Sep 27, 2013

STM Bags Impulse Laptop Backpack Review

Justin Jones / Backpacks, Gear, Reviews / 0 Comments

I met the folks from STM Bags when I was at TBEX, the Travel Blogging Conference in Toronto a few months back. They had a couple different bags to showcase, and I was impressed with their designs. They had thought of everything, and all the bags they showed me were really designed for tech-savvy travelers. When I left, they gave me this cool cord organizing pouch – It has elastic and zipper compartments for all your cords, and the whole thing rolls up into an little burrito for your electronics. In fact, I think that was their sales pitch. Like a burrito, for your cords.

I was hooked.

They promised to send me one of their bags to review, and a couple weeks later I got an impulse in the mail. I love this bag.

Most of STM bags and their accessories are really designed for techy travelers. These aren’t backpacker bags where you can fit all your gear in one bag and go travel around the world. But if you’re like me, you have a bag for that. I never leave home without my Macpack. It’s big and versatile and and I can put all my clothes and travel gear in it. But it doesn’t lave a laptop sleeve, and it’s not the kind of bag you take to the cafe for a day of work, or the kind of bag you strap up for some urban exploring. You need another backpack for that. And I’ve gone through a lot of different ones over the years.

Enter STM Bags.

My Impulse bag fills that gap.  It’s the right size for my laptop, my cords, a hoodie and a lunch. It’s the bag I use most often, when I’m just going to the cafe down the road, or out of town for the weekend.  I love that this bag has a slot for my laptop, and tablet, and a space for my phone, cords, and all the other things I end up traveling with on life’s little journeys. It’s small – but the designers have utilized the space perfectly and it really suits my needs.

It’s rare that I rave about travel gear, but I really do love my STM bag. My roommate also travels for a living, and he’s jealous of my bag and has been thinking about buying one for himself. So take it from a couple pro travelers: If you’re looking for a good laptop backpack, check out STM Bags.

STM even have a new pack that I’m keen to check out, the Convoy Medium Laptop Backpack. This bag has more room than the Impulse, and it’s design with old-school styling, but still packs in all the modern tech pockets and nooks that you need.  I love that it doesn’t look like a laptop bag – great for world travelers like myself who like to fly under the radar.