FOLDIO A4 Portfolio

At the start of every new term, the girls always have loads of paperwork to bring home, get signed by the parents and then take back to school. Juliette hasn't got a schoolbag yet so she holds hers in her hand - fine if it's nice weather but if it's windy or raining (or if she drops it in a puddle or a strategically-deposited pile of dog poo on the way home from school), it is likely to arrive in a very sorry state. Sophie has a big satchel (a Hello Kitty one on wheels no less !) so she can keep hers nice and pristine - as long as she remembers to put it in a folder or plastic protector and doesn't leave it kicking about in the bottom of her bag with a mouldy banana skin, leaky felt-tip pen and a rancid PE kit for a couple of days before remembering it (5 minutes before heading off to school usually !)


Even as adults, it isn't always easy to keep important papers safely and tidily for transportation and storage. Which is where the Foldio comes in. It has an "innovative creaseless folding" system which basically works by folding the papers in half without squashing them flat. If you've ever photocopied A3 sheets then flopped them over (without squashing the crease flat) to transport them, that is exactly how the Foldio works. The rigid case, once zipped up, holds up to 30 sheets of 80gsm paper and - as well as being made of "durable scratch resistant plastic" - is also water resistant. No more accidentally spilt cups of coffee all over your notes minutes before an important presentation !

If you're travelling by public transport and don't have a big briefcase to stash your papers in, it's a Godsend. I also love the way that, once unzipped and opened out flat, it has a handy clipboard attachment inside. I managed to stash a pen, my mobile phone and my travelcard inside too, but it isn't designed for that so make sure you don't put too many extras in it or you'll defeat the whole object and end up with messed-up papers again !

If looking well-organised and having nice immaculate paperwork isn't enough, you can even show off by saying that this product was featured on Dragon's Den!

My one slight niggle is that it has a VERY noisy zip, which isn't ideal for discreetly retrieving paperwork in the middle of an important meeting ! You have been warned !!

The Foldios are also available in A1, A2 and A3 sizes, which is fantastic for big artwork or posters that are usually tricky to transport without creasing them.

star rating : 4/5

RRP : £6.99 (for the A4 size)

available at Rymans