The Bellroy Classic Pouch is insanely versatile, making it one of the more useful items to come across my desk this year. According to Bellroy, the Classic Pouch is intended to hold "pens, cables, cosmetics, and personal items," which, honestly, sounds a little boring to most people, but, well, those are the things most of us cart around every day, and we pen people and stationery enthusiasts know the true value of a good carry-all.

Of course, since this is a Bellroy product, you need some leather trim! The zipper on this pouch is quite sturdy. It should last a long time.

It's a Bellroy product, so of course it's well made. But what surprised me most about this pouch is the volume of "stuff" that it can hold while still maintaining a relatively compact overall size. The internal layout features one large center compartment, which I use to hold a laptop and iPhone/iPad charger and cables. Note: I have two non day-job laptops, a 15-inch MacBook Pro and a Google Pixelbook. The chargers for both of these computers easily fit inside the Bellroy pouch, but it won't hold larger "brick"-type chargers (like those on the Dell workstations at my office).

The Classic Pouch can easily hold both a laptop charger, tablet and/or phone charger, along with cables.

The center compartment is lined by pockets on each side. One side features a single long pocket, which I use to store pens, maybe a pocket flashlight, and some wired headphones. The other side has two separate pockets, which holds my Airpods, SD cards, document flags (fellow lawyers will know what I'm talking about here), and perhaps some smaller Post-its. The pockets themselves are made from a stretchy material (not quite elastic), which has some give and will allow you to cram these fairly full.

You can fit a lot of gel pens, mechanical pencils, sharpeners, etc. into the side pocket, even longer pens like the Papermate Inkjoy.

And the Bellroy owl logo makes an appearance!

Takeaways and Where to Buy

I've been using the Bellroy Classic Pouch for several months - Bellroy sent it to me for testing along with the Work Folio A5 earlier this year, but requested that I hold off on a review until the product was released. In the meantime, it's become a regular part of my "kit." Though I haven't bought into full-on modular carry "systems" like those from brands such as Peak Design or Tom Bihn, I do switch between different bags a fair bit, so I tend to pack the smaller items I use everyday into a few zippered cases and pouches for easy transfer. I may actually purchase one or more additional Bellroy pouches - they're that handy.

You can order the Bellroy Classic Pouch directly from Bellroy, in both Leather Nubuck ($79) and Soft-woven Polyester ($49) versions. Many thanks to Bellroy for making this review possible!

Disclaimer: Bellroy sent me the pouch featured in this review free of charge, for review purposes.

Today I'll take a more in-depth look at a product that I've previously mentioned: the Work Folio A5 from Australian leather goods company Bellroy. There's been a lot of discussion about this product recently, and I wanted to add a bit of a different perspective, coming from someone who has used the Work Folio "in the wild" for a period of time in perhaps a different context than what's already been discussed.

Build and Practicality

I love portfolios. They fit the way I work, which is a combination of being chained to a desk for 4-5 hours a day, with the other 4-5 hours spent moving between out-of-the-office meetings, conferences calls, and court hearings. While I've made a lot of progress in terms of reducing the amount of "junk" paper that I cart around with me, I still need a good notebook to take meeting notes, brainstorm, and record appointments. When I'm traveling, a zippered portfolio provides an easy way to hang onto cards, tickets, receipts and other bits of paper that you tend to accumulate on the road. So when Bellroy reached out and asked whether I'd like to review one of their new Work Folios, I seemed like a natural fit.

The Work Folio features a heavy duty zipper and Bellroy's trademark owl logo.

I first heard about Bellroy through curated online retailer Huckberry, who I've been buying from for years. Four years ago, my wife bought me the Bellroy Hide & Seek wallet for Christmas. Other than softening a bit, the leather still looks pristine, and it's more or less the only wallet I carry on a daily basis and look forward to doing so for years to come. I've since added a Bellroy leather pocket notebook cover as well.

The Work Folio A5 without the notebook inserted.

Bellroy uses high-quality leather that stands up well to heavy daily use. I'm very hard on bags, portfolios, pens, you name it, so ruggedness is important and I'm not afraid to pay money for a product if I think it's going to last me a long time. The Work Folio doesn't disappoint in this regard. Bellroy sent me the tan leather option, which feels thick and substantial, and the zipper seems heavy duty enough to last a very long time. Bellroy goods are backed by a three-year warranty.

The left inside flap has pockets to hold business cards, notecards, post-its, your phone, a pocket notebook, etc. I'm sure you could also use them to hold a power bank, headphones, charging cables, and other small odds and ends if you use your folio… — The left inside flap has pockets to hold business cards, notecards, post-its, your phone, a pocket notebook, etc. I'm sure you could also use them to hold a power bank, headphones, charging cables, and other small odds and ends if you use your folio to hold your tech products when traveling.

Inside, the Work Folio has a slot for a softcover A5 notebook on the right, which seems like the main feature of this piece. While there has been some discussion about hardcover A5 notebooks not fitting properly, the Work Folio A5 strikes me as something you would use instead of a hardback notebook like a Leuchtturm 1917, hardcover Moleskine, or a Baron Fig Confidant. While I was able to squeeze in a Confidant, it did leave the folio pretty bulky and the notebook didn't lay completely flat. If you're looking for a leather cover for your hardback notebook, you have other options.

The Bellroy Work Folio A5, shown here with the Nanami Seven Seas Writer.

Bellroy ships the Work Folio with a slim A5 notebook, and if that's what you use the one I received was serviceable. You can also find plenty of other softcover A5 options. Personally, I prefer a notebook with more paper than what these slim notebooks offer, so I opted for a Midori MD A5 notebook, which works perfectly. The Nanami Paper Seven Seas softcover A5 notebooks also fit well, and I think that when the Midori runs out I will move over to one of the Crossfields that I have in my stash.

Due to the lack of a clip on the Baron Fig Squire (Brass "Key" version shown here), this may not be the most "practical" pairing I can think of but I like the combination of the patina on the brass and the leather portfolio. The pen loop is pretty s… — Due to the lack of a clip on the Baron Fig Squire (Brass "Key" version shown here), this may not be the most "practical" pairing I can think of but I like the combination of the patina on the brass and the leather portfolio. The pen loop is pretty slim, so don't expect that it will hold your fat fountain pens.

In addition to holding the notebook, the Work Folio has a leather pen loop and several pockets to hold cards, your phone, and even an "e-reader or small tablet." This would have to be limited to something like the Kindle Paperwhite or Kindle Fire (or maybe an iPad Mini), but I personally would never think to cart these around in my work portfolio because, well, I don't think they're very practical for professional use, as opposed to a full-size iPad, which requires it's own case anyway. While I may test it out as a tablet case at some point in the future, possibly when I'm traveling and would want to read a Kindle on the plane, my initial thought is that having a tablet in the Work Folio with a notebook would make it too bulky.

I typically stick a pocket notebook under the left flap. Shown here is an A6 Flip/Flop Notebook from Say Nice Things.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

The Work Folio A5 is an excellent product from a reputable and established leather goods company that serves my particular needs well. That said, I can't emphasize enough the need to do your research and consider your own personal preferences and requirements before making a purchase, especially at the price point high-quality leather portfolios tend to command. For most people, this would be a substantial investment in a key part of your workflow, not an impulse buy. If you're committed to hardback notebooks, this particular portfolio is probably not the best option for you, but if you enjoy softcover notebooks like the Midori MD, Life A5, or the Nanami Seven Seas series, I would definitely consider what Bellroy has to offer. Cared for properly, this piece should provide you with years of service.

I believe the Work Folio A5 is currently in production, and that what Bellroy sent me is a substantially final prototype. The Folio is available for purchase/pre-order on the Bellroy website for $199 USD, with the site estimating delivery in three weeks. If you are interested in an even larger porfolio that holds an A4 pad, and has even more internal pockets, consider the Work Folio A4, priced at $299 USD.

Disclaimer: Bellroy send me this product free of charge, for review purposes. Many thanks to Bellroy for making this review possible.