6 of the Best Bags for College

Here’s our list of the best bags for college students going back to school this month, and next. We offer a range of nice high-end bags, to a mid-range and lower priced bag for all budgets.

The kinds of bags we share will help protect our best computers for back to school, from the lower priced sub-$400 to higher priced systems.

Pick from a couple of backpacks to a pair of messenger bags. We even highlight one for photographers going to school or working as interns.

WaterField Designs Muzetto Leather Shoulder Bag

A beautiful leather vertical bag with colorful accents from WaterField Designs starting at $179-$250

We love WaterField Designs case and sleeves, and the Muzetto marks one of their most attractive designs available. It’s a vertically aligned bag that houses from a tiny tablet ($179) up to a 15-inch computer ($259). The bag houses the main device in a larger internal pocket. A smaller pocket on the front holds accessories. A flap covers them to protect them and an external pocket holds things like folders, books or magazines.

This bag looks great and will hold up for a long time. It comes in twelve color combinations. Brown or black leather accented with six colors of ballistic nylon designed for the company using strong material.

OGIO Renegade RSS 17 Laptop Backpack

A ton of storage in a sturdy backpack – $150 direct form OGIO

We loved the OGIO Renegade RSS 17 when we tested it earlier this year. The bag offers tons of storage for the student on the go who carries just about everything. It features a slot for a a 15-inch computer, an iPad or other 10-inch tablet and room for all the accessories needed to do anything. There are side pockets for phones, a water bottle and more. We shot the video below to show how much we got into ours.

The OGIO Renegate RSS 17 isn’t just a workhorse. It looks nice and feels like it will hold up for a full four years of high school or college.

booq Boa squeeze graphite

A black durable backpack bag with lots of storage in a small package – $129.95 direct from booq

We don’t think this bag is for everyone, but students who need a lot of storage in a small package will love the booq Boa squeeze, graphite backpack. It offers room for a computer, tablet and all the accessories plus books and papers. The two large side pockets fit things the user needs to access quickly. A top zipper pocket fits a phone or some keys or both. The rounded shape won’t let it stand up on its own.

 

A front vertical zippered pocket will let the user grab small accessories. Smaller pockets inside also fit some paraphernalia.

We like the padded back and large adjustable straps making the Boa squeeze graphite fit big guys or smaller framed users.

twelvesouth BookBook for MacBook Air

The best computer for college needs protection from one of the best slim cases for the MacBook Air – $79.99 direct from twelvesouth

 

twevlesouth is known for elegant Apple accessories like this case for MacBooks, including all sizes of the Air and retina Pro. The BookBook looks like a book and feels like one too. The rigid covers and inner lining protect the computer. It feels like a leather book with zippers to close the computer in the sleeve style case.

Watch the company’s video below. It highlights the iPad version, but gives users an idea of how the case looks and works.

LowePro DSLR Video Fastpack 250 AW

An excellent photographer’s camera and accessory bag with room for a 15″ laptop – $119.99 from LowePro

 

 

Carry all of the gear needed for simple photo shoots and a computer bag. It’s not intended for traditional college students, but someone who plans to take photography classes or apprentices with a pro photo studio will love it. It’s a backpack style case with the camera and lenses accessible from the front. Put a small tripod in the side loops and pocket that holds the base. Load the laptop in the top of the backpack.Here’s the company’s video demo:

Belkin 13″ Messenger Bag

A budget case that will hold up well and gives enough storage for an average day – $39.95 from Belkin and $38.70 from Amazon

 

We’ve shared some high-end and midrange laptops, but not everyone can afford those after paying for books and classes. The Belkin 13″ Messenger Bag will hold a 13″ computer. They also make them for larger computers up to 15 inches. They look decent and do their job of protecting the computer while holding some books and accessories.