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Safy Anti Theft Travel Bag review

CROWDFUNDING REVIEW – Keep your stuff safe while you travel, and look good doing it! We’re taking a look at the Safy Anti-Theft Travel Bag, a clever little bag that offers hardcore protection for your travel essentials from thieves and the elements. This is a Kickstarter project that ends this week, so you’ll want to jump on it if you’re interested. But let’s see how it works first! To the review!

What is it?

It’s a bag that protects your phones, cash, credit cards, and essential documents while you’re traveling.

Hardware specs

  • 8.9″ by 6.1″ by 2.5″
  • 1.43 pounds
  • IP44 water resistance
  • 60″ adjustable shoulder strap
  • RFID blocking pockets

Design and features

The Safy Anti Theft Travel Bag is a sharp looking piece of carry. At first glance, it just looks like a stylish little side bag. Mine came with the black leather face, but they offer a number of different styles and colors (including custom covers — more on that later). Here’s a front profile.

Side view below. Looks deceptively simple, right?

But flip it over, and you’ll see that it’s actually a hard case made from an ABS & polycarbonate material that offers impact and puncture resistance. It’s a little tank of a case.

You’ll also note that there are no zippers and no seams that wandering fingers can make their way into. The only way into the bag is through a combination lock that you set on the top of the bag.

Spin the wheels, push the button, and that’s the only way you get access to the goods. Check out the beefy frame on the sucker. It’s like a traveling safe deposit box!

The bag opens like a clamshell. Check out those hooks on the front face that prevent someone from prying it open. Coupled with a rubber gasket that seals the perimeter, you also get IP44 water resistance. It will keep your stuff dry, even if you venture out to the beach or the pool.

And look at the internal hinges! Someone is not going to pry those open either. Safy clearly thought through how to make this bag as secure as possible from all angles.

Now, you might think that a wandering thief could cut the bag loose at the straps… but no, my friend. They’re embedded with steel wires. And here’s another really clever bit: the attachment points are heavy plastic “keys” that insert into slots on the sides of the case. Once they’re locked in, they can only be released from tabs on the inside of the bag.

That means that you can secure this bag to a park bench, a beach chair, a picnic table, a train seat… and it ain’t going anywhere until you unlock the bag. Really clever, especially if you fancy a dip in the pool or a quick nap while traveling. Maybe someone could crack the strap with a pair of bolt cutters, but you’d see that coming.

You have two storage areas in the case for your stuff. On the rear face is a chamber that is roughly 7.25″ by 4.25″ by 1″ deep. An expandable pocket keeps your big items in place when you open the bag. I have my travel wallet, field notes, and headphones in here with plenty of room for my iPhone. I suspect that a smaller e-reader might fit in there.

The pockets on the front face are for your quick access stuff. There’s a cash pocket with a magnetic clasp, two card pockets for ID and credit cards, and a document pocket for your passport, boarding passes, and such. These pockets are RFID protected as well. That rear pocket also expands a bit if you have extra documents.

Performance

So how does the Safy Anti Theft Travel Bag work in practice? Pretty great, actually! I’ve used it for travel, and the top-opening design is great for quick access to the important stuff without your things spilling out. We locked it on a lounge chair by the pool where it kept 2 iPhones, my keys, my wallet, and assorted cards and cash (for pool bar drinks… you know) safe from overzealous splashing and wandering hands.

It’s just the right size for a wandering sidekick, too. You won’t get a whole bunch of stuff in there, but the essentials are nicely secured. Unfortunately, my vacation pics got all messed up, but here’s a shot of the Safy riding along with me.

(Go ahead. Try and take it. You still won’t get into my stuff.)

Here’s a side profile shot so you can see how compact it is. The 60″ shoulder strap is adjustable so it’s easy to find a comfortable position as a cross-body bag or slung to your side. Even on my chunky 5’10” 200 pound frame. You’ll need to get your own Star Wars shirt, though. I ain’t giving up mine.

Safy offers the case in multiple cover options as well. Mine is the black leather, which is also offered in beige. A black and white carbon fiber look lid can be had, and Safy will offer additional leather & fabric patterns if they reach their Kickstarter goal. And if you REALLY want to get funky, they’ll print a custom swappable cover for you from whatever picture or image you like (as long as it isn’t copyrighted). Check out the kickstarter link below for more information.

What I like

  • Maybe not bomb proof, but close!
  • Excellent build quality and construction.
  • Just big enough for the essentials while maintaining a slim profile.
  • Solid protection against pickpockets and thieves… every detail is covered.
  • Great beach bag or pool bag.
  • Lockable strap is a nice bonus feature for when you don’t feel like carrying it around.

What I’d change

  • Sized for the essentials, which I like. But a larger option might be nice if you’re rolling with a tablet.

Final thoughts

I really enjoyed using the Safy Anti Theft Travel Bag. It’s a simple and absolutely secure porter for my essential travel bits. Safy did a great job of dialing in the design to focus on its mission without complicating the overall usability. Style may be a subjective thing, but I think it works just as well as a men’s or women’s bag.

And if you want in on this one, you need to know that the Kickstarter only has a few days left! It closes on September 9 at 4:30 PM EDT, and there are still a good number of early bird specials available. Check out the link below for more info.

Price: Pledges start at $66 plus shipping. Super early bird specials are still available that include the extra customized lid.
Where to buy: Go forth to the kickstarter page while there is still time!
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Safy.

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Safy Anti Theft Travel Bag review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 5, 2019 at 9:00 am.

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Evo Global Travel Adapter review

REVIEW – I travel for work fairly often, and typically outside the US 2 or 3 times per year, and for those trips, it’s essential to carry electrical gadgets that can be used with the electrical outlets in countries.  I typically carry a fairly standard travel adapter for my laptop, but when I want to charge my iPhone or another device, I often need a second (or third) travel adapter to charge that device and others, which just adds to the growing amount of gear that I find myself having to carry for travel.  The Evo Global Travel Adapter presents a solution to the problem of needing multiple adapters while traveling in other countries.  Let’s check it out. Gadget on!

What is it?

The Evo Global Travel Adapter is a double USB charger that can be used with the electrical outlets in multiple countries.

What’s in the box?

  • Evo Global Travel Adapter
  • Spec/instruction sheet

Hardware specs

  • Dimensions: 0.8 x 1.2 x 2.7 in (20.3 x 30.5 x 69 mm)
  • Weight: 1.76 oz (50 g)
  • Input: 100-240VAC (90-260VAC max)
  • Output: 5V 2.1A (total 2.4A max)
  • Max Power: 12 W
  • Material: PC94V0 with fire-, overheat- and cold-resistance
  • Supported countries: 150

Design, setup, features, and performance

The Evo Global Travel Adapter began as a successful Indigogo campaign and is now available for sale on Amazon.

My initial impressions of the Evo were somewhat mixed.  First, I marveled at how small it was.  Second, I realized that it was not a standard travel adapter, but only a USB adapter.  This took me by surprise because I had been expecting to be able to plug my laptop into it like other travel adapters, but this is not the case.  Once I got past that initial disappointment, I shifted my evaluation to judge the Evo on its actual merits.

As mentioned above, the Evo is quite small; it is about the size of two iPhone charging blocks stacked atop one another.  This helps makes it a great travel companion because its small size and relatively light weight help cut down on the amount of space required to carry it as well as adding less to your overall carrying load.

The Evo’s shape is roughly rectangular in two dimensions, and it is quite slim.  It has two USB ports situated on one side and two buttons that slide in tracks on opposite sides.  There is also a small removable component that fits into the middle that remains tucked away when not in use.

As mentioned above, the two sets of prongs are actuated via sliding motion outward from the main body of the Evo, and a small button on either side must be depressed to unlock them, as shown in the photos above.  Press down, slide out the prongs and they click into place once fully extended.  Each button must be pressed again to unlock the prongs for retraction back into the body.

 

 

The above series of photos shows the appearance of each set of prongs once full in place and locked out.  The photo on the far right also shows the Evo with its additional side component attached (more on this below).

The Evo has a small additional component that is stored in its middle and remains tucked away and locked in place until needed.  It is essentially deployable length of plastic that acts as a dummy prong for outlets in which a third prong ground is typically needed, such as in the UK.

The series of photos above illustrate the progression of the deployment of the side prong from its storage location.  If you can get a fingernail under the prong’s edge, you can begin to lift it, then a small, spring-loaded side piece must be depressed in order to release the prong from its storage location.

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Additionally, the Evo’s sliding metal prongs can be rotated into an angled orientation for compatibility with outlets in countries such as Australia.

Since I did not have any imminent travel outside the US when I received the Evo to review, I did a bit of experimenting with it.  In the photo above, I’ve set its prong configuration to be compatible with North American, two-prong outlets.  In this case, it was functioning like any standard double USB charger.  It was able to charge both my wife’s iPhone X and my old iPhone 6 Plus simultaneously, as well as my wife’s iPad Air and my old iPhone 6 plus.  This was expected considering Evo’s output rating of V 2.1A  individually and a 2.4A max total but this exercise confirmed that at a minimum it could charge a higher-current iPad and lower-current iPhone in parallel.

Next, I placed one of my typical travel adapters in my outlet set for standard US flat two-prong configuration.  I then set up both the Evo’s sliding and deployable ground prong configuration as if I were traveling in the UK, and plugged it into the UK outlet holes in my typical travel adapter.  The idea here was to simulate usage in the UK.  While I realize that the voltage is different in the UK, what I really wanted to test was the physical prong configuration of the Evo and determine if it would chare devices if using the UK prong setup.

As shown above, the Evo was able to charge both my wife’s iPad Air and my old iPhone 6 Plus.  I expect that at some point, I will take another trip outside the US to a country that uses a different outlet setup and perform a full test, but for now, this was the best I could do.

What I like

  • Small, compact, lightweight
  • Can charge up to two devices (including tablets) simultaneously
  • Prong configuration should be able to be used in many countries

What I’d change

  • Add the capability of being a typical travel adapter (allowing items like laptops to be plugged into it) in addition to being a double USB adapter, but keep its small size

Final thoughts

Firstly, the Evo Global Travel Adapter is not a travel adapter in the typical sense in that only USB cables can be plugged into it.  That said, Evo can charge up to two devices at a time (including tablets),  is very compact and lightweight, and would work well as not only an adapter for USB items while traveling outside the US, but also could be domestically as a double USB adapter in its own right.

Price: $21.99
Where to buy: MicroNovelty and Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by MicroNovelty.

 

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Evo Global Travel Adapter review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 24, 2019 at 2:00 pm.

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Waterfield Designs Travel Wallet review

REVIEW – Waterfield Designs Finn Wallet has been been on a wallet rampage of late.  A few months back they administered their Next Generation Wallet survey, soliciting feedback from customers and wallet fans far and wide.  As a result, they have updated several of their classic wallets and created a few new styles, one of those being their Travel Wallet, a large wallet designed to organize and secure documents, cards, cash, and other small items while traveling.    I do a fair amount of travel for work, and I always seem to find myself wishing I had something in which to carry all of my small, personal travel gear, so I was excited to review the Waterfield Designs Travel Wallet.  Let’s check it out!  Gadget on!

What is it?

The Travel Wallet is a large, pouch-like wallet with a zipper closure and several organizational pockets inside that has been designed to hold items while traveling, such as cards, cash, a Passport, or even small electronics.

Hardware specs

  • Size options
    • Travel Wallet: 7.25” L x 4” H x .25” W weighing 2.5 oz. for $49
    • Travel Wallet Plus: 10.25” L x 5.25” H x .25” W weighing 4.0 oz. for $59
  • Material and color options
    • Oil-tanned full-grain leather in Brown or Black colors each for an additional $10
    • Waxed Canvas in Brown color
    • Ballistic Nylon in Black color (reviewed here)
    • Italian Forza in Blue and Red colors
  • Capacity by size
    • Travel Wallet: Passport, larger foreign currencies, cards, and coins.
    • Travel Wallet Plus: Fits the same items as the Travel Wallet plus other travel documents.
  • Zipper: YKK self-locking
  • Location of manufacture: Workshop crafted in San Francisco, CA, USA

Design and features

The new Waterfield Designs Travel Wallet is also a result of the Next Generation Wallet survey that was conducted in  January-February of 2019.  One of the results of this survey was that folks wanted a larger wallet that could hold several items—and even a smaller wallet—while traveling.

My initial impressions of the Travel Wallet were that it was BIG—bigger than the Waterfield Design Passport Finn Access Wallet, which is a big wallet in its own right.  However, both of those wallets are large for good reasons.

The Black Ballistic Nylon fabric of this review sample had a technical and tough look and feel, and I immediately liked it.  The Travel Wallet is also available in Brown or Black oil-tanned full-grain leather, Brown Waxed Canvas, or Blue or Black Italian Forza fabric.

The Travel Wallet is actually available in two sizes: Travel Wallet (shown here), and Travel Wallet Plus, an even larger version designed to hold more and larger items.  The Travel Wallet is not going to reasonably fit into anyone’s pants pocket (front or back) unless perhaps they are wearing cargo pants.  I suspect that it probably be better suited for jackets pockets, or being carried inside a purse, bag, backpack or similar item.

As with all of the Waterfield Designs wallets reviewed above, the Travel Wallet begins quite thin for a wallet of its size.

For size comparison purposes, the above photo shows the quite large Passport Finn Acess Wallet from above on top and the larger Travel Wallet beneath it.

Above is a closeup of the Travel Wallet’s Black Ballistic Nylon material.  Ballistic Nylon is known to be a very tough, abrasion-resistant material, and depending on the fabric’s makeup, it can have a somewhat rough texture.  However, Waterfield Designs has selected a type of Ballistic Nylon that is relatively soft to the touch, and it has a really nice feel.  Waterfield Designs has also included a logo tag on the exterior of the Travel Wallet, which I found a bit interesting considering that no such logo tag seems to be on any of Waterfield Designs’ other wallets.  I’m typically not a fan of exterior product logos, but this one is classy and fairly understated, so it was not an issue to me.

Like the Waterfield Designs’ other zipper wallets, the Travel Wallet also features a YKK locking zipper to help avoid accidental opening and keep the Travel Wallet’s contents secure.

The Travel Wallet includes two accessories shown in the photo above: a small travel pen and a rectangular-shaped carabiner with a spring clip.

This miniature pen is a ballpoint twist-type, and fits in the hand nicely.  However, I would use it more in a pinch, such as for signing a receipt or a customs form, than for writing the Great American Novel, but it is certainly handy in a pinch.  It also includes a pocket clip.

The Travel Wallet includes a small loop of nylon webbing to which the rectangular spring carabiner can be attached, which then allows the Travel Wallet to be attached to a belt loop, purse or messenger bag strap, backpack webbing, keyring or any number of other places.

One of the Travel Wallet’s features that really caught my eye was its bright gold interior lining with its zig-zag/diamond pattern.   A bright lining such as this helps the user to find items placed inside the Travel Wallet, especially in lower-light conditions.  Plus, it looks pretty cool.   However, I was a bit surprised that Waterfield Designs did not include an option to add an RFID blocking liner, as they have in nearly all of their other wallets.  This is something I would definitely want to have while traveling to help protect my travel documents and cards from RFID theft.

Looking at the interior of the Travel Wallet, one side has two open-top pockets of identical size sewn into the liner.

The opposite side of the interior has a large zipper pocket that spans the entire length of the Travel Wallet intended to hold small items such as coins, tokens, receipts, keys, small electronic accessories, or other travel essentials.

To test out the Travel Wallet, I loaded it up with the above items: 6 bills and 7 cards, the mini pen, an iPhone Lightning charging cable, and my US Passport which is a fair representation of what I might typically carry in my wallet while on a business trip, especially outside the US.

The image above shows the items loaded into the Travel Wallet.   The 7 cash bills fit into the left open pocket, and the 6 cards fit into the right pocket.  The only item that didn’t fit quite so well was the mini travel pen.  More on this below.

My Passport fit into the open center portion of the Travel Wallet, but there was no dedicated pocket inside that could hold the Passport, which I did find a bit odd.  The Passport would only fit into the inner zipper pocket if I left it open.  However, the Travel Wallet’s outer zipper did zip closed just fine with the Passport inside it, and with clearance to spare.

The above photo illustrates the issue with the included mini travel pen not fitting well into the Travel Wallet.  I was a bit surprised by this, considering that this mini pen was included with the Travel Wallet—I would have expected the Travel Wallet’s interior to have a dedicated pocket for this included pen, as Waterfield Designs’ Passport Finn Access Wallet has.  Further, the mini pen sticks up so far that it can be a bit challenging to zip the Travel Wallet closed because the mini pen protrudes upward into the zipper area like a periscope.  I suppose I could have placed the mini pen into the interior zipper pocket, but that seemed like a less than elegant solution.  I should mention that the Waterfield Designs site does show a photo of the interior of the Travel Wallet in which there is a small pocket on one end of the inside into which the mini-pen has been placed.  However, I suspect that these photos may perhaps depict the larger Travel Wallet Plus, which may have a small, dedicated mini-pen pocket.

Even with all of the items shown above placed inside the Travel Wallet, once again, like other Waterfield Wallets I’ve reviewed, it manages to remain very slim and in fact, could easily hold even more items than what I placed into it.

The Travel Wallet is probably not very realistic for either back or front pocket carry, as seen in the images above.  The even larger Travel Pocket Plus is probably less realistic.

As mentioned above, the Travel Wallet is designed to hold a smaller Waterfield Designs wallet inside it for travel.  Above, I’ve placed a Compact Finn Wallet inside the Travel Wallet and there is still room to spare.

And finally, I placed the Waterfield Designs Micro Wallet inside the Travel Wallet, and again it fits perfectly fine with plenty of room to spare.  Based on these two smaller wallets fitting inside, I feel pretty confident that a smartphone would fit inside as well.

What I like

  • For a large wallet/pouch, it still retains its slimness, even with several items placed inside
  • Well laid-out interior organizational pocket, with the exception of a spot for the mini pen
  • Locking YKK zipper provides quick yet secure access to contents and could also be used to hold small items like cables, adapters, etc
  • High-quality materials and construction–the Black Ballistic Nylon looks and feels great and seems very durable
  • Gold high-vis lining helps see contents

What I’d change

  • Add an RFID blocking liner option
  • Needs a better place to hold the mini pen

Final thoughts

The Waterfield Designs Travel Wallet is a very large wallet, and in fact is really more of a travel pouch.  But don’t let that deter you—it still manages to remain quite slim even with multiple items loaded into it.   The locking zipper helps keep contents secure and the Black Ballistic Nylon of this review sample has a very tough, technical look and feel.  I think the price is very reasonable considering its size, functionality as a passport (and other items)-holding travel wallet/pouch, materials, and construction, which give me the impression that it will last a long time, as Waterfield Designs’ products are known to do.

Price:

  • Travel Wallet for $49
  • Travel Wallet Plus for $59

Where to buy: Waterfield Designs (AKA SF Bags)
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Waterfield Designs

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Waterfield Designs Travel Wallet review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 22, 2019 at 9:00 am.

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Waterfield Designs Passport Finn Access Wallet review

REVIEW – The Waterfield Designs Finn Wallet has been one of their staple products for many years and has undergone several updates during that time.  One of the more dramatic updates was the creation of the Finn Access Wallet, which added an exterior pocket for quick card access to the outside of the wallet.  Waterfield Designs has recently updated several of their wallets, including their Finn Access Wallet, adding new sizes.  We were provided with a Passport size Finn Access Wallet to try out.  Let’s check it out!  Gadget on!

What is it?

The Passport Finn Access Wallet is a large, zipper wallet with a quick-access side pocket that is designed to hold not only several cards, some cash bills, and other smaller items inside, but can also hold a US Passport in its external pocket.

Hardware specs

  • Size options
    • Compact: 4.25″ x 3” x 0.75″ weighing 1.4 oz. for $69
    • International: 4.25″ x 3.375” x 0.75″ weighing 1.4 oz. for $69
    • iPhone XS: 6″ x 3.5” x 0.75″ weighing 2.2 oz. $69
    • Passport: 5.75″ x 4.25” x 0.75″ weighing 1.8 oz. $79
  • Material and color options= Full-grain, deer-tanned leather in Brown, Blue, or Black color (Black reviewed here)
  • Capacity by size
    • Compact: 20+ credit cards plus a wad of cash; Quick access pocket fits 1-2 cards
    • International: 20+ credit cards plus a wad of cash, including US or foreign-sized currency; Quick access pocket fits 1-2 cards
    • iPhone XS: 20+ credit cards, US or larger currency, and an iPhone XS or similarly-sized smartphone; Quick access pocket fits 1-2 cards
    • Passport: 10+ credit cards and US or larger foreign currency and designed to hold a US Passport; Quick access pocket fits a US passport (125 x 88 mm)
  • RFID blocking liner option available for an additional $10
  • Zipper: YKK self-locking
  • Location of manufacture: Workshop crafted in San Francisco, CA, USA

Design and features

The Finn Access Wallet is one of the more recent variants of Waterfield Designs’ staple Finn Wallet that includes an exterior pocket on one side for quick access to often-used cards or other items.  This Passport size is designed to hold a Passport for travel.

My first impression of the Finn Access Wallet was that-the leather’s texture feels and looks as soft and supple as butter, and also that this is quite a large wallet.

The full-grain, deer-tanned leather of this review sample was quite impressive in look and feel and is currently available in Brown, Blue, or this Black color.

As listed above, the Finn Access Wallet is available in several sizes: Compact (designed to hold 20+ cards and US cash bills, plus 1-2 cards in the external slot), International (designed to hold 20+ cards and foreign bills, plus 1-2 cards in the external slot), iPhone XS (designed to hold several cash bills, cards, and iPhone XS or other similarly-sized smartphones inside it, plus 1-2 cards in the external slot), and Passport (pictured here—designed to hold 10+ cards, US or foreign cash bills and a US Passport either internally in the external pocket).  Each of these has an increasing footprint size to accommodate the noted contents, yet like the standard Finn Wallet, each remains quite compact for what they are designed to hold.  But make no mistake—this Passport size of the Finn Access Wallet is indeed a big wallet.  As will be seen below, the Passport Finn Access Wallet will work for back pocket carry, though it may be a bit snug for most pants, and front-pocket carry is likely out of the question (the typically larger thigh pockets of cargo pants would be a viable option, however).  The Passport Finn Access Wallet is probably best suited to be carried in a jacket pocket, purse, or bag.

Despite having a large footprint size, all versions of the Finn Access Wallet are still quite thin.

Like the standard Finn Wallet, all versions of the Finn Access Wallet also feature a YKK locking zipper to help avoid accidental opening and keep the wallet’s contents secure.

The feature that separates the standard Finn Wallet from this Finn Access Wallet is this external access pocket that is integrated directly into the Finn Access Wallet’s leather, not stitched onto it which would add material layers, and therefore it helps keep the Finn Access Wallet thin and compact.

As seen above, the Passport Finn Access Wallet holds a US-sized Passport in its external access pocket perfectly.  The fit of the Passport in this pocket was just a bit snug, but I actually think this is perfect because you don’t want your Passport to be accidentally falling out of it while you walking through the airport or anywhere else while traveling.

Above, another photo of my well-worn Passport sitting securely in the Finn Access Wallet’s side access pocket.

An additional accessory that the Passport size of the Finn Access Wallet is designed to hold is this micro pen.  In full disclosure, I’m not sure if the Passport Finn Access wallet actually includes this small pen, or if the Waterfield Design folks just helpfully tossed this into the package with this wallet.  I don’t see anywhere on the Waterfield Designs site where you can purchase this small pen separately (however, one is definitely included with their Travel Wallet, the review of which is in process, so stay tuned).

This miniature pen is a ballpoint twist-type, and fit in the hand nicely, though I would use it more in a pinch, such as for signing a check than for writing the Great American Novel, but it is certainly handy in a pinch.  It also includes a pocket clip which is handy for securing it into the inside of the Passport Finn Access Wallet as you will see below.

Like the standard Finn Wallet, the Passport Finn Access Wallet includes a lined interior which can be selected with optional RFID blocking for an additional $10.  And like the standard Finn Wallet, there are also organizational pockets inside.  However, because the Passport version is larger than some of the other versions, it has more space to allow for additional pockets.  As seen in the image above, the Passport version includes a large pocket plus a small pocket on the left, and two identically-sized pockets on the right.  More on these below.

To test out the Passport Finn Access Wallet, I loaded it up with the above items: 6 bills and 7 cards, the mini pen, an iPhone Lightning charging cable, and my US Passport which is a fair representation of what I might typically carry in my wallet while on a business trip, especially outside the US.

The image above shows the items loaded into the Passport Finn Access Wallet.  On the left, the larger pockets hold the iPhone Lightning cable with loads of room to spare, while the mini pen clips into the small pocket and is held securely.  On the right, one of the pockets holds the cash and the other holds the cards, and both have plenty of space left for more.

Above and below, some additional photos of the Passport Access Wallet from various angles showing the interior and the items I loaded into it.

Above, a photo of the inside of the Passport Access Wallet showing the small pen pocket to the left and the large pocket the Apple iPhone Lightning cable inside.

The above phone shows the inside of the Passport Access Wallet showing the two same-sized pockets with the 7 double-folded cash bills in the left pocket and the 6 cards in the right pocket.

Even with the Passport Access Wallet loaded with the items shown above—including the Passport in the outside access pocket—it largely maintains its thinness, which is quite impressive.

The Passport Finn Access Wallet was designed to hold a smaller wallet inside while traveling.  In the above photo, I’ve placed the Waterfield Designs Minemo Slim Wallet inside the Passport Finn Access Wallet and it fit with room to spare and I could even zip the Passport Finn Access Wallet close with no issues.

Next up was the Waterfield Designs Micro Wallet, which also fit inside the Passport Access Wallet, no problem at all.

Finally, the Compact Finn Wallet (which is approximately the same size as the Micro Wallet) also fit fine inside the Passport Finn Access Wallet, thus demonstrating that it can be used to hold one of Waterfield Designs’ smaller wallets while traveling or while out and about.

While the Passport Finn Access Wallet does indeed have a large footprint—larger than most traditional wallets, and for good reasons—it is not impossible to carry it in your back pocket, but it will likely be a tight fit, as seen above.

However, front pocket carry is probably not going to work well, as seen in the image above.  For most people, the Passport Finn Access Wallet’s footprint is just too large to be comfortable when carried in a front pocket.

What I like

  • For a large wallet, it still retains its slimness, even with several items placed inside
  • Well laid-out interior organizational pocket
  • Exterior quick-access pocket fit US Passport snugly and keeps it handy
  • Locking YKK zipper provides quick yet secure access to contents and could also be used to hold small items like cables, adapters, etc
  • High-quality materials and construction–the leather looks and feels great and seems very durable

What I’d change

  • Nothing!

Final thoughts

The Waterfield Designs Passport Finn Access Wallet is indeed a bit of beast in terms of footprint size but still manages to remain slim even with multiple items packed into it.   The locking zipper helps keep contents secure and the quick access pocket is very handy.  It has a classic look and the leather has a great look and feel.  I think the price is very reasonable considering its size, functionality as a passport-holding travel wallet, materials and construction, which give me the impression that it will last a long time, as Waterfield Designs’ products are known to do, and will only age gracefully over time.

Price:

  • Compact, International, or iPhone XS sizes each for $69
  • Passport size for $79
  • Add $10 for RFID blocking liner

Where to buy: Waterfield Designs (AKA SF Bags)
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Waterfield Designs

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Waterfield Designs Passport Finn Access Wallet review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 20, 2019 at 8:14 am.

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Atmos Portable Vacuum Pump review

REVIEW – I may have mentioned this already, but I travel a LOT for work.  Because of that, I am always on the lookout for gadgets which will make my travel easier or which reduce what I have to carry.  I’ve tried packing cubes, roll-up bags, and many other clothing compression options but so far all have come up short.  The Atmos pump is a small, lightweight, battery-powered option that I hope will do the trick…

What is it?

The Atmos Portable Vacuum Pump is an inflation/deflation pump that lets you either pump up a volleyball for a day at the beach or compress clothing to let you carry a single bag to the beach.  Although these devices have been around for a while, Atmos is running a Kickstarter project to fund a smaller and lighter version of a vacuum pump.

What’s in the box?

  • The Atmos Vacuum Pump
  • An 11 inch micro-USB charging cable
  • 1 plastic space bag adapter (for deflating)
  • 4 inflation needles of varying sizes
  • 1 medium space bag (19.7 inches by 27.5 inches)
  • Instruction sheet

Contents will vary depending on the pledge level.

Design and Features

The Atmos pump is a 3.1 oz. device that is 3.6″l x 1.4″w x 1.6″h. The pump in its final delivery model sports 8-1000mAh Lithium batteries – I was sent what appears to be a pre-production unit because the battery life is not close to the advertised specs.  As the pump is just going into production as I type this, I am assuming the pre-production state.  Delivery of the production units to backers is scheduled for September of this year.

Looking at the first picture in this review, you can see a small hole above the logo on the front of the pump.  This is the connection for deflating and as you can see there is no screw attachment here.  The port relies on a pressure connection, and the supplied plastic adapter for space bags fits snugly in this port.  I am concerned that over time the friction of inserting and removing in this fashion will cause the adapter to lose the seal and will end up becoming less effective.  Hopefully, replacement adapters will be available for sale.  More on the adapter in a minute.

On top of the unit there is a screw-mount for the inflation needles.  The needles supplied in my kit fit pretty much any type of sports ball you want to throw at it (pun intended).  Missing, however, are any sort of attachments to inflate pool floaters, most air pillows and similar products.

On the bottom of the unit is the micro-USB charging port.  The Atmos does not come with a wall charger and the 11 inch cord is VERY short.  I started off because of the size of the plug by charging via a USB port on my Surface Book 2, but after 4 hours of seeing the red charging light on the Atmos, I decided to try a different approach.  I plugged the supplied cord into an Anker charging block but could not get the unit to charge – no red light or for that matter, any light at all.  I tried a Samsung travel charger with the same result.  So I changed to a different cord and all chargers worked – and worked much faster.  Fully drained battery to fully charged using the Anker charger and alternate cable was just under 3 hours.

The left side of the pump has the on/off switch.  A right light glows through the plastic housing when the pump is charging and changes to green when fully charged.

How does it work?

In two words, not well.

For inflating a ball or two, the Atmos is an adequate solution if time is not a factor.  At a 3 liter per minute flow rate, you are not going to win any speed contests.  The Atmos team claims that on a full charge the pump should be able to inflate 25 average balls.  Assuming I have a pre-production unit, I can’t confirm that.  At best, I could get maybe 3 balls inflated before the performance was so degraded that I had to put it back in charging mode.  And I learned that the pump does not function while charging – you must have a charge on the battery in order to use it.

As I said, though, my primary use case is for reducing storage while traveling, so that is where my focus is.  With the size of the storage bag sent, I grabbed 2 pillows from our guest bedroom to use as an experiment.  Here’s where we started:

Before being stuffed into the bag, I was looking at just over 14 inches of pillow to compress.  I moved the sealing cap from the bag, attached the adapter (it just screws on like the sealing cap does) and then stuffed the pillows into the bag.  As with any Ziploc-style bag, sealing it was quite the chore, even with the supplied plastic clip meant to help speed up the process.  Eventually the bag was sealed and I was ready to deflate.

I plugged the fully charged Atmos pump into the adapter and hit the on button.  The pump made some noise and it looked like a little air was starting to come out.  After about 3 minutes, however, there was little evidence that the pump was working.  I turned it off and checked the bag for leaks – and none were found.  I put the pump back on charge and opened the bag to let the air back in.  I fully sealed the bag again, and once the pump said it was charged, I started over.  This time, I let the pump go until it sounded like the charge was mostly exhausted.  This is how far in 10 minutes I was able to deflate:

I was able to compress about 4.5 inches on a single charge.  After removing the pump, the bag was stable – it did not reinflate for over an hour, so it would appear that the pump did all it could for this experiment.  According to the campaign, however, the pump should be able to compress 8 storage bags (although the sizes of those 8 bags are not specified).

I wanted to be sure this was not a problem with the bag – just trying to be fair here – so I grabbed a pump I already own.  The ZK190 is a powered pump with a 5 liter per minute flow rate.  The adapter for this pump was just a tad too large for the port so I had to hold the adapter against the bag while deflating.  Using the same bag, fully inflated, this is what it looked like 90 seconds later:

Just over 5.25 inches.  Without a good seal to boot.

One last shot – I intended to use a small Ziploc branded bag with the now fully charged Atmos.  Problem was that the adapter diameter was too small – I just could not get it to fit on any size of the other space bags I had, where the ZK190 adapter fit all of them perfectly.  This may be a solution that works with only their bags.

What I like

  • The size and weight of the pump

What I’d change

  • Pretty much everything else

Final thoughts

There are a few other considerations, some targeted at this device while others are more generic of the devices in this category.

First, there are TSA regulations against carrying Lithium batteries in checked luggage.  As a travel device, you would have to carry it onboard your flight to be compliant with regulations.  The Atmos could only be packed in a suitcase if it was rendered inoperable – for example, if the device could not power on, so batteries fully depleted.  With this restriction, I cannot recommend the Atmos as a travel device.

Then there is the wrinkle factor.  If you use any compression device for travel, at some level you will have wrinkled clothing to deal with at your destination.  I have found that compression cubes and rolling space bags (the kind where you roll up the bag rather than use a pump to remove the air) yield less wrinkled clothes.  The more air you remove, the more wrinkles you will end up with.  And so-called wrinkle relaxing sprays do little to help with the situation, so you are pretty much assured you will be spending quality time with an iron before you go out in public.  In the end you trade space for effort – given the cost of checking a bag on airline flights these days, that might be an acceptable trade-off.

Finally, you have to consider the size of the bag and the average suitcase.  The medium bag I received when fully compressed barely fits width-wise inside a 26 inch Samsonite suitcase.  I can pack probably 4 days of clothes in a medium bag, but with an average trip length of 10 days, I have to take 2 medium and a small – and, fully compressed, I still need to bring 2 bags to fit that plus toiletries and other essentials.  I just have more empty space nothing else will fit in because of the bags themselves.  So, for me, this really isn’t a good solution.

Price: Varies depending on the pledge level.  Pledges start at $24 for the pump alone.
Where to buy: You can contribute to the Kickstarter campaign here.
Source: The sample of this product was supplied by Flextail Gear.

Filed in categories: Reviews

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Atmos Portable Vacuum Pump review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 18, 2019 at 8:00 am.

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