Review: iPad Travel Express bag fits the TouchPad and Galaxy Tab

Gear bags are an important part of the mobile gadget owners tool kit. Many owners spend a lot of time looking for just the right bag to carry the new device along with the important accessories. The Waterfield Designs Sleevecase I recently reviewed is a great accessory for the HP TouchPad, but is limited in what can be carried with the tablet. A reader left a comment to my review of that case pointing out that in spite of its name the Waterfield Designs iPad Travel Express bag fits the HP TouchPad and the wireless keyboard just fine. I reached out to the folks at sfbags.com, makers of the bag and they sent one along for me to test.

	Image Gallery: Waterfield Designs iPad Travel Express bag. It's not just for the iPad as demonstrated in these photos.

The iPad Travel Express fits my criteria for a gear bag good for day trips. It is barely larger than the small, thin gadgets it is designed to carry, and has a few pockets for items like the wireless keyboard. It is designed for the iPad but my usage shows it fits similar tablets.

The bag has a pocket for the tablet that is constructed of soft material that actually cleans the screen of the device. It has a reinforced side that offers protection to the screen while the tablet is in the bag. There are four pockets that can carry small accessories such as power adapters, and the middle of the bag accepts the Apple wireless keyboard. The HP keyboard for the TouchPad is slightly longer than the Apple model but fits in this bag (barely).

The one zipper on the bag can be opened at the top to access the tablet or unzipped all the way down the one side for easy access to the keyboard or other accessories. The zippers used on Waterfield Designs bags are heavy duty and this one is no exception.

My testing of the iPad Travel Express bag has been positive. I carry the HP TouchPad in the pocket designed for the tablet, the HP keyboard for the TouchPad and the Arkon portable stand designed for any tablet (review here). I also throw my Sennheiser earbuds in one of the pockets for enjoying audio on the go. The TouchPad fits in the bag even in the HP Case (review here), although it is a tight fit and I usually carry the TouchPad without the case.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 also fits in this bag even though it is longer than either the iPad or the TouchPad. It is a snug fit but due to its thin profile it works fine.

Given its name the iPad Travel Express is not a bag that might come to mind for other tablets, but my experience with it has been positive with the other tablets as detailed. The bag is available with or without a shoulder strap, and is as small and light as can be to carry all that can be stored inside.

Related:

• Arkon Portable Tablet Stand for iPad, Honeycomb, TouchPad and eReaders
• Overclocking the HP TouchPad cranks up the speed
• HP TouchPad: Hands-on impressions
• HP TouchPad case review: Thin and light
• Cool apps for the HP TouchPad with screenshots
• Glimpse for HP Touchpad: Multi-tasking within a single app
• Top 5 free apps for the HP TouchPad: Easter eggs bonus