… and that actually looks much better than the Timbuk. I have many problems with the Timbuk design:
it’s too tight: sometimes i have trouble taking the laptop in and out, partly because of the pads under the laptop, but in general, the fit is just too tight, especially when you store stuff in the pocket
it’s not properly sealed: it’s just a flap with velcro that closes the short side of the sleeve, so water can easily splash inside the sleeve
it has clips to add a strap, I guess to carry the sleeve on its own, which I don’t really need at all so it’s extra weight and another thing to snag into things…
I would have much preferred that “zipper” design here. So that tomtoc sleeve (Amazon link) certainly looks interesting now.
I do actually have that sleeve for my Framework. It could be a little tighter fitted (there’s about 5 mm space on every side) so it can wobble around a little but I’m okay with that.
The timbuk is a nice sleeve, but it’s strange in some ways; the flap doesn’t completely close so it doesn’t feel as “sealed” as the tomtoc. there’s also clips in the back that feel weird or at least useless to me.
on the other hand the tomtoc is thicker. now i can’t help but think i really need just a one-layer sleeve of some sort. no padding, just some water/scratch-proof thing so i can shove this thing in my bag without worrying about spills…
oh, and now i guess some will wonder what kind of case will fit the 16" too.
I suspect that’s because your image files are too big. The message composer is a bit coy about saying why it’s rejecting your upload. It rejected several attempts of mine when I was attaching the pictures above. It seems like the file size limit is ~1MB.
i think it’s a matter of personal preference. the Timbuk2 will work well if you want to carry it around on its own, and it’s thinner. the TomToc is better sealed and feels a little more padded, so i prefer it…
It cost roughly USD$20-30 of materials from the likes of Fabricland (bulk cloth, fabric and sewing supplies), Michael’s (art and craft supplies), and a shop called OOMOMO (home lifestyle goods) during the pandemic, then sewn by hand with a mix of cotton thread, polyester thread, and fishing wire . Cushioning material is the sort of cut-to-size polyurethane lining one would use for shelves. Jump rings at the flap are for attaching an aftermarket shoulder strap. Not water resistant.
The whole sleeve barely fits within a backpack that can normally accommodate 16"-18" laptops, not a big deal as the sides and corners can be squished in.
Does the TomToc have room enough in that side picket for the A/C charger, maybe with a little extra space? I have a little external SSD and a small USP pouch I’d also want to carry with it.
sure, yeah, the Framework A/C charger fits there plenty. You will probably be able to fit a small SSD there. I’m not sure what a USP pouch is, so I can’t comment on that.
My side pocket carries the Framework PS, an after-market USB3 cable, an AU power cable (significant only because the wall-end plug is bulkier than its US equivalent), a slim mouse and a zip-lock bag that holds USB sticks, Framework Ethernet card and an LTE dongle.
Well, because of this thread I am joining the timbuk2 utility laptop sleeve camp. I wanted the thinnest+smallest possible backpack to be able to take my laptop and charger with me on the subway without having to take my backpack off. Thanks for all the photos and suggestions!
One thing to note, when you add the backpack to your cart it says “final sale” which idk if that means its on clearance / will be going out of production or if it just means “all sales on discount items are final”.
It looks bigger than it is, it squishes down probably the same size as an external SSD. Honestly the one I have I’s be surprised if I couldn’t jam it almost anywhere, although it might get a little bulky if I throw a couple expansion cards in the little pouch, which is the plan. Guess we’ll have to see. If the TomToc doesn’t seem to have a lot of room for the FW13 to slide around or jiggle much, I think I’ll go for it.
edit:
I went for it. I will update tomorrow how it fits, if it fits with the charger / accessories in the side pocket, etc. It came out to only a bit more than $25 on Amazon with next-day delivery as well.
. Cushioning material is the sort of cut-to-size polyurethane lining one would use for shelves. Jump rings at the flap are for attaching an aftermarket shoulder strap. Not water resistant.
