Sterkmann Travel Electronics Organizer Pouch - Compact Storage for iPad, Mini Tablet, SD Cards, USB Drives, Hard Drives, Power Banks & Cables | Perfect for Business Trips, Commuting & Digital Nomad Lifestyle

This is a great bag / pouch, I pack a lot of items in this little pouch. Its great for all your everyday items. This bag goes with me everywhere and seems to be holding up well. The only negative is the strap hooks interfere with the exterior phone zipper pouch. But it is minimal and wanted to provide at least one piece of critical feedback. I would purchase this again and would recommend it to a friend.For a size reference my iPad mini 6 fits perfectly.I am a gear head and a father, so of course, I am the family pack mule. I am constantly being asked if I have one thing or another. The charging cables for an iPhone, or Android device, Wired/wireless headphones, batteries, battery bank, writing utensils, microfiber cloth, wet wipes, sim tool, micro sd cards, on and on and on. You name it, I probably have been asked if I have one on me.Ultimately just lots of wires, cables, dongles, doodads, and fiddly bits. I just wanted something that I grab out of my backpack and get whatever it was quickly without unpacking my entire bag. Because ultimately, it felt like whatever I needed seemed to have fallen to the bottom of my bag and was tangled up with fifteen other things. Frustrating!This organizer seemed to be comparable to the Peak Design Tech Pouch. Looking online, I could not see a difference. So I purchased both to compare the materials, quality, design, etc.The main design difference I found between the Peak Design and the Sterkmann Tech Pouches is that the Sterkmann has two buttons on either side of the center divider that holds the two halves together, allowing for the organizer to stand open when unzipped and buttoned. When unbuttoning them, it gives you the ability to lay the organizer flat. Which, in my opinion, is a feature I didn't know I wanted until I handled both together.The stitching is well done—no loose threads or gaps. I haven't had any issues thus far. The materials used have a good feel and do not feel cheap. The Peak Design organizer uses a slightly softer or silkier material. Still, the materials used in the construction of this organizer give me a similar tactile feel. If you are worried about scratching a screen, lens, or display of some sort, you do not have to worry.The real test was my spouse. I handed her both the Peak Designs and Steckmann packs and asked her which she felt was better quality and was more expensive. I wanted an unbiased opinion. I mean, with the Sterkmann being almost half the price for basically the same design as the Peak Design. I wanted to make sure that I was getting my money's worth.She picked the Sterkmann, and that was my choice as well. Honestly, Sterkmann could charge the same price as the Peak Designs pouch. In my honest opinion, you are paying the brand name tax on the Peak Designs pouch. Not that it is wrong for Peak Designs to charge more, but the competition is just as good as the original in the most important ways and have also made some significant improvements.If you've looked at the tech pouch from Peak Design for your storage needs but frowned at the price or color, this is a great alternative. And in some ways, it's even better. Allow me to explain.First, the clamshell design allows you to fill the pouch with everything that you could want or need. Pens, chargers (I have a Surface book charger in mine as well as a 27000maH battery pack, more on that later), flash drives, cables, and just about every other piece of technology that you could need or want. The design allows it to stand upright in your bag and on your desk. And it provides an easy method for you to charge your devices from the side pouch without opening the entire case. The Sterkmann version contains the same rain resistant zippers that the PD version has.In these cases, this case is exactly like the tech pouch. But the tech pouch has a middle pocket that has limited purpose because it's not expandable. And as some others have commented, this limited the pouches usability with larger and wider items. The Sterkmann version instead has two snaps and velcro down either sides which allows this middle pouch to open much wider, and makes it easier to access the items in the pouches and zippered section. This makes the Sterkmann version much more functional than the PD version.The only options for the PD version are jet black and a sage green one, and the Sterkmann one is a nice charcoal grey. I believe that this version looks more professional, but that's largely subjective.The Sterkmann version also comes with a shoulder strap, while that's an additional purchase for the PD one. There are two zippers with sturdy pulls on the main compartment versus one for the PD version. The material is a nice durable textured fabric, and seems to be stain-resistant.And let's not forget: the price. The cost of the Sterkmann version is roughly 1/2 of the PD version.It's not perfect, but it's really close. In fact, if I had any criticism, it would be the choice of color for the interior fabric. The Sterkmann uses dark blue material, and in low light conditions it makes it more difficult to find what you're looking for by sight. A yellow or grey color would be a better option.If you're looking for a tech pouch which allows you stash and organize everything that you could need for a day at the office or in class, keeps your items close and water-protected in your backpack or messenger bag, and allows you to charge your devices without opening it - this one is hard to beat. Especially at the price.I have been after a tech pouch for a while, desperately needing a way in which to tidying up the cable rat's nest contained within my backpack. Adapters, charging cables and plugs stuffed into the main compartment of my backpack, drawing out items like an oversized lucky dip. So it was time to change this!After lurking on EveryDay Carry forums and various websites, it was clear the main front runner for a electronics pouch was the Peak Designs Tech Pound. This product was priced at a staggering £58 at the time of writing (03 JAN 2020). A figure I could not justify for an item that would hibernate inside the depths of my backpack sheltered from urban abuse of everyday life. I then accidently discovered the Sterkmann Tech Pouch through a Youtube video by an American. Impressed I tried to hunt it down and luckily Amazon had it in stock. The Sterkmann pouch was priced more moderately at £29.90 (03 JAN 2020) roughly half the price of its main competitor (a clone product with some changes?), so it gets credit for being cheaper, who doesn't like a more budget friendly option? Everyday Carry (EDC) is not about having the most expensive item, but something functional that just works.For reference the item was sold by GeniusDesign and Fulfilled by Amazon (I am a Prime member), so no issues here. After taking the product out of the initial packaging, it was contained within a clear plastic bag. No premium packaging ,so an area where I believe cost was saved and passed on to the consume. Extra packaging just goes in the bin anyways, so better not to have it to start with.Initially I was very impressed with the outside feel of the material, a nice greyish slate colour that felt good when held. The black zippers are marked GCC, running along what appears to be a tapered waterproof cover, that is also black. The exterior of the item has a few grab handles and hooks to attach the included strap. The shoulder strap itself could be wider as it is very narrow (see included photos), this is not a concern for me as I will not be using it as a standalone bag/sling.The Layout inside the pouch, I believe to be one of the unit's main selling points and which consequently persuaded me to purchase, is the ability to lay the pouch totally flat. Two poppers in conjunction with Velco strips hold the middle section together, permitting proper access to examine and extract any item of tech. There is a range of pockets, some have tabs to store pens (sidewalls) and others have zippers to stop small items such as MicroSD cards falling out. The inside material is a dark blue colour, I had to use a flashlight to get a good amount of light into the area to expose its colour for the photos.However, this is when the quality assurance issues started to become apparent. There were a number of loose threads and threads that had not been properly terminated scattered throughout the pouch. As you can see in my images I had a loose edge on one of the divider panels, though this does not look to have come complete undone. I took about 10 minutes to inspect and cut off all loose strands fixing up the overall condition and appearance. Hence I knocked off a few stars, spending a little extra time when manufacturing the item could have avoided turning the experience slightly sour for me. I have not returned the item or contacted customer support to use the 'lifetime Guarantee'. This is since I am travelling with business, combined with cutting the threads off myself as discussed previously.Positives• Half the price of the its competitor (Sterkmann £29.00 vs. £58 Peak Designs).• Internal layout has pockets and tabs/zipper area for almost any item you wish to carry.• The ability to lay the pouch completely flat.• Durable exterior that should survive everyday abuse from being tucked away within a backpack.• Fulfilled by Amazon, so quick delivery.Negatives• Quality Assurance (QA) needs addressing, more time spend ensuring product is reading to be received by the consumer (loose threads and strands).• Included shoulder strap, width of the band could be wider to increase comfort.Untested / Not applicable• Lifetime Guarantee, in the future this may get tested as the item gets old.• Customer support, I have not needed to contact.SummaryCompared to the Peak Designs pouch and wanting to be a cheaper alternative, the Sterkmann does a good job. Providing you are willing to take a slight hit on quality to save money, this product delivers on its main goal of sorting my tech carrying nightmare. Overall I rate the Sterkmann Tech Pouch as a good buy that I will probably use for a good number of years to come.Update: my first review was rejected by Amazon, too critical? Now the return window has closed and I am back from work. The product held up well whilst away and met my needs, hopefully the quality issues have now been finished in newer batches.This is a great tech pouch. It's very well made and has loads of useful pockets to store different bits of kit.The clamshell design is a more efficient use of space, compared to other pouches that are flatter and larger. The photos don't show that the pouch can actually be fully opened, so both sides can lay flat on a table (like a suitcase). The double zip-pulls are very useful as they allow you to choose how much of the zip to open, meaning you can open just the top part if you want.I find this pouch lets me store more 'lumpy' items more easily than the flat style of pouch, such as a travel USB adapter plug. I always used to worry that the lumpy items might press and break other items; but not in this pouch.There are some neat features, such as the external pocket with a hole allowing a charger cable to pass through from the internal pockets, a shoulder strap, external carry handles and double zip pulls.There are lots of pockets of various sizes, so you can play around to find the perfect fit for all your bits. One pocket is zipped, in case you want to store some valuable items such as USB data cardsIt feels very well made and has padded walls that should help to protect the contents.I'm very pleased with this item and highly recommend it.This bag offers many pockets and for photography is great. Places for a flash, a solid state drive, cables, batteries, SD cards etc. Also combs, purses or wallets etc. A non photographer friend saw it and ordered one stright away as general sholder bag.Highly recommendedthis is one impressive pack, i puechased it plus the sterkmann toilet bag to go inside my sterkmann 40l duffel so i now have the full set. As soon as you open the pouch, you can see the quality. Its going to be a major asset when i go on holiday as it also doubles as a small day bag with the shoulder strap.A surprisingly well designed product using excellent materials. Exactly what I needed. Initially I felt like it was a little expensive but am so happy with the quality I feel like I got proper value for money..