Review: Incase’s Reform Sling Pack is a perfect fit for the 12-inch MacBook

For the right task, Apple’s new 12-inch MacBook is both an ultra thin notebook and a powerful machine considering its size. Following my initial evaluation in April, I’ve been using it for work almost exclusively (aside from my podcasting setup for Happy Hour, which doesn’t benefit from being portable).

Similarly, the newly released Incase Reform Collection Sling Pack hides a surprising amount of use in a small and ergonomic profile. Typical of Incase’s bags and carrying cases, Sling Pack sports a trendy design fit for your Apple gear and accessories with cleverly placed stash pockets found throughout. Unlike previous products from Incase (and anyone else for that matter), Sling Pack is made of a new eco-friendly material…

As its name reveals, Sling Pack varies from the typical two-strap backpack with its sling-style design meant to easily pack and throw over your shoulder. The look appears somewhere between a messenger bag and a camera carrying case with zipped compartments for storing your supplies.

Sling Pack’s back is heavily padded to add a light dose of protection to your goods and offer added comfort when toting a heavy load. The super light materials and plastic buckles add up to a bag with minimal weight aside from what you throw inside.

Sling Pack features two main compartments — one with a section with a tight slot for a small notebook or tablet — large enough to stow a notebook, headphones, and a small tablet or book. In my case, I’ve packed the 12-inch MacBook, a pair of on-ear headphones, and a large backup battery for the road.

As soon as the Sling Pack arrived for review last month, however, my girlfriend claimed it as her own, moving from a larger shoulder bag with more space than she needed to the more compact Sling Pack. In her case, the Sling Pack hauled her own 12-inch MacBook, its charger and several adapters, a class book, and a handful of pens and pencils with room to spare. Sling Pack is plenty big enough for up to 13-inch MacBooks without having the footprint of a full-sized backpack.

Sling Pack’s cleverly located stash pockets are typical of Incase bags and make great use of the straps and padded areas as storage opportunities. Aside from the utility gains of these small storage slots, they’re just delightful to find as they’re neither obvious nor obnoxious. In total, Sling Pack has two stash slots — one in the back padding and one in the shoulder strap.

Just looking at Sling Pack when it’s empty, you might not suspect just how much you can pack inside. It’s not ideal for throwing in 4 or 5 books and larger laptops, but it’s a terrific bag for toting a smaller notebook in a compact bag.

Especially important from an environmental perspective, Sling Pack uses Incase’s new Ecoya Fabric material we mentioned earlier this week during their sponsorship. What makes Ecoya Fabric eco-friendly is that it takes 63% less energy than most dying processes while using almost 90% less water and omitting 62% less CO2 and COD. Aside from those benefits, the fabric also just looks nice and feels durable. You’d never suspect it has any special quality about it; their’s nothing inferior-feeling about it.

Overall, Incase’s new Sling Pack bag is an excellent solution for hauling around a light load and the perfect fit for a notebook the size of Apple’s new 12-inch MacBook. Pack your laptop, throw in your accessories, travel light, and stow the bag away comfortably when you’re ready.

9to5Mac is also having an exclusive pre-sale on the Sling Pack and the rest of the lineup in Incase’s Reform Collection with Ecoya Fabric so you can use the promo code “9to5Mac” to get a free Portable Power 2500 battery pack and early shipping with your purchase. You can also checkout our giveaway through 6/8 for a chance to win an Incase bag from the collection stuffed with free gear.