Product Review: STM Scout Shoulder Bag

It’s exactly what I wanted.

I get the feeling that those more hip than I have know about STM Bags (stmbags.com) for some time. Rightly so, because their bags are awesome.

Context

A couple years ago Jen surprised me with a great North Face Stryker bag. It’s a cross-chest style back pack. At the time I was riding my bike to work daily, and the Stryker was perfect for riding and stowing my 15” machine.

While the Stryker is great, it’s too big for my new laptop, and it doesn’t exactly portray professional when meeting with clients.

I needed a new laptop bag for which to tote my newer, smaller laptop. It needed to be comfortable. It needed to look good in both casual and professional environments.

Size

The Scout’s size is what originally attracted me. STM claims it fits most 13” laptops, and I have found that to be true. It fits both my 13” MacBook Air, as well as Jen’s 13” MacBook.

What I found in my search, though, is that most smaller bags fit just the laptop, and leave little room for a power supply and other such necessities. The bags that did have room for said necessities quickly bloated in size, and looked awkward.

The Scout excels in this area. Providing ample room for not only my MBA’s wall adapter, but also it’s extension cord, a 4’ USB cable, headphones, small noetbook & pen, and even an iPad! All the while, maintaining a low profile, and great look.

There is also a document pocket (not pictured) on the back of the bag. Perfect for easy access to a magazine or boarding ticket.

Comfort

The North Face bag Jen got me was the first bag I’d owned that was truly comfortable. The last two years with it spoiled me.

I found most shoulder bags lost this race with the shoulder strap. Thin and wimpy, or bulky and unruly seemed to be the norm.

Another bag I considered (and actually purchased, then returned) was the InCase Sling Sleeve. The strap on this bag was too thin, and cut in to my shoulder.

The Scout has a 2” shoulder strap, with a comfortable removable pad. Said pad, is slightly curved to match either shoulder, and the bottom is coated with a subtle grippy material, thus providing a secure, comfy fit.

Finally, most laptop bags are made of fine imported Italian nylon. The descriptions often dress this up with terms like ballistics grade, and tough as nails. Pass. The Scout is made of a water resistant canvas, that not only looks great, but feels great (think Domke camera bags). No static electricity issues with the Scout.

Style

As I said, whatever bag I settled on needed to look good in both casual and professional environments. Most professional meetings I attend are informal, so a traditional briefcase, or fine leather tote was overkill for me. Not to mention pricey. Therefore, more than looking good, I needed to feel confident walking in to a client meeting with this bag. A back pack wasn’t portraying the right message.

The Scout gets me there. I know that I can meet any of my clients and not look like a kid with a book bag. This is important to me.

Bottom Line

The Scout from STM is the perfect bag for me at this time. It’s compact, has ample room, feels great, and looks great in just about any situation. At $52 it’s a steal, too. For reference sake, the InCase bag mentioned above was $60 + tax.

The bag comes in three colors, olive (as pictured), ochre, and black. It is also available in extra small (for 11” and iPad) and medium (for 15” laptops) sizes.

If you are in the market for a solid laptop bag, you could do much worse¹, and spend a lot more on other bags. Give the STM Scout Shoulder Bag a shot.

¹ Did I mention STM’s packaging is completely biodegradable? Extra points!