30 MACWORLD AUGUST 2019
MAC USER REVIEW: SADDLEBACK THIRTEENER THIN LEATHER BRIEFCASEeasily tote it around with the handle if you
feel the strap is too hard on your back with
heavy loads. So long as you learn to stick
to the basics, this won’t be a big deal.
For such a “thin” bag,
there’s a decent amount of
room. You have the pigskin-
lined main compartment—
measuring roughly 9.5 inches
deep and 2.5 inches wide—
and then you have a thin front
compartment that’s big enough
to hold an 9.7-inch iPad. You’ll
also find two thin pockets on
the inside of this larger front
compartment that are good for
stashing items like passports or
plane tickets, and there’s
enough room to stuff AirPods
and a Magic Mouse in there as
well (although this causes them
to bulge out and take up
precious room in the larger
pocket). The only outer
“pocket” is a 6-inch-deep
sleeve along the back
that’s handy for quick
access to notebooks or
similar items. Like so much
about the Thirteener, it’s
just enough.BOTTOM LINE
The Thirteener Thin Leather
Briefcase is a dependable bag for anyone
who prefers the 13-inch MacBook Pro or
the new MacBook Air, and that’s not just
because these devices fit inside. Much like
those laptops, it’s a good bag
for folks who seek both
portability and resilience—
although unfortunately that
resilience doesn’t extend to the
scuff-prone finish. It’s best used
in situations where you won’t
be hauling it for most of the
day, such as walks to work
from your car or public
transportation. If you like
Saddleback but plan on using
one of its bags for most of the
day, though, I suggest getting a
backpack like the Thin Front
Pocket Backpack (go.macworld.
com/thfr) instead. ■mmmh
Saddleback Leather
Co. Thirteener Thin
Leather Briefcase
PROS- Solid, heavy-duty,
water-resistant leather
construction. - Minimalist yet spacious.
- Handy rear sleeve for quick
access.
CONS - Heavily prone to scuffing.
- Slightly heavy: weighs 7.3
pounds with a 13-inch
MacBook Pro inside. - Pricey.
PRICE
$349
COMPANY
Saddleback Leather Co.
This is with everything in the previous photo tucked inside.