Skooba Design has again expanded its original Checkthrough “checkpoint-friendly” laptop bag collection, with the addition of an ultralight backpack and a rolling laptop/business case. Checkthrough bags are specially designed and tested to pass through airport security x-ray screening without having to remove the computer. According to the company, its Checkthrough bags-”developed in close coordination with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA)-”are the best-selling items in Skooba’s 10-year history, and the new styles are in response to significant customer demand for more and different versions of the product.
At first glance, the Checkthrough Backpack looks like a standard, high-end business or travel backpack. But unlike traditional laptop packs, it opens and hinges in the middle to separate and isolate the laptop compartment from the rest of the bag. For initial, immediate visual reference, the laptop can be seen by the inspector through a clear window that is exposed when the bag is unfolded. With the window facing up, the bag is sent through X-ray screening. The design of the laptop compartment is such that the image presented to the screener is the same as if the laptop were removed and placed in a bin. The Checkthrough bag and all of its contents can be carried securely with or without the hinge zipped shut, so it can be readied in line, prior to screening. Once through, the traveler can simply pick up the bag and go, zipping it back up on the move or at the gate.
The new Checkthrough Roller works the same way as the backpack, with a hinged laptop compartment and preview window. It glides on urethane skate wheels mounted to aluminum wheel guard brackets, pulled along by a heavy-duty retractable handle. Skooba says that the roller is among the lightest rolling cases in its category, capacity and feature-set, and that it fits in all major airline storage spaces. Yet the case has room for a large stack of files and papers, or even an overnight’s worth of clothing and travel necessities.
Both the backpack and roller feature durable, weather-repellant ballistic exterior fabric, nickel-finished hardware, Doc Pocket organizers for airline tickets and passport, clear zippered pouches for allowable liquids, and many other travel-friendly features. Plenty of pockets-”20 in the backpack and 18 in the Roller-”organize gadgets, accessories and other small items.
According to Skooba spokesperson Lorri Diggory, faster screening is only one benefit of the Checkthrough product family-”keeping the laptop in the bag also helps prevent damage, as well as minimizing the possibility that the laptop will be one of the 60,000 laptops estimated to be lost or stolen in airports each year.
The new Checkthrough Backpack and Roller will be available in mid-August, at suggested retail prices of $129.95 and $189.95, respectively. Full specs and information are at www.skoobadesign.com.
