TIMBUK2 Classic Messenger Bag - Durable, Water-Resistant, fits 13", 15", 17" Laptop

I'll start off by saying that I recently bought last years model of this same bag in medium. Once I saw this new bag with the different features I thought "Sure, lets try it out". However, I found that the medium bag I had before was massive! I had a ton of extra room in it after fitting in all my stuff. I decided on ordering the small this time and if I didn't like it, I would simply return it. But just to be safe, I ordered a medium as well. So here I sit with three different Timbuk2 bags. Here are my thoughts on the small and medium 2014 bags.Small:The small bag is great if you need to hold a laptop and a few folders. There are plenty of pockets to keep yourself organized and hold your smaller things. However, I found that this size was just not practical for me. I am a first year teacher that does not have a personal classroom meaning that I travel with my laptop, binder, lunch, water bottle, coffee mug, and several folders throughout the day.With this bag, I was able to fit my binder, laptop, and the folders. It was a tight squeeze though and that bag looked stuffed with all of those things in it. Seeing as I still needed to fit my extras in it, this bag was sadly out of the picture.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Medium:Like last years bag, this thing is huge. I can fit all of my things mentioned in the small review with ease. Additionally, I can fit a mini first aid kit, mints, aspirin, post it notes, pens, pencils, and whatever other small things I need. The only problem that I found with this is that my water bottle (32 oz Nalgene) causes one side to bulge. Overall, it wasn't that big of a deal and I can learn to live with it.When looking at the new features there were some things that I wish they didn't remove.1) The new single pocket front. The three separate pockets on last years bag I found were more intuitive and had better organization.2) The inner pockets. Unlike last year where there were several slash pockets, a velcro pocket, and pen spaces, this model has only slash pockets with one large zipper at the top.3) Instead of the cam buckle, Timbuk2 included a small piece of fabric that you pull to tighten the bag. It feels a little awkward to use at the moment but it make just take some time to get used to.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Comfort:The new strap is amazing. The air pockets make carrying a heavy bag extremely easy and comfortable.Again, this bag is great, you can carry a massive amount of stuff in the medium size with room to spare. If you're struggling between the sizes like I was, make sure you read the dimensions carefully. While the small can hold a 13" laptop easily, there isn't much room for anything else. The medium bag will give you plenty of more room to hold your belongings.EDIT: Added some photos of the bags and their contents.

Well, I was on the fence between a medium and a small. I'm 6'2 and for my needs the small is the size that works for me best. I am absolutely thrilled about the construction and workmanship on this bag. It seems very durable and even the inside stitching (where other messenger bags fall short) feels sturdy and looks professional.I'm not using this as an overnight bag, but as an EDC day bag. I like messenger style bags because I can wear them on my body in different positions and find getting into them (while still on me) much easier then backpacks.As for the color choice, I am at an age where I'm just done with 'black' everything. I try to incorporate color where I can. The best way I can describe this red color is that is falls into a cherry tomato red vs. a fire engine red. Lol, I might be color blind, but let me tell you, I like the fact that it stands out in a crowd.I've been able to pare down what I take with me, and I'm down to a tablet, journal and few other daily items. Everyone is going to need a different size, but like I said initially, I like the small size of this bag. I'll probably get the medium as an overnight crash bag, but for now I'm very happy with my purchase.If you like this review, let me know :D

At the time of my purchase (Dec 2018) there were two generations of this bag for sale under the same listing. I accidentally bought both when I thought the first one was missing a shoulder strap pad (more on that in a sec). I'll quickly break down the differences and explain why one is notably better than the other.With the Black Forrest color (and one other) you'll notice that they have the swirl logo on the flap and the name on the light/reflector loop at the bottom. This seems to be the identifying mark of what I'd call the better model. There are two main differences from the other models (which seem to have been downgraded).1) This is the big one for me: The interior compartment contains a dedicated, padded laptop/tablet sleeve (see attached interior pic). This sleeve is attached on the sides but not the bottom. This allows the sleeve to sit front, middle, or back depending on how you load the bag. I pack my large sketchbook behind and some misc items in front so the laptop sits a little more protected in the middle.1.5) The laptop compartment also has a handy pocket on it's front side that nicely fits my small sketchbook, or other small items I want quick access to.2) A minor, but very comfortable addition is the padded grab handle on the back. If you expect to spend any amount of time lugging this around by the handle (around the office, shuffling off at boarding call, etc), this is a very welcome luxury.Comparing this to all the other "value engineered" models: They have a simple pocket at the back of the bag's interior with no padding, no "capacity" allowance, and no small stash pocket on the front of the larger pocket. The other models also replace the nice padded handle with a strip of fabric that is quite uncomfortable when the bag is loaded.The one trade-off:The Black Forrest (and it's counterpart) do not come with a strap pad. I was bothered by this at first, but found that the strap is actually pretty comfortable as is once you get it positioned right. If I get soft and decide to go for more cush, Timbuk2 offers a more luxurious pad that can be purchased separately for just $15. That's a fair trade-off in my book.Whichever one you get, they are all well-built and come with the nicely designed cam-buckle strap. It's not as wide as the old pre-2014 ones, but it's comfortable enough and the no-dangle adjustment is really a nice upgrade.

This is my third Timbuk2 bag and although it's fairly robust it's a far lesser quality bag than my other bags including this particular model. There are fewer inside pockets which previously have kept my cards, adaptors, 7" tablet etc separate and secure. The outside pockets are a welcome addition but overall this is not the Timbuk2 bag I expected. I'll keep it as it's the size I need but I'll be looking for alternatives in future. It's a shame as Timbuk2 have had a great design and recipe for success and rather than improve on what they've done, have chosen instead to cut corners and cost.

Feed up with the usual black leather briefcase whenever I needed a new bag for work and thought I’d try something different. A messenger bag looked the best option as they are made to be worn over your shoulder as opposed to being carried. I selected a few that were the right size for me and the Timkuk2 bag had the best combination of style and function.It looks extremely well made and is very comfortable to carry over a shoulder. A number of good design touches include lots of pockets, adjustable width and a couple of grab handles. The colour scheme is also well judged; distinctive but not too over the top.First time I’ve been complemented on my choice of bag by total strangers!

Bought this as a day bag to hold my laptop, note books, my packed lunch and a change of clothes.It would barely fit a notebook and a small container for lunch.Looks great, and very good quality, but too small for anyone who likes to carry their home in their bag...I returned using the label the seller sent, but had to pay for this, which I wasn't expecting.Great if you don't need to carry much.

This would be my third Timbuk2 bag and sadly I cant say they're improving.Previously they were great with lots of little pockets, so you could easily organise the paraphenalia that goes with modern life (cables, adapters, business cards, more adapters, USB docs, more cables, chargers, passport, tickets, receipts, pens etc etc). Now they've cut them down by what seems like 60%.I doubt I'll purchase Timbuk2 again.

Replaced my old, tatty Timbuk2 bag that died after a hard life. Will be more than happy if this one lasts as long. Old one was bright green. I prefer the new colour.Great bag, on or off the bike.