MobileEdge ScanFast Checkpoint Friendly Briefcase 2.0

With the Mobile Edge ScanFast Checkpoint Friendly Briefcase 2.0, the hassle of airport security is alleviated, which helps you to get on your way much faster when you’re in a hurry. For those of us with TSA PreCheck, there is less of a need for this bag since we do not have to remove our electronics from carry-on bags when passing through the metal detector. Everyone else, however, will find this to be a time saver.

How it works

Instead of pulling out your laptop, you simply unzip the case from one side all the way around to the other. This basically slices the bag in half allowing you to lay it on its sides (be sure the external zippers are closed to prevent anything from falling out). There is no need to worry about TSA staff barking at you to take your laptop out of this bag. They have seen it (and many like it) before, and there is also an internal marking that says the bag is checkpoint friendly.

One word of caution. If you stack your devices, you will want to separate them so that a tablet is not directly on top of a laptop, for example. Cords should be separated, too, so that screeners can easily differentiate between your items without having to pull it aside for a secondary screening.

There is no need for an additional bin since you lay your bag directly on the conveyor belt. As mentioned before, the bag has plentiful pockets so that you can keep keys and coins organized and separate from charging cables and other small items. There are also filing compartments to keep magazines, paperwork, and other things organized. The laptop pocket can fit even larger laptops; I was able to put my 16-inch computer in easily.

I liked that when the bag is sitting upright, it does not slide down due to textured panels on the bottom of the bag. Often, I find other laptop bags slumped over with some of my loose items falling out of the bag if I leave it propped up for awhile. This also makes it much easier to slide into an overhead compartment and fit between larger bags or to stay upright underneath the seat in front of you on the plane.

When using this bag overseas, I had mixed results as most airports still require you to remove electronics for screening. To be fair, Mobile Edge only advertises this bag as TSA-friendly, which refers to the United States. This means you will still have to separate electronics from your bag when traveling from or between foreign countries.

How it feels

I liked that there was the option to carry this bag via a padded shoulder harness or by using the briefcase handles. If you do not want to use the should harness, it can be disconnected so it does not drag behind you when walking. Personally, my shoulders have taken a beating from the number of times that I have put so much wait on one causing pain on both sides of my neck later. This makes it much easier to carry around although I wish the Mobile Edge branding were a bit more discreet.

The bag itself is exceptionally sturdy with excellent padding to protect valuable electronics. I really liked how the zippers have fabric tabs that make it easier to pull them and alleviates some of the stress on the bag when you are trying to zip it closed after overstuffing it (I have broken quite a few zippers when trying to be overzealous closing a full bag).

The Mobile Edge ScanFast Checkpoint Friendly Briefcase 2.0, which is rather lightweight when empty, retails for $100 on various websites. It serves the frequent traveler well providing convenience and organization rolled into one fairly priced bag.