Knomo Kobe Laptop Messenger Bag is Stylish, Sleek and Soft

The Knomo Kobe soft messenger laptop bag is made of a combination of luxuriously smooth full-grain leather and a lightweight fabric composed of recycled bottles. The bag is designed to hold a 15-inch laptop in its quilted laptop-protection pouch, which provides shock protection.

I used the Kobe messenger bag to hold my 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro, and it worked great. The quilted lining offers decent protection against small bumps. And a second pouch comfortably holds folders and files and can also fit an iPad or a 10-inch tablet comfortably. The bag has magnetic tabs that hold its front flap in place when closed. And it has a “If Lost” ID number stitched prominently on the inner flap.

Inside the Knomo Kobe with a laptop, iPad and a HyperJuice 2 battery

Note the small zipper at the bottom that opens an internal flap for attaching to luggage carts

The bag also has multiple interchangeable elastic pockets that can be used to hold various gadgets. I used the Kobe over a couple of months to hold at least one smartphone, mouse, iPad tablet, various USB cables, a VGA adapter, wallet, keys and other assorted knick knacks. One week I packed two 13-inch laptops (A MacBook Pro and a Sony VAIO) into the bag.

Knomo says the Kobe has a soft construction that “molds to your back” for comfort. And the Kobe really is very comfortable to carry. I carry my laptop just about everywhere I go, and I have gone through a fair number of laptop bags over the years. The Kobe is by far the most comfortable bag I’ve used.

Hidden magnets on the front flap holds it firmly in place

The Knomo Kobe is stylish and functional

One complaint I have is that the company could beef up the quilted lining for laptop protection. I also wish Knomo would offer a slightly smaller version of the Kobe that is better suited for 13-inch and smaller laptops and netbooks.

The Kobe soft messenger bag is available in black, brown or tan for $325. At the time of this writing, the tan-colored version reviewed here is on sale for $200.