review – Briefcases are a hit with me. I often find them too small for my needs, too large to be practical, or built around weird styling. So the Waterfield Agile Briefcase came to challenge my thinking. This is beautiful. It is functional. It comes from Waterfield, who makes some of the best bags in the business. Did it change my mind? Am I a convert to that briefcase life? to the review!
what is it?
This is a slim briefcase with dedicated space for up to a 16″ MacBook Pro and 12.9″ MacBook Pro including Magic Keyboard.
Hardware Specifications
- 15.5” (l) x 4” (w) x 11.5” (h)
- 2.25 lbs
- 11.7L capacity
- 1050 Deneir black ballistic nylon base or waxed canvas base (depending on style)
- full-grain leather accessories
- Laptop slot for up to 16″ MacBook Pro
- Tablet slot for up to 12.9″ iPad Pro and Magic Keyboard
Design and Features
The Agile Briefcase presents a clean, sophisticated design that embodies the “business-to-business casual” design aesthetic. Ballistic nylon is your main material (waxed canvas is also an option), mixed with refined leather trim and a full leather front panel. The end result is an upscale look that can be paired with a suit but won’t look out of place with jeans on a business casual work day.
The side corners show the trim profile. This bag measures 15.5 inches long, 11.5 inches high and 4 inches deep. This is a bag to store your office supplies, we’ll see some extra space for essentials later.
The agile briefcase is travel friendly and has a luggage handle access on the back.
Every Waterfield bag shines in the small details of fit and finish. For example, I love these handles. The nylon straps are wide, but Waterfield folds them up and wraps them in leather for a comfortable grip. Stitching and stitching are perfect.
The hardware is top-notch throughout the build. A sealed zipper adds water resistance with a custom zipper.
I also like the chunky hardware on the shoulder strap with the swivel clip. This prevents your shoulder straps from twisting when you throw the bag on or off your shoulders.
Even the padded shoulder straps are trimmed with leather and have a neoprene underside so it doesn’t slip over your shoulders.
The front panel is a full sheet of full-grain leather, available in two finishes. It’s very pretty and already has a lovely glow after 4 weeks of use.
The Waterfield Agile Briefcase provides you with two external pockets to access items without entering the bag. The front of the bag has a flap that doubles as a quick access pocket. This pocket is 5-1/2 inches deep, giving you quick access to your phone, work ID, wallet, and more. Check out the beautiful gold custom interior that makes finding items easy.
Keep my heart, there’s a keychain there!
There’s also a small 4″ by 4″ pocket over there, which I think is a bit small for a big phone, but my wallet can fit there. Or my work badge and lanyard. The rest of the space is open for other extras you need while running.
This flap/pocket locks to the front of the bag like a messenger bag, using a Fidlock magnetic clasp to keep it in place. It is designed to be opened with one hand. You slide these sections apart to open them.
Thanks to the magnetic clasp, if the clasps come close to each other, they snap on automatically. There is a length adjustment feature on the shoulder straps so you can attach something under the buckle.
Open the two straps to reveal a second pocket under the flap behind the leather panel.
This narrow pocket measures 8.5″ x 15″ and is best for thin cargo. I put my laptop and charging cable here. Here is a 5-1/2″ x 8″ Leuchtturm 1917 notebook for reference. You can also use this location for a folder or two, travel documents, and the like. This space does not destroy the capacity of the main compartment.
Access to the main compartment is via a double zip at the top of the bag.
Open it and you’ll find padded compartments for laptops and tablets. There is a Velcro label to keep your moneymaker safe.
We brought the theme out of the front pocket with a custom gold lining for added visibility. As shown, the rear pocket can accommodate up to a 16-inch MacBook Pro, while the front pocket can accommodate a 12.9-inch iPad Pro, including the Magic Keyboard. You can buy a 13-inch MacBook Air in that place instead of a tablet.
Laptop and tablet pockets are lined with luxurious fur. It is very soft and protects your device. I kind of want to snuggle there and take a nap.
The front of the bag has 3 oversized pen slots and two additional pockets for a power brick, mouse, and more. After loading all of this, you can still place some other items in the main room, as shown below.
In terms of build quality, Waterfield has always been one of the best. I can’t overstate how tight this bag is constructed. Every edge is polished and reinforced with no loose chips or wobble found. Combine that with custom lining, leather accents and quality hardware and you have a bag that’s great value for money.
Performance
The Waterfield Agile Briefcase is a streamlined, focused kit that fits well into today’s flexible work environment. It handles all your critical work gear and technology without being a bulky beast and looks great in any situation. Is today a good day for a big speech? Starbucks business meeting? Jeans and polo shirts for a business casual day? You are covered. Your bag is very elegant. You look great. to achieve it (dream); to get it (something.
I really like that the strap is long enough to be worn over the shoulder or cross body (I hang it on the messenger style in the opening photo of the article). I’m 5’10” and weigh 200 pounds for reference. Either way, it fits my stout frame perfectly.
You can also carry it with traditional handles. You won’t be overpacked by the size of the bag, so weight isn’t an issue.
I really like packing areas for different purposes, and the Agile Briefcase offers a lot of usability in that regard. I like that the front pockets aren’t very deep so I’m not fishing for a quick grab.
Second layer access to that front pocket takes some getting used to those Fidlock buckles. I’ve found that when the magnets are attracted, they tend to snap off periodically, so it sometimes takes a bit of fiddling to get in there. The swipe-to-unlock operation also takes some practice to master quickly. On the plus side, you won’t accidentally open your bag if you dash across the train platform. I also doubt that the operation of the Fidlock buckle will deter a casual pickpocket.
I do find myself using these straps a lot to secure light jackets for the office. I think you can hang other items on it as well.
All your spaces and compartments are dialed in for tech and office accessories. Pockets are great. There’s plenty of room to organize your little things without too many pockets to keep track of. Despite the narrow size, I found that I could make room for a few extras. Here, I’ve tucked the 28-ounce Yeti Large Hydration Bottle in the main compartment for reference. Not only does it fit, but the height of the bag allows me to zip it up without revealing the bottle.
Note that this is only possible since I don’t have a tablet snuggled next to my laptop. I’ve been using the smaller 18oz Yeti for my daily work to make room for my other gear. The headphones I wear at work fit in there, and I can stack items for some extra height. I would put a couple of snack/lunch containers on top of the bottle and earphones.
what do I like
- Best-in-class materials, construction and quality
- Great attention to detail in fit and finish
- Excellent pocket layout
- Easy to carry
- Fits in a compact briefcase for 16″ MacBook Pro and 12.9″ iPad Pro with Magic Keyboard
Areas for improvement
- The front flap design is very secure, but the Fidlock buckle takes some getting used to
final thoughts
Not only is the Waterfield Agile Briefcase at the top of my briefcase collection, it has become one of my favorite office EDC gear. It’s really that good.
Unless you’re into (a) messenger bags, there aren’t many bags in this category for carrying a 16″ MacBook Pro, 12.9″ iPad Pro with Magic Keyboard and accessories; (b) a backpack; or (c) a loudspeaker crop package. This carries all of that stuff, *just* enough room to free up a few extra bits, while still being a streamlined carry. As a daily office porter or travel companion, the overall usability is excellent. It’s styled elegantly enough to rock it for formal occasions, but it’s also well-dressed so you don’t need to grab another bag on business casual days.
It’s a bit pricey, but you get Waterfield’s exceptional quality, craftsmanship and attention to detail. In my opinion, the extra money is worth it.
price: $349.00
where to buy (this: paddy field design
resource: This product sample is provided by paddy field design.
