Best everyday bag for e-Reader?

[graycyn]

Hi folks... recently ordered a Medium Cafe Bag to be my everyday carry bag for my purse stuff PLUS a Barnes & Noble Nook e-Reader.

Everything fits nicely, that's no problem, there's plenty of room, as I don't carry a ton of stuff with me for the most part, but I don't quite like the fact that my Nook in cover will be rattling around in the bag along with my wallet and other stuff. I'm a little worried about getting my nice nook covers scratched up.

The Nook is 8"L x 5.75"W x 1.25"D or slightly smaller depending on which of my two covers I have it in.

I am wondering if the Ristretto for iPad might work a little better, since it has the separate padded pocket? Also, having put all my stuff in the Medium Cafe Bag to check fit, I am noticing that with the Nook added to my everyday stuff, that's a heavier haul than I am used to!

So I'm also thinking that maybe getting a bag with the Absolute Strap option might be good. But maybe the iPad Ristretto is total overkill?

I use my bags for a long time and don't switch often, so the extra money for the iPad Ristretto is not too much of an issue. My current bag *must* be replaced, it is a decade or so old and though all the zippers and hardware are fine, it is finally developing a hole in the bottom!


Cynthia

[BPritchard]

I would return the Medium Cafe Bag and get the Large Cafe Bag with the Absolute Strap. This is my main carrybag for outings and plane trips. Holds my Kindle,Netbook in a cache quite well.

My EGO is my work bag since I occasionally have a laptop to haul around.

You could also protect your nook by using one of the approproate sized organizer pouches.

You could also mock up the dimensions, using tape and newspapers, of the large cafe bag to approximate what you could carry and how the size looks when you carry it.

I did this when I was deciding between the ID, EGO, and Super EGO.

[maverick]

hi graycyn!

you could certainly use the ristretto for ipad with your nook.

also take a look at the sleeves for the kindle. they have a padded one which provides the same 1/4" thick padding you find in the ristretto for ipad.

the absolute shoulder strap is just wonderful. it is available for both the ristretto for ipad and the large cafe bag. but if you'd prefer to stick with the medium cafe bag, you may want to consider the ultrasuede shoulder strap wrap.

let us know what you choose and how it turns out for you.

[graycyn]

I don't think I'd like the Large Cafe Bag... the Medium is about as large as I'd want to go! I actually did kind of do a mockup to decide on the medium size. Anything larger would look too big on me, I think.

As for the Organizer Pouches... doesn't work, or at least the medium sized one I got with my bag will categorically NOT fit my Nook in its book style cover. OK, maybe I could jam it in, but then I risk damaging the cover, the very thing I want to avoid, so that's a definite no go. I want things so that I can easily whip my Nook out for a quick read when I'm standing in line at the supermarket, etc... unzipping a pouch, even one that fit, doesn't go well with that goal.

I think what I'm going to have to do is order the iPad Ristretto and compare it directly with the Medium Cafe Bag to decide.

I do think that whatever I end up with, I'll probably love!

I'm also contemplating a small Cafe Bag for those occasions that I might not want to take my Nook along.

Thanks for the thoughts!

[ams123]

I use a medium cafe bag most days, and I carry my kindle in it. I'm assuming it is the same size as a nook approximately? I keep everything in the bag in organizer pouches arranged by theme, ie; makeup in one pouch, personal items like meds and wipes in another pouch, cards (insurance, etc) in another pouch, ipod and headphones in a padded pouch. My wallet is a "Big Skinny" and that goes in the front zippered section. My blackberry in a case goes in the back open section for easy access.

The kindle is in a M-Edge protective cover, and that just slides into the main compartment of the cafe bag.

It sounds like your concern is your nook cover getting damaged. Rather than switch to another bag, why not get a Nook cover that is more sturdy and less likely to be damaged?

I love my system. Pouches rule.

BTW, I have a ristretto for ipad that I use when I am carrying my netbook around. I think it is overkill for a nook. It's also got a flatter footprint, the medium cafe bag seems to expand more.

[graycyn]

THANKS for the wallet link! That site has some VERY interesting wallet solutions that I think I could live with. I had been searching, but had not come up with anything that looked right until you posted this! Would LOVE to downsize my wallet a little, even if I have to put some more fragile paper cards in a separate pouch if necessary.

I suppose I could switch nook covers, but except for the fact that the cute silkscreening on this one's fabric seems somewhat prone to wear, the rest of the cover design I *really* like, so I'm not that keen on searching out something else. My other cover *is* more durable, but I don't like it as well, because it has areas that are cat hair magnets, sigh. It is also heavier and has no closure.

I am agreeing totally with you on the pouches! Even if the Medium Cafe Bag goes back in exchange for an iPad Ristretto, I'm keeping the pouches I ordered and possibly getting one more. Those will work so well for me for paper receipts and small things like nail clippers, spare hair bands and chapstick.

Points in favor of a ristretto are color (I can get a color that will work better with my wardrobe than what is currently available for the Medium Cafe.), less weight and the Absolute Strap. I don't really need a cavernous bag. I am pretty minimal in what I am willing to carry about. The flatter footprint would possibly suit me better.

So I think I'll still order the iPad ristretto, compare the two in person, see what will work best, then return the one I like least. If I do stuff like buy a sleeve or a different nook cover, it'll add up to nearly as much money as a ristretto anyway... and I'll know that my decision was based on actual experience with both bags, so I won't have to "wonder" later. I'm kind of a buy once, use for years gal.

[graycyn]

My iPad Ristretto in steel/wasabi arrived today! I compared it with the Medium Cafe Bag in linen/steel.

Overall, I prefer the Ristretto. It feels more organized to me, whereas things felt jumbled in the Medium Cafe even with the use of several organizer pouches! The Medium Cafe is clearly roomier, but as I don't really want to carry "more", that's mostly a non-issue for me.

As it turns out, with an equal load of what I normally carry plus Nook, the Ristretto and Absolute Strap are 9 oz. heavier than the Medium Cafe and Ultrasuede Strap Wrap. Yet, with the Absolute Strap, the load feels equal or lighter!

Given my bad shoulder, I think that was the real decider, the comfort of the strap.

However, I'm still a bit conflicted... the steel outside color of the Ristretto is NOT the same as the steel inside color on the Medium Cafe! I prefer the more neutral and lighter slate steel grey on the linen/steel Cafe Bag. THAT particular grey is totally SHARP with ALL my wardrobe.

The steel on the Ristretto is darker and has a somewhat greenish cast. Not nearly as sharp with my clothes, though definitely a better look than the linen was. The linen looked OK against my darkest clothes, but drab and dull against the rest of what I wear. Though I can see it being a great color for some, just wasn't for me.

So, is there any likelihood of a change in colors for the Ristretto in the near future? The steel/wasabi will do but it's not quite what I'd hoped for on color after seeing the steel inside of the linen bag. Though I quite like the wasabi interior!

Meanwhile, for when I don't want to carry my Nook with me, I've ordered a Small Cafe Bag in punch/steel. I think I'll really like that color/combo for a small fun bag!

[amicus]

Good to hear your bag comparison. I've considered the medium cafe as well. I have a small cafe and recently got a nook and it fits quite well in the small but then I don't have room anymore for my small water bottle. I might have to give the ristretto another look

[BPritchard]

Small cafe bag

snip ..
Meanwhile, for when I don't want to carry my Nook with me, I've ordered a Small Cafe Bag in punch/steel. I think I'll really like that color/combo for a small fun bag!...snip

I got the small cafe bag with ultrasuede wrap for my wife to use during trips or other times when she doesn't need to carry a purse. Her Kindle(with cover) fits quite well in the bag. So, your Nook should fit with some room left over.

[graycyn]

Got my small cafe bag in punch/steel! LOVE the color!

I wouldn't necessarily want a larger bag in the punch color, 'cuz it's very bright, but it is totally perfect for me on the small cafe size.

I gave a shot at loading my normal gear into the small bag along with nook, but it was just too much stuff to be a good fit. Even with the thinner wallet I just ordered it was clearly not gonna work for me.

The small cafe is for when I DON'T need or want to bring nook along and it will be perfect for that!

But I wanted to try the smaller bag before deciding for sure on the iPad Ristretto. Now that I know, I'll keep both bags. It's nice having a bag in a fun bright color anyway.

iPad Ristretto wins for my everyday carry. I took it out for the first time yesterday and it was great. Felt comfy on my bad shoulder, carried all of what I normally carry (including my HUGE old leather wallet) plus nook and I could have fit a few more things in.

I just ordered a BigSkinny wallet to hopefully make things even roomier, my old wallet is some two inches thick! (I know, yikes!) With a thinner wallet, I think I would have room for a small water bottle, though I probably wouldn't want to add something heavy like that to the load often. I just can't carry much weight on my shoulder. Doc's orders.

Oh, and I had an incident yesterday... the bag w/nook inside fell out the back of a folding chair I'd laid it on, CLUNK to the floor! The fragile e-Ink screen on my nook survived the fall just fine! Whew! But that's exactly why I like this bag! It feels good, it looks good, it holds all my stuff organized and with a bit of extra room and it protects my stuff. Doesn't get much better than that!

[ams123]

You'll love a thinner wallet. People are amazed at the size of my wallet, most women I know (and I don't mean to generalize, but, it seems to be true for women I know) carry huge wallets. I don't get it. We already have purses, why do we need big wallets? I love my big skinny wallet, when I'm running into a store I just stick it in a pocket with my key fob and I'm done. Or if I don't have a pocket (darn women's clothing - terrible pockets, but all for the sake of beauty), I use a wristlet.

Hey, I bet I can convert an organizer pouch into a wristlet with a key strap, can't I? I can keep that in my cafe bag, and when I want to travel light I'll just pull out the organizer pouch with the wallet and key fob in it.

Great idea.

[MaggieScratch]

You seem to have figured out your carrying needs, but just to let you know, padding is not the most important thing with eInk-screen readers. (I've had two and just ordered my third; one 6-inch and two 5-inch screens; had the first since 2008.) The important thing to prevent breakage is to not flex the frame. That seems to be what causes problems with a lot of screen breakage. This is often causes by people putting their readers (even in padded cases) in a coat or pant pocket and sitting down. This causes the frame to bend or flex and will cause the glass substrate on the screen to break.

Obviously, if you walk on or sit on your reader, it's gonna break. But I've carried at least one reader daily for nearly three years now, in all weather--stinking hot and humid through sub-zero snow--and haven't had a problem. BUT WATCH THE FLEXING.