The Magnat range of products are:
Magnat Carrier
This is the flagship product. I’d like to see it as more of a premium laptop case than a normal sling bag. Inside the full-unzipped bag, there is a padded slot which fits a 12-inch size tablet like the Samsung Galaxy Note PRO 12.2, or 11-inch ultrabook laptops. You will also find several compartments to store other small loose items.
The star feature of the carrier is the interior board fitted with patent-pending magnetic technology. This board allows you to stick your metallic belongings onto it, and stays in place when you open up the carrier. The board has a velvety surface so that your belongings will not be scratched by it. Can you imagine without the magnetic board, all these items would be kept inside a zipper compartment, running the risk of scratches due to items rubbing against one another?
For items that do not have metal parts, you can use a Magnat sticker (the carrier comes with a free pack), or just stick some metal on it, like paper clips or SIM card slot pin, though these are less effective due to the small contact area. You can also use other magnets to hold paper items just like a notice board.
I find small items are more effective in keeping in place. You might want to position heavier or larger items at the lower part of the board. Also, items with large metallic surface areas stick better. As much as I find it a novelty to stick as many items as I could on the board, things will not stay in place permanently. Say, if you throw your carrier around, or drop your carrier, items may move out of place.
The Magnat Carrier is travel-friendly, allowing you can hook it through the luggage handle. It comes with a detachable padded sling. I expect the bag to be larger, but I think the current size is most appropriate, as it is not really a messenger sling bag. You also wouldn’t want the bag to be so big that compromises the firmness of the carrier.
The Magnat Carrier comes in 7 colour combinations, and priced at US$79.90.
Magnat Board
The Magnat Board is a standalone product that works just like the Magnat Carrier board. It is larger and like the Magnat Carrier, has a velvety surface to protect your belongings.
I can’t really use the board to store items in a haversack or a sling bag because the moment I pull out the board, items with weaker stick will drop out of the board and into the bag. However, I find it useful to keep things in place in hard briefcases or travel luggages. It’s also useful for the table top as I keep metallic items in place, for instance, prevent screws from rolling whenever I do some minor handy work.
You can choose from 6 colours: green, grey, orange, purple, rose, turquoise. Priced at US$53.90
Magnat Sticker
If you want your item to stick on the Magnat board but is not metallic, you can apply the item with the Magnat Sticker. It’s really strong and can hold most items under direct contact. If there is a material in between the board and the sticker, it becomes less effective and the item could still fall off the board.
Each pack of Magnat Sticker costs US$5.
Conclusion
After owning Magat products, it changes the whole mindset of the belongings you want to carry around. My current namecard holder is made of leather, and I would be looking out for a metal card holder so that it can stick to the board. Similarly, I will now tend to carry pens with metal parts.
Magnat products will help you organise your items better, especially if you have a lot of small items that tend to get lost inside your bag compartments. In the case of the Magnat Carrier, you would want to stick your tablet or computer accessories like cables and USB flash drives for convenient access, plus stationery like pens and paper clips. On the flip side, if you don’t have many things to stick around, then it might not seem to be that useful.
The manufacturing quality is good for this first-run (they are hand-assembled), so if you are keen to get one for yourself or for gifting, you can save 10% with this coupon code chestertan-btfs5t2e (valid till 31 Jan 2015) when you purchase from the Magnat website.
Reviewed by Chester Tan
Rating: 4 of 5
Disclaimer: The products are provided for review without the need to return.