Has getting an iPad changed your handbag habits? - YouLookFab Forum

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Has getting an iPad changed your handbag habits?

Adelfa

Veteran

I am thinking of capitulating, and buying a tablet. Thing is, I currently carry very small bags. When I go to work, I put my clutch into my tote with the rest of my things, and of course a tablet would fit well in there. But what about when I'm out and about? Will I want my iPad with me? Will I suddenly need larger purses? Maybe I'll only need it with me at specific times, and then I can carry something larger. Maybe the rest of the time I can rely on my smart phone, as I do now?

What has been your experience? Thanks!

Dressing

21 replies

Latest reply was from Carla

MsMary

Veteran

I carried my iPad daily before I got my smart phone. But now I barely carry it at all. It's pretty heavy and really doesn't do anything the smart phone doesn't do. I generally only carry it if I know I will need it -- for example, if I'm going to want to show somebody some photos and don't want to be limited to the tiny iPhone size.

JAileen

Veteran

I very rarely take it anywhere unless we're on vacation. The one or two times I took it somewhere I used a huge vintage Coach duffle bag (waiting at a doctor appointment and showing travel pictures to a friend at lunch). I have an iPhone too and sometimes I use it in lieu of my iPad - showing pictures, looking up something on Wikipedia, etc.

Diana

Veteran

What Mary said. I also had an iPad before I had a smartphone and now I mostly just use the phone when out. (I still love the iPad for home and travel though.). That said, it did not change my bag habits because I mostly used larger bags anyway since I bring my lunch to work every day in my purse. The iPad is about the same length and width (but obviously a lot thinner) than my lunch bag so it was easy to slide in next to that.

I prefer the phone nowadays just because it's lighter and I'm trying to save my back/shoulder, but I still use the same size bags because of the lunch.

carter

Veteran

I take mine with me often, but I carry it in my car, not my purse. Much prefer it to the iphone for times when I'll be waiting awhile...carpool line, dr appt, client appt, etc. If I'm traveling, I usually have a tote with me anyway.

Deborah

Veteran

I have an iPhone and an iPad so my phone is my constant companion I only carry mine sometimes when I have a specific purpose so it really hasn't changed my handbag situation.. but I have a liking for larger bags, so it fits in quite of few of mine quite easily. I even has one cross body (about the size of an iPad) that has a slot for the iPad and you don't have to remove it to use it, you just open the flap on the bag.. it's Nine West.

Anonymous

I have the mini pad but don't often carry it with me. Like Mary, my phone can do most things.

Adelfa

Veteran

Interesting.... I've had an iPhone since 2007 and only now am seriously considering getting a tablet... I find the iPhone inadequate for trips of several days and feel like I don't want to lug my laptop one more time! Carter, I love the idea of making sure it's there when one has to wait!

lyn*

(website)

Veteran

I take my iPad Air with me only on days that I will be reading a textbook. It fits in all my purses (aside from the clutches, of course!) - and I've never had a problem.

Elizabeth P

Veteran

I carry mine daily, so yes, bags need to be big enough. I've always been a large bag person though, all the iPad has done is make them heavier :).

Caro

I think this is an interesting question... not only for iPads, but for phones, iPods, and all the other technology that we are carrying around now. I find my phone (a Samsung Galaxy S4) is obviously too big for my Pocket, and it gets lost in the bottom of my purse--can't get to it when it is ringing, then find myself carrying it in my hand and risking leaving it somewhere. Yet I don't want a purse with all kinds of pockets everywhere like I'm out on safari or something. LOL

Tablets take this problem to a whole new level... For me it would fit into my normal bag no problem, but then there is the weight factor--just one more thing to make my heavy bag even heavier!

I'm sorry I don't have any solution to add here, but wondering if anyone has seen any good leather bags that are tailored for electronics without looking like a "swiss army" bag?

Anonymous

Umm, I don't even own a smartphone yet! I know, drag me into the 21st century someone.. please! I like the idea for an ipad for travel though. I would be very tempted to get one for that reason. I'm not sure of sizes of them, though. Can't you get quite small ones? Deb's bag sounds good. I suspect one with a dedicated compartment would be good so as to keep it from getting damaged.

JAileen

Veteran

Diane, my husband has the ipad mini. It's probably ok for travel, but he found it to be too small for everyday use. He ended getting another, regular sized one that he uses daily. So now he has two!

Angela K

Veteran

I don't carry my iPad Air daily but when I do I just carry it like a book. Even though it's lighter than the iPad I find that it's a bit heavy in my handbags and even sort of stretches their shape (unless I am carrying one of my hard leather bags in which case it really is too heavy!)

Laurinda

Veteran

Not an IPad, but I have a Samsung tablet 5"x8" (13x20cm) and only buy handbags it will fit into. It is wi-fi only so I also have a smart phone, but with a very inexpensive pay-as-you-go plan that suits my needs it is worth it to carry 2 devices.

Mo

(website)

Veteran

I have a Kindle Fire and it fits (barely) into my Fossil Sutter crossbody that I already had, which isn't a very large bag. I don't have a smartphone, so if I want to bring any kind of tech with me, this is the choice I have. Makes the bag heavier, but I didn't have to change my every day choice. Whew.

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Beck

I went the other way to many here -- I am a student and a writer, so carried my laptop everywhere until I got my iPad, which allowed me to size down my bags!

retailgirl

Veteran

I have an iPad and it fits into most of my bags, but as others have said, it makes it heavy! I don't take it everywhere, and if it doesn't fit in my bag, I usually carry it like a book. If I'm traveling, it goes in my carry on. Anyway, It hasn't changed my bag buying habits. Big bags are more in proportion for my height and I do carry a lot of stuff on a daily basis.

Isis

Veteran

I also carry very small bags as I don't like to be weighed down. An ipad did not change the size of my bag. As before, when I want to carry a book, a sweater (or now an ipad), I slip my small bag, and the ipad, book or whatever into a larger tote.

It's too heavy to carry around all the time.

More recently, I got an iphone, and I do carry that in my very small crossbody bag. The photos, imessage and everything sync with the ipad so I use both when I'm at home.

Aida

Veteran

Fellow small purse gal. No i-anythings here, but if I need to carry my tablet-hybrid I have a slim stripey case that I pop it into (many days for work I do this). If I had to carry my small tablet for the day I'd probably use my tote. I do generally make sure that all my bags can hold my 3DS (game console), though my smallest clutches won't fit it.

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Anonymous

A fashion backpack would be ideal to carry an Ipad. I put my phone into the zipper pocket inside in the lining of most bags. I always know where it is and it's easy to find and won't fall out if the bag is tipped over.

Carla

Veteran

Switched from satchel to totes when I got my iPad.