After getting the H Small Messenger Bag I wrote about recently, Hardgraft released the Content Cable Case line, which come in a variety of sizes (small, medium, laptop sleeves, and packing cubes). I picked up the Small size in natural, and a few hours after getting it in hand, I bought two more in the medium size.
They are among the best pouches I’ve ever owned for many of the same reasons that the H Small Messenger is great. They are ideally sized and have a premium feel while not looking like some nylon wonder from Amazon. They’re stellar.
Size and Materials
This pouch uses my new favorite material with the cotton duck canvas face, laminated to Xpac. There’s a touch of added padding for these pouches before you get to the wool felt lining.
What stands out with these pouches is they feel designed by people who worked to ensure they fit the gear you want to carry. The proportions are stellar on these, and you are unlikely to find yourself annoyed they are just slightly off from what you need to carry with the more popular gear.
The small size is 7″ x 6″ x 2.7″, while the medium is 9.5″ x 7″ x 2.3″. While on paper, they seem similar, in practice, they look much different, with the small being a thicker and smaller cube and the medium being a larger but thinner cube. Thanks to the noticeably slimmer profile, the medium will hold more and pack a little easier in larger bags. The small is great for bags with a little less volume.
These are made exceedingly well, and I’m impressed by the construction. They both have small open-top pockets, and the medium has one more than the small.
In Use
Let me repeat: this Xpac is a legend and feels fantastic. Couple that with the wool lining, and you have a pouch you know isn’t like all the other pouches. It’s best to think of these as empty pouches to fill, as the inner pockets are not overly useful for most items.
I would love to see a revision to this with a zippered internal pouch, but that’s my only criticism on these. Even without that, I have one for my office briefcase and backpack and one I keep loaded with my travel charger/gear setup. They are that good. I don’t know how else to say it.
Medium
Both sizes hold a lot more gear than you expect. They hold that gear slightly disorganized, but I’ve gravitated towards this less organized pouch design as it’s easier to hold more gear in less space, and there are no wasted slots that don’t fit the gear you find yourself carrying. They retain their shape/volume, so there’s no benefit to half-filling them, something to keep in mind for those who like to pack very light.
Small
Lastly, a shout out to the zippers, as they are perfect and smooth on these pouches.
Overall
I own three now, so I think they are among the best cases/pouches on the market. They also might be among the few likely to turn heads when you pull them out of your bag; at least, that’s an excellent way to find a fellow bag nerd when you are feeling lonely.
These are well-designed, well-considered pouches executed with near-perfect luxury materials. Aces all around; they are the best.
Content Cable Case Small, $124
Content Cable Case Medium, $162