Mobile Edge Komen Paris Backpack Review

<!-- Generated by XStandard version 1.7.1.0 on 2007-12-05T16:56:22 -->

by Sarah Meyer

The Holidays are thought of as a time for charitable giving. So wouldn't it be great to get a gift for a loved one or friend and at the same time give to a worthy cause?

Well, buying a bag from Mobile Edge's Caring Case Collection might be the answer. Every time you buy a case from this collection, Mobile Edge give 10 percent of the sale price to one of two charities. I decided to check out a backpack from the Komen Collection, the Komen Paris. Can this backpack actually work well and do good at the same time?

The Komen Paris Backpack Specifications

• Proceeds to benefit Susan G. Komen for the Cure
• Exterior Dimensions: 12.5&rdquo; W x 16&rdquo; L x 6&rdquo; D
• Compartment Dimensions: 11.2&quot; W x 13.2&quot; L x 1.9&quot; D
• Weight: 3.5 lbs.
• Black Microfiber and Faux Leather
• Ergonomic Cool-Mesh ventilated back panel
• The SafetyCell computer protection compartment
• Removable accessories/cosmetics pouch
• Lifetime warranty

(view large image)

Design and Aesthetics

The Komen Paris is a part of the special edition Komen Collection which features Mobile Edge For Her Bags in the trademark breast cancer pink and include a metal breast cancer ribbon keychain. However, Mobile Edge does sell the regular Paris backpack in other colors and fabrics.

(view large image)

The outside of the Komen Paris is stylish in a mix of black and pink with silver buckles and hardware. The bag is a made of a black microfiber except for the front faux leather flap that covers the compartment zippers. Not to worry, the faux leather is not made of that ugly fake leather, &ldquo;pleather.&quot; I even had people ask me if the faux leather was real.

Running down the middle of the bag is a solid pink stripe with a silver buckle in the middle that secures the faux leather flap. There is also pink stitching around the outer edge and on all the zipper pulls.

(view large image)

Underneath the faux leather flap there are two large zippered compartments and a smaller, mesh zippered pocket. The mesh pocket is perfect for small items that you want to be able to reach easily. I kept my cell phone, iPod and a small billfold in this pocket.

The first zippered compartment has six pockets inside of it. Mobile Edge refers to this section on their website as a &quot;workstation.&quot; Two of the pockets are zippered mesh pockets similar to the previous mesh pocket only smaller. These pockets would be perfect for keys, pens/pencils, a flash drive, post-it notes, and other small office supplies.

(view large image)

The other three pockets in the workstation are closed with Velcro straps. The top two are smaller; perfect for a cell phone, PDA, video iPod, etc (I kept two wireless mice I reviewed in these pockets). The third Velcro pocket could be used for small accessories like a mouse, USB extension cords, a mini hub, or a cell phone charger.

The last pocket is just a large open pocket. Slip a notepad in, or store a power cord in this pocket.

The second zippered compartment is perfect for storing textbooks or spiral notebooks. I kept my purse, gloves and my organizer in this pocket. This pocket also has a key fob with the accessories/cosmetics pouch attached. The pouch isn&rsquo;t huge and it&rsquo;s made of cheap fabric but it would be perfect for makeup.

(view large image)

On the side of the Komen Paris there is a small hide-away water bottle pocket that zips shut, concealing the mesh pocket when not in use. The breast cancer ribbon keychain mentioned earlier is located on the other side.

(view large image)

The top of the bag is where the dedicated computer section is located. It&rsquo;s the largest compartment on the backpack and the only one that&rsquo;s not covered by the faux leather flap. It has Mobile Edge&rsquo;s trademark Safety Cell padding and fits up to 15.4&rdquo; notebooks. If you&rsquo;re new to Mobile Edge products, the Safety Cell is similar to fabric bubble wrap. The computer is surrounded by hundreds of small air-filled pockets that absorb shock. The computer is secured with a Velcro strap and the compartment zips shut.

(view large image)

The shoulder straps, made with the same faux leather and pink stripes, resemble the front flap. They have ergonomic ventilated padding, can be adjusted to fit the person and on one of the straps there is a small mesh pocket. The back of the bag has two large padded panels to help ventilate, protecting from the dreaded &ldquo;back sweats.&rdquo;

(view large image)

Using the bag

The Komen Paris can hold a ton of stuff, and weighing in at 3.5 lbs empty, it should. When I first received the bag I was turned off by the large, boxy shape but after wearing it for two weeks, it grew on me.

I&rsquo;m not a huge fan of pink but I definitely enjoyed the splash of color, I get sick of the steady stream of all black bags. Plus, I knew this bag was supporting a good cause, with 10 percent of the sale price of each case going to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

One complaint about the Komen Paris I&rsquo;ve heard is that there are no pockets on the outside for quick, easy access. This didn&rsquo;t bother me since the small, mesh pocket located directly under the flap was easy to access but I could see how it might bother a constant traveler.

As usual, it annoys me that the Mobile Edge Safety Cell has a Velcro strap. I don&rsquo;t feel like the computer is secure when held by Velcro because you can&rsquo;t tighten it and the notebook moves around. On the Komen Paris, this wasn&rsquo;t a huge issue since the notebook section is zippered.

Conclusion

The Komen Paris is a nice backpack that will protect your laptop from the beating it would take in other backpacks. It has plenty of space for textbooks and accessories and it&rsquo;s not hard on the eyes.

And you have to feel good about knowing that Mobile Edge is donating 10% of your money to a good cause, even though they are charging $30 more for the Komen Paris Computer Backpack than the usual Paris Computer Backpack.

Pros

• Comfortable straps, back padding
• Roomy, easy to stay organized
• Lifetime warranty
• 10 percent of proceeds go to Susan G. Komen Foundation

Cons

• Safety Cell Velcro strap
• One color option
• No easy access pockets

Pricing and Availability

The Mobile Edge Komen Paris Backpack can be purchased via the Mobile Edge website, or through an authorized vendor. A list of vendors can be found on the Mobile Edge site. The Komen Paris is $129.99.

 

Thanks for the review Sarah. This is a pretty nice bag and the fact that some of the proceeds go to a good cause makes it even more attractive.

 

It's a little girly...

But nice job anyway.

 

You really hate to be skeptical of anything related to Corporate Social Responsibility, but adding $30 to the price for the "Komen Pink" trim and then turning around and giving just $3 of that back doesn't strike me as being particularly charitable.

 

A little? That's an understatement.

If you've read the article, they say 10% of the sale price goes to the charity. 10% of $129.99 is $12.99, not $3.

With that said, I'm always skeptical about these charitable donations as well. It reminds me of those overpriced Product Red merchandise.

 

My girlfriend got one of those Paris backpacks without the pink stuff some two years ago. It was like $60 after rebate that year on newegg. Amazing quality and durability, highly recommended. After two years, it still looks new if you can believe it.

 

I did read the review, especially the part that mentioned this special edition bag is $30 higher in price than other bags in the same line. Mobile Edge offers this same Paris bag in several other trims/fabrics at a lower price ($100), so what makes this bag worth $30 more? The pink trim? I doubt it. Buying this Komen Paris over a standard Paris bag gives an extra $3 to the Komen Fund and an extra $27 to Mobile Edge. If it helps move some extra bags that otherwise wouldn't, great, everyone wins. The point is it doesn't seem like a particularly generous gesture on the part of Mobile Edge.

Anyway, here's hoping Mobile Edge ends up writing a fat check no matter how many of this one design they sell.

 

Unless I misread the review, it is supposed to be.

 

Chengdude, I appreciate your comments however I must clarify a few things. We are proud corporate partners with the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Breast Cancer Foundation. On our fourth year as a partner, we’ve raised nearly $250,000 to date and counting. The reason we do charge more for the pink themed cases we manufacture is we use far less pink material than any other color. Our black coskin used on the original Paris backpack is used on several other cases we make. Therefore, with higher volumes we are able to lower the cost and pass that savings on to our customers. Because the pink themed cases are made in limited quantities, we pay more for that material resulting in a higher cost. We donate $13 per Komen Paris Backpack we sell, even if it is sold at a lower cost. Many of our retail partners sell the Komen Paris for less than the suggested retail price.

Almost every staff member hear at Mobile Edge has been affected or has known someone with breast cancer. This is a curable disease, and this is our way of giving back to those in need. Thanks again for reading Sarah’s review of the Komen Paris Backpack. Have a great Holiday season.