Kensington Contour Laptop Backpack

Kensington Contour Laptop Backpack

Published August 25, 2008 at 01:15:56 PM, by David Schulman

Overview

Laptop users know that the greatest feature of any notebook, old or new, is that you can pick up your computer and take it with you to virtually anywhere. Some would also argue that this is mobile computing's greatest weakness. The fact that users can take their expensive and most important piece of equipment out into the real world presents a lot of dangers such at breakage, theft, and similar disasters. Being able to transport your expensive notebook safely and discretely is an aspiration most users want to achieve, and with the Contour backpack from Kensington, laptop owners get an extra line of defense from the real world.

Touted as a comfortable and professional solution for trucking around all your computer and work-related things, the Contour backpack delivers a roomy interior and a bold design. The feature that sets this bag apart from the rest of the pack (no pun intended) is the Contour's adjustable lumbar support located on the back of the bag. For those who are unaware, lumbar support focuses on the lower back and pelvis, where the five lumbar vertebrae are located. As a result, less stress is put on your back and shoulders and instead gets focused further down towards your center of gravity. This makes for a unique backpack experience, since many bags can become uncomfortable, sometimes even painful, after long bouts of use. With four different lumbar settings and a variety of adjustable straps and buckles, the Contour promises something for everyone.

Design - External

Portability
Weighing in at a surprising 3.9 pounds, the Kensington Contour is a bit heavier than most bags in the same class. Most of that extra heft comes from the adjustable lumbar support built into the backside of the bag, a feature I will discuss later in this article. The Contour also measures 15.75" long, 19.5" high, and 9" wide, a big bag by anyone's definition, but the size is justified since the Contour was designed to hold even the biggest notebooks.

External
The Kensington is a big backpack. Engineered to fit even the widest 17' laptops, the Contour spares no expense for interior room and this shows in the design of the bag. The hip hugging lumbar supports also factor into the size of the pack, keeping the sides at a wider length than most backpacks of this class. Black and gray make up the overall styling of the backpack which gives the bag a very conservative feel. The Contour is part of Kensington's Executive series of notebook cases, so the look of the backpack is not a surprise. Materials include 1680 Denier Ballistic Nylon, which makes up the bulk of the outer shell, faux-leather, and a very sturdy rubberized bottom.

There are five pockets in all on the backpack, three of which make up the main compartments of the bag and two which sit off to the side and can hold accessories such as AC adapters and CD cases. An exterior pocket also sits on the left side of the bag for holding a water bottle or a similar container. The straps of the bag also contain some features such as a cellphone holder, which kept my LG VX7000 snug and secure, and a cable router, which kept the cable to my iPod earbuds flat and under control.

Speaking of the bag's straps, which I found to be extremely cushioned and comfortable, the Contour's backside is feature-packed as well. A small loop allows the bag to be hung on a hook and a broader gray handle sits below the loop for easy carrying. Below that you can find the feature that sets this bag apart from most other laptop backpacks. Hidden behind the back cushioning sits the Contour's lumbar support system which I can honestly say does a great job at keeping the strain from the bag in the right places. There are four different adjustable settings for the lumbar support, but there is no exact science to determining which setting is right for you. At six feet tall I found the #3 setting to be the most comfortable for me. It all depends on where your hips are.

Design - Interior

Internal
Like the external design dictates, the Kensington Contour has plenty of room inside to store all your essentials. The front most pocket provides your standard backpack organizer complete with pencil and note holders as well as a small mesh pocket for storing odds and ends. I found the compartments themselves to be very roomy, especially since the pockets curve up past the zipper. This allowed me to stuff a few extra items in that normally wouldn't have fit.

The middle compartment offers a little more organization in the way of accessories. Four mesh pockets sit on the divider and can easily hold extras such as game pads, AC adapters, mice, and external hard drives. There is also enough space at the foot of the bag to hold a few magazines or a textbook, as well as any extra cables and cords. There is also a port at the top of the compartment to thread a pair of headphones or another such cable out of the bag. Quite convenient.

Most of your true storage needs will take place in the third compartment of the bag. The pocket is roomy enough to store binders, a text book or two, and any extra papers you may need as well as your laptop which sits in its own cushioned compartment. Kensington did have a hiccup in their design when it came to the laptop sleeve however. Because of the shape of the lumbar support mechanism the Contour's notebook compartment can be very tight. This is great for traveling with you computer because you can be certain your machine is secure between two cushioned barriers, but taking the computer out afterwards can sometimes be a struggle. Coupled with the fact that the Contour is designed to hold computers with 17' screen and bigger, my 14' Thinkpad felt like a kid on a king sized bed.

Features

Lumbar Support System
This unique feature sets the Kensington Contour apart from most other backpacks in the market today. To test the lumbar support system out I decided to carry the bag with me during my daily routine with different amount of cargo inside. I chose setting #3 for my tests because at that height the bottom portion of the lumbar support fell on my hips, very comfortable indeed. On my first experience with the Contour, I loaded the bag with my laptop, a mouse with pad, a small CD holder, and a binder. Walking around with only eight or so pounds on my back felt a bit odd with the Contour. Due to the lack of weight that would normally keep the bag situated on my hips, the pack shifted around as I walked; however, my impression changed as the weight distribution in the bag changed. When I finally loaded up the pack with all the essentials and some additional accessories, in total about twenty pounds of gear, the bag felt both balanced and comfortable. I can see why the American Chiropractic Association would endorse such a product.

Inside the padding

Headphone Port
One feature that is starting to become more standard on backpacks, especially tech backpacks, is a place to thread wires to the outside of the bag. There are a variety of uses for this feature, but mostly it is used for routing headphones that are attached to a media player stuck inside the bag. On the Contour this port is located on the second compartment. This is convenient because of the mesh accessory pockets inside that part of the bag. Instead of leaving your iPod or CD player among the other items inside your backpack the Contour provides a safe haven for your media player, not to mention easy access for the headphones cable to break out of the bag.

My headphones slipped through nicely

Performance

The Kensington Contour performed as I expected. I spent a week with the bag, taking it to and from classes with me as well as traveling with it. All of my essentials fit in the Contour with ease. These essentials include my IBM ThinkPad T42p, power adapter, external hard drive, five-subject notebook, three or four books for class, iPod, cell phone, some magazines, a CD binder, and various odds and ends. Even though the bulky size of the Contour was a turn off for me, I can't complain considering the ample space and comfort it provided.

It was a bit difficult to judge the overall performance of the lumbar support feature since that would require strenuous activity and for me to carry around the backpack for a couple of weeks, but I can say that when adjusted properly, the Contour is quite comfortable. The bag took much of the stress off my shoulders and delivered it down the rest of my back and hips which made it a pleasure to carry around.

Wendy likes this backpack too.

Some minor complaints I have with the backpack concern the quality of construction, the ease of use of the laptop compartment, and the bag's appearance. When I first received my Kensington Contour there was a bit of gray thread sticking out of the zipped up zipper in the front pocket. As it turns out, there are at least a dozen or so pulled threads that come off of the material inside the compartments. The zippers would constantly snag on the loose threads, making it frustrating to open and close the bag as well as bringing down the over-all appearance of the pack. Finally, my biggest gripe with the Contour was its laptop compartment.

Designed to fit your laptop like a glove, the built in sleeve acts more like a Chinese finger-trap than a pair of Isotoners. Not only did my 14' notebook sit very deep in the pocket, but when it came time to remove the computer I had real problems trying to extract it. The sides of the compartment are built to constrict to the edges of your notebook, which comes in handy when traveling, but the hold is so tight that I had to grip my laptop extremely hard to take it out of the bag. Putting stress on the latch, screen, keyboard, and the rest of the case is not something I want to have to do when I want to use my computer.

Conclusion

Pros:

• Plenty of space for all your gear
• Comfortable and ergonomic
• Loads of useful features and pockets

Cons:

• Bulky construction
• Laptop compartment is only useful for big notebooks
• Mass-produced quality

Recommendations

Kensington's Contour backpack is a great bag for students and professionals alike. Those who have to carry around a great deal of accessories and books will find the lumbar support system especially useful and comfy. The Contour's size can be imposing to users who don't quite have enough to fill the space, but the backpack was designed for roominess and its ability to hold all that it can is a big plus. Features such as a cell phone pocket, water bottle holder, headphones port, and accessory pockets help organize the space inside the bag as well as give the user easy access to essential items. Build and quality issues exist with the interior of the bag and the laptop compartment isn't as effective with computers that have screens smaller than 15', but overall the Contour is an excellent choice for the comfort-conscious and those looking for a laptop backpack with room to spare.

Price and Availability
Available at most big name computer stores. Retails for around $70 and comes with a Kensington Lifetime Warranty.

Model: Wendy

"

Overview

Laptop users know that the greatest feature of any notebook, old or new, is that you can pick up your computer and take it with you to virtually anywhere. Some would also argue that this is mobile computing's greatest weakness. The fact that users can take their expensive and most important piece of equipment out into the real world presents a lot of dangers such at breakage, theft, and similar disasters. Being able to transport your expensive notebook safely and discretely is an aspiration most users want to achieve, and with the Contour backpack from Kensington, laptop owners get an extra line of defense from the real world.

Touted as a comfortable and professional solution for trucking around all your computer and work-related things, the Contour backpack delivers a roomy interior and a bold design. The feature that sets this bag apart from the rest of the pack (no pun intended) is the Contour's adjustable lumbar support located on the back of the bag. For those who are unaware, lumbar support focuses on the lower back and pelvis, where the five lumbar vertebrae are located. As a result, less stress is put on your back and shoulders and instead gets focused further down towards your center of gravity. This makes for a unique backpack experience, since many bags can become uncomfortable, sometimes even painful, after long bouts of use. With four different lumbar settings and a variety of adjustable straps and buckles, the Contour promises something for everyone.

Design - External

Portability
Weighing in at a surprising 3.9 pounds, the Kensington Contour is a bit heavier than most bags in the same class. Most of that extra heft comes from the adjustable lumbar support built into the backside of the bag, a feature I will discuss later in this article. The Contour also measures 15.75" long, 19.5" high, and 9" wide, a big bag by anyone's definition, but the size is justified since the Contour was designed to hold even the biggest notebooks.

External
The Kensington is a big backpack. Engineered to fit even the widest 17' laptops, the Contour spares no expense for interior room and this shows in the design of the bag. The hip hugging lumbar supports also factor into the size of the pack, keeping the sides at a wider length than most backpacks of this class. Black and gray make up the overall styling of the backpack which gives the bag a very conservative feel. The Contour is part of Kensington's Executive series of notebook cases, so the look of the backpack is not a surprise. Materials include 1680 Denier Ballistic Nylon, which makes up the bulk of the outer shell, faux-leather, and a very sturdy rubberized bottom.

There are five pockets in all on the backpack, three of which make up the main compartments of the bag and two which sit off to the side and can hold accessories such as AC adapters and CD cases. An exterior pocket also sits on the left side of the bag for holding a water bottle or a similar container. The straps of the bag also contain some features such as a cellphone holder, which kept my LG VX7000 snug and secure, and a cable router, which kept the cable to my iPod earbuds flat and under control.

Speaking of the bag's straps, which I found to be extremely cushioned and comfortable, the Contour's backside is feature-packed as well. A small loop allows the bag to be hung on a hook and a broader gray handle sits below the loop for easy carrying. Below that you can find the feature that sets this bag apart from most other laptop backpacks. Hidden behind the back cushioning sits the Contour's lumbar support system which I can honestly say does a great job at keeping the strain from the bag in the right places. There are four different adjustable settings for the lumbar support, but there is no exact science to determining which setting is right for you. At six feet tall I found the #3 setting to be the most comfortable for me. It all depends on where your hips are.

Design - Interior

Internal
Like the external design dictates, the Kensington Contour has plenty of room inside to store all your essentials. The front most pocket provides your standard backpack organizer complete with pencil and note holders as well as a small mesh pocket for storing odds and ends. I found the compartments themselves to be very roomy, especially since the pockets curve up past the zipper. This allowed me to stuff a few extra items in that normally wouldn't have fit.

The middle compartment offers a little more organization in the way of accessories. Four mesh pockets sit on the divider and can easily hold extras such as game pads, AC adapters, mice, and external hard drives. There is also enough space at the foot of the bag to hold a few magazines or a textbook, as well as any extra cables and cords. There is also a port at the top of the compartment to thread a pair of headphones or another such cable out of the bag. Quite convenient.

Most of your true storage needs will take place in the third compartment of the bag. The pocket is roomy enough to store binders, a text book or two, and any extra papers you may need as well as your laptop which sits in its own cushioned compartment. Kensington did have a hiccup in their design when it came to the laptop sleeve however. Because of the shape of the lumbar support mechanism the Contour's notebook compartment can be very tight. This is great for traveling with you computer because you can be certain your machine is secure between two cushioned barriers, but taking the computer out afterwards can sometimes be a struggle. Coupled with the fact that the Contour is designed to hold computers with 17' screen and bigger, my 14' Thinkpad felt like a kid on a king sized bed.

Features

Lumbar Support System
This unique feature sets the Kensington Contour apart from most other backpacks in the market today. To test the lumbar support system out I decided to carry the bag with me during my daily routine with different amount of cargo inside. I chose setting #3 for my tests because at that height the bottom portion of the lumbar support fell on my hips, very comfortable indeed. On my first experience with the Contour, I loaded the bag with my laptop, a mouse with pad, a small CD holder, and a binder. Walking around with only eight or so pounds on my back felt a bit odd with the Contour. Due to the lack of weight that would normally keep the bag situated on my hips, the pack shifted around as I walked; however, my impression changed as the weight distribution in the bag changed. When I finally loaded up the pack with all the essentials and some additional accessories, in total about twenty pounds of gear, the bag felt both balanced and comfortable. I can see why the American Chiropractic Association would endorse such a product.

Inside the padding

Headphone Port
One feature that is starting to become more standard on backpacks, especially tech backpacks, is a place to thread wires to the outside of the bag. There are a variety of uses for this feature, but mostly it is used for routing headphones that are attached to a media player stuck inside the bag. On the Contour this port is located on the second compartment. This is convenient because of the mesh accessory pockets inside that part of the bag. Instead of leaving your iPod or CD player among the other items inside your backpack the Contour provides a safe haven for your media player, not to mention easy access for the headphones cable to break out of the bag.

My headphones slipped through nicely

Performance

The Kensington Contour performed as I expected. I spent a week with the bag, taking it to and from classes with me as well as traveling with it. All of my essentials fit in the Contour with ease. These essentials include my IBM ThinkPad T42p, power adapter, external hard drive, five-subject notebook, three or four books for class, iPod, cell phone, some magazines, a CD binder, and various odds and ends. Even though the bulky size of the Contour was a turn off for me, I can't complain considering the ample space and comfort it provided.

It was a bit difficult to judge the overall performance of the lumbar support feature since that would require strenuous activity and for me to carry around the backpack for a couple of weeks, but I can say that when adjusted properly, the Contour is quite comfortable. The bag took much of the stress off my shoulders and delivered it down the rest of my back and hips which made it a pleasure to carry around.

Wendy likes this backpack too.

Some minor complaints I have with the backpack concern the quality of construction, the ease of use of the laptop compartment, and the bag's appearance. When I first received my Kensington Contour there was a bit of gray thread sticking out of the zipped up zipper in the front pocket. As it turns out, there are at least a dozen or so pulled threads that come off of the material inside the compartments. The zippers would constantly snag on the loose threads, making it frustrating to open and close the bag as well as bringing down the over-all appearance of the pack. Finally, my biggest gripe with the Contour was its laptop compartment.

Designed to fit your laptop like a glove, the built in sleeve acts more like a Chinese finger-trap than a pair of Isotoners. Not only did my 14' notebook sit very deep in the pocket, but when it came time to remove the computer I had real problems trying to extract it. The sides of the compartment are built to constrict to the edges of your notebook, which comes in handy when traveling, but the hold is so tight that I had to grip my laptop extremely hard to take it out of the bag. Putting stress on the latch, screen, keyboard, and the rest of the case is not something I want to have to do when I want to use my computer.

Conclusion

Pros:

• Plenty of space for all your gear
• Comfortable and ergonomic
• Loads of useful features and pockets

Cons:

• Bulky construction
• Laptop compartment is only useful for big notebooks
• Mass-produced quality

Recommendations

Kensington's Contour backpack is a great bag for students and professionals alike. Those who have to carry around a great deal of accessories and books will find the lumbar support system especially useful and comfy. The Contour's size can be imposing to users who don't quite have enough to fill the space, but the backpack was designed for roominess and its ability to hold all that it can is a big plus. Features such as a cell phone pocket, water bottle holder, headphones port, and accessory pockets help organize the space inside the bag as well as give the user easy access to essential items. Build and quality issues exist with the interior of the bag and the laptop compartment isn't as effective with computers that have screens smaller than 15', but overall the Contour is an excellent choice for the comfort-conscious and those looking for a laptop backpack with room to spare.

Price and Availability
Available at most big name computer stores. Retails for around $70 and comes with a Kensington Lifetime Warranty.

Model: Wendy

"

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Technical Specifications

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