Ultimate Guide to the Alpaka Go Sling: A Must-Have Carrying Case for iPad Fans

Quick Links

• Alpaka Go Sling Design and Materials
• The Organization of an iPad Bag
• Traveling with Only an iPad
• Alpaka Go Sling Price and Availability
• Should You Buy the Alpaka Go Sling?

Key Takeaways

• The Alpaka Go Sling is an ideal carrying solution for those who use the iPad Air and iPad Pro 11-inch as their sole computers.
• The bag is made with thick, premium-feeling materials that are durable and water-resistant, providing optimal functionality.
• It has well-placed organizational pockets that can fit an iPad, headphones, and accessories, making it a convenient option for iPad lovers on the go.

Every portable electronic device has a corresponding perfect bag, but there’s no guarantee you’ll ever find the one you’re looking for. To help out people primarily carrying an iPad Air and iPad Pro 11-inch as their sole computers, the Alpaka Go Sling is an ideal carrying solution for those products. It can fit the Apple tablet, a pair of headphones, and enough accessories, all without being too bulky.

Alpaka Go Sling

8/ 10

Designed to accommodate your daily gear while providing optimal functionality with its detachable padded strap.

Material

Axoflux Recycled Fibers Fabric (POLY 600D) and 1680D Ballistic Nylon

Brand

Alpaka

Weight

21.5oz (610g)

Dimensions

12.60 x 8.27 x 3.94in (32 x 21 x 10cm)

Volume

5.5L

Pros

• Fits an iPad Air, Pro, or mini
• Great feeling internal and external materials
• Well-placed organizational pockets

Cons

• Stabilizer Strap sold separately
• Wish the opening unzipped a little wider

$80 at Alpaka

Alpaka Go Sling Design and Materials

Tyler Hayes / How-To Geek

The Alpaka Go Sling offers people plenty of benefits, but for me, its thick, premium-feeling materials were the most important. The strap was well-padded and squishy, making it comfortable to wear for extended periods. The strap connectors slid into their slots smoothly. The Axoflux (POLY 600D) and nylon exterior fabrics felt durable and resilient. The water-resistant exterior was also nice for wet locations.

No matter how well the organization is laid out on a bag, it needs to be reliable so that it lasts for the long haul. I can’t fully confirm this over the long term yet, of course, but the Go Sling did feel like it could tough out the urban lifestyle for years to come.

The Organization of an iPad Bag

Tyler Hayes / How-To Geek

After durability, another key to a good bag of any kind is to make good use of pockets and storage areas. It is possible to have too many slots and compartments, in the same way it’s possible to have too few. I liked the Go Sling’s selective use of compartments, so figuring out where to put cables and accessories was never overwhelming.

The Alpaka Go Sling unzips along the top to reveal a slot capable of handling an iPad Air, Pro, or mini . There is a central open area that’s wide enough for AirPods Max headphones or a water bottle or something similar in size. Inside the bag are two pockets that remain open and two mesh pockets that can be zipped shut—for a total of four.

I could see how the compartments that remain open could spill their contents if the bag is jostled a lot, but I loved those spots. I put a multi-port wall charger and external battery in those places, and they were easy to access without any hassle. The mesh pockets are smaller and secured with a single zipper spanning the length of both of them. Those functioned fine and provided a spot for things like a wrapped cable and chapstick.

The front zippered pocket is divided into two areas. It was great as a place to put my phone or other quick-access items. I didn’t care for this area’s permanently attached key tether, but other people may not mind it. It felt like it was constantly getting in my way. I don’t carry any keys, but even when I did, I didn’t care for these non-removable straps.

Tyler Hayes / How-To Geek

I didn’t find myself using the back, zippered pocket much as the front one, but I did put my wallet or passport in it occasionally—things that were flatter and more sensitive.

Traveling with Only an iPad

Tyler Hayes / How-To Geek

When using an iPad Air without the Apple Magic Keyboard attached, the device slid in and out of the Go Sling with ease. With the keyboard wrapped around it, the device’s thickness made it much more snug. Sometimes I found myself popping the iPad with its keyboard into the center area of the bag instead of its intended slot if I was in a hurry.

After some time with the bag, I thought its size was great, but it could still be improved in a future revision. It did a wonderful job of being space-conscious and making the most of a compact footprint. The times that gave me pause were when I needed to pack up my iPad with keyboard quickly. Rushing to push in the iPad and its keyboard felt harder than it needed to be—especially in contrast to doing so without the keyboard attached.

The other part of the bag I came to wish was slightly different was how wide the main compartment opened. Having a wider opening would have made the accessibility of the contents even better and completely free of any friction.

Tyler Hayes / How-To Geek

More than those minor complaints, I came to appreciate the bag’s minimal layout and materials even more after using it for some time. It was able to fit nearly anywhere I wanted to put it, better than a regular backpack could. The padded strap remained comfortable for each use.

Alpaka Go Sling Price and Availability

This bag is a new addition to the Alpaka family and retails for $79.99 . It comes in black or army green colors. Of course, if this particular 5.5L size isn’t right for what you’re lugging around, the company does make other products with similar layouts in bigger and smaller sizes.

Should You Buy the Alpaka Go Sling?

The Alpaka Go Sling is more expensive than a generic bag you’ll find on Amazon, but it’s also much better constructed and an ideal size for iPad lovers. It lets you take your Apple tablet out into the world without needing a backpack or larger sling.

This bag’s quality is on par with ones from Bellroy and Aer , but it’s a more specialized size. Bellroy, for example, doesn’t really have anything directly comparable to the Go Sling—a compact sling that can hold an iPad and more.

If you’re itching to only carry an iPad and a few select accessories, then this is a great bag to do that.

Alpaka Go Sling

8/ 10

Designed to accommodate your daily gear while providing optimal functionality with its detachable padded strap.

$80 at Alpaka

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