The Cadet is a minimalist briefcase designed to fit your laptop, a few files or magazines, power supplies, pens, notebooks, and other small accessories.

The Cadet is available in two sizes: 15/13 and 11/iPad. Both sizes feature a removable protective laptop sleeve (the Cache for Cadet) in sizes designed specifically to fit Apple laptops and the iPad: the 15/13 size fits the 15" and 13" MacBook Pro, the 13" MacBook, and the 13" MacBook Air, while the 11/iPad size fits the 11" MacBook Air and the iPad/iPad 2. While designed to fit Apples, many PC laptops will fit too — please consult our fit list on this page. If you can't find your laptop on that list, email us and we'll help.

The Cadet is made with an exterior of our U.S. made, 1050 denier, high tenacity ballistic nylon fabric, which has twice the abrasion resistance of 1680 denier fabric, and an interior of our ultra-lightweight 200 denier Dyneema®/nylon ripstop fabric, made for us in Japan. Between the exterior and the lining is .25" / 6 mm closed cell foam on the front, back, and bottom — this gives the Cadet its shape and provides additional protection for your laptop; if you choose to go au naturel (no Cache), this foam will provide some protection for an unprotected laptop.

The Cadet can be worn three ways: across-body (messenger style), on one shoulder, or carried in hand as a briefcase. Shoulder strap attachment points are on the left and right sides of the Cadet and feature our exclusive (designed by Tom), super-heavy-duty DuPont™ Delrin® eye-loops, tested to 260 pounds each. Our Standard Shoulder Strap is included with the Cadet. You have the option of upgrading to our Absolute Shoulder Strap for an extra $20. Two comfortable padded handles meet above the bag's center of gravity; when the Cadet is zipped shut, the handles come nicely together so you needn't fish for them when it's time to grab and go.

The Cadet features #10 and #8 YKK Aquaguard® water-repellent zippers with metal pulls. Want cord pulls? You can buy our Cord Zipper Pulls separately here, allowing you to add them to the metal zipper pulls or replace the metal zipper pulls entirely.

The Cadet has three exterior-access compartments, six interior organizer pockets (five on the 11/iPad size), and one exterior open-top pocket (on the back). The small, front horizontal zippered pocket of the Cadet is lined with Ultrasuede® and designed to fit an iPhone or iPhone simulacrum. Like the other compartments of the Cadet, this pocket zips with a YKK Aquaguard® water-repellent zipper. Behind the small zippered pocket is a contoured zippered compartment that opens to about half of the height of the bag, revealing organizer pockets sized for a Magic Mouse or similar-size device, cell phone, passport, plus three pen/pencil pockets. There's plenty of additional room in this compartment for a power supply and phone charger as well — even a small notebook or snack. Inside this front compartment you'll also find two O-rings.

Inside the main compartment of the Cadet clips a Cache for Cadet: a specially modified version of our popular Cache laptop sleeve. Using two Gatekeeper clips, the bottom edge of the Cache for Cadet attaches to two vertical pieces of webbing sewn into the Cadet. When passing through a TSA checkpoint, you can easily slide your laptop/iPad (still in its protective Cache for Cadet) out of the Cadet for X-ray inspection; your laptop remains protected and attached to the Cadet. Also inside the main compartment is a large open-top pocket: your files or magazines won't come along for the ride when you slide the Cache for Cadet out at the checkpoint. Of course, the Cadet works well as a briefcase for those who eschew laptops and just want to carry files or a book or two; you can buy it sans Cache for Cadet and save $30.00. And if the Cadet's native organizational structure is not enough, you can add a Horizontal Freudian Slip so you can be the most organized person on the freakin' planet (a Horizontal Freudian Slip fits in the larger 15/13 size only, not the 11/iPad size ~ sorry).

The outside back of the Cadet features a wide, quick-access pocket for a magazine or newspaper (it's the only external pocket on the Cadet that doesn't zip shut). The bottom of this pocket unzips so you can slide the Cadet over the handle of rolling luggage.

Tom designed the Cadet for people who want a smallish briefcase, simple with lots of features: a safe place to carry a laptop, comfortable handles, and easy-access phone and magazine pockets. Yes, all this, plus the Cadet zips up for use in zero-gravity situations like being turned upside down in your car or under the seat of an airplane. I think we (mine wasn't the only brain working on this) thought of everything.

Made in USA in the TOM BIHN Seattle factory

100% finished seams