Premium laptops continue to get thinner and lighter. And as they shrink in size, a full-sized messenger bag or backpack seems more and more like overkill when it comes to carrying them around. The new Buckle & Seam Ralph portfolio carries a sleek new laptop in style, with hand-crafted leather, personalized touches and a design that has room for all your other accessories including pens, business cards and a smartphone. Even better, Buckle & Seam’s responsible production commitment and contribution to the One Bag, One Child program mean you can feel good, while looking good.
Ralph Portfolio: When You Want a Minimalist Approach With Heft
At one point I used to sling around a 17-inch MacBook Pro. That required carrying a bag with considerable capacity — and a shoulder strap to take the weight. Today, I use ultra-slim laptops like a 13-inch MacBook Air and an ASUS ZenBook S. A messenger bag or backpack seems like overkill to transport laptops weighing between two and three pounds. A laptop sleeve takes care of the bulk, but then where to put all the other stuff? Flash drives, earbuds, business cards, pens and everything else needed to function on the go. And I want something with more style and substance than a neoprene sleeve.
The new Ralph portfolio from Buckle & Seam fills the requirements perfectly.
It takes a minimalist approach. Zipped up, it measure about 14 x 10-inches and it weighs 1.5 pounds. It’s small enough to slip under an arm to carry. The portfolio is hand-made with vegetable tanned, full grain cow hide featuring Buckle & Seam’s “crazy horse” finish. The leather feels thick and substantial, the zipper is metal and the stitching is precise. There’s even the opportunity to personalize the portfolio with a choice of patterned cloth lining and optional engraving with your initials.
At $214 (at time of publication it was being offered at at $174), this isn’t a cheap portfolio. On the other hand, the quality is evident. And for those who don’t like to be part of the herd, it’s also not a mass-market product that every other person in the coffee shop will have.
Room For Your Laptop and All Your Gear
The Ralph portfolio is designed to accommodate laptops up to 14-inches. I had plenty of room with thin 13-inch models and while I didn’t have anything larger, it looked like there was still room. I wouldn’t try to push it with an older 14-inch laptop that’s also really thick, though. The laptop sleeve is lined with cloth (you pick the pattern) to protect from scratches, but there isn’t any padding other than the leather itself.
Buckle & Seam says its leather can take getting caught in a rain shower, so long as you dry it off after. But if you’re looking for something that will protect your laptop from hard knocks and exposure to the elements, maybe look for something more rugged.
When you open this portfolio, one half is dedicated to laptop storage. The other half is packed with pockets, compartments and loops to store all the accessories you might want to bring. The largest pocket can hold most smartphones, but I discovered that if you choose an iPhone XS Max, you’re pretty much going to have to go case-free.
A Feel-Good Purchase
Last year, I reviewed a Buckle & Seam messenger bag and went into detail about the feel-good aspects of buying from the company. That includes environmentally-friendly leather production, ethical treatment of workers and a percentage of revenue donated to Pakistan’s Anum school for girls. You can read more about the Buckle & Seam background in that review, or check out the company’s website for more information. The short story is you aren’t just buying a unique and high quality product that will last, you are also helping to make a difference.
Recommendation
As I mentioned, if you are looking for something that will act as indestructible armor for your laptop between home and work, this isn’t it. However, if you want a very attractive leather portfolio that lets you carry your laptop and gear in style, the Buckle & Seam Ralph portfolio is a unique option that will only get better looking with time.
Disclosure: Buckle & Seam provided a Ralph portfolio for review purposes but had no editorial input.
