Cost of The Commuter Bag Soars

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- iPads and e-readers rocket cost of commuter bag to £3893 - 

Gadget-loving commuters are carrying over £3,800 worth of technology to and from work according to new research out today – a £593 increase in value compared with just two years ago(1).

The typical commuter bag or briefcase now contains as many as seven gadgets including costly smartphones, laptops, e-readers and MP3 players. And with the recent release of the must-have iPad 2, esure home insurance is urging workers to take extra care when carrying around their pricey belongings.

According to the research(2), more than six per cent of those polled own an iPad and one in ten (11 per cent) have an e-reader. This is a seven per cent increase from 2009 when just four per cent of commuters owned the device. And with over a third (35 per cent) of Brits considering buying an iPad 2 this year, the cost of the commuter bag looks set to rise even further.

35 per cent of commuters carry a smartphone, typically costing around £250, and almost a fifth (18 per cent) are proud owners of Apple’s iPhone, which retails at over £300. Over a third (35 per cent) of those polled carry digital cameras on their daily commute.

As the overwork culture continues to grow apace, the research found that 46 per cent of commuters lug a company or personal laptops around with them and 37 per cent now own BlackBerrys – an increase of 12 per cent from 2009. Almost a sixth (15%) own a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA).

London commuters carry the most gadgets around - with a whopping 56 per cent of Londoners now taking a laptop to work. The capital is also home to the most amount of commuters who carry an e-reader on their journey (eight per cent); this can be contrasted with Sheffield where only two per cent of those polled carry the device. A staggering two fifths (40 per cent) of Londoners are considering buying an iPad 2 this year, whilst less than a fifth (18 per cent) of Nottingham commuters have their heart set on purchasing the device.

More than half of those polled (58 per cent) are not sure whether their personal belongings insurance covers the cost of the gadgets they are carrying around. This comes at a time when recent research(3) shows a shocking increase in street robberies (by more than eight per cent) in London last year, partly fuelled by the popularity of expensive gadgets such as the iPad.

Nikki Sellers, Head of Home Underwriting at esure, said: “It is interesting to see that gadgets like the iPad and e-reader, which two years ago were owned by a small minority are now an everyday sighting, and in fact playing an indispensable part in people’s daily commutes. The result is that Brits are now inadvertently carrying around a treasure trove of digital devices for both work and pleasure.

“We would encourage commuters to be extra vigilant on their daily commute and take precautions whilst travelling so as not to attract opportunistic thieves. It is also important they ensure they have sufficient insurance cover to replace their gadgets should they get lost, stolen or broken.”

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esure’s press contacts: For further information please contact the esure press office at Mischief PR on 020 7100 9999 or email esure@mischiefpr.com

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Notes to Editors:
(1) esure used the independent online research company FlyResearch who surveyed 1,000 Londoners aged 18 and over, between 23rd and 26th October 2009. Figure is based on current retail prices of the most common commuter gadgets according to the poll
(2) esure used the independent online research company FlyResearch who surveyed 1,000 Londoners aged 18 and over, between 11th March and 15th March 2011. Figure is based on current retail prices of the most common commuter gadgets according to the poll (
3)http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23930782-surge-in-iphone-muggings-on-londons-commuter-trains.do