Buy it for: Travel. A 15.6" laptop sleeve, a water-resistant shell and a 25 L expansion zip, in a size that goes in an overhead locker.
Not for: Someone who needs to get at the contents while standing up — that is a satchel's job.
Buying guide
Backpack, or satchel?
Two FLEXXA bags for coaches and scorers: an expandable travel backpack and a laptop satchel. Compared on capacity, laptop fit and what each is for.
Both are water-resistant, both take a laptop, and the choice is really about how you carry things and how far.
Worth saying plainly, because the category name invites the wrong assumption: neither of these is a cricket kit bag. There is no room in either for pads, a bat or a helmet. They are for the other half of a coach's or a scorer's day — the laptop, the paperwork, the phone, the change of shirt — and both are finished in plain black, so they do not look like sports bags in an office either.
How far are you carrying it?
For an away trip or a tour, the backpack: it goes on your back, it is cabin-sized at 35.5 × 26.5 cm, and it opens another 25 litres when you are bringing more home than you took. For a ground and back, the satchel: wider, flatter, and quicker to get a scorebook out of than anything with straps.
Side by side
| Flexxa Explorer Travel Backpack $150.00 | Flexxa Scorer Satchel / Laptop Bag $100.00 | |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 35.5 × 26.5 × 5 cm | 46 × 31 × 12 cm |
| Laptop | Dedicated sleeve, fits up to 15.6" | Padded compartment, fits up to 16" |
| Expands | Expandable by up to 25 L | — |
| Exterior | Water-resistant | Water-resistant |
Which one, and who for
Buy it for: Scorers and coaches working from a bag. A padded compartment for a 16" laptop and a 46 × 31 cm body for scorebooks, team sheets and everything else.
Not for: Long carries. A shoulder strap is fine to the car, less so through an airport.
Questions
Which bag fits a 16-inch laptop?
The Scorer Satchel has a padded compartment for a 16" laptop. The Explorer backpack takes up to 15.6".
Are the FLEXXA bags waterproof?
Water-resistant rather than waterproof — the shell will shrug off a shower on the way to the car, but neither is made for a day in the rain.
Can I fit cricket kit in one of these?
No. Neither is a kit bag — there is no room for pads, a bat or a helmet in a 35.5 × 26.5 cm backpack or a 46 × 31 × 12 cm satchel. They carry the laptop, the scorebook and the personal gear that travels with them.
Which one holds more?
The satchel is the larger of the two flat out, at 46 × 31 × 12 cm against the backpack's 35.5 × 26.5 cm. The backpack wins once its expansion zip is open, which adds up to 25 litres — but only the backpack can be carried hands-free.