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Gadget-bag pairings to make your current backpack jealous

These devices and bags go together like wine and cheese.

Xiomara Blanco
Xiomara Blanco is an associate editor for CNET Reviews. She's a Bay Area native with a knack for tech that makes life easier and more enjoyable. So, don't expect her to review printers anytime soon.
Xiomara Blanco
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The perfect bag for your laptop or tablet

Just because you're carrying a laptop doesn't mean you have to look like it. Gadgets these days are sexier and sleeker than ever, so why isn't the bag you carry them in also cooler than a polar bear's toenails? No worries -- I got your back.

Here's a gallery of stylish laptop and tablet bags with the perfect laptop or tablet pairings, so you can glow up and finally stop using that LL Bean backpack from 2005.

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High-class multitasker

In the best way possible, the Knomo Audley ($349) looks like a vintage doctor's bag for the modern woman. 

Big enough to carry all the basic necessities and more, it pairs well with the stunning and lightweight Asus ZenBook 3 Deluxe.

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Knomo Audley and Asus ZenBook 3 Deluxe

The Asus laptop's sleek design and navy blue color complement the leather bag's fabric-lined interior. Unsurprisingly, the thin notebook easily slides into the Audley bag's built-in laptop pocket.

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On-trend techie

The MightyPurse Geo bag ($179) stylishly resembles Chanel's iconic quilted purses. 

With a sly charger built into one of its compartments, its compact dimensions are still spacious enough to accommodate the Huawei MediaPad 8 --  the iPad Mini of the Android world. 

Don't call them a pair of knock-offs, though!

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Mighty Purse Geo and Huawei MediaPad 8

The leather Geo bag comes with Micro-USB and iPhone lightning connector adapters, so it can charge most Android and Apple devices.

It includes a shoulder strap, though it can totally rock as a clutch. You do you, baby girl!

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The girly girl

If you're the type of person who squirms with excitement when electronics come out in a millennial pink shade, the Skinnydip Candy Fur case ($40) is for you. 

Paired with the pink 13-inch MacBook, it's arguably the cutest duo on this list.

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Skinnydip Candy Fur and Apple MacBook

The laptop sleeve, which has a metallic back that matches the laptop more than its fuzzy front, is available in 12-, 13- and 15-inch sizes.

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Frequent flyer

Experienced travelers stick out like a sore thumb, mostly because they pack efficiently and don't hold up security lines taking off their shoes. 

The Skits Oxford Genius ($79) case is perfect for the frequent flyer who excels at organized travel. Unzip the Skits case and find plenty of clear pockets to keep cables, chargers and adapters neat and tidy.

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Skits Oxford Genius and Amazon Kindle Voyage

While there's something romantic about buying an overpriced book at an airport, the added bulk is never appreciated. 

An e-reader like the Kindle Voyage is a solid investment for frequent travelers, and it fits inside the Skit case's big right pocket.

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Classy, comfy and secure lady

A backpack this big and obsessed with security should not be this cute.

Made of lightweight material, the Pacsafe Citysafe CX ($129) bag has thin, padded straps, stylish gold accents, a classy mauve exterior and spacious bubblegum pink interior that give it a feminine touch. 

It's also surprisingly spacious, with grab handles for easy transport.

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PacSafe Citysafe CX and Samsung Notebook 9

The Samsung Notebook 9 is a top-notch ultraportable laptop that won't weigh down the PacSafe backpack inside its built-in laptop sleeve -- or cramp your style.  

And there's more anti-theft technology where that comes from. The bag also has interlocking zipper pullers with security clips to disarm pickpockets, and is made of material with hidden stainless-steel wire mesh, you know, in case some menace tries to cut open the backpack to steal your laptop.

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The business (casual) man

Who says briefcases have to look like something a "Mad Men" character would carry around? 

The Tom Bihn Founder's Briefcase ($230) is a modern clamshell-style bag that's both casual and refined.

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Tom Bihn Founder's Briefcase and LG Gram 15

Carrying around a big laptop bag is easier when the laptop you're toting around is a featherweight like the LG Gram 15.

The 15-inch laptop fits perfectly inside the bag's built-in padded laptop compartment, which sits across from an inner lining packed with a bevy of pockets for organized storage. 

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The go-getter gal

The Knomo Elektronista ($269) is the type of bag I would own if I had a crazy and demanding job like Anne Hathaway's character in "The Devil Wears Prada." 

While it looks like a fashionable clutch in this photo, clip on the cute shoulder strap (included) and slip in an Apple iPad Pro 9.7, and you've got yourself a traveling office.

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Knomo Elektronista and Apple iPad Pro 9.7

The stylish Elektronista purse has a tablet sleeve big enough to store an Apple iPad Pro 9.7, a portable battery charger and a surplus of pockets (including a detachable coin purse) for keeping all of your belongings organized.

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Everyday commuter

Want to avoid being the annoying person on the bus with a bulky backpack the size of a small child?

Try the slim combination of the Timbuk 2 Division Pack ($109) and the Dell XPS 15 laptop.

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Timbuk 2 Division backpack and Dell XPS 15

The powerful 15-inch Dell laptop comfortably slips into the quilted and padded laptop compartment, which has its own rear zipper for quick access.

The compact Timbuk 2 backpack also features a grab handle, side straps to pack down bulk and an airmesh ventilated back panel for extra comfort.

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Multitasking mom

The last thing a busy mom should have to worry about is which bag to take from the office to soccer practice to the grocery store. The Heys HiLite Laptop Tote ($63) is a high-quality option with some high-tech perks.

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Heys HiLite Laptop Tote and Apple iPad Pro 12.9

The Heys tote has a large fleece-lined compartment that perfectly fits the supersize iPad Pro 12.9, and pockets with RFID protection. 

Made of nylon twill and rubber accents, it's also easy to clean and maintain in case of spills.

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Chic chick

The beautiful Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 has a glass back that looks effortlessly chic next to the richly textured, glitter-covered Skinnydip Dusk sleeve ($40).

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Skinnydip Dusk and Samsung Galaxy Tab 3

The Android tablet comes with a comfy little stylus for taking notes or dabbling in adult coloring books, and the only thing more stunning than its HDR-capable screen is Skinnydip's entire line of obscenely vibrant tech cases.

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Sophisticated commuter

File the Moshi Urbana ($149) and the smaller Moshi Urbana Mini ($99) under "laptop bags that look normal." 

The large model, seen here with a 15-inch MacBook Pro, can fit up to a 15-inch laptops, and the smaller one, shown with the Huawei MateBook X, can squeeze in a laptop or tablet up to 12-inches big.

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Moshi Urbana Mini and Huawei MateBook X

Both come in a variety of colors and include optional shoulder straps.

Though the Moshi Urbana Mini is just a smaller version of the Moshi Urbana, the Urbana Mini looks more like a purse, while the Moshi Urbana resembles a modern briefcase.

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Casual cruiser

If you only need a computer for email correspondence and casually cruising the internet for funny memes, an Android tablet like the Pixel C can do the trick. 

The Ju-Ju-Be Micro Tech Black Diamond case ($30) fits the Pixel C tablet and its slick keyboard like a glove.

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Ju-Ju-Be Micro Tech Black Diamond sleeve and Google Pixel C

The Google Android tablet has a plain design, sans logo or flashy finish. The Ju-Ju-Be case makes up for the Pixel C's simplicity with a timeless angular design.

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Custom-casual college student

A laptop sleeve is essential in college. So is a comfortable keyboard if you're knocking out midterm after midterm.

The Caseable laptop sleeve is simple and sturdy enough to protect a solid laptop like a Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga 370 when you're throwing it into a backpack before or after class.

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Caseable Marbled Darkness sleeve and Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga 370

Caseable laptop sleeves are customizable, but the company also offers cases featuring the works of talented artists. 

This 13-inch laptop case ($49) features a marble design from Amy Sia, a London-based textile print designer, that reminds me of the silky-smooth keyboard on the ThinkPad Yoga 370. 

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The stylish freelancer

The Tom Bihn Daylight Briefcase ($80) features a minimalist design that's ultralight and subtly stylish. The compact bag is perfect for shuttling between coffee houses and meeting rooms.

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Tom Bihn Daylight bag and Acer Swift 3

Like the Daylight briefcase, the Acer Swift 3 is rather simple but great for the price.

The affordable laptop has an all-metal design that's unusually sleek for a budget buy. However when it's next to the vibrant Tom Bihn bag, seen here in a vibrant "French blue," it looks like a million bucks.

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High-tech bohemian

The MightyPurse Fringe bag ($90) is the perfect high-tech fashion accessory for music festivals. (Flower crown not included.) 

Bored between sets? Stuck in traffic leaving the venue? Bust out your tablet for some light reading or gaming.

The bohemian-chic purse is made of leather and features a built-in 4,000mAh battery charger, just like the Mighty Purse Geo bag. 

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Mighty Purse Fringe and Lenovo Tab 4 (8-inch)

Though the Fringe purse is small, the 8-inch Lenovo Tab 4 fits inside of it perfectly.  

Also like the Geo bag, it can be used as a clutch or as a shoulder bag with the included strap.

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Practical and cool

The Topo laptop sleeve ($36) is made as durably as its outdoorsy backpacks, and Asus Chromebook Flip fits inside of the medium-size model like it was tailor-made for it.

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Topo laptop sleeve and Asus Chromebook Flip

The Asus Chromebook and Topo sleeve are both simple, practical and affordable.  

And there's something about a laptop sleeve with handles that makes it a tad cooler than ones without handles.

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Tech-savvy traveler

Like the Pacsafe Citysafe CX backpack, the Pacsafe Metrosafe LS250 shoulder bag ($90) is chock-full of built-in antitheft technology.

It has secure zippers, clips and hooks to prevent pickpockets, pockets with RFID blocking material and a shoulder strap reinforced with steel wire so it can't be easily cut.

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Pacsafe Metrosafe LS250 shoulder bag and Asus ZenPad 8S

The Pacsafe bag uniquely has the shape of a small backpack with the strap of a shoulder bag. 

Its back pocket can comfortably fit the Asus ZenPad 8S, a tablet with cellular service that can come in handy when traveling.

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Wanderlust

According to my co-workers, sling backpacks (like tablets) aren't "in" right now, which means they'll probably be back in fashion soon, along with bell bottoms and yellow tinted sunglasses.

Anyway, sling backpacks like this Heys HiLite tablet bag ($45) are useful because you can easily access what's inside the bag without taking it off, an unfortunate risk when traveling.

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Heys HiLite Tablet Sling and Lenovo Tab 4 (10-inch)

The Heys Travel HiLite sling backpack has an interior, fleece-lined pocket with RFID protection that can comfortably hold a big tablet like the Lenovo Tab 4. 

The affordable big-screened tablet works well for researching your next travel destination, and watching a movie or two while on the train there.

The bag has comfortably padded shoulder straps for long days spent sightseeing and an exterior bottle holder to make sure you stay hydrated on your travels.

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