I know all about expensive bags… at one point in my life I had a weakness for buttery soft Coach leather… anyway, I’ve come to a point in my life where I think that if a bag is going to cost over $100, it should do more than just hold my stuff… I mean, ideally it would make my life easier… For example, how many times have I fished through my bag, looking for my iPod or phone only to find it uncharged? Bummer, right?
With today’s designer, Noon Solar, you never (and I mean ever) have to go uncharged again. Not only are these bags gorgeous, sustainably produced, and big enough to carry all of life’s necessities, they have built in solar panels to charge everything from your iPod to your celly. About the brand:
Noon Solar bags incorporate flexible solar panels to keep cell phones and iPods charged. Each bag is designed to be able to sit in a window at work or in the car to collect charges. The solar power is stored in a lithium-ion battery pack, weighing about 4oz, found inside the bag. Because the solar power is stored inside a battery pack, cell phones and iPods can be charged day or night.
Noon Solar bags are made from biodegradable materials so that the bags can skip the landfill and go directly into your backyard without hurting the earth. The bags are safe and non-toxic, and most of the materials will actually nourish the earth if buried. The other materials such as the solar panel and hardware can be removed and recycled or reused.
The founders personally hand dye, with natural substances such as pomegranate and weld, the organic hemp and cotton fabrics that comprise their bags. Noon Solar is one of a very small number of design companies using natural dyes on a production scale in the US.
To create textures and patterns on their bags, Noon uses the ancient Japanese dying method, Shibori, making each bag unique.
Noon bags use German leather that is tanned in similar ways to people tanning leather from hundreds of years ago. The leather is heavy metal free, and tanned and dyed with sustainably harvested materials such as rhubarb and walnuts.
How cool is that? Definitely worth the splurge!







