Did you buy a new laptop and want to protect it? Or have finally decided to give you old banged up laptop a break? Either way you should look at purchasing a laptop bag.

Laptop bags come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. You can choose from a traditional backpack design, to a corporate briefcase look, or urban-centric messenger bag. 

What brands should you be eyeing? That depends on your budget. Timbuk2 and Kenneth Cole make well made, stylish laptop bags. The Timbuk2 Commute Laptop TSA-Friendly Messenger bag costs $129.00 on Zappos. Since it's TSA-friendly, you won't have to remove your prized computer from the Commute! Just put it the bag on the X-Ray Conveyor Belt and breath a sigh of relief.

The Kenneth Cole Reaction is similarly priced, but differentiates itself in one notable way. It's crafted from gorgeous leather rather than the ballistic nylon exterior on the Timbuk2. The Reaction does more than just hold your laptop in place. It has dedicated pockets for pens and pencils, your passport, and all of your credit cards.

Austrian bag maker STM produces a whole bunch of innovative laptop travel solutions. Their Impulse Medium Laptop backpack has enough room to store a 15" laptop, a tablet computer, books and of course a smartphone. 

Tech centric types would be hard-pressed to pass up a solar powered laptop bag. Voltaic System is the biggest name is portable solar power solutions. Their bags and backpacks range in price from $129 to $399. One of their most popular selling bags, the Converter Solar Backpack, comes in two hot colors: silver and charcoal. Charging wise, you'll be glad that this panel can store up to 68 hours of battery life. That translates to music playback, of course. You can also expect to receive a hearty 15 hours of talk time. Specific figures for video playback are not available, but it definitely will be less than the talk time. Voltaic also produces standalone solar panels that you can attach to almost any surface.

You many not be a star, but by using these backpacks, you'll attract a lot of attention.

So would you purchase any of the bags listed above? Let me know in the comments section below.