Aer Tech Folio Review

Working remotely has been interesting this past year. Most of the time, I have been at home and have no need for much in the way of packs and pouches. But as the world starts to open back up, this means I can get out and work in coffee shops, bars, and even airplanes. So I was on the lookout for a new work organization system for all of this social interaction. Just in time, Aer answered with their new Tech Folio. This handy little assistant comes in both a 13″ and 16″ option for all of your computing needs.

I received the 13″ just in time for a two-week work trip, and I needed to have all of my cables and computer items organized in an excellent compact carry. The short of this is, the Tech Folio delivered.

For my average carry in this folio, I had:

– Laptop

– Charger and cable

– Mouse

– SSD hard drive

– Journal

– Phone charging cable

– Headphones

– Pen

– Knife

– Energy bar 

There was room for everything and possibly more if needed. With the journal removed, the bulkiness decreases quite a bit. The laptop compartment is separate from the admin pocket and lined to keep everything pampered. This folio will be my primary work/travel carry for quite a while.

After about a month of using the 13″ I bought a 15″ MacBook Pro and started to use the 16″ folio. 

Who It Suits

For this folio, it really depends on how you will carry it. Once packed out, it fills up a 21L pack pretty well. If you want to carry it alone all packed out, then you are good to go. I used this folio in several different setups over the past few weeks. For the most part, I had been carrying this as my personal item on a flight. It was great since everything I needed for work I could pack in both the 13″ and 16″ folio with ease.

Not only did it protect my laptop while stuffed in a pack, but I was able to carry everything that I needed to a coffee shop or bar to work. If you have a pack that you like that does not have a dedicated laptop compartment, this is a great addition. But with packs where you have a dedicated laptop sleeve or compartment, this can add bulk to areas where it is not necessary. If you want an all-around carry for your laptop and accessories, this is for sure your go-to item. 

Who It Doesn’t

If you don’t like organization or have a pack and various pouch setups, this is not for you. This is a great all-in-one. I can fit everything that I usually include in my 21L pack (minus a water bottle) in this folio. The expansion seams allow for added bulk so that you can pack this out. If you want a simple sleeve for your laptop, this is not for you. 

The Good 

The overall layout is pretty damn near perfect. Everything that I usually carry within my pack and a pouch can be held in this folio. If I didn’t feel like a middle schooler with my Lisa Frank Trapper Keeper, I could probably just carry this when working off-site. But alas, I still often need a backpack with a few extras like my water bottle and snacks for when I am working at a coffee shop or somewhere else. 

With the ballistic Cordura® fabric and waterproof YKK zippers, you know that this will last for quite a while and will take some abuse. One thing that I liked was the corners zip very easily. Some laptop sleeves struggle with this and catch when coming around the corner, but this folio does not have that issue. 

The front pocket is only half the size. At first, I thought this would be a miss as some extra real estate could be used in the folio. However, after traveling with the folio, I used this to carry my passport and other quick-access essentials without issue.

Not So Good

There is not much that the Aer Tech Folio misses. If there was one thing that I think some people would like, it would be a strap attachment point to sling it over a shoulder. But this was not something that I found was needed for how I would use the folio.  

Verdict

The Aer Tech Folio can seem a little bulky when packed out, but the fact that this can carry nearly everything one needs for a workday is pretty great. I would love to see a future design with more fabric options as well.