I have to admit, when the iPad first came out, I was skeptical that I could ever love a giant screen. I was even kind of skeptical until a few months ago when I was lucky enough to receive one as a gift. Of course, the fact that I could watch Netflix without getting out of bed won me over immediately, and now I take it with me everywhere (Don’t worry, I use it for important stuff too, like playing videos of crickets and watching my bearded dragon freak out). Of course, now that I’ve begun writing for Best Leather, I’ve embarked on a quest to find the nicest accessories for my fancy new iPad, and found that the Marlondo Leather Vertical iPad Satchel is an excellent choice.
ABOUT MARLONDO
Marlondo is a small, US-based company that uses full-grain American leather to create hand-crafted goods at an affordable price point. The Marlondo team loves to design and create durable and functional pieces using high quality leather and signature brass rivets.
THE LEATHER
Using full-grain, chrome tanned American cowhide, the Vertical iPad Satchel is sturdy and durable. The simple, classic brown is lined with dark colored pigskin. Over the last few weeks of use, the leather has darkened up considerably and gained a nice patina. Buff it up with some leather cleaner (check out some of our favorites here) and it maintains a beautiful color that only gets better with age.
CONSTRUCTION & AESTHETIC
The Vertical iPad Satchel is a long, thin bag just big enough to carry a standard iPad. Its dimensions are roughly 8.5” x 10.5” x 4”. There is a divider down the middle to keep your iPad protected from the rest of the bag’s contents. There’s also a small pouch built in to the back, perfect for storing things on the go.
The bag is built extremely sturdily. Almost every seam is double-stitched or reinforced. All the hardware is heavy brass, and each piece is held together with hefty brass rivets, which are also a nice design detail. There’s no part of this bag that feels cheap or flimsy. It will easily outlast the next few generations of iPads. Who knows, maybe you’ll be able to carry your holographic virtual reality machine in here in a few decades.
FUNCTION
This bag has quickly become one of my favorite items to carry every day. It’s thin and unobtrusive yet its simplicity makes a statement. The pouch perfectly fits my iPad 2 and keeps it from rattling around. Any iPad with a slim case would fit in as well. The other, slightly larger pocket isn’t huge, but it fits exactly what you need it to. I’ve found that this is a wonderful personal item for flying. It fits an iPad, a book, wallet, phone, headphones, and pack of gum perfectly, and you don’t feel like you’re going to knock over other passengers when you’re carrying it.
I am usually a fan of quick-access bags with fasteners that come undone easily. However, with this bag, I’m a huge fan of the heel bar buckle, because it keeps everything so secure. I don’t feel like my iPad is going to come flying out if I move too quickly. Plus, if you need a quick place to put things, there is a little pouch on the back so you don’t have to unbuckle the whole thing.
CONCLUSION
The Marlondo Leather Vertical iPad Satchel has quickly become a favorite, both for traveling and every day use. This is a design that I haven’t seen anywhere else, at least not in such a slim and classic style. Its high quality leather and durable construction are a steal at $145. This is a bag that will last you a lifetime and will look good doing it.
