Dagne Dover Arlo Tech Organizer (Tested & Reviewed)

If I’m not traveling, I’m likely planning my next trip. My husband and I will start planning up to a year in advance, setting up alerts for flight and hotel deals, and creating spreadsheets with multiple tabs for budgets, potential itineraries, and packing lists. 

Even though a bunch of things are up in the air for months as we plan out a trip, one of the first items we’ll always put on the packing list is the Dagne Dover Arlo Tech Organizer (which is a winner from our first-ever Organization Awards). I have the Large version and it’s something we pack no matter if it’s a short road trip or a bigger bucket-list trip. It holds so much and moonlights as a clutch, dopp kit, and an extra bag for damp clothes. But mostly, it’s a thoughtfully designed tech organizer that corrals all the items that would get lost, forgotten, or left behind while traveling.  

In addition to constantly being on-the-go, my husband and I are big tech heads, so half of one carry-on suitcase is usually just for tech gear. This goes beyond extra phone chargers — although there are plenty of those. On any given trip, whether it’s a weekend in Maine or two weeks in the Maldives, we’ve got a drone, an external battery pack, an external hard drive, a DSLR camera, a gimbal, two tripods, two sets of earbuds, and two laptops. Oh, and a few converters if we’re traveling internationally. So yeah, it’s a lot. And yet, the Dagne Dover Tech Organizer fits most of it. 

I say “most” only because large items like the drone, camera, tripods, and laptops go in their own padded sleeves and cases, while everything else like external chargers, cords, earbuds, and more go into the Arlo — it’s still a lot! Fun fact: My laptop goes into an old Dagne Dover laptop sleeve, which has sadly been discontinued.

The neoprene construction keeps everything dry — even if you accidentally spill a drink on it. Inside the organizer, there are elastic bands to secure cords and cables, as well as mesh-lined compartments and Velcroed pockets for large, flat items like external hard drives and battery packs. The exterior offers another mesh pocket for extra gear, but it’s also a perfect slot to hold face masks and an extra bottle of Touchland’s hand sanitizer.

The Arlo fits in a carry-on bag for easy access mid-flight, and because it’s a soft-shell case, it’s easily squishable, too. The organizer unzips all the way so it lays flat, making it infinitely easier to grab items as needed — even if I’m stuck in a middle seat. The zipper itself is thick and chunky, so it’s easy to find, too. I never have to struggle with searching for the zipper or digging around the dark depths of a duffel bag to find my earbuds or battery pack. It’s also surprisingly roomy despite how much we fit in there — I’ve always been able to fit a few non-tech essentials, like lip balm and extra snacks.

Its versatility goes beyond organizing tech gear. I’ve also used this little bag to pack damp swimwear that wouldn’t dry in time before a flight home from the Caribbean, organize jewelry and toiletries for a road trip upstate, and even serve as a clutch during a two-week trip to French Polynesia when I forgot to bring a purse (the dark navy Storm color we have coupled with the boxy silhouette and lack of obvious branding works well with most casual outfits). 

For such a small organizer, the Arlo offers a lot in the way of storage and organization. In fact, it’s already half-packed with a bunch of tech gear for an upcoming trip.