Accessibility! A new metric.

Access is Key!

The New Metric

Up until recently, I judged bags based on the feature set that they did or did not have.  This is still done and is condensed into the "Overall Score" or simply "Score" associated with each review.  In this way, a bag that has a lot of the features I am looking for will have a high score.  However, I have come to realize that the features-based overall score is more about a bags potential to be great and not about how the bag actually works in the real world.  I this way, I have devised a new metric to rate the bag on its real world usability: accessibility.


Ease of accessibility is critical to the success of a crossover commuter bag.  You can have all the pockets and padding, but if you cannot easily insert or remove your stuff, then the quality of the bag experience is greatly diminished.  Therefore, you might see that my "Overall Score" (features-based) can be high despite access issues for the bag. (The STM Quantum is the poster child for this.) You will never see a low "Overall Score" with a high "Accessibility Score."  Know that the Accessibility Score is always out of 10.  While it is usually a smaller number than the overall score, do not think that it is less important.  In fact, you may come to find that it is a better indicator of a bag's value than the Overall Score.  After all, sometimes a bag is worse than the sum of its parts.

Things That Kill an Accessibility Score

For me there are some key items that get in the way of accessibility that nearly automatically eliminate that bag from even being reviewed in the first place.  I will explain those here:

1.  The Flap Cover

The biggest problem is the messenger bag flap.  They might look cool when sitting there, but they do not function well in practice (similar to the DeLorean).  While I understand its value in weatherproofing your bag, it remains an issue in terms of accessibility.  If you are trying to get to something (e.g., your wallet or cell phone) in your bag while you are wearing the bag, let's hope that you put that item into an outside pocket if you have a flap.  Otherwise you will be forced to hold open the flap and maybe even unzip a pocket before you dig in to find your item.  Fundamentally, this digging through layers issue is the reason I prefer the soft-sided briefcase design (no flap) over the messenger bag design (flap).

How is this...

like this?

2. Organizer Panel Inside the Main Compartment

Another big issue is not having a separate organizer panel on the outside of the bag.  You need items from the organizer more often than from any other section of your bag.  To not have the panel in the easiest place to access is nuts.  Putting it into the main compartment is simply a matter of saving cash for the manufacturer.  It is not a good design for the consumer.

Sure it's cheaper to make than having a separate pocket, but cheap never means good. Except for air.

3. Laptop or Tablet Pocket Inside the Main Compartment

Another significant issue is when manufacturers put the padded laptop section in the main compartment instead of having a separate externally accessible laptop or tablet section.  We are always pulling out and replacing our devices. Maybe 20 times a day.  Having to replace the laptop into the main compartment with all your papers, headphones, extra sweater, and camera pressing against the laptop sleeve can be a challenge.  It might also mean tearing away at the Velcro and unclipping buckles to get into this section (not ideal in a quiet environment).  You can eliminate this as an issue altogether if you simply have a separate zippered laptop compartment on the back of the bag.  It is even better if you make that pocket TSA friendly (zips open completely so you can lay the laptop section open and separate from the rest of the contents of the bag).

Smart!

Stupid.

4.  The 4 Zipper Issues

(a). The most egregious is having deep zipper covers (see photo below).  Inevitably, zipper covers impede one's ability to zip open and close a bag.  While they serve to prevent water ingress (sometimes), given the frequency with which you get caught out in the hard rain versus the number of times you will use the zippers, the pros don't come close to outweighing the cons.  It's better to watch the weather forecast and carry an umbrella.  That way everything, including your suit, will stay dry.  (b). Another zipper issue is when zippers are forced to travel around too many 90 degree turns.  Zippers hate doing this.  They will bind.  The more straight shot zippers the better.  (c). Not having two zipper pulls along a heavily-used zipper diminishes options (options like partially opening a compartment, avoiding the 90 degree turns, increased security). (d). Having short zipper openings into compartments that restrict getting into that compartment.  This is a killer.  Too often, all it would have taken is an extra two inches of zipper length or a upside-down U-shaped opening.  Without this, the compartment becomes nearly inaccessible particularly when the bag is packed full.

Summary

So, from this point forward and retroactively, I have added an accessibility metric (some number out of 10).  Know that the "Score" or "Overall Score" remains the overall features score and it is based on the points associated with certain features or lack of features for any particular bag.  Think of the overall score score as being the potential for greatness and the accessibility is what you really get from the bag on a daily basis.  I for one, care more about the latter.