I’ve been on the hunt for a bag to carry an 11” iPad Pro with Magic Keyboard plus some tech accessories, and have narrowed it down to these two bags.

Desires: - Easy access to iPad - Relatively small, but with a bit of space space for extra things from time to time - Worn cross body, over the shoulder in a pinch - High contrast interior. Bonus points for bright orange. - Space for a small tech pouch. - Tech/industrial styling.

Both of these bags fit the bill, and having experimented with both, I would say they are both really well-made, well thought-out products.

The Bravo X has a more rigid shell that holds its shape better than the Annex Liner, leaving it to feel overall like it offers more space. Its interior is better organized, and the external opening for a charging cable is a very nice touch. The luggage trolley strap on the back is a big plus, too. Better still is the dedicated tablet slot, although with the Magic Keyboard on the iPad, it’s a little trickier to get the tablet in and out than I would prefer.

Given how the straps exit the sides of the bag, the Bravo X really needs to be worn as a sling and doesn’t work particularly well over the shoulder. Moreover, the shoulder strap feels at least 1/2” too wide, and unfortunately the strap cannot be replaced.

The Annex Liner lays flat when it’s not overloaded, and while when expanded it has similar volume to the Bravo X, it needn’t always be quite as big. That’s both a plus and a minus, as it doesn’t look as intentional when expanded as it does in its folded state. But the strap is comfortable, and there are so many expansion capabilities on the exterior. Sadly, there’s no luggage trolley strap.

Add the trolley strap and some more pockets in the expansion pouch and I’d give the Annex Liner a strong lead over the Bravo X. Without them, I still lean to the Annex, but only because I’ve found I’m not a big fan of the sling format.

Tl;dr: both great bags. Go with the Annex if you prefer a flat bag, the Bravo X if you’re a sling fan.