Review: Twelve South Journal CaddySack—a premium leather tote for cables & adapters

travel organizer case for accessories

I like Apple gear but I hate my chargers, cables and adapters mostly because I never ever have a good solution for carrying them around in style so end up throwing them in some unsightly plastic pouch. Premium Apple accessory maker Twelve South recently expanded its stylish Journal line of cases with, among other notable arrivals, a refreshed CaddySack tote made from a supple cognac leather for storing various accessories, chargers and cables.

Luxurious tote for your gear

iDownloadBlog reviewed the original CaddySack leather tote from Twelve South’s BookBook series a little more than a year ago and concluded that that case is actually a pretty great way to keep all your knickknacks together when you’re on the go.

Leather cases - CaddySack travel organizer from Twelve South

Unlike its hard leather cover and a vintage book look, the new Journal edition is a more luxurious gear case. Made of full-grain New Zealand leather that will develop a one-of-a-kind natural patina over time as you’re using it, just like your favorite leather jacket, it’ll only add to the character of this travel organizer.

The word “Journal” is proudly printed on its spine.

Leather cases - CaddySack travel organizer from Twelve South

The familiar Twelve South logo is on the back, at the bottom.

I also liked the double zippers adorned with leather tabs that enclose the case and prevent opening during travel. The beautifully designed storage space features soft, black-and-white, chevron-patterned tweed lining that protects your gear.

Totable tote houses your essentials

On the left side, you have a trio of built-in elastic bands that hold your Lightning and USB-C cables and adapters in place. A small mesh pocket at the top is great for storing things like thumb drives, memory cards, a backup pair of wired headphones, a remote control (it fits the Siri Remote), plus other small odds and ends

In the middle along spine lies a leather pen loop adorned with the Twelve South logo that can hold your regular pencil, or even Apple Pencil or some other third-party stylus.

Travel organizer case for accessories

On the right side you’ll find a pair of black adjustable Velcro straps which are big enough to hold Apple’s thicker-than-Lightning 1-meter USB-C cable and the 87W USB-C power adapter for your notebook. I also used this space for other accessories, like my pocket-sized Wi-Fi base station, the USB 3.0 cable and the Lightning to HDMI adapter.

Twelve South cases for Apple accessories

A pop emoji pencil not included 

This elastic organization is both practical and customizable as it can be adjusted for most USB adapters, dongles and extra cables. In fact, all of the straps inside this case are fully adjustable. The size of the new CaddySack is certainly manageable so you shouldn’t have any issues storing all your essentials when traveling or on the go.

Summing up

As someone whose office is wherever I happen to be when the inspiration strikes, I’ve found that the new CaddySack fits all the essentials I need when I’m on the go.

The minimalist case, positioned as a fashionable alternative to its BookBook counterpart, especially caters to folks who see value in meticulous designs. That it beautifully matches Twelve South’s Journal for iPhone and MacBook (which we reviewed) doesn’t hurt either.

Travel organizer case for accessories

The new CaddySack matches Twelve South’s Journal for MacBook, pictured above

If you’d rather buy a more affordable BookBook variant, it won’t hurt watching our previous video review of the original BookBook CaddySack, which I’ve embedded right below.

Subscribe to iDownloadBlog on YouTube

TLDR: I’m loving this travel organizer a lot. Not only does it match my elevated sense of style, but is one of the easiest way to tote around those annoying cables, adapters and chargers.Twelve South cases for Apple accessories

In the background: Twelve South’s 5×7 picture frame that doubles as a Qi wireless charger

Like other Twelve South cases, this gear case is wrapped in high-quality leather like a regular case (Journal CaddySack) or a vintage book (BookBook CaddySack).

Pros and cons

Here’s what we liked and disliked about the Journal-branded CaddySack.

Pros

  • Adjustable straps and pockets
  • Classic style for fashionable Apple aficionados
  • Matches Journal cases for MacBooks, iPhones and AirPods
  • Can hold the largest Apple USB power adapter

Cons

  • Steep price
  • Only one size and color
  • No personal engraving option to make it yours

Pricing and availability

You can get your Journal CaddySack in Cognac finish that matches the rest of the Journal line (and their AirSnap case for AirPods) for $90 over at Amazon. Alternatively, consider the original BookBook CaddySack with its Harry Potter spellbook look, which retails for $50.

You can browse the complete Journal line over at the Twelve South website.

Your two cents

Are you a fan of CaddySack or, in general, traveling cases for geeks? Which traveling cases for notebook accessories would you recommend to fellow iDB readers?

As always, you’re more than welcome to let us know what you think of the new CaddySack and this review by leaving your comment down below.