> and padded

I prefer to use a laptop sleeve, and then it doesn't matter if it is padded or not.

Laptop sleeve are nice, I used to use them... but they need to be the _perfect_ size for your laptop.

Otherwise they are hard to open/close if they are just a bit too small, or they are floppy if they are too big.

I currently have three laptops, they all have their own dimensions. So I would need three sleeves to carry anyone of them at any given time. For work, I switched between three sizes in the last two years.

Meanwhile, my 5yo hiking backpack with a water pouch dedicated space is able to carry any of those laptops safely.

Yup simple laptop sleeve with a good zip and a reliable handle works well for me. In case of inclement weather there's a ziplock bag inside big enough for the laptop.

That goes inside another thin bag for safe carry. If I'm visiting somewhere new and carrying other things, bag-in-bag works well; leave the day bag in the conference room, the thin bag with the laptop comes with me.

Yeah I don't get why I don't see these more often. I have a case around my MacBook and it's a pretty good protector. My tip: get something cheap from Amazon. I tried the Incase Hardshell and it broke within a year.