Short of carrying your laptop in your bare hands, the simplest solution is a basic sleeve.

It more or less completely covers the computer, and can, at best, protect it from scratches and a few jolts, but it's all too easy for the whole thing to rattle around in the bottom of a much bigger bag.

It's fine every now and again, but if, like us, you find you need to carry your laptop from one place to another just about every day, you need something a little more practical.

Looking Closer

To be worthy of the name, your laptop bag should meet at least a few essential criteria.

The first is that it should be convenient, with the various compartments laid out sensibly and just there for show.

All too often, we find bags that try to look 'trendy' or 'stylish' and do away with internal storage for your accessories.  As with popping your computer inside a basic sleeve in a regular bag, that works well enough for occasional use but isn't a particularly well-adapted solution.

More 'professional' laptop bags tend to come with a more extensive set of features.

There's usually plenty of protection, with cushioning, internal straps and plastic panels on the underside to facilitate cleaning.

A bare minimum is usually a Velcro grip or a buckle that protects your computer should the bag ever be turned upside down; more advanced bags also include other compartments which close tightly to add to your peace of mind.

Finally, the fabric itself should also be one of your considerations.

Check how thick it is--remember it's protecting your laptop--as well as the quality and feel, and see whether or not the stitching has been finished neatly.

Prices Falling In Line

It seems that you can be laptop bags at dozens of websites today and we certainly found a whole host of different offerings when we began this product survey.
Some that we came across were priced at two or even three hundred euros, but the vast majority seem to retail for around fifty euros.

At this price point, you can have just about any kind of laptop bag that you want, from an urban-styled satchel to a decidedly sober black case.

We'd be the first to admit that 50 euros is hardly likely to break the bank, but given the variety of options out there we suggest you shop around a little.

In particular, decide where you're likely to be using your bag and whether or not it's important for it to be stylish.

A lot of people prefer non-standard bags that disguise the fact they're carrying a laptop, whereas others prefer the practicality of a specifically-designed laptop bag.