Mobile Edge Maddie Powers Messenger

Were it not for its slightly large size (the better to accommodate your 15.4-inch laptop), we'd think the $90 Mobile Edge Cutebug Messenger was another trendy everyday bag. But behind its vinyl front flap--like the Cutebug Sheba we reviewed earlier this year, decorated with a striking image taken from a midcentury pulp magazine--you'll find a padded laptop compartment and a handful of helpful organizer pockets. Inside, a padded laptop compartment provides a good level of protection for your machine, and a handful of organizer pockets keep pens and other items contained. And while the Cutebug Sheba was too small to carry much more than an ultraportable laptop, the Messenger version offers enough space for a mainstream laptop and several accessories.

The vintage magazine cover art on the flap of the Cutebag Messenger provides a lot of its appeal. Against a light-green backdrop, we see a heavily made-up brunette who's looking off to the side. The cover line next to her reads, "Bright promises"; above her, on the left side of the flap (the cover is reproduced sideways), you see the magazine's title in red: All-Story Love. The overall effect is retro and feminine, if not quite as girly as the pinkfest found on the Cutebug Sheba. The bag's back panel is made of dark purple velvet, which opens (via a Velcro tab) onto a slender pocket for reading material or folded papers. The rest of the bag is made of typical black nylon. About the only thing we wished we had on the bag's exterior was a dedicated pocket to keep a cell phone within easy reach.