Real leather and ballistic nylon are a winning combination for cases and bags, the reason we’re actually excited by Padster’s Original Bag for iPad ($165) despite its steep price. Designed to have unisex appeal with minimal limitations on quick user access to its contents, the Original Bag dispenses with clasps and Velcro in favor of only one type of seal: zippers.
A large full-grain leather flap covers the bag’s single major compartment, which can be left open or closed with one zipper. Inside are two pockets suitable for snugly holding iPads or similarly-sized items — one open on the top and made from neoprene, the other zippered and made from a cotton cloth, with smaller organizing pockets and a deep central space large enough for a laptop inbetween.
Zippered front and rear pockets are found on ballistic nylon surfaces behind and below the flap, while an adjustable but non-detachable (and unfortunately unpadded) shoulder strap is above it. Every element of the Original Bag feels durable, looks attractive, and smells fine, contrasting with the chemical scents cheap leather goods often pick up at their factories.
