Blumming eck, the TechAir 3712 laptop bag is truly massive! I have a lap crushing Toshiba laptop of 17”+, and yet it makes it look like a piddly netbook when inside the TechAir 3712 bag!! I’m impressed. I’ve tried my Pop’s 18.5” Sony laptop inside too, and it wasn’t exactly a squeeze either.
I’ve previously made do with a 17” Dakine record bag, but had to demote my laptop to the main pocket as opposed to the (supposedly) 17” protective sleeve, as it doesn’t fit. So anyway, the size of the bag is a great first impression!
TechAir 3712 Materials
I’ve been impressed with TechAir’s bags before, especially the TechAir 3511 netbook bag, and there’s nothing that makes me think anything different about this bag either.
It’s waterproof and is made from a hardwearing ripstop fabric.
The protective sleeve for the laptop is really great in this and all TechAir bags that I have come across. It’s just great to see that they have invested in the right areas of the bag. And more reassuringly again, is that they have backed up the quality of the design and build of the bag with a lifetime warranty. Brilliant stuff!
TechAir 3712 Laptop Bag Pockets
As you can see from the images, there are is one large compartment with two external pockets large enough for your battery pack, external CD drive and a few other bits.
It’s got an external bungee, but unless it’s on a mountain bike bag, I’m not a big fan of these. Just seems like a waste on what is most likely to be a bag for commuters.
It’s got the usual shower proof headphone access point, and a load in internal miniature pockets for storing your smaller bits and bobs.
TechAir 3712 Bag Size
As stated, I love the fact that it comfortably houses larger than average laptops. Technically, larger laptops do peak out of the top of the protective sleeve, so 1-2 inches of an 18+ inch laptop might not be protected, but if I was looking for a bag of this size then I’d take that hit.
The other bit of space that I’m always interested in is the main compartment outside of where the laptop sits. This is a great space for storing a jacket a number of files and battery pack and more.
One of the negatives of having such a large bag is the permanent, and sometimes unnecessary, bulkiness of the bag. The guys over at TechAir though have been smart about this and added compression straps to the bag to ensure that the bag is not excessively large, with contents rattling around if it’s not full. I’m really pleased to see such a simple feature applied to a laptop bag.
As big as it is though, it’s not ridiculous, and comes well within hand luggage regulations for flights.
Rucksack Straps
One area that I think could be improved upon is the rucksack straps. They’re good but not excellent – or at least up to the quality that I have come to expect from TechAir now. Saying that, I don’t think they’re going to be too uncomfortable in time as they compress, but is worth considering if you have an especially heavy laptop.
Summary
The TechAir 3712 laptop is definitely a keeper. A bag that quite comfortably fits a 17” laptop in, is showerproof, with plenty of extra (compressible) space, highly protective and with a lifetime guarantee. A good purchase if you ask me! 
TechAir 3712 Bag Specification
- Material: Constructed from mini ripstop fabric
- Colour: Black
- Laptop Compartment Size (cm): 42 x 30 x 4.5cm
- External Size cm: 37 x 49 x 13.5cm
- Weight: 1.31kg
- To fit laptops up to (inches): 17.3”
- Number of compartments: 1
- Tech air ® Protection Technology: Yes
- Lifetime Warranty: Yes
Other Features of the TechAir 3712 Bag
- Shower Proof
- Adjustable strap
- Accessories panel for storing smaller items
- 2 other pockets (in addition to the main)
- Document and folder friendly sections
- Mobile phone pocket
- CD/MP3 player pocket
- Cable friendly for laptop wires
More information is available from TechAir, here and here.
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- Review of the truly excellent TechAir 3511 Messenger Bag
- Dell Laptop Travel Media Remote Control Review
- How to choose a netbook?
- MSI Wind Review
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