The A42 was provided by tomtoc for the purposes of this article and embedded video.
tomtoc’s Defender A42 provides military-grade protection for your precious laptop. It’s available in sizes that support 13″ to 17″ laptops, and multiple colors. It’s priced at $39.99 on both tomtoc’s website and Amazon. I have been testing it, daily, for over a week and I’ve been really happy with it.
Overview
Specifically, the A42 supports the military standard of MIL-STD-810H. What this means is it has 4 corners of protection and its water resistant. To achieve this, tomtoc equipped the A42 with their CornerArmor technology. Additionally, padded and fleece-lined interior helps to protect your precious cargo.
There are 3 additional compartments to the main one that holds your laptop. This is where you can store a mouse, earbuds, portable SSD, charger, writing pad, and much more.
Features
- CornerArmor™ technology with 4 corner protectors for all-round military-grade protection
- High resilient edges and high-density padding to safeguard against bumps
- Water-resistant fabric to protect against water spills
- Smart tri-compartment storage system with multiple pockets and a strap for Airtag or key to keep accessories organized
- Hidden pocket on the back for secure and easy access to personal belongings
- Quality YKK zippers and reinforced stress points for reliability
- Padded and fleece-lined interior for sophisticated protection
- PU leather handles for maximum comfort
- Eco-friendly recycled fabrics for environmental protection
- Detachable shoulder strap with comfortable shoulder pad for versatile carrying
Specifications
- Internal Dimensions – 12.80″ x 9.14” x 0.67”
- External Dimensions – 13.6″ x 9.96″ x 1.26″
Use Case
After years of acquiring bags and sleeves, I’ve learned that not only do I like bags, but I also believe in bags for specific uses. For the A42, I use it two scenarios:
- As a professor at a university, I need my laptop and a charger along with my Kindle Scribe.
- For local meetings, I need my laptop, charger, AirPods, Kindle Scribe, a pen, and a protein bar.
During this time, I observed how slim the bag is, while also providing outstanding protection and comfort for long durations of wearing it. The YKK zippers are smooth and stable. This is important to note as other bags I’ve purchased use less durable zippers that are more likely to breakdown.
Who is this For?
The Defender A42 is an excellent laptop bag. Due to its affordable price of just $39.99, you can more easily justify it even if you already have a bag. As I wrote above, sometimes owning multiple bags is a positive as you can personalize your bag to your devices or the situation you’re in.