Cocoon Harlem iPad/Netbook Sling

The Cocoon Harlem iPad/Netbook Sling isn’t quite an ultra-minimal bag, but it isn’t large enough to carry magazines or let you go overboard with extras, either. Rather, it’s designed to carry your iPad and the necessities. If you’re looking for an “iPad lifestyle” bag, this is a unique, quality option worth considering.

The main, padded pocket on the back of the Harlem Sling has room for a thin netbook or the iPad—it has just enough extra room to fit an iPad in Apple’s iPad Case. An accessory pocket on the front offers the usual organizational options for credit cards, a compact digital camera, pens, cables, and the like. A small, thinner pocket on the outside of the Sling offers media-player (or iPhone) storage and a water-resistant headphone-cable opening.

Included with the Harlem is a version of Cocoon’s Grid-It organizer panels made specifically to fit the Harlem’s large accessory pocket. This removable organizer features a variety of elastic bands for storing just about anything you want. Wrap your phone, USB stick, pens, cables, you name it, and you can yank it all out of the bag on an elastic platter. After I got used to fiddling with the bands, this seemed like a neat idea, though I rarely need to pull out several of my trinkets at once.

Overall, the Harlem sling was a pleasure to use. I hadn’t tested a Cocoon bag before, and I was pleasantly surprised by the build quality—I think it’s on par with Timbuk2 and Incase. The Harlem is a solid bag with good stitching, a unique design, and a comfortable feel despite a shoulder strap without padding. The bag’s large accessory pocket can even comfortably accommodate Apple’s Wireless Keyboard, making the Sling great for on-the-go typing sessions. If you don’t need to bring along any other items of significant size, $55 is a good price for this nice bag.