Leather Compendium Bag - A4 Zippered Folio Organizer - Crazy Horse Brown

When this first came out, I immediately figured that it wouldn't be for me—which is an admittedly weird assumption, since I have (and love) the GL Hobonichi Weeks Zip Portfolio. But I'm a writer who skipped out on the GL Writer's Box (heavy, and impractical for my humid climate, which will split the wood like Paul Bunyan's axe) as well as the Writer's Medic bag (too bulky, and also exceeds my number-of-rivets threshold, which yes, is a thing for me), so my first thought was that the Compendium bag would also be too big for my needs.

I mean, it's pretty much a huge portfolio, so I thought it would probably fall somewhere between "too close to, yet not enough like a laptop bag" and "basically a bald version of the Harry Potter 'The Monster Book of Monsters' with dentures."

So initially, I passed over it.

BUT.

I'm attending a conference, and after realizing that I actually had to bring paper printouts—something that hasn't been done in my part of the Western hemisphere since approximately 2007—I hit the panic button. After a quick Google to refresh me on what paper printouts actually looked like, followed by another Google to discover exactly what A4 meant in inches, I found that I didn't own a single bag large enough to carry any. And no, that's not an exaggeration: I am not a purse person, and I don't own a laptop or a laptop bag, because I work solely on a desktop or an 11" iPad Pro. (You know, like a normal person who prefers distraction-limiting, single-app isolation over the convenience of a laptop, but refuses to buy a Freewrite because the silver one looks like a giant rivet.)

So now I was looking for a bag that would carry A4 paper and an 11" iPad Pro. The Compendium bag seemed to fit the bill, but there were very few videos of it online—and none of them by women/anyone under 6' tall—so I couldn't see how low the bag would hang on me or how big it would realistically be. So what swayed me? My love of my GL Hobonichi Weeks Zip Folio. This is pretty much just a larger version of that with more handles, so I pulled the trigger.

And honestly, it's a much better fit than it looked like it would be online.

The Pros:

It fits my iPad Pro 11" with the Magic Folio Keyboard, a 2m charger and cable, a folder of printed handouts (like you're going to need those, but it also fits normal stuff like notebooks), my Apple Pencil and some rubber-banded colored pencils, my Hobonichi Weeks planner and memo pad, a legal pad, four pens, envelopes, and even has space left over for a few business cards or a slim wallet. I haven't tried yet, but I'm 90% sure that I could fit my Kindle in there as well. I can clip my keys to the metal rings that the strap attaches to, and it also has a carrying handle. Even fully loaded up, it's not too heavy to carry around all day, and I'm 5'4" and built like Shaggy Rogers' weaker younger sister.

The Cons:

This is not a laptop bag. While it might fit a small laptop, probably up to 13", it is still not a laptop bag, and it's not designed with laptops in mind. There's not a lot of space for chargers, and to be honest, fitting a full-sized laptop brick in this would be pretty ambitious. There's no space for textbooks or thick training manuals, and you can't shove your jacket in there to keep your hands free. It's also not a backpack, so it doesn't roll on the ground or carry water bottles. If you *need* to be able to do backpack things, like passive-aggressively hit people by turning around on an airplane, then you're going to need an actual backpack for that.

The only improvements I would suggest are: a designated key clip on either the inside or outside; a zip/snap/magnetic outer pocket so that when you turn it upside down to carry it nothing falls out; two zipper pulls instead of one; and several extra holes on the strap so it can be carried higher (I'm an average-height woman and it hangs a bit low on me unless it’s cross-body).

So is it worth the money? Yes, it is. The quality is superb, the Crazy Horse Brown color is exactly like the pictures, it's lightweight enough to carry all day, and it's surprisingly low profile. It's perfect for taking your iPad and writing supplies to a coffee shop, and it's professional enough to take to work. It would be a great fit for journaling supplies, a tablet and sketchbook with drawing pencils, or attending a convention/conference. Will it double as a writing desk? If opened like a book, yes: the backing is stiff enough on the notebook side that you can use it to draw or write. If opened like a briefcase, then no: the weight distribution of the bag when opened like a briefcase means that it will probably tip over backwards.

So should you get this or the GL iPad folio with the card slots? I chose this one because of the larger size, handles and strap. The Compendium bag's upside-down carrying style means that I probably won't be using it as my wallet, and therefore I won't miss the card slots in the regular folio...

I have received quite a few items from Galen Leather and this Folio doesn't disappoint. The smell, quality and feel of the Leather is most enjoyable as is the Crazy Horse Brown Colour, which I have not had before. They are made extremely well and the attention to detail on all the products I have received is wonderful right down to the packaging & quick delivery.
Love it!