The HEX Recon Messenger Bag comes as a 13 inch or 15 inch messenger bag with an iPad specific holder along with a padded pocket for a 13 inch laptop or netbook and an organizer for smaller items.
Ease of Use, Performance: 21/25
Look & Feel: 23/25
Features 18/25
How much I enjoy 18/25
Total: 80/100
Messenger bags for specific devices like the iPad or MAC laptops have a bit of a problem when trying to capture the attention of non-Apple users when a purchase is being researched. I love to try my hand at not only doing different things with products I get to review but also proving Apple specific products can be used for other devices.
The HEX Recon Messenger Bag has an iPad specific holder but the rest of the messenger bag makes for a well-designed and great looking bag for your smaller laptop or netbook. The HEX Recon bag I received for reviewing is the smaller sized 13 inch bag that is perfect for my Chrome laptop and general tablet use.
The HEX Recon 13 inch is 10 inches high, 13 inches wide and 2.2 inches deep with a general 2 layers of material and inner layer of foam for protection. The bottom and sides of the bag uses several layers of foam and material for additional protection while the different pockets and dividers adds even more protection to your iPad and laptop.
The iPad pocket that HEX calls the HEX PadPort is a rectangle of material including a plastic insert for stiffness with a center cutout that is attached to the front of the messenger bag under the flap. The iPad or other similar sized tablet is held in place by the Velcro flap over the side of the tablet while four elastic pieces stretch to hold the tablet in place.
The PadPort can be used for tablets that are very close in size but I figured a way around this with a little work and ingenuity, I strapped my tablet to a piece of Plexiglas. Using some screws and rubber bumpers along with a piece of erector set and some elastic rope I created a tablet holder that can fit inside the Hex PadPort holder.
This allows me to carry a smaller tablet like the NextBook Next5 in the pouch that is sized for a larger tablet without worrying about the tablet falling out. For an iPad the organizer looks like it is spaced so that important ports and buttons are available due to the spacing of the elastic sides.
The HEX Messenger Bag also has a larger inner pocket with a zipper to keep your items inside along with the more conventional flap that messenger bags use. One side of the inner area has a pocket for a 13 inch laptop or netbook while on the other side of a foam and soft material divider is an organizer.
The organizer has six pockets that are business card sized and two larger pockets that are about five inches by five inches with a slightly smaller mesh covered pocket over one of the five inch pockets. There are two pen pockets between the business card pockets and the mesh pocket and the whole organizer attached to the inside of the pocket is opposite the laptop divider.
The back of the messenger bag has a pocket for a file or papers that has a Velcro closure in the middle while the flap is devoid of any pockets. The HEX Recon features two colors and is available in two different main colors of Charcoal and Khaki with an adjustable shoulder strap.
The messenger bag fits my Chrome CR-48 laptop but anything bigger would not fit, the messenger bag does come in a 15 inch size as well as the 13 inch. I can use the organizer area for the laptop power adapter and mouse with a few other items like a smaller headset, cables and some SD Cards.
The outer material is a 16 oz washed canvas with a cotton webbing strap and fleece lined area for the laptop or netbook along with a fleece lining on the inner flap to protect your iPad or tablet. The messenger bag is well made with good use of double stitching and a well stitched strap so the bag looks like it will last well as far as durability.
The HEX Recon makes a nice messenger bag for a smaller laptop or netbook as well as a general bag for papers, a folder or two and other items for work or play. I have been using the messenger bag for carrying my Chrome laptop as well as a notebook and some papers while helping out at a First Lego League competition so I have all my important papers and notes with me.
The bag is nice and handy without being oversized like many messenger bags are that hold larger laptops while the iPad holder is a nice feature if you have the same sized tablet or an iPad. While I do like the messenger bag the cost may be a bit steep for some at about $80 from the HEX website as well as other sites.
If you’re looking for a well-made and iPad specific messenger bag the HEX Recon may fit the bill if the price does not bother you; check out the Hex Recon at their website.
HEX Website