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Summary
Every portable electronic device has a corresponding perfect bag, but there’s no guarantee you’ll ever find the one you’re looking for. To help out people primarily carrying an iPad Air and iPad Pro 11-inch as their sole computers, theAlpaka Go Slingis an ideal carrying solution for those products. It can fit the Apple tablet, a pair of headphones, and enough accessories, all without being too bulky.
Alpaka Go Sling
Designed to accommodate your daily gear while providing optimal functionality with its detachable padded strap.
Alpaka Go Sling Design and Materials
The Alpaka Go Sling offers people plenty of benefits, but for me, its thick, premium-feeling materials were the most important. The strap was well-padded and squishy, making it comfortable to wear for extended periods. The strap connectors slid into their slots smoothly. The Axoflux (POLY 600D) and nylon exterior fabrics felt durable and resilient. The water-resistant exterior was also nice for wet locations.
No matter how well the organization is laid out on a bag, it needs to be reliable so that it lasts for the long haul. I can’t fully confirm this over the long term yet, of course, but the Go Sling did feel like it could tough out the urban lifestyle for years to come.
After durability, another key to a good bag of any kind is to make good use of pockets and storage areas. It is possible to have too many slots and compartments, in the same way it’s possible to have too few. I liked the Go Sling’s selective use of compartments, so figuring out where to put cables and accessories was never overwhelming.
The Alpaka Go Sling unzips along the top to reveal a slot capable of handling aniPad Air, Pro, or mini. There is a central open area that’s wide enough for AirPods Max headphones or a water bottle or something similar in size. Inside the bag are two pockets that remain open and two mesh pockets that can be zipped shut—for a total of four.
I could see how the compartments that remain open could spill their contents if the bag is jostled a lot, but I loved those spots. I put a multi-port wall charger and external battery in those places, and they were easy to access without any hassle. The mesh pockets are smaller and secured with a single zipper spanning the length of both of them. Those functioned fine and provided a spot for things like a wrapped cable and chapstick.
The front zippered pocket is divided into two areas. It was great as a place to put my phone or other quick-access items. I didn’t care for this area’s permanently attached key tether, but other people may not mind it. It felt like it was constantly getting in my way. I don’t carry any keys, but even when I did, I didn’t care for these non-removable straps.
I didn’t find myself using the back, zippered pocket much as the front one, but I did put my wallet or passport in it occasionally—things that were flatter and more sensitive.
Traveling with Only an iPad
When using an iPad Air without theApple Magic Keyboardattached, the device slid in and out of the Go Sling with ease. With the keyboard wrapped around it, the device’s thickness made it much more snug. Sometimes I found myself popping the iPad with its keyboard into the center area of the bag instead of its intended slot if I was in a hurry.
After some time with the bag, I thought its size was great, but it could still be improved in a future revision. It did a wonderful job of being space-conscious and making the most of a compact footprint. The times that gave me pause were when I needed to pack up my iPad with keyboard quickly. Rushing to push in the iPad and its keyboard felt harder than it needed to be—especially in contrast to doing so without the keyboard attached.
The other part of the bag I came to wish was slightly different was how wide the main compartment opened. Having a wider opening would have made the accessibility of the contents even better and completely free of any friction.
More than those minor complaints, I came to appreciate the bag’s minimal layout and materials even more after using it for some time. It was able to fit nearly anywhere I wanted to put it, better than a regular backpack could. The padded strap remained comfortable for each use.
Alpaka Go Sling Price and Availability
This bag is a new addition to the Alpaka family andretails for $79.99. It comes in black or army green colors. Of course, if this particular 5.5L size isn’t right for what you’re lugging around, the company does make other products with similar layouts in bigger and smaller sizes.
Should You Buy the Alpaka Go Sling?
TheAlpaka Go Slingis more expensive than a generic bag you’ll find on Amazon, but it’s also much better constructed and an ideal size for iPad lovers. It lets you take your Apple tablet out into the world without needing a backpack or larger sling.
This bag’s quality is on par with ones fromBellroyandAer, but it’s a more specialized size. Bellroy, for example, doesn’t really have anything directly comparable to the Go Sling—a compact sling that can hold an iPad and more.
If you’re itching to only carry an iPad and a few select accessories, then this is a great bag to do that.
