Skooba Design loaned me an early production model of its upcoming iPad/Tablet Courier V.3 messenger bag.
I've been trying it out for the last couple of days and like it a lot. I've been a fan of Skooba ever since I started using the Laptop Weekender Travel Bag. Like the Weekender, the iPad/Tablet Courier is made from water-repellant micro-ballistic nylon that holds up to rough treatment.
It has a padded inner sleeve, which is suspended from the top of the bag, so if you drop the bag or set it down hard, your tablet won't thunk against the floor or sidewalk. It can also accommodate my 11-inch MacBook Air with ease (though this is an off-label use — the pocket is not suspended, so it doesn't offer much in the way of drop protection for laptops.")
Other features I like about it:
I prefer the "portrait mode" of this bag over the "landscape mode" of a traditional messenger bag, because it keeps the contents from sloshing around.
It comes with a standard flap for accessing the pockets, but there's also a zipper along the top that lets you reach in and remove the tablet without opening the flap.
The zippered accessory compartment has has padded pockets to hold phones, chargers, cameras, and other accessories.
It'll be available in December for $90, but you can pre-order it until November 27 and get free shipping plus 25% off.
