Hey folks, Valkor here. So first, there was the Power Glove.
Then there was The Power Team.
And now, in 2011, there's a new force to be reckoned with. One that will change our way of life as we know – introducing The PowerBag Instant Messenger, produced by Ful and it's everything and then some!
The PowerBag Messenger, design-wise, is very lightweight and sturdy; on front flap there's a small pouch, at the you have a cushioned handle and to hold it all up, there's an adjustable shoulder strap. The bag itself is actually "check-point friendly" meaning the laptop compartment splits from the main bag so you won't have to remove your laptop from its housing, making it easy to breeze through TSA lines. The Laptop compartment is well cushioned and can store a laptop of up to 15". Opening the front flap to get to the main compartment, the Instant Messenger has a very spacious inner area, which is reminiscent of ThinkGeek's Bag of Holding; only this bag has more pockets and pouches to work with.
But the selling point of this bag is not what it can hold, but how it works for you; you see the PowerBag comes equipped with a removable 6000mah battery (there's also a 3000 and a 9000 option), with it's base connected to a "vine system" that will allow you to connect devices such as an iPad, iPhone or anything that will make use of a mini/micro USB port. The main battery area also has a USB port so you can lock in additional items that will make use of the connection. At the lower right corner is a water resistant port that will allow you to charge the battery while it's locked into the bag, but you can also charge the battery outside of the bag if you choose to. Finally the PowerBag has an indicator light that will show you just how much juice you have left before you need to charge it up again, with just a quick press of a button.
If the messenger style isn't to your liking, the PowerBag also comes in a roller, a backpack, and a briefcase design. The PowerBag offers enough juice for 4 full charges (more or less depending on your devices and battery selection) and after spending some quality time with the Instant Messenger, it's time to give it its evaluation in the TOV Breakdown.
The Bang:
We've all been in the position where the batteries of our mobile devices simply couldn't handle the rigors of being out all day without a charge. And just try to be somewhere where there's no outlets or none that are conveniently located – you're pretty much S.O.L. But thanks to the folks at Ful, that time has passed and we no longer need to search high and low for outlets to juice up our devices – the power is in the bag (heh! I stole their tagline). First I loved how lightweight it felt, even after I filled it up with my day to day items; when I popped in my laptop, I still found that the PowerBag feels just right. Plus the spacious insides of the main area and the amount of pockets and pouches means I'll never run out of room for anything. The PowerBag doesn't have crazy pockets like the Tenba Messenger, but there's enough that I can store all of what I'll need for the day. I have to give huge props for the Instant Messenger being Check-Point Friendly; I honestly didn't know that about that bag so its discovery was a huge surprise and something I'll find most useful as I travel quite extensively. So ultimately, what's it like having an on-the-go battery? It's having that feeling of not worrying about whether or not I'll have enough power to make it through the day; when you know you've been talking/texting/web browsing and you're all but run out of juice, the PowerBag has you covered.
The Slack:
I think the PowerBag should have an audio alert system; nothing constant just a quick beep or a series of beeps to let you know if the device is charging, when the battery itself needs to be charged, or when your device has finished charging. I'm not against the indicator light, but at times I'm just unsure as to what's going on.
If you're in the market for a new bag to have on your day to day journeys, then why not look into a bag with the added benefit of being able to charge your mobile device when the need arises? The PowerBag Instant Messenger is a must have item that's not only lightweight and durable, but perfect for giving you a quick charge when you need it most. And for a perfect bag, I'm giving it the perfect score – 5 stars out of TOV 5 stars and the PowerBag Instant Messenger has been Valkor tested, TOV Approved!