The Catalyst ultra slim waterproof sleeve for 13” to 15” tablets and laptops was a delightfully well put together surprise. I was expecting a simple waterproof bag that could be transformed into a backpack to carry a 13” MacBook or iPad. After checking out this bag for myself, I got much more than I bargained for.
The bag is not simply a waterproof enclosure but it also includes a well padded interior that left me feeling confident on my devices were protected. The orange insert inside the bag itself is well padded and is large enough for a 13 inch MacBook Pro and will even work with a larger 15.4” laptop as well (see pictures). The black waterproof exterior of the bag has a nice finish to it with a plastic lining on the inside of it. There is a Ziploc style waterproofing system on the inside of the bag with a Velcro enclosure on the outside. The bag sort of resembles the type of waterproofing bag you would take on an outback camping trip. Included inside the bag are 2 shoulder straps that can be clipped to the plastic D-rings on the top and bottom of the bag to turn it into a backpack style bag. The straps themselves are made of the same webbing material that the top handle is made of. There is no padding on the straps, which could get a little bit uncomfortable if you are using this bag on a lengthy walk or trip. Though not the biggest deal, it would make a difference in the long run. The convenient carrying handle sewn into the top of the bag feels strong and sturdy and allows you to grab the bag and go. Many companies miss this feature on their backpack style bags but this is a nice addition.
The only major issues I can find with this bag is that there are only a couple of small pockets attached to the removable orange padded interior sleeve for your accessories. I was able to fit a mouse, pen, and charger, but that was about it. They also weren’t terribly soft either. I found that I wanted to put more in the bag (which had room to spare) but I didn’t want to scratch my accessories up due to them being lumped together in the bottom of the bag. In the end, all I had to do was paired down the man of accessories I brought with me. Are use the keyboard case instead of a separate keyboard, didn’t bother with the trackpad, and only brought one cable and charger with me. Even with the accessories in the bag it did not end up being too bulky or too heavy to carry around.
In my testing of the waterproof ip65 capabilities of the bag, I found it to hold true to its name. I even went so far as to add paper towels and newspapers in the bag so that I would be able to tell if there was any water or moisture that made it into the bag. The bag stood up well out in the rain for four or five hours, and even survived being submerged in water for 30 minutes. No moisture was found inside the bag leaving me confident that I would easily be able to take the bag out on my bike and not worry if I got caught in the rain.
There really isn’t much to be disappointed about with this bag. It’s lightweight and durable and holds up to all the promises it gives. The instructions on the bag state that you could put this bag inside a messenger style shoulder bag but to me, unless you have a fairly large shoulder bag, this isn’t a very practical option. It took up much more room in my shoulder bag then I really wanted it to. The bag does come in a couple of different variation in terms of size, but the functionality remains the same. Once again, catalyst has done an excellent job designing and producing another great product that holds up well to its name. I can’t wait to see what they come up with next.
