Female techies rejoice! Now there's a perfect bag for carrying an iPad mini or other tech goodies along with your regular stash 'o stuff, and it doesn't look like something that ... well, that a guy would carry around. It's the Lillium Purse (US$139.00) from Intrepid Bags, a combination of style, craftsmanship, and functionality. Check it out, then enter our giveaway for a chance to win a Lillium Purse.
Design Highlights
I'll be the first to admit that a 56-year-old male blogger whose sense of style is defined by what t-shirt he's wearing on a particular day shouldn't be the one to do a review of an accessory bag that's designed for women. Originally, one of our female staffers was going to take on the job, but the review fell through ... leaving it to the bearded one (me, not Jim Dalrymple) to finish the job.
That being said, the Lillium Purse is just plain beautiful. It's designed to be worn one of three ways -- over the shoulder, cross-body, or as a hip-slung "holster." The bag itself is made of top grain leather in either black or brown, with the interior lined with microsuede. The black bag uses a plum microsuede lining, while the brown has a cranberry interior.
The hardware that keeps the bag in place is equally high class, with a magnetic closure on the main pouch made of highly polished steel. That closure is adjustable, so if you happen to stuff the Lillium full you can extend the buckle a bit and will still be able to close the bag when it is bulging.
The back of the Lillium has a full-length zippered pouch; there's also a shorter zippered pocket for an iPhone on the top of the front of the purse. But lift the big flap and you're welcomed into a spacious place for your stuff -- tech and otherwise -- to hang out. There's a microsuede pocket for an iPad mini (or even the mythical large-screen iPhone 6), as well as a big pocket with three credit card slots and three pen holders.
Functionality Highlights
Although I used to carry a "man bag" or "murse" back in the Newton days, the design of the Lillium is a bit too feminine for my personal taste. But it's really nice-looking and the construction is some of the best I've seen on a tech bag -- which makes me want to try out one of Intrepid's $369.00 Journeyman leather messenger bags. Intrepid Bags offers a 10-year warranty on the leather, which means the Lillium is going to be your constant companion for at least a decade.
I'd love to see Intrepid Bags take the general idea of the Lillium -- a small, handcrafted leather carrier for an iPad mini, iPhone, and assorted cables and personal items -- and make a more masculine version of it. Drop the hip belt and just make a leather mini-messenger bag in the same price range, and that would be awesome.
For our female readers, the Lillium is really the perfect bag for an iPad mini and it can be your daily purse as well. It's classy, beautiful, and rugged.
Conclusion
A rather new entrant in the premium tech bag market, Intrepid Bags is standing out with a product that is so popular that it's often on backorder. For women who want to carry an iPad mini, an iPhone, and the rest of life's necessities in a well-made and gorgeous bag, the Lillium Purse is a winner.
Rating: 4 stars out of 4 stars possible
Giveaway
Want to win a Lillium Purse of your very own? Intrepid Bags and TUAW are joining forces to give one away to a lucky reader. Here are the rules for the giveaway:
- Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older.
- To enter, fill out the form below completely and click or tap the Submit button.
- The entry must be made before July 20, 2014 11:59PM Eastern Daylight Time.
- You may enter only once.
- One winner will be selected in a random drawing and will receive an Intrepid Bags Lillium Purse valued at US$139.00
- Click Here for complete Official Rules.
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