Cocoon Grid-It review and giveaway
Cocoon has provided us with a set of Grid-It organizers to review, and giveaway to a couple of BetaNews readers. We’ve got a larger and smaller one than the one reviewed here to give away. You simply need to share this story on Facebook or Twitter (hashtag #betanews).
The Grid-It organizer product isn’t entirely new, but I first saw them in some pre-Consumer Electronics Show promotional materials. They certainly struck a chord as I was preparing to travel to Las Vegas at the time. After seeing Grid-It at the conference, the gear organizer certainly looked like it could live up to the expectations they had set.
The Grid-It is basically a fabric covered board, with one side covered by elastic bands. Power adapters, wires, small devices and anything that fits can be tucked under a band to keep them tightly contained when the Grid-It board is inserted into your bag. The idea is to prevent the tangle of wires and jumble of items at the bottom of your bag, and to provide more flexible and secure options than fixed pockets.
How Well Does It Work?
Since I was just heading out for the morning, I decided I’d go for the middle-sized unit of the three provided. It measures 9.25 by 7.25 inches. As soon as I stuck in my Macbook power supply, I realized that the pads don’t hold as much as you’d think from looking at them. They are flat and light, so go with the biggest one that will fit into your bag. The size was fine, however, for my power supply, full cord, a smartphone sync cord and my earbud headset, which was all I needed for today.
Inserting items into the Grid-It is simple. The straps are easy enough to stretch, but still feel like they were holding each of the different thickness items securely. If you are going to fill it up, you have to plan a bit as to the best arrangement.
After loading, it slid right into the bags that I tried out, as intended. Because ends and corners are exposed, snags are possible, but since most of your "snagable" items are intended to be contained in a Grid-It, it seems unlikely to be an issue.
I didn’t try throwing Grid-It around, but nothing moved a bit holding it vertically to insert and to remove it from a couple of bags, or during travel. It really feels like it will hold most items quite securely, even with a fair amount of jostling. For items that might leak or cause damage if loose, I’d probably look at putting the Grid-It into a bag or pouch, just in case. A version with a cover might be a nice addition to the line up.
Quality and Durability
The Grid-It seems fairly well put together. The nylon edging would be the first failure point if it weren’t consistently stiched, and that looks good. The bands will certainly lose some elasticity over time, so I don’t anticipate this lasting for years of every-day use, but at under $20, that isn’t a big deal. They do seem to curl a little, not enough to impact effectiveness. If we find problems over time, we’ll come back and update this piece.
The Verdict
The Grid-It is a very smart way to handle a common problem. After trying it out "in the real world", it works. I don’t think I’ll be travelling, for work or play, without one in the future.
The Giveaway
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Photo Credits: Scott Alperin