6 Important Things to Consider When Choosing a Faraday Bag for Your Laptop
As technology advances, we’ve become more connected than ever! However, the impressive advancement in technology is also met with a huge surge in cyber attacks, hacks, and data theft!
In fact, in the late quarter of 2022 alone, breaches and hacks exposed over 15 million data records around the world!
One of the best ways to protect my laptop from remote hacking is using a Faraday Bag. However, with all the options available on the market, choosing the right one can be a challenge!
In today’s article, I’ll walk you through 6 important things to consider when choosing a Faraday bag for your laptop to add more value to your investment!
Introduction to Faraday Bags and Their Purpose
Before I dive into the details, you should first understand what a Faraday bag is and what it does exactly.
A Faraday bag is a form of shielding pouch or enclosure that is designed to block the transmission of electromagnetic (EM) waves using a metallic infrastructure.
The bag is named after “Michael Faraday”, who invented the Faraday Cage using the same concept in the late 19th century.
Thanks to this design, any electronic device placed inside the bag can’t send or receive any Radio Frequency RF signals or EM waves.
Here’s a video below to understand how a faraday bag works.
The Importance of Shielding Your Laptop with a Faraday Bag
Protecting your data is now more crucial than ever with cyber theft, hacking, and RFID cloning reaching unprecedented levels all over the world!
While cybersecurity firms are going above and beyond to protect their clients, there is always a new bug or a backdoor loop that hackers can utilize to gain access to your data!
If you’re trying to protect your sensitive information while your laptop is not in use, keeping your laptop off the grid is the safest way to go.
A Faraday bag will simply block all signals from being sent or received inside its enclosure, keeping your information safe and sound!
6 Factors to Consider When Choosing a Faraday Bag for Your Laptop
Buying a Faraday bag is a serious investment, especially with a lot of sensitive and personal data at stake.
Here are some of the essential factors that you need to consider before making up your mind:
1. Size and Compatibility with Your Laptop
The size of the laptop is the first thing you need to consider when choosing a Faraday bag. Ideally, the bag should be at least large enough to house your laptop comfortably while keeping lining in calculations.
Since most laptops on the market come in relatively standardized sizes, manufacturers design different bags to suit these sizes.
Ideally, most laptops on the market range from 10 to 18 inches. Bigger laptops require larger bags, which are usually more expensive because of extra materials.
2. Material and Durability
Faraday bags’ main objective is to protect your laptop from RFID attacks and EM waves. However, these bags should protect your laptop from physical damage as well.
For that reason, make sure that you pick a durable and sturdy material that is tough enough to withstand shocks.
Additionally, a more durable bag will serve you a lot longer, which makes them a better value for your money!
A good tip here is to opt for Faraday bags with durable outer fabrics, especially those with waterproof properties. My top recommendations here are bags with silicon and nylon-coated fabrics.
Keep in mind that the durability of the bag also extends to the quality of the zippers or locking mechanisms.
3. Shielding Effectiveness
If you’re buying a Faraday bag for your laptop, your primary concern is electromagnetic interference (EMI).
Yet, one thing you should know here is that not all Faraday bags are created equal. Some bags are designed with low-end materials that don’t shield well, especially against powerful signals coming from hacking devices.
Since EMI protection is your main concern here, you should always go for high-quality shielding. The effectiveness is measured in decibels (dB); the higher the better.
Ideally, a Faraday bag with a shielding effectiveness of around 40 to 80 dB attenuation is excellent.
4. Additional Features
Besides protection and durability, there are other critical aspects that you should consider while picking a Faraday bag.
These features add a lot of value to the bag and make them more practical and suitable for everyday use.
For instance, you should look for bags with waterproof features (IP65 or IP67). Also, having extra pockets in the bag will help you keep all your belongings in one place!
5. Ease of Use
This factor is critical if you use your laptop on and off throughout the day. Ideally, you need a Faraday bag that is easy to open and close.
Another important aspect related to ease of use is holding the bag. Always make sure that the bag comes with a convenient carrying handle and shoulder strap that are comfortable to use.
6. Price and Value for Money
Faraday bags come in a wide range of prices. For that reason, you must consider your budget while picking your ideal choice.
Yet, you should know that higher prices don’t always mean a better bag. So, always make sure that you read plenty of reviews and do your own research before picking the right one for you.
Top Picks for Faraday Bags for Laptops
Now that you know how to choose the right Faraday laptop bags for your needs, all that’s left is to choose the right one for you.
Now that you know how to choose the right Faraday laptop bags for your needs, all that’s left is to choose the right one for you.
To help you with that, here are my favorite Faraday bags for laptops available on the market:
- SLNT Waterproof Nylon Faraday Bag for Laptops 👉 Best Overall Pick
- EDEC OffGrid Faraday Backpack for Laptops 👉 Best Faraday Backpack
- Mission Darkness Faraday Bag for Laptops 👉 Ideal for Budget Buyers
Conclusion
In the end, I hope that this guide helps you find the ideal Faraday laptop bag for your needs. Remember to always research your bag before buying it and read different reviews.
So, what Faraday bag brand do you find best for laptops?
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