Pad & Quill’s hand-made Apple device accessories are easily among the best in the category. The small company takes great pride in the materials and craftsmanship that goes into everything it makes from wooden iPhone 7 cases, to gorgeous leather MacBook sleeves and more. There is even an interesting full-grain leather Apple Pencil Grip, but the company’s dedication to organic and well-made products extends well beyond items specifically made for Apple gear. We recently detailed the new Pad & Quill men’s leather wallets, but it is the company’s Roll Top Backpack that caught my eye.
Head below for our hands on impressions and a chance to get one for up to 25% off…
Now don’t get me wrong, the Pad & Quill Roll Top Leather Backpack has a built-in pocket specifically for up to 15-inches of MacBook Pro goodness or even an iPad Pro. But I’m looking for more than just a practical laptop bag. The Roll Top clearly combines a gorgeous leather design with a classic-looking roll top and I just had to get my hands on it to find out if the $300+ price tag fit the bill.
Let’s get the specs out of the way first. This is indeed a full-grain, tumbled American bridle leather bag with hard pounded copper rivets. On top of that, the company uses UV resistant nylon stitching and solid nickel hardware to keep it all together.
The second you unpack this thing, you will feel the quality. This isn’t just some thin piece of leather put together to look pretty in pictures. It feels extremely durable and very robust. The kind of thing that will likely just look better and better with age. It might not be the cheapest backpack you can buy, but it immediately feels more expensive than it is.
In addition to the internal laptop sleeve, there is another zippered pocket on the inside and quick zippered-side pocket access which I found to be quite handy for quickly grabbing something. If I was going to knock this bag for anything, it would have to be that it takes a minute (or four) to get in and out of it. The side pocket is nice, but you certainly won’t be winning any races at the cash register. Having said that, while you might be able to get your stuff away faster than me with your plastic zipper bag, you certainly won’t look as good doing it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWO5XfyC-0g
In photos it seems as though there may not be a whole lot of room inside, especially with a laptop and or iPad on-board already. But in my time with the Roll Top I was more than comfortable with my regular downtown commute – shopping, work, meetings, carrying leftovers home from mom’s (review purposes only) – this is a bag that can do it all despite its somewhat fashion-forward appeal. Unless you’re talking about hiking trips, the Roll Top is certainly able to replace whatever nylon/canvas option you might be lugging around at the moment.
I also really like the fact that it can easily transition from a typical backpack to more of a briefcase type setup without looking out of place. Simply tighten those straps up a bit and grab it by the top handle to take your laptop and documents into meetings or to the accountant.
The Pad & Quill Roll Top Leather Backpack regularly sells for $319 in Chestnut, Whisky, Chocolate, and Galloper Black. But as you may know the company is currently celebrating its 7th anniversary with 25% or more off a large selection of its best selling cases, bags, sleeves and wallets. That means you can currently snag a Roll Top Backpack for just $259 shipped in any color. Needless to say, if you’re considering picking one of these up, now is the time to do it.
You can browse through the rest of the sale items right here.
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