Here’s our hands-on review for one of the more interesting Switch carriers out there.
I love my Nintendo Switch. <3 We all do. But I’m not convinced it’s really as “portable” as what Nintendo thinks. It’s fine to slip my Switch into a slim case to bring along on my errands, but there are times when it just makes sense to bring the whole system along and I need a stylish Nintendo Switch case for dock, pro controller, cables, and the console itself.
Luckily, PowerA sent me their very stylish Nintendo Switch Everywhere Messenger Bag featuring a very old-school Super Mario design and plenty of room to store all the little junk a Nintendo Switch requires to run at full capacity.
I’m a sucker for a good messenger bag, and a sucker for a nice carry, so this is right up my alley and I was glad for the chance to get a good, close look at the Everywhere Messenger Bag.
Design
Most noticeable is the bag’s nifty old-school Super Mario design. The top flap features the iconic intro screen, player select menu and the first couple of screens. That first deadly goomba is ready to pounce.
Follow the green pipe down into the underworld on the main part of the bag. It’s a neat visual trick, even if it’s not entirely accurate to the game.
The main flap is closed by a sturdy zipper, not hook-and-loop fastener (VelcroTM) as I had assumed. Really the whole thing is sturdier than I had assumed from looking online.
The inside of the bag is lined with very dark gray fabric with a subtle icon print. The icons include question-mark boxes, pixel Marios, mushrooms, and more. It’s a nice touch, and the subtlety is appreciated especially considering how intensely whimsical the outside design is.
It’s very well organized.
The Everywhere Messenger bag is one of the best-organized Switch carriers I’ve reviewed.
The outside-backside of the outer shell—the part that would rest against your side while you carry it—has a big zippered pouch. It’s a slim pocket that would be fine for carrying a few Switch games in their cases.
It could also fit charging cables or other small, or flat accessories. But I don’t know why you would put cables in there when there is a dedicated space for them inside the main compartment.
The inside compartment is neatly divided into a just-right-sized slot for the Switch dock, a pro controller, and some cables.
Each of those slots are divided by sturdy, flexible dividers that echo the icon-fabric pattern, but are held in place by hook/loop fastener. So you can take them out if you want to. This is very handy if you need to clean out the bag, or no longer want to use it for your Switch.
Without the dividers, you could easily repurpose the bag to carry something else. (Like art supplies if you’re me). The only problem with trying to repurpose the bag is that the Switch console itself has a permanent compartment stitched right into the fabric.
This inner Switch pouch is sealed with hook/loop fastener and contains a removable extremely slim Switch case with an embossed pixel Mario on the front. Like the rest of the bag’s interior, it is almost-black on black.
Thanks to the nature of messenger bags in general, and the thoughtful layout of this one, it’s easy to unzip and open up the big main flap and see all of your accessories neatly arranged in front of you. There’s no digging around or searching for something that might have escaped. It’s all right there in front of you.
Is it sturdy?
With the PowerA Everywhere messenger bag, your Switch is protected three ways.
- It’s in the included slim case
- Inside a lightly-padded pouch inside the bag
- Inside the lightly-padded PowerA Everywhere messenger bag
And to make your Switch one tiny bit safer, the compartment is sewn into the top of the pouch, rather than resting at the bottom. So if you drop your messenger bag on the floor, the impact will be absorbed by your pro controller, dock, and cable, rather than your more valuable Switch console.
Pretty smart.
The fabric itself seems to be typical backpack canvas. It doesn’t appear especially sturdy at first glance. BUt everything on here seems to be double-stitched and lightly padded. If you treat this thing too rough, it will probably get worn out. But as long as you aren’t throwing it around and slamming it in car doors, it will probably last a long time.
The messenger bag comes with a shoulder strap, of course, and I did notice that the rings holding it in place are plastic, not metal. They still seem to do the trick, but a small upgrade there would have been nice. But again, given the weight of a Switch system, and the care that most regular owners would take with it, it should be just fine.
The compartments inside are likewise typical backpack material. But they are so well-fitted I don’t see any problem making them last. If you start trying to cram the bag with stuff (like art supplies if you’re me), you may wear it out faster, though.
The included slim case is really a nice bonus. If nothing else, this bag will keep your Switch well protected, and your accessories neatly organized.
Is the PowerA Everywhere messenger bag for Switch worth getting?
Yes. It’s not the greatest thing ever, but I think the pros outweigh the cons.
- The Super Mario theme is cool, if you don’t mind that it’s a big kiddish
- Your Switch will be well protected
- The organization inside is one of the smartest layouts I’ve seen in a carry
- The removable dividers make it more versatile.
Overall, the price is nice and makes up for the lack of real sturdiness. Which really isn’t even all that bad. I’m just being kind of picky.
For ghetto gamers, I think the PowerA Everywhere messenger bag is a fine choice.
Quick note: These are no longer available on Amazon, but you can still get them on eBay with my affiliate link if you want to help out this site.
Also check out my review for PDP’s Switch Deluxe Travel Case. It’s a wider-profile, beefier case with more storage than the slim one included with this bag.
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