20 Best Timbuk2 Messenger Bag (2022 Updated)

I received this item for free in exchange of my unbiased review. I think that overall this is a good product. So far it seems to be of good quality materials and construction. It is comparable to other day backpacks I’ve used: they all have their pros and cons.

Some pros I could observe in this bag are: (1) The number of pockets is adequate, there are not so many that you lose track of where you put your items, and not so few that everything is mixed in the same big pocket making them hard to find.

(2) The key link is easy to find (thanks to the color contrast) which is convenient when you need to reach for your keys in the dark or with just one hand. (3) The bag is very lightweight but sturdy, so it won’t add excess weight to your load without sacrificing durability.

Some cons I observed in this bag: (1) The bag is narrow (which is great) but also quite elongated, which makes you “fish” for your items inside the very long pockets. This is particularly obvious for the laptop/tablet pocket (unless you have a giant laptop which may not fit widthwise anyway).

(2) The straps could be a little more padded. If you are using this bag for just a few items this wouldn’t be a big deal, but once it starts to get filled up and heavy, shoulders are going to suffer.

Things I would consider improving but can’t consider as “cons”, just personal preference: (1) Adding a chest strap to better distribute the load. (2) Making the inside of the bag a lighter/contrasting colors it is easier to spot items.

In general, I would consider this bag as one of my candidates when shopping for a daypack, and I would recommend it to friends letting them decide if the cons I mentioned above are deal breakers to them or not.

This is overall a nice pack. The compartments are well sized and include multiple interior pockets as well as a padded pocket for laptop/tablet. The bag is fairly lightweight and comfortable to wear.

The construction of the bag appears to be high quality and the appearance is sleek and nice enough to be used in the adult commuting/business world. My only confusion/downside about the bag so far is that it is advertised (on the tag attached to the handle) to have 2 expandable side pockets for water bottles, U-lock, etc.

The bag that I received only has one side pocket. The pocket has a small piece of elastic on the side to allow for expansion of the pocket and the pocket is somewhat shallow, at least for the bottles I carry.

The stretch pocket it a great idea, but combined with the depth of the pocket leaves the bottles I carry feeling a little bit unstable. Only having had the bag for a short time I can not speak to it’s longevity, but I have other Timbuk2 products that I have used heavily for years with minimal signs of wear so I expect that this product should hold up well.

I would recommend this product to anyone looking for a small to medium sized pack with durable materials and comfortable wear.

I use this bag on a daily basis kind of in lieu of a purse these days. I love it. My laptop is kind of old and bulky but fits nicely in the padded sleeve inside the bag. The larger front space is very spacious for the many “must-haves” I carry around.

Inside this part there’s a mesh zipper section where I keep my phone charger and other miscellaneous small items. The bag is not loaded up with tons of compartments, but I feel as though there are enough for me.

Inside the back zipper section (where the laptop goes) there’s the laptop sleeve and then a separate zippered area with 2 small compartments for maybe a wallet it your phone and an attached lanyard for keys (which I love).

I keep the cord to the laptop in the space between the sleeve and this zippered compartment. The outside pocket is on the right side. I prefer dual pockets but it does make the bag more compact. It’s convenient for my 32oz Gatorade.

There’s a small zippered pocket on the front of the bag. It’s about as deep as my phone (iPhone 7). The straps are a little wide for me. I’ve gotten used to them since carrying the bag everyday. And they really do help distribute the weight of the bag.

Even with my laptop, a large Bible, 2 journals, another book and miscellaneous other items, my back and shoulders never started hurting.

I replaced my commuter bag after many happy years of use. The new messenger bag is of similar quality but I was very disappointed that all the great internal small pockets have disappeared. There is now no place to securely store a passport or pens or similar items.

There are just two large sleeves that will have stuff slide out when it goes thru an airport scanner. Also the bottle sleeve on the outside is no longer made of flexible fabric that can actual hold a water bottle.

No top handle. But great simple bag. My Dell 5520 barely fits and it’s optimal for my latitude. Got a great Black Friday deal.

Very long time, very happy customer. I have a 2004/5 MD custom messenger, a 2015/6 custom Eula and custom laptop sleeve, a 2016/7 reversible tote, and a 2008 small classic messenger. I get more use from those items than the more upscale leather goods I’ve accumulated over the years and find they are more to my taste– especially the custom messengers.

They’ve got character, they’re tough, well made and well designed, and easy to take care of. Also? The warranty on these bags is SICK. My 2008 bag’s liner was coming apart in shards, so I reached out to see what could be done and filed a claim.

The repair dept folks were really lovely. I hated the idea of shipping my favorite bag off and not having it over the holidays, so I held onto it until the bitter end of the claim window and finally sent it off, figuring I’d not see it again for a few months.

Could not be happier to be wrong! I shipped it off before I went out of town at the end of December and I got it back early/mid-January. The liner was replaced and the work was pretty good. Best of all (for me) it was done at no cost other than the flat rate box it took to send it off to Cali.

So yeah, I am a loyal customer and will continue to be so. Noticing a lack of prints and new colors in the custom section and hope it’s just down to supply chain issues and not because of a shift toward utilitarian black.

One of the reasons I was drawn to Timbuk2 in the first place is that I saw cyclists in Boston wearing brightly colored messengers. I like that I can create something that’s unique– each of the custom pieces I have stands out and looks good, which is one of the reasons I keep coming back to the brand.

(Also PLEASE bring back the Eula. And laptop sleeves. Thank you for reading!).

Easy on, easy off. Fast adjusting strap. Velcro is the standard loud lol. Love the Flint color pattern. My new EDC bag holds my essentials no problem. Photos don’t show my iPhone 12 Pro Max used to take these photos.

With room to spare here’s my load out: Dango 007 wallet, 7-year pen, ALPAKA small zip pouch, Mason Pearson pocket comb, small GoStak container with supplements, and small Hero Clip with keys and Rx holder.

There’s still room for my Dango Sharpie holder and my FourSevens pen light not pictured. Still, there’s room with those two additional items. Velcro is strong so no worries about accidental spills while wearing.

Durable material. Well made and though I hard use my gear, this little gem will outlast me.

There are so many great things about this bag (as others have mentioned) that it’s a shame there were also a couple of little things that really should have been changed/improved. The shoulder pad is comfortable and the latch mechanism makes adjusting the strap length so easy.

It takes seconds, compared to other bags where you manually have to feed the strap through various buckle loops. That said, the latch popped open very easily while wearing it. A very simple change to the shoulder pad – adding some grippy material on the inside – would have made it much more stable when carrying it on the same side as the bag.

The main thing that was the real deal-breaker for me was the tiny little water bottle holder pouches on the inside of the bag. I have oodles of water bottles and coffee travel mugs and not a single one fit in those tiny little pouches.

The only thing that did fit was a squishy little disposable water bottle which nobody should be using anyway. The other annoying thing about not having an outside bottle holder is that you have open the bag whenever you want a drink.

Not a big deal really, until it starts getting annoying. Other than that the bag is excellent, but the slippery shoulder pad and the silly little inside bottle pouches resulted in my returning it.

After years of internal debate, I purchased the X-small version of this messenger bag on March 12, 2020 and have no regrets. It’s the closest thing I have come to finding a replacement for the legendary MEC Carry-All Shoulder Bag and the MEC Travel All Shoulder Bag that have now been discontinued.

It has an interior mesh pocket for a smallish narrow water bottle or travel hand sanitizer. There is one interior sleeve and most of the bag is a large void that fits books, tablet, phone and a face mask.

It’s all good. Sadly right after making this purchase Social Distancing happened so now this bag mostly just looks stylish hanging on a peg in my front foyer. But one day soon I will carry it down a crowded street and pop into a cafe and life will be grand.

I have used this messenger bag as an everyday carry for over two years and have taken it travelling, to work, to construction sites, you name it. The clean design makes it very easy to pair with my nicer work clothes without looking too incongruous.

The biggest deal breaker in the design that prevents me from buying the bag again if my current one gives out is that the velcro hooks are on the outside face of the bag instead of the flap and I see this across the entire line of Timbuk2 bags.

The hooks are always exposed unless your bag is virtually empty. I find that this always manages to snag on fabrics such as a jacket lining, silks, weaves, fine knits, sweaters etc. This is a major hassle and I always have to be careful about the placement of the bag which is not what you want in an everyday carry.

If they just switched it so they put the loop side of the velcro on the face of the bag, it would be the perfect bag!! I hope Timbuk2 reads this and makes some changes.

This review is quite detailed because that’s what would help me in the decision process. Headline: Best laptop travel briefcase I’ve found in years. Could benefit from very minor improvement. I bought this briefcase through my local Timbuk2 retailer where i could inspect and play with it.

I do a lot of professional international travel. I need a robust, comfortable bag that will accommodate my 13″ MacBook Air, some papers, charger, cords, business cards, pens and a book or journal. It needs to fit under an economy seat with room for my feet.

I’m impatient, so access and easy to carry are fundamental. I also commute to my office by bike. This bag is nearly the most perfect briefcase i’ve found in years. Here’s why, and below I have some recommendations.

I love: 1. Small but deep. Compact, but holds what i need for a 7 day international trip. 2. The sleeve on the back that goes over a roller board handle works perfectly with my Timbuk2 carry-on suitcase.

(Or, I suspect, any carry-on with a double-pole handle system. ) 3. The bag can be picked by the handle on top, whether or not it is latched, without incident. I’ve had bags with no handle, (a drag!), or those with a handle, but when you lift it must be latched or they go all over the place.

4. Laptop sleeve in the back, not in main compartment. This took me some time to get used to. But, it is a brilliant design. I can pull out my laptop very easily without digging around, great when sitting in the middle seat on an economy flight, or when it’s attached to my carry-on.

5. Zipper side pocket with long-ish tether. I can easily keep my keys safely tucked away. But, doesn’t work well for my passport. 6. Elastic side pocket. perfect for earphones! It needs: 1. Pen sleeves.

I don’t like dumping my pens into the bottom of a pocket. 2. Anti-slip material on the shoulder strap pad, slips off my shoulder all the time.

Normally I only consider a bag if it has a zipper, I tend to drop my bag a lot and I’m usually that person running for the bus, so I like the security a zipper provides. This bag does not have a zipper over the main compartment, though it does have an easy access zipped computer pouch and a zipper pocket on the inside.

There is also a small zipper compartment with side access for keys, which is probably my favorite feature. I was pleasantly surprised that the construction of the bag provides a level of security I was not expecting and in all my running late, clumsy glory I haven’t once felt like I was going to lose or drop anything! It has a thin shape, but I’m shocked at how much it holds and I LOVE the second strap that wraps around preventing the awkward thumping of the bag if I have to run for the bus.

The closer case is a nice blend of a standard messenger bag and a computer case. Messenger bags usually don’t provide much protection for computers and computer bags can barely fit my computer and charger let alone a water bottle.

This bag allows for a stylish mix of the two and the easy access pocket for the computer is a definite plus! The only downside I’ve found in my two weeks of using the closer case is that the water bottle pocket on the outside doesn’t fit my stainless steel water bottle (it easily fits a standard plastic bottle though), but I don’t mind leaving that in the main compartment (since it’s nowhere near my computer) and I use the pocket for my umbrella.

And I would have loved a second small side access zippered pocket on the other side of the bag since I carry my bag opposite of most people. All considered though, this bag is AMAZING and I am so glad that I got to try something outside my norm!.

I’ve been looking for a replacement for my briefcase and after much research finally landed on this Closer Laptop Briefcase. I like the static color. Overall the bag is well crafted and designed. The zipper pouches for computer and tablet are a huge plus compared to the bag I used previously.

I like the option of carrying the bag as a briefcase, shoulder back or messenger bag. This is exactly what I needed. Things I would change: I need at least one more zipper pouch INSIDE the bag for loose items – computer thumb drives, pens, accessories, change, headphones etc.

that I just feel could fall out. I use the bag when traveling for work and I’m neurotic about organizing my items and double checking I’ve got everything. My previous bag had more zipper pockets for things.

I would also add 1″-2″ in thickness. Once I put my iPad Pro w/ cover and a MacBook Pro in the bag it is super tight. I’m thinking maybe put the iPad in an open pocket instead of the zipper pocket, this might loosen things up a bit.

With a little tweaking this would be the perfect bag for a designer on the go. Regardless I love my new briefcase and would recommend it to anyone.

I’ve been using my current commuter Timbuk2 messenger bag with really great features that seem to have been discontinued in all of the current bags for well over 10 years. Just only in the last year or so, the waterproof lining started flaking off to a point where it’s in the crevice of everything I carry, so I thought now might be a time to get a new bag.

I was really impressed with the quality of their bags so I gave no second thought and ordered the lightweight messenger bag in medium. A few points: – Perhaps the catch is that it’s lightweight, but with my laptop and notebooks, the material of the bag is not at all firm enough to stand on its own unlike my old timbuk2 bag.

Compared to the previous version, I am shocked to see how flexible this material is — it is light but far too flexible/flimsy in its shape for me. Wish this was better shown in the video or in the description before I purchased this.

– Laptop compartment does not have a flap on the top to work as a closure, so with the more flexible material, it just all hangs out there wide open in the bag. I loved that things used to held to their place in this bag, what happened here? – Strike two on the laptop compartment: there is no cushion at all for laptops in this bag on the back.

I’m not sure why this was ever removed from the design, but this is a major flaw for me. – I love the new (to me) water bottle holder inside the bag to keep it from rolling around. – Strap adjustment mechanism has been updated and it is smaller in size than previously and I think is great Long story short, I am incredibly disappointed and already have the bag wrapped up and ready to be dropped off for return.

Rather frustrated that I’m not having to pay the shipping cost to return this bag. I can see how this could be great for a smaller size, but if you’re looking for a commuter bag that you don’t carry your laptop/tablets, this would be a great bag.

Otherwise, suggest you consider other options.

I had a sudden need to carry a few items with me everywhere, so I needed a bag. I don’t like most backpacks since they’re just too big for my everyday needs. This holds my day planner (8. 5″ x 5. 5″), iPhone charger, sunglasses, medication, credit cards, and phone.

I don’t want to carry a lot, so this x-small bag was perfect for me. I like that I can put my cards in the front pocket, my phone in the pocket behind that, and keys in a small pocket inside the main compartment.

I know exactly where everything is and can find it quickly. It’s not great for water. A standard 16. 9 oz bottle of Dasani fits in the internal bottle pocket, but none of my reusable bottles fit. I’m sure you could find one that does, though I’m 5’8″ and the bag hangs at my butt when I carry it cross-body.

I ride a motorcycle, and I like how easily I can shorten the strap so it’s tight on my back as I ride. My only gripe is that it doesn’t have a pen holder. Why is this really basic feature missing? It would be so easy to put it on the main compartment divider.

I found a “pen clip” designed for notebooks that I put on the divider, but I’m concerned it will permanently damage the divider itself. At least it’s working. This being my first non-backpack bag, I looked at a lot of bags before buying this.

I think it’s well laid out, looks great, seems really well made, and comfortable to carry. I never realized how nice it was to have a bag you take with you everywhere.

Use this bag daily. Not too crazy about: – the magnetic clasp loop that is supposed to help cinch the bag closed snug; doesn’t help much. – moving the elastic webbing for eyeglass case/water bottle to the inside of the bag; eats-up space.

– the napoleon pocket, zippered pocket, and shove it pocket being piled on top of each other; can get bulky quick. – the ineffective pen pouch; bag frequently vomits pens. – the lack of padding in laptop/tablet pouch.

– the “adjustable” shoulder strap; mechanism fails and strap slips. My 10 y/o timbuk2 TSA friendly commuter bag was better designed.

OK, so I was looking for a man-bag (or man-purse if you will). The XS is one of the few messengers small enough so it can be carried everywhere you go as it’s good for your daily man accessories. It’s basically large enough to store your tablet and a few other accessories.

You can also use it as a mirrorless camera bag, or even a mini-diaper bag (I used it to hold diapers for toddler, change of clothes and snacks), or as a travel bag. waterbottle, packable shell, umbrella, point and shoot camera, documents for a daytrip.

I don’t really use the extra clasps on the flaps as the Velcro by itself holds the flap closed, so they just dangle there. Of course, if you want to be discrete, the velcro does make a lot of noise. The shoulder strap is comfy and the bag looks classic just like the name suggests.

The material on my bag is Cordura (though they have several types of materials in this style) which will be durable and easy to wipe clean.

I purchased the all-black one, and its quite close to what I was looking for, but fails to become an all-purpose backpack for me. I’m a petite 5′-3″ female runner that enjoys running on my commutes to/from work.

I’m also an architect, so this review is coming from a designer’s personal perspective on balance between aesthetic, function, resilience, and flexibility. The size is just right for my frame, and the all-black minimalist aesthetic works for my job.

However, I wish it came with sternum and waist straps, or the ability to attach the Timbuk2 sternum straps to create a closer fit so things don’t jostle as much when I run. I also wish this was waterproof as it rains quite randomly here in NY.

Obviously I haven’t used this for running yet as it’s not suitable, but if Timbuk2 would like to improve the Hero for a wider demographic, I think this would be a great next step. On the flip-side, I do find this helpful to carry the hefty Lenovo laptop and wires that my company gave me when I need to travel, but again I wish it had a sternum strap or two to distribute the load more evenly.

I find my shoulders keep getting pulled down and back, to the point where it’s actually quite painful. I do like the roll-top function though as it affords flexibility to store groceries, bulky jackets, etc, but it would be nice to have two buckles to effectively pack down the items.

The side pockets are pretty helpful for carrying my water bottle and umbrella, but they don’t have any drainage holes and I think it would hold on to water when it rains, even though the fabric is permeable.

Similar observation for the front zipper pocket- its a place where water could puddle and permeate into when it rains. Overall, it’s not super great as an all-purpose hard-working backpack for an active, petite, female who lives in rainy climate like myself.

However, if Timbuk2 made the simple improvement of adding sternum traps and drain holes, that would elevate it immensely.

I love the look of this backpack and the roll top allows me to store much more than my previous zippered MEC pack. I was looking for style and more storage so it checks those boxes for me, however, I do find the straps a bit uncomfortable when the bag is truly filled.

There isn’t much in the way of padding – the straps seem thin and sort of dig into you when the bag is heavy (my mec bag has more comfort in that way). Also the front pocket is basically rendered useless once you fill the bag halfway – you have to scrap your had past the chunky front plastic zipper in order to squeeze into the front pocket to retrieve keys or whatever you’ve put in there.

It seems spacious when the bag is empty but because its not a true exterior pocket everything gets squashed as soon as the bag is in use. Side pockets work slightly better though and I can fit a water bottle or other gear in there most of the time.

The colour is definitely quite close to the photos, just perhaps slightly less of an orange tinge – slightly more muted overall. Great style for a casual backpack for day-to-day use but not incredibly technical by any stretch of the imagination.

I’d recommend it if you’re okay with that. My partner has a different Timbuk2 backpack that seems more technical and heavy duty. His is several years old and he still loves it.

I transferred my usual daily items from my North Face to Timbuk2: a 14′ HP Spectre, cable bag (all my cables, adapters, USBs etc) personal booklets – Senior citizen booklets, coins, paper money, house, office and car keys, mini-box of medicines and some.

Timbuk2 is deep, really deep but lacks the pockets on the sides and back plus all the compartments, pockets inside. I am a regular columnist with the Manila Times, the Philippines oldest and respected daily.

I need the functionality of my North Face. The good news is I can put an extra shirt and towel. But I have a gym bag for that since I cannot mix the sweaty gym apparel with my daily items. The strap and back are not padded.

When bag is heavy, the strap digs into my shoulders. Deeply disappointed. Will check comparable Timbuk2 bag next time.

I love this bag. It is small but large enough to fit everything I need on a daily basis. What I am currently carrying inside: – iPhone 11 Pro – bi-fold wallet – 6 gift cards – 1 first aid portable pack (2 alcohol swabs, 13 bandaids of various sizes) – a 3 oz bottle of hand sanitizer – 1 epi-pen – 1 hydrocortisone tube – tiny pill container (8 ibuprofen, 2 Pepcid, 1 Claritin, 2 aspirin, 1 Aleve) – mini hair clip – 2 sets of noise reducing ear plugs for concerts – 2 albuterol inhalers – 1 mascara/ 2 eyeliners – tweezers – 1 pair of extra contact lenses – eye drops (0.

5 fl oz/ 15 mL) – dental floss – 1 pen – car key, house key, apartment keys, portable phone charger, air pods, dog poop bag dispenser – compact mirror – portable Apple Watch charger – 2-3 KN95 face masks I actually just attempted to switch out of this bag and into another bag (different brand) I received as a gift (RFID protection) and I went right back to my Timbuk2 pack because it is honestly the best! Even with as much as I carry daily it is easy access and I know where everything is.

Plus the soft lining protects everything inside. I’ve been using this for the last 6 months or so and it still looks brand new. It is super sturdy. The handles are great when I need to quickly grab the bag and don’t want to wear it crossbody.

Great little bag for running errands around the city, going to sporting events, or even hiking. In the past I’ve been able to fit my Switch inside, which is wonderful. It can’t exactly fit my 20oz flask, however I am able to fit a 16.

9oz water bottle; I’ve even fit two 187ml (6. 3 oz) Prosecco bottles. It goes without mention but it fits the items above in addition to my sunglasses, wallet, mask, hand sanitizer, keys, and phone. The carabiner style straps are extremely sturdy, as are the handles which are of great use when I have to grab this bag from the backseat of my car.

Absolutely love this bag, my only request would be to have a water resistant version, if not a fully waterproof one! Considering purchasing a second but I may go for the Mini in order to use for my trips to amusement parks as it has more compartments.

I can’t recommend the Spark Micro enough. Super high quality and worth every penny.

Loved this bag for its size. Perfect for carrying a large smartphone, a wallet, chapstick and stuff. It’s made of good fabric and the construction is great. The zipper on top is easily operable. It is perfect for international travel, when you have to open the bag several times for quickly retrieving your boarding passes and passport.

My only gripe is the fleece like material used for lining the insides of the bag, which doesn’t make too much sense being there. A more appropriate synthetic material would have been perfect in its place.

Since I’ve started going into the office a few days a week, I’ve wanted to get a convertible tote/backpack to carry my laptop back and forth. I prefer a tote bag while commuting on public transit because it’s more secure, but I like having a backpack option for when I walk part of the way home – and for transiting through airports.

This bag is almost perfect. It’s lightweight but still provides enough padding for my laptop, and I can fit both my 13″ work laptop and my 15″ personal laptop in it if necessary. The shoulder straps are long enough that I can carry the bag comfortably over my shoulder even if I’m wearing a winter coat.

The granite colour (a mid grey/blue shade) is a nice change from black, and the light grey lining makes it easy to find things in the bag. The outside zip pocket works well for carrying a transit pass, office key card, keys (clipped to the lanyard so I don’t lose them) and phone, while the sunglass pouch is a great pocket for storing a mask (plus a spare).

It’s easy to convert the bag to a backpack and the shoulder straps (or backpack straps) store out of the way when not needed. I also like the vertical/portrait orientation of the bag, because it takes up less space when I’m carrying it in a crowded subway.

And I like having an interior zip pocket (for security) to carry my wallet. I was a little worried that the bag would be too big for my frame (I’m 5’7″). The bag is a bit long, but it’s not overwhelming.

There are a few details that could be improved: it would be nice to have a pair of zippers on the outer pocket, so that I could open the pocket from the top and not risk spilling something out the side.

The interior zip pocket that I use for my wallet could be a little bigger. And it would be nice to have a little padding on the shoulder straps – when the bag is packed full, it’s heavy on my shoulders.

But these are minor details.

This is an excellent tote pack for a minimalist. Although the main compartment is slim, the excellent organizational pockets throughout allow you to carry more than you think. This is perfect for a urban commuters needs, but definitely not for a weekend getaway.

Love the dedicated phone pocket. Fits my iPhone 12 Pro with wallet case, no problem. Love that it sits upright on its own. Great travel companion and everyday. Only drawback-Timbuk2 is usually great at organizer panels and pockets, so why isn’t there a sleeve for sunglasses, pen holders, etc.

Needs these in the second compartment. On the back of the bag another stash pocket for a bigger phone or other quick stash items would be great too.

I am so happy with this bag! It’s minimalistic yet very functional and lightweight even when full. I’ve been using other brands of bags and this is my first Timbuk2 bag; I like this bag more than the others.

It’s compact yet holds pretty much everything I carry on a daily basis – wallet, eyeglass case, cell phone, tissue, hand sanitizer and wipes, face masks, and lip balm. and it maintains a slim profile when full.

I am very particular when it comes to bags, and would highly recommend this one! Buy it today – you won’t regret it!😊.

I bought my bf the Authority bag for his birthday. He loved it, so I decided to get a timbuk2 for myself. I carry my laptop (13″ macbook pro), notebook, folder, lunch, water bottle, and book each day.

I’m very happy with the quality of this bag. One thing I would suggest, is it is almost impossible to tell the difference between the different fabrics (asides from the colors) on the website. I compared the fabrics to my bf bag, but otherwise I would not have been able to tell the texture/water resistance of any of the fabrics online.

Pros: I chose this bag over others because I has all the features I was looking for, seemed big enough to fit all my stuff, but still looked relatively sleek. I love the trolley sleeve and wanted a water bottle pocket (it doesn’t fit my Nalgene, but I can clip it to the side with one of the buckles.

The lap top sleeve is very padded, as well as the back panel and straps. It’s very comfortable to wear. The front panel of my bag is the canvas material because it is the only fabric that came in white and I was worried about water-resistance, but I wore it in the pouring rain last week and my stuff was fine.

I may spray it with water proofing in the future. Cons: The buckles are kind of annoying since they block you from unzipping the bag all the way. They should be attached on the other side of the zipper in my opinion.

The bag seems too tall, and not deep enough (from front to back). I don’t carry that much stuff, and I struggle to get it all to fit. The annoying part, is there’s plenty of room on top of my stuff. It seems this space should be allocated to make the bag half an inch deeper.

Since it’s packed tightly, this makes getting things out of the front pocket difficult. I wish there were a smaller outside pocket to put my wallet. I either need to dig it out of the front pocket (hard to do) or upzip two zippers if it’s in the inside pocket.

Another note, the front pockets share the same space, so it’s hard if both have things inside.

I use this to pack up all my work stuff and shuttle it between the house and the office. Because of covid that’s only 1-2 times per week right now, so it’s possible that I just haven’t used the bag enough yet to be aware of other pros and cons.

But here are the pros I know: the organization of the main pocket is great, plenty of spots for cords/phone/etc. , room for a notepad, a little zipped compartment for change or other small objects. The bag is comfortable and light, and stands up on its own (instead of collapsing into an amorphous mass if the laptop isn’t in there).

It also looks nice and streamlined, so I feel like an adult instead of like I’m on the Magic School Bus. The cons: I don’t love the material – it feels a little plastic – but I’m guessing that will help with water resistance.

A bigger issue, and one that other reviewers have mentioned, is the pocket on the very front, which is very irritating to access due to the lip over it. Again, this might help keep water out of the bag, but I can only put very low-frequency things in there because my hand (which is SMALL!) has trouble dealing with it, even unzipping it is a pain.

Also, the “water bottle” holder on the side of the bag is maybe fine for very thin bottles, but I use a nalgene and the pocket is nowhere near big enough to hold it. There’s also no room inside the bag, but that’s not unexpected.

I use the water bottle holder for an umbrella instead.

So far I love this bag! It’s smaller than my previous backpack but packs a huge punch. I’m 6’1 and the pack hangs out on the upper portion of my torso, which felt weird at first as I wasn’t used to it, but that’s not a negative criticism by any means.

The material is durable and rugged while maintaining a nice, classy appearance. I love that the laptop compartment is nice and tight so things don’t slide around. The main compartment is a perfect size in my opinion; it holds everything I need it to but is efficient and compact.

I am able to fit several books, a Macbook charger with extension, and a sweater with some room to spare. The front-facing outside pocket is great as a sort of miscellaneous compartment for things like wallets, keys, USB/Thunderbolt cables.

A perfect place for when you just need to quickly throw something and forget about it. And I love that this pocket has a key hook so I don’t have to spend 5 min trying to find my car key fob at the bottom of my bag.

The straps are incredibly comfortable and there is ample padding. I was telling a friend that the backpack feels so good when you wear it that I don’t want to take it off. My only complaint is that the pockets in the main compartment are too deep.

I will place an item in them and can’t reach it because it goes so far down. I also forget about things I put in there because I can’t see them. I would rather have smaller pockets and be able to organize things properly than more real estate and never want to put things in there for fear of being lost.

That’s the only reason I give this 4 stars, and I truly love everything else about the pack!.

This bag is terrific! I love the build quality and the materials. I really was impressed with how quickly I received it! For a made-to-spec item, it was really fast! It looks great. The capacity is huge! I like the design too – it collapses to accommodate a minimum load, but expands when I need to carry a lot of stuff.

I usually travel light, so it doesn’t look like a big empty bag when it’s not full. The things I’d change are pretty simple. I’d love to have one outside access pocket or a zipper that allows access to the main compartment from the top flap.

There’s too much work to just drop my notebook or earbuds into the bag. Some kind of storage pocket or internal access, without both buckles and velcro would make a big difference. I’d rather never have another black interior bag.

It’s just too dark and stuff disappears into the depths. I use black pens. they fall down into the main compartment, and I can only find them by touch. I simply can’t see to the bottom. Gray would be fine – really any light color would make a world of difference.

Size is another fine point – I’m not unhappy about this, but it’s worth mentioning. I use a 16″ Macbook Pro. This bag is way bigger than necessary for my laptop. I am sure that a small bag would have been sufficient.

I just couldn’t figure out the size requirements, and the website suggested a medium bag. So I went with that, and I’m happy with it. But I might have preferred a smaller bag.

It’s my day to day work bag. It has the right pockets and configuration I need. Great colour options however the shoulder strap and the buckle/clips are not as robust as the older style. The buckle comes undone easily and way too often.

(My old timbuk2 bag’s buckle never came undone by itself in my 15 years of using it). The straps, much to my disappointment have been downgraded to a less firm material therefore it’s twisting a lot and due to its softness, it has quite possibly caused the buckle to keep coming undone.

Was very happy with my old version of the bag but my new one is a 6 out of 10 replacement, sadly.

This bag looks very cool in an understated way and is far roomier than I’d expected. I got it for my 5th grade son who wanted it as his park bag for Disney World this summer. Until then he’s using it as his school bag.

It fits his Chromebook, charger, pencil/ marker box, subject folders (filled with tons of papers I’m sure he doesn’t need), 26 oz water bottle, headphones, paperback and a few other random things 11 year olds bring to school.

It is a pretty heavy bag to start with so with all this stuff in it it’s really too heavy for a school bag but everything does fit with no problem. It will make a perfect bag for hanging out in the city, traveling and will be perfect for him to be in charge of his own water, snacks, camera, snacks and poncho at the parks.

Two things to note: the front pockets are pretty small so if you have big hands and the bag is very full they may be hard to use (I have kid-sized hands so have no problem). Second, the strap padding is pretty thin and permanently attached so it would be awkward to add more.

If you plan to carry anything heavy (like my son’s giant Chromebook and super-sized charger) this may be very uncomfortable.

Love the style. Beautiful leather. Rough, but sturdy waxed canvas. Maybe a little too rough for this city boy. Perhaps if the canvas was lined inside, I’d feel more comfortable putting a computer in the sleeve.

Right now I’ve put the laptop in a light, poly-something-or-other sleeve before sliding it inside the bag. Nevertheless, I do love the Dakota Waxed Canvas Messenger Bag. Perhaps, at the same time, I’ve found and lost my wild.

For unlike Thoreau, I can “live deliberately” hiking down to the casino level at the Wynn where the Dakota Waxed Canvas Messenger is just as fitting. Many thanks. KF.

This bag has exceeded my expectations. It looks, feels, and smeLls totally auThentic and good quality. The style is whaT really sets it aPart imho. It Oozes with class and stYle. The color is darker than pictured.

It’s a dark navy, almost blaCk, but still goes well with The leather color. The shoulder strap material is a wool and my worry initially was that it was going to be soft and wEar out, but the way they’ve stiTched it makes it tight and it seems like it’ll hold up quite well.

This bag is a mOdern classic. I’m considering bUying a duffle or weekend bag now too. It’s That good.

I looked for ages for a large Messenger. Most are either too small or too narrow or too Filson. I bought the BJ messenger as I thought it ticked all boxes. Well. Design Materials and craftsmanship are good.

But there is a gaping 3″ opening on either side of the top flap when closed. Big enough to get a hand in there. Did anyone consider security? Rain? What about small items? Soaking wet notebooks and destroyed tech pouch.

Also, the side pockets’ flaps, have a huge gap when closed, and no place to punch extra holes in the straps. Nothing small will stay in them, if the bag were to be put on it’s side. The buckles and fittings are the real weak points in the design.

Black coated? Why? They are already chipping and look awful. For the price, why no brass? Not entirely happy.