Stow Lite Organizer Review

The amount of tech I have as EDC is getting excessive. As much as I enjoy working in coffee shops and on my commute, I was spending increasingly more of my time finding my tech in my bag. A tech bag was needed, so naturally I bought a few to test and review. The first I bought was this Native Union Stow Lite.

I love Native Union products, They always look sleek and stylish, but I do get put off by the price. Even some of their cables are very expensive and there are often cheaper alternatives like Anker. But I was keen to give it a fair and proper test.

Inside the zipper, it’s an open design. Everything gets dumped inside so you still have to search for it but it’s a much smaller area to search. It does have some smaller inner pockets, these only work for small and slim items though. Anything too large (and that is most things) impacts the bag profile and makes the zipper difficult to close. 

Still, you can see in the photo above I have managed to fit a lot in. The biggest item, a Bluetooth keyboard, has to be in the middle otherwise I can’t close the zip. But with a bit of effort, I managed to fit my Sony XM3 earbuds, Sandisk SSD and an Anker Power Bank, as well as some smaller accessories. 

The bucket style makes it easy to use the Stow Lite organizer. If I have lost track of time and need to pack up in a hurry, I can quickly throw everything in, zip up and go. Now the lack of organisation does mean I have to root around and look for it when I next reopen. But as I mentioned earlier I’ll find memory cards a lot quicker here than at the bottom of my daypack.

The Stow Lite is also an extra layer of protection in case something happens like my daypack gets soaked or a water bottle leaks. Its soft canvas material gives it a bit of stretch, so it can take tech that’s a bit of a bulky or awkward shape. The material also allows it to be squished and moulded in the corners of my daypack. This obviously only applies when it’s not filled to the brim.

I am not a fan of the triangular shape. It is ok when I don’t require a lot, but as soon as you put more than one bulky item in there it becomes a game of Tetris to fit it in. For example I used to carry a foldable bluetooth keyboard and mouse, but wouldn’t be able to fit my charger too. Not any of these three items were particularly big, but they were awkward shapes which left little room for anything else.

I had to get creative about how I fit it in and then eventually upgraded to a keyboard case for my tablet. The inner pockets easily bulk out the pack making it hard to close the zipper, so these have been used for memory cards, but nothing thicker than a USB memory stick. I think a more boxy shape would work a lot better and with the same materials would still have the same flexibility. 

So my Stow Lite has been used daily for about three months now. I’ve surprisingly managed to keep it clear, aside from the odd ink stain from a leaky pen. I’m often switching up the contents for what I need that day. Because of that the inner pockets haven’t had much use beyond the SD card that has made permanent residence there.

It has made me a lot more productive being able to find all I need easily. The zip is still working smoothly and hasn’t gotten stuck. It doesn’t even feel dirty despite being pushed to the bottom of my bag. I can safely say it’s holding up well and I’m confident that will continue.

After a few months of usage, I can still say that I love the Native Union Stow Lite. It easily fits in my bag and looks great on my desk. It can be hard to find a tech organiser that doesn’t look like a pencil case for school but Native Union always nails it. They may be a tad on the expensive side but in this case I think it’s justified. With the amount of usage I’m getting out of it, I want something made with quality materials that’s stylish too.

I did end up losing (and then being reunited) with my Stow Lite, in the interim I got the Stow Organizer. Comparing between the two, the Stow Organiser fits my style more. It’s a bit more rigid and has more pockets for organising.