.



Best Regards,
Singa Volau
ASUS - eStore CSR
Phone: (510)739-3777;

Got that on 7/12.

Anyhow I already have the bracket assembly from asusparts.eu. Costs more than three times the cost of the part, but hey I got it shipped from Switzerland to here in Texas in one week and change, pretty f'n fast.

Problem with getting this is the screws for holding the SSD drive. My G73 fell twice from my bed and knocked it loose. I ended up sacrificing some screws from my old Dell laptop. The big screws I needed for the side of the bracket I got from an old soundbar I fried, was hard to get that thing open but I just got screws from the PCB.

 

Yeah pretty pathetic to order it from a reseller and get it quicker than the response. That's kind of typical. I was on the phone with them since I got the laptop in February and never got the same answer twice on when it'd be available. I was told September, which is when I broke down and ordered it from asusparts.eu.

 

I'd go to a Best Buy and take one from a display model

 

Anyone know what the difference is like between the koa and high five faces? How much bulkier is the KOA?

 

I haven't measured the KOA but I'd say it stands off about 6". What's nice though is that while it adds thickness it really allows you to put a lot of different stuff in the "face" portion of the bag. I keep my mouse, Zune, keys, phone, and miscellaneous "bulky" small items in there.

The High Five is supposedly slimmer. I've thought about getting one in addition.

 

This is a nice bag and I was looking into getting it but the price turned me off fast. I instead went with Targus XL for less than $50.00. Can't beat it for the money.

Amazon.com: Targus XL Backpack Designed for 17 Inch Notebooks TXL617 (Black with…

 

Plus you can stuff a rhino into the XL.

 

I have been looking for a bag for my G73JH-X3 and this thread has been awesome. I was going to go with the Slappa until I found this

18 Inch Laptop Backpack

Check out the embedded video on their site, it even has a rain poncho.

Found it at newegg aswell for 109 bucks. Ill post pics once I get it.

 

how much bigger or smaller is this bag compared to the standard G73 bag? Also which would u recommned?

 

Wacktool and Shoe3K, we're sorry we didn't win your business, but feel based on your posts, that we should clarify a few things:

(a) our M.A.S.K. backpack is made from 1680D Ballistic Nylon and the reason we use this material is because the tightness and strength of the material and the weave--due to this material you won't need a "rain poncho" for the M.A.S.K. These other brands you are comparing to the M.A.S.K. are not using 1680D nylon.
(b) our M.A.S.K. backpack is padded in every wall of the backpack + (obviously) the laptop section is heavily padded + the outer bottom of the M.A.S.K. has 2 hard plastic underbelly runners---if you are concerned about protecting the G73 just make sure your checking into all the protective features that are/are not on any backpack.
(c) our bag is "Scan-Fast" for when you are traveling through airports (eg, you don't have to remove your Asus G73 when going through an airport scanner)
(d) the M.A.S.K. (when first ordering and anytime down the road) is customizable, where you could change the outside look/function (by changing the M.A.S.K. face) and you could change the inner lining.

We really are OK with losing business to other companies but want to make sure that you are comparing apples to apples. We will eagerly put the M.A.S.K. up against any backpack on the market because we know what is built into the M.A.S.K. (and know what is not built into the other models out there).

enjoy that G73 (it's a sick machine!!)

Dom at SLAPPA

 

Just got this bag for my G73jw. I got the high five face and really like it. This review (Thanks SI3) is the one that sold me. I would like to add that the flap for the laptops sleeve does close on mine. The velcro catches by not a lot but just enough to give a good seal. Maybe they changed the placement of the velcro for this purpose. Anyway this is a great bag so don't hesitate, you won't be disappointed.

 

I just purchased the Slappa High Five Mask.

Blue on Blue.

 

ordered one for clevo x7200 aswell. I pray to god it fits inside!!!

very nice review btw !!

 

I'm really interested on getting one. Can you post a pic that shows the perfectly fit flap with G73 inside. Thanks in advance!

 

I have Toshiba bag designed for their Quosmio. Looks classy and understated - like a mercedes benz. Highly recomend. Pricy though: $100 on BestBuy.com

 

Jeffrey, I'll do better than a pic--check out this new video demo of the M.A.S.K.--we use a G73 (along with plenty of other gear) to show what this backpack can store. http://www.slappa.com/Videos/mask2_player.html

IF you need more info send me a PM

Thanks,

Dom from SLAPPA

 

Thanks for the vid! I'm wondering whether I can get it at Germany or not?

 

The Slappa MASK and Alienware Orion ME-AWBP2.0 are near twins, in case you find a better deal there.

Also check out the Alienware Orion ME-AWMB2.0 - it's a tad bit larger than the ME-AWBP2.0, and the mouth opens up all the way.

 

I just got my aw r2 lappy and the orion bag and I can tell you it definitely isnt the same as the slappa. I am actually about to buy a slappa koa mask backpack and a sleeve for my r2 m17x.

AWESOME review and thank you ! I was pleasantly surprised as well to see you chose EXACTLy the same options as me lol ! Red, slappa icon and the koa face. You made me feel more confident in my purchase thanks !

 

Sorry to revive this old thread.

Just got my M.A.S.K. Koop and I'm loving it. I can vouch that it fits my G73JH just nice and doesn't get in the way of the zip like the free backpack. SLAPPA definitely modified the valcro so it can fit the laptop. Bag is spacious as described and I can fit in another ASUS X42 inside with no problem. Laptop feels more protected in this bag than the free bag, in fact I dropped my laptop in free bag on the floor from my chair that day, just a small fall and one of the zippers fall off and dented the side of my laptop as well.

In any case, highly recommended bag from me. Not to mention the responsive customer service too. Cheers!

 

Man, I wish I found this thread sooner. But I can't complain too much, as I got the Swiss Gear IBEX when I got my G73 6 months ago.

Amazon.com: Swiss Gear Ibex 17-Inch Notebook Backpack: Electronics

Aside from the side pockets holding squat and the laptop not fitting in the protective sleeve, this backpack has done wonders for me. I work offshore and am at work for a month. When I go up on super tankers, I generally carry one change of clothes, all of my work junk (two VHF radios with spare batteries, two chargers, one 115v one 220v, a ginormous notepad of checklists), power brick, mouse, surround sound headphones, laptop, and miscellaneous small stuff like tooth brush and gum.

So you can see why I need space. But by your review, it looks like your Slappa can hold a similar amount of stuff, plus the laptop actually fits in the sleeve unlike 90% of the bags out there. Only downside I can see is the warranty not being as good as Wenger's/Swiss Gear's, and the straps don't look as durable. The main handle on top is backed by a friggin' steel wire on my Swiss, lol. But next time I'm in the market for a bag, I'll be sure to check out Slappa first before going back to what what I know for sure is quality have 3 swiss bags, heh).

 

Very nice review!!! This review had me sold on the SLAPPA M.A.S.K. KOA! I saw they have a bundle!
M.A.S.K. KOA GAMER Bundle by SLAPPA
It comes with a free game of your choice Warcraft or Blackops in either Xbox-ps3-pc. and choose 1 insert! all for 159.99 that's only an additional of 30 bucks! not bad of a deal!

 

Hi, could you guys help me with something: I am planning buying a Slappa mask:

1) Does anyone have this one?
M.A.S.K. KOA Custom Backpack-SK Gaming Version:
M.A.S.K. KOA Custom Backpack-SK Gaming Version

2) Liner: black, red, blue? Which one did you buy and what would you recommend?

thanks,

 

The M.A.S.K. KOA backpack is by far my favorite backpack. So much room for everything. I love it and their customer support cannot be beat. Barb Beers is the one i have worked with and she is wonderful. Cant say enough about SLAPPA