Best Overall
Lenovo T210 Messenger Bag
Key details
- Weight
- 12 oz
- Carry Style
- Messenger with shoulder strap
- Water Resistance
- Water-repellent fabric
The Lenovo T210 is the bag we hand people who want to stop thinking about their laptop bag. It weighs 12 ounces, it costs less than every other backpack, briefcase, and tote here, and it does the job most people actually have - laptop in, charger in, out the door - without a feature that needs explaining. That is why it is our top pick rather than the biggest or the most padded bag in this guide.
Open it up and the layout is plain in the way a good work bag should be. There's a padded laptop compartment, a zip top that keeps the machine from sliding out when the bag tips, and enough pockets up front for a charger, a mouse, a couple of pens, and a notebook. The shoulder strap is the detail that earned its keep with us: clipped on, the bag sits against your hip instead of swinging out with every stride.
What it won't do is stretch. The T210 is cut close, and once the charger brick and a mouse are in, there isn't much give left for a water bottle or a lunch. On a commute that's a fair trade for 12 ounces of bag; for a day that includes gym clothes or a headset, it's the wrong shape and the backpacks below are the answer.
The fabric is water-repellent rather than waterproof, which is the right call for something that gets set on a wet floor and wiped down with a sleeve. It dries fast, it doesn't stain, and it still looks like the plain black messenger you bought after a week of daily use.
Pros
- Weighs 12 ounces and rides a shoulder quietly
- Pockets for a charger, mouse, pens, and a notebook
- Water-repellent fabric wipes clean
- Less expensive than every other full bag here
Cons
- Little give left once a charger and mouse go in
We recommend the T210 to anyone who leaves the house with a laptop and little else: it's light, tidy, and the least expensive full bag here.