There are some stylish laptop backpacks around. Moshi and Australian brand Crumpler come to mind. They are well designed with quality materials and craftsmanship, but such fashionable, cool gear costs money.

Belkin is a name normally associated with cables and charging devices, but it has just launched a couple of respectable laptop backpacks for less than $100.

The Classic Pro Backpack ($69.95) in a simple slimline design looks good in a matt textural grey with black accents. The Active Pro Backpack ($79.95) is larger, in classic black with a grey reflective stripe.

Both have padded, but not suspended, compartments big enough for a 40-centimetre  laptop, along with padded backs and adjustable shoulder straps. And both have a useful luggage strap on the back that slips over wheeled suitcase handles.

The Classic Pro has a flat, surprisingly roomy pouch on the front. With a zip around the sides and top, it opens up wide so you can easily see all your stuff, and flexible side panels stop it from falling out. More padding on the bottom would be good. Inside there are only three compartments.

This is a simple bag that looks good, and I would wear it in the streets of Paris or Milan.

The top-opening water-resistant Active Pro is sturdier and has more padding to protect laptop and tablet, including thicker material on the bottom of the pack. On the front there is a couple of innovative overlapping external vertical pockets for easy access that can expand or sit flat.

Two features I love are the flat hidden pouch on the back,  and the most stylish water bottle side pockets I've seen. They can shut flat with Velcro when not in use.