I’ve been getting a little tired of keeping everything in my pockets, so when I got word of a new bag from Waterfield Designs I got pretty excited. Then I got even more excited when I saw the pictures. This wasn’t just a rugged bag to store gear in: it looked like it was trying to be stylish, too. A sexy “bomber jacket” leather exterior, but practical and gadget-friendly pockets on the inside – hell, if I can’t stop being a complete geek, at least I can try to be a fashionable one, right?

Look awesome while sitting on my couch if you agree, Muzetto bag. Yeah. That’s what I thought.

Anyway, the folks at Waterfield were kind enough to offer up a loaner bag alongside the offer of a discount if I ended up deciding to keep it. Well, Waterfield Designs, if you’re reading this (I sent you the link!), you can keep my money! I’ll keep this bag, thank you very much.

Here, let me explain.

Design

Just like all of the other Waterfield products I’ve tested, the bag has held up very nicely over the last two weeks. Despite the leather exterior, the inside feels just as solid as any of their SleeveCases.

I was a little worried about scratching the leather at first; minor brushes against my nail or my watch seemed to be marking the bag up, but Gary (founder of Waterfield) re-assured me in an e-mail that it wasn’t going to be going anywhere: “The leather we use is meant to scuff a bit a show some character… similar to an old bomber jacket.” Sure enough, the scuffs that I was worried about aren’t even skin deep, and they fade very nicely over a day or two.

As for what makes a bag a bag: there are five pockets on the Muzetto, and you can even stick a 10-13” laptop into one of them depending on the bag size that you order. As for the other pockets: I just so happened to have taken pictures of the bag from multiple angles, so I guess I’ll just show them to you.

The back pocket is great for items like magazines and….well, actually, I can’t think of anything else I’d want to put in this area.

Here’s a shot of the bag with the flap folded open. The main compartment is the most spacious area of the bag, but it also shares space with a small zippered compartment right in front of it. Just in front of that area is a smaller pocket lined with felt: there are no sharp surfaces along the inside of the bag, but this pocket is where you’re going to want to keep more sensitive items like cameras, phones, and/or small puppies. This felt pocket even has a mini felt pouch, which is where I decided I’d keep my camera and earphones when I’m out and about. It felt good.

The shoulder strap is pretty comfortable so far, which is a good thing since there’s no handle for the bag at all. You either grab the Muzetto by the strap or grip the flap and back like a warrior and carry it very purposefully to your destination (or it’ll look a little awkward). Speaking of awkward, though: one very tiny thing that I wish I could fix would be the waviness of the flap. The whole thing is made of leather, but it’s just a little too flimsy at the very top of the flap, closest to the back. So if the bag is empty and there’s nothing to give the Muzetto shape, the flap tends to warp slightly and won’t lie perfectly even along the bag. A quick downward tug sorts this out, but it’s less than ideal to have a stylish leather bag fold in on itself like that. I might stick a piece of cardboard in the back pocket to hold the shape up and keep this from happening.

A few small problems

I’m very happy with the bag overall, but I do have one major problem with it: aside from the zippered pocket, the thing doesn’t ever really close. Yes, you can flip the leather flap over the front and cover the contents view, but it really doesn’t do anything to keep your stuff safe from falling out or getting stolen. You’ve got to be careful about keeping the bag from tipping over and spilling its contents onto the floor, since, unlike some of Waterfield’s other designs, the Muzetto won’t stand up on its own.

Waterfield did state their reasons for excluding a metal or even magnetic clasp (it hindered access and magnets scare people with electronics), but I’d trade a very small delay in opening my bag for the peace of mind in knowing that my stuff was safely tucked away in my bag. As it is now, it just feels all too easy for a sly hand to slip behind the flap and grab my earphones or camera from the felt pocket. It would have been a little less elegant, but if the leather flap had actually gone around the sides of the bag and connected to magnets along the back, that might have been a fair balance between security and accessibility.

Conclusion

I’ve found the Muzetto to be a great little hybrid bag: you can dress it up or down, regardless of how much gear you stuff into it. At its fullest, I’ve neatly stored a 10” Wind Netbook and charger, Logitech Pure-Fi Mobile speakers, a VX Revolution mouse, earphone pouch, Canon Powershot SD1000, and a backup battery for my iPhone. I’d have one hell of a time using all of that stuff at once, but it’s great to know that I can fit it all in the Muzetto without it looking like a bag of tumors.

That being said, because it is a hybrid bag, there are some compromises to be made. You really should have some sort of padded sleeve or case to protect any laptop you plan on putting in the Muzetto – Paddington Bag this is not. I’ve been using the Waterfield SleeveCase I reviewed earlier on, but you should be able to use anything that will sufficiently pad your computer from small bumps. 

The last thing I’d like to mention about the Muzetto is the price: at $179 for the 10” and $239 for the 13” sizes, the bag isn’t cheap. Neither is the quality, though. You’re really getting what you pay for with Waterfield products. Even with a discount the bag was still pretty expensive for me, but I’m definitely going to keep it because I’ve had a lot of trouble finding a stylish messenger bag that can hold a laptop as well. The bags on Best Buy shelves all look the same to me, and I really like how the Muzetto stands out with its leather design.

What I liked:

• leather
• five pockets, some neoprene, some nylon
• feels like a solid bag

What could use be improved:

• price – I know it’s made in San Francisco, but it’s also still pretty expensive compared to other bags
• more sizes (15” coming soon, according to the website)
• better security against items falling out and pickpockets
• something to keep the bag’s form when it’s not full (so it doesn’t warp)

You can pick up your own Muzetto bag in one of six colours for $179 or $239 from Waterfield’s website: SFBags.com

Related posts:

1. Waterfield introduces the Muzetto
2. Review: be.ez LE rush 13″ laptop bag
3. Review: Waterfield Laptop SleeveCase
4. Press Release: WaterField Designs Brings Luxury to MacBooks
5. Review: Skooba Design Checkthrough Roller Bag