Bolt Crossbody laptop bag from Waterfield Designs is a perfect compact bag for your Surface

Abhishek Baxi

I’m a big fan of WaterField Designs for their stylish, hand-crafted bags made especially for the tech-savvy crowd. The vertical-style Bolt Crossbody laptop bag fits the need for a compact bag if you want to carry just the essentials.

Like all WaterField Designs products, the bag exudes quality handcrafting. The long-lasting, distressed leather gains character as it ages, and looks even better. The Bolt Crossbody bag comes in ballistic nylon or waxed canvas with a couple of naturally-tanned leather accents. While each one of them is stylish and a matter of personal preference, I’m a big fan of the waxed canvas one.

The interiors of the Bolt Crossbody bag are lined with reflective gold cloth. It’s a great choice because it makes looking for your stuff quite easy – it’s like a lamp turns on as soon as you open the zippers. The main compartment has a padded pocket that snugly fits my Surface Pro and protects it from any shoves and jostles. The splash-proof compartment is secured by sturdy YKK zippers with leather tassels that make them comfortable to grasp and open and close.


Across from the laptop sleeve, there’s a smaller pocket that fits your accessories – the Surface Mouse, for example. The front pocket features a secure magnetic flap and is quite handy to keep quick access things like mints, your wallet, or throwing in your receipts or loose change. It also sports a suede pouch to keep your smartphone safely preventing any other gear from scratching its display. There’s also a zippered pocket at the back.

There’s an adjustable nylon strap to carry the bag with stout rings to hold it in place while allowing some contour motion as you carry it. There’s no padding on the strap, and while it’s no showstopper, it’s a definite miss. There’s also a nicely-done leather grab handle at the back which is quite handy to carry the bag instead of always tossing it over your shoulder.

The Bolt Crossbody comes in three sizes – Small (11″ x 9.25″ x 2.25″), Medium (12.5″ x 9.5″ x 2.25″), and the Large (14.25″ x 12″ x 2.25″). I have the medium size which fits the Surface Pro but you’d want to opt for the large one if you would like to fit the Surface Laptop or the Surface Book. The company’s website lists many popular devices and which size fits them, so make sure you check that before ordering one.

The medium bag that is good enough to carry a Surface Pro with charger, a large power bank, phone charger, a pair of headphones, and some small knick-knacks like flash drives and adapters – all this in the main compartment.

If you are in the market for a crossbody laptop bag that looks great and is functional, the Bold Crossbody is a great option on the table. The attention to detail and craftsmanship is impressive. Starting at $199, it is expensive, but of course, it is intended for discerning professionals who don’t mind paying a premium for style.