Choosing a good notebook bag is very important; spending an extra £10 or so may mean there's no need expensive repairs or even for replacement.

The Brenthaven Prolite III is a tough-looking bag with more padding than most. It also has enough extra pockets to handle paper documents and extra gadgets.

The bag is big enough for notebooks with a 17in widescreen display, there are smaller and slightly cheaper bags for 13.3in and 15.4in notebooks.

There is padding on the sides of the notebook as well as the front and back. We were happy to subject our notebook to the rigours of the daily commute and were not disappointed. The main notebook pocket is just big enough for the notebook, avoiding the temptation to pack other bits and pieces with it that could scratch or damage the notebook.

The shoulder strap is comfortable with a well padded bit in the middle to help ease the strain of carrying a notebook. We were a little disappointed that there are no backpack-like straps.

The secondary section of the bag has a double zip system so it is in theory possible to keep it closed with a simple padlock. It's a shame that the same is not true of the notebook section. It's not that likely that someone will slip the notebook out without anyone noticing but it would give some more peace of mind.

Vista compatibility: Yes