Targus Checkpoint-Friendly Air Traveller Review

I used to work in an office where it was necessary for me to take the works laptop home, and remember the dread as I walked to the railway station with the carry case that most obviously held an expensive laptop. In many cases this was after dark, which added to my sense of fear, not only as it could be considered a target, but also as this was not my laptop, and even with extensive security installed, it still held sensitive information.

This was eleven years or so ago, and now laptops on the move are much more common, but still present themselves a target for wannabee muggers, snatch and run opportunists or lowlifes who have studied every episode of “The Real Hustle” looking for tips. So, I am not a fan of the padded laptop cases that proclaim that I am carrying a laptop, I am much too weedy.

By the way, if you aren’t looking for a review and just want a link to buy the item for the best price, then click here to order from Amazon.

However, this is a rucksack! Not just any rucksack, but the Pakuma Akara K1 Laptop Rucksack, which offers superlative protection of your laptop, cosseted in padded luxury, whilst looking like a regular rucksack. Now, I have studied the build quality of this item, and it is difficult to imagine how such a quality can be made available for less than fifty pounds, considering it holds much more than a few roomy compartments. Taking up to a seventeen inch laptop, a fixed pocket holds your computer firmly in place, cushioning it with high density memory foam (invented by NASA) and ensuring it will be protected from knocks, bumps and scratches.

Padded straps for chest and waist take the strain off your back, and this rucksack also features air support for additional comfort to the bearer’s back. The best quality zips ensure smooth operation without effort, something you will really appreciate if you have ever had a zip sticking when it is urgent to gain entry to your pocket, purse, suitcase or whatever. As it is a rucksack, there is ample room for your charger, mouse and other accessories, together with a host of space for considerably more. A light grey fabric makes it easier to spot your items rather than the thick black cave you normally get with a roomy rucksack, which makes you wish you’d brought your head torch!

But the real feature of this method of transport for your expensive laptop, (and maybe even a camera too, it is roomy, remember) is that it is generic, allowing you to blend in with many other commuters, tourists and people from all walks of life, no longer the individual target in a bleak railway station after dark. For that alone, it’s worth fifty quid of my money.