Review: Brenthaven Prolite III 17in notebook bag

Choosing a good notebook bag is very important: spending an extra £10 or so may prevent expensive repairs or even replacement. The Brenthaven Prolite III is a tough-looking bag with more padding than most. It also has enough extra pockets to handle paper documents and extra gadgets.

The bag is big enough for notebooks with a 17in widescreen display - there are smaller and slightly cheaper bags for 13.3in and 15.4in notebooks as well. There is padding on the sides of the notebook as well as the front and back. This meant that we were able to subject a notebook in the bag to the rigours of the daily Southern Railways commute and not be too worried.

The main notebook pouch is just big enough for the computer, so it's neccessary to avoid the temptation to pack other bits and pieces with it that could scratch or damage it.

The bag's shoulder strap is comfortable with a well padded area in the middle to help ease the strain of carrying a heavy computer (many 17in models can be quite weighty). We were a little disappointed that there are no backpack-like straps on the bag to allow it to be carried that way.

The secondary section of the bag has a double zip system so it is in theory possible to keep it closed with a simple padlock. It's just a shame that the same is not true of the notebook section. It's not that likely that someone will slip the notebook out without anyone noticing but it would give some more peace of mind to users.

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