Bellroy Laptop Caddy Review
The aim is to be a laptop case - elevated. But is it?
Bellroy Laptop Caddy Review Introduction
Bellroy - not just wallets. I think that’s an important thing to keep noting in my reviews. Maybe it’s just me, but that’s kind of what I think of first. Wallets and pouches. But that’s simply because that is how they started (with those awesome, jazzy, stop motion vids of their wallets being packed) and how I used them for most of my time (which at this point, is since around 2012). But of course, they’ve exploded into a whole range of everyday carry and travel items. Travel accessories (my fav Bellroy travel accessories), travel bags (my Classic Weekender review), and today’s subject: work accessories like laptop cases.
Now, laptop cases aren’t that new at this point, obviously. But what IS new, is the way Bellroy is evolving the offerings. Enter the Laptop Caddy. It’s billed as a classier, more feature rich carrying option for your laptop. But is it?
This is my review of the Bellroy Laptop Caddy. I’ve had this for around 4 months now, and spent a few weeks using it for my daily commute to the office (yes, imagine that - an OFFICE COMMUTE!) as well as taking it on numerous trips where I could be working on location (planes) and a trip home to my parent’s house (car).
As always for full transparency, I did reach out to Bellroy to see if they had a unit for review and they were nice enough to send one my way. That said, I had no interaction with them for the review itself and this is not sponsored. I do use affiliate links which help to support the site if you decide to use them to make a purchase, but you’re under no obligation to do so and there’s no additional cost to you. Thanks for stopping by!
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Bellroy Laptop Caddy Overview
Spotted Out In The Wild at the Lyle Washington DC.
The Laptop Caddy’s mission is simple: carry all the things you’re going to need for your standard office (or WFH) gig. A protected place for your laptop, and a second layer in the form of a front administration area with room for things like accessories (mouse, power cable/plug, a hard drive maybe, etc.) and any other minor things you might need. Business in the front, as they say. Important to note this is not a full-on briefcase and it’s not a backpack or tote replacement. Don’t go into it thinking that or you’ll be disappointed.
It’s made of one of Bellroy’s many famous materials (they really, really love to get into interesting materials) though I can’t tell on the site if this is their nylon or polyester. My guess is the latter. I can say that it’s recycled and leather free however. More on that later.
Stats from the site:
Dimensions
255 x 330 x 25mm
The Caddy fits up to a 14” laptop OR a 16” and comes in 3 colors: black, slate gray, and navy. The black is actually more of their ripstop fabric compared to the other two. I have the navy for this review.
It retails for $79 USD as of October 2023.
Bellroy Laptop Caddy Features
Let’s get into the features here. Not an exhaustive list because this is a laptop case at the end of the day - but it IS a beefed up version so there is a little bit to talk about.
First, the case is padded to protect your laptop. I think that much should be pretty clear.
Build is high quality, and they’ve even used an aquaguard zipper which is awesome to see here. The zipper pulls are well made and handy as well.
The main feature to talk about though is the admin pocket on the front. It’s not a separate section, but it DOES have its own volume. Which allows you to not only use the built in pockets but also the free space for additional items or things that don’t fit in the pockets they’ve provided.
The cover also “folds down” which provides easy access. This is a design choice and is intentional. I’ve included a picture below for you on that front. This allows for solid access to this compartment.
The laptop case’s main divider is made from the same material as the outside, and the pockets and liner are made from Bellroy’s well known mesh and liner fabrics that they use in most of their products. That’s a good thing by the way.
The Good
The Fab’ macro for the materials geeks.
Almost every Bellroy item that comes my way gets this in the “Good” column: the materials and build. I have never in my 11 years using their products had a problem with their materials. As a reviewer or consumer of their stuff (there are some very vocal folks in pockets online that feel otherwise, but in my experience this is the vocal minority vs. the norm). The Laptop Caddy is no exception. The material they use for this navy version is amazing. It’s very high end looking, and the hand feel is also pretty luxurious. Which, I think, is a proper move for this kind of thing. You don’t want to be carrying around a ratty laptop case in professional scenarios, especially if you’re a designer or something. You want to complete that image.
Simple details like the water resistant zipper, and the internal mesh (which I’m a HUGE fan of) add to the premium feel of this product.
Utility. Let’s be honest, if you’re getting something like the Laptop Caddy you’re looking for the ability to help you carry things around. The front pocket having its own volume is awesome because it’s not just a flat storage space but it’s not the size of a briefcase either. This still fits inside a daily carry backpack, as well as a duffel that doesn’t have a laptop compartment. Hold that thought, though. So yeah I was carrying my charging cord, I put a mouse in there, my work phone (basically just an expensive OATH button now), occasionally a snack, a coffee packet, etc. It’s not meant to be a UHAUL storage unit. It’s meant to be a convenient, step-up from your standard sleeve.
Usability. So with that said above, the utility moves into usability. The reason I loved it was two fold. For office use, I often have to not only move around to different call rooms, but also change floors. We’re also fortunate to have a common space with coffee and what not, so sometimes I’ll go work up there for the view (41st floor in Manhattan). Not having to faff about with my charging cord, or second phone and what not while moving around was perfect. No overly stuffed pockets either. This meant I also didn’t need to bring my backpack everywhere like I was heading to my next class.
Traveling was the second piece. I’m often traveling with duffels because I review them. Also because I do like a duffel (upcoming review of the Bellroy Venture duffel). Well, due to their nature of being an “open hole” they usually don’t have laptop compartments. So if you’re not comfortable just putting your expensive kit between your clothes, laptop cases are brilliant for this use case. The Bellroy Laptop Caddy really shined here, too. The reason is because when I got to my destinations, I was usually in hotels. So I was either sometimes in their main areas, bar, or cafe spots while working. With the Caddy, I could just pop my must-have stuff in it and wander about where I may. It was perfect.
The Bad
Price is always in the eye of the beholder, I think. But it’s worth noting that for what it is, Bellroy might have priced this out of a lot of people’s realm. It costs as much as many cheaper bags, or a lot of laptop briefcases as well.
That said, they're also using much more design elements here as well as much higher end and environmentally friendly products/production methods. The Amazonification of the world may mean a lot of people refuse to acknowledge that and argue everything should cost $20.00 - but the reality is that’s just not true. It might not be your thing, but it doesn’t mean everything should be engaged in a race to the bottom.
So, this is really something you need to decide. But, I do think it’s worth nothing in the “Bad” column that you’re going to be paying a premium for this and because of that, you may decide it’s not for you. Bellroy does make cheaper options, however.
Packing The Laptop Caddy
As noted, I used it with a pretty standard set of “office necessary” kit. So, here’s a shot of my items as well as one from Bellroy directly. Mine contained an Apple Mouse, a USB-C cable, iPhone 12 Pro, and an Anker 65w Nano charger. It should be noted you can fit much more than this - but I tend to follow the “less is more” way of thinking.
Final Thoughts On My Bellroy Laptop Caddy Review
Price aside, I have to say that Bellroy got me with this one. I won’t be giving this away to family members (unless my wife wants to use it!). The fabric and color (Navy on mine) makes it look and feel really nice and premium, and it doesn’t go with design over function. The utility is here, too.
I really enjoyed the use cases for it - and I liked the ease of just grabbing it and walking to my next location. I also liked that I still looked professional while doing it. Did I mention that it’s nice looking? I did? OK I’ll stop.
Price will be a deterrent for some people, yes. There are many options in this category that cost much, much less. But, if you care about the design process, materials choices, manufacturing methods, etc. - you’re going to want to check this one out.
I wouldn’t necessarily force a purchase here because this definitely is a luxury/splurge item. BUT - if you’re looking for something like this, and the use cases I highlighted in my review pique your interest and sound like you - I think you have to put this on your shortlist. It’s definitely going to be my duffel bag companion of choice when I’m reviewing one of those or traveling with one of the duffels I own.
As always with the indie brands, I’d suggest buying directly through their website for best service.
Wander more - and wander smarter everyone.
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Head on over to our Travel Accessories reviews page for more reviews like this or check out another laptop carry option in my Matador Laptop Base Layer review.
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