Customer Reviews Timbuk2 Classic Messenger '13 (Extra Small)

I bought this bag thinking it may fit my 13" thin laptop. It doesn't. However, my iPad fits in the padded pouch with plenty of room. So if you have a small netbook or 11" laptop, it should work as well. As far as quality goes, the bag is just as sturdy as any other Timbuk2 messenger bags. I put them through a lot of abuse and they definitely hold up. I bought the dark gray and red combination. The colors are rich and attractive.

I love this bag. I just got back from San Diego where I used this bag for a conference and a day of sightseeing. And I am not sure if my backpack will make it back to work with me now that I have discovered the Timbuk2. Now let's start at the beginning. One thing that attracted me to the bag was the ad video showing that there was a cord that pulled across the waist to hold bag snugly on one's backside. That is a very UN-pursely feature that I was much looking forward to. I do not know about the larger bags, but I was extremely disappointed when I could not find this feature on extra small delivered to me. I thought it seemed much too like a purse and seriously considered returning it. I did not like the feel of it. Round two. I got the bag too close to my trip to spend time complaining, so I decided to make due for the weekend and complain later. Once loaded, even lightly, the pack felt better. More importantly, I discovered that while it lacked the across the waist strap, the single shoulder strap comes with a cinch system that allows you to tighten the back to your body. Once tightened, flip it around on your back and it rides with a back pack feel to it. That is very comfortable, secure, out of the way, and nothing like a purse. In retrospect, I decided that the strap I wanted would have been overkill on this extra small bag (and my threshold for overkill is not easily crossed). I love the way the bag feels riding on my back, and I love the way that I can easily rotate it around to my front side. If riding a bus, subway, tube, or in other crowded surroundings, just rotate the bag around to your front side and use it as an arm rest. In fact, the strap below the cinch easily functions as a make shift sling/arm rest. As for the removable shoulder pad, I removed it as I did not care with packing it along. I cannot comment on it, but I am liking the bag without it. I was glad to hear that others found the Velcro noisy in a conference setting. I solved that problem by sticking duct tape strips over the part of the Velcro system designed to catch the fuzzy part. No noise, and the latches held securely without the Velcro able to attach. I wish that I would have kept the tape on after the conference. When up early in the morning, messing with the bag tends to wake others in the room. I will be looking for something that looks nicer and can be easily attached or pulled up, depending on the circumstances. As for size; the dimensions given did not sound big enough. But I was easily able to fit my 11" Acer netbook and my large Kindle DX with heavy leather cover from Oberon into the bag. Mind you, the Kindle must be squeezed and shoved into the back partitioned pocket if the big Kindle cover is left on. IF the Kindle DX is removed from the cover, it easily fits into the large partitioned back pocket. I have ignored the partitioned pocket, and carried my Kindle DX and light Gortex jacket (just shell) in the bag. I can fit a few other things in the bag as well. It is roomier than it looks. Next big stop for this bag will be on my upcoming trip to Germany. Together with my travel vest, I should be well situated for touring. I hope that helps answer a few questions that troubled me when making the purchase. I am an enthusiastic convert to the Timbuk2.

Seems like a really sturdy bag, it is petite, could fit a notebook, library books, a lunch and some other items. Probably not large enough for most full-sized laptops. Gave it to someone as a gift, they liked it.

This bag is extremely heavy duty! I own 4 different Timbuk2 bags (mostly in smaller sizes), and when I needed something a bit bigger than my old Metro Timbuk2 bag, I got this size (x-small) for my trip to Europe. I knew I was going to be in wet weather, so this bag was perfect. I've been stuck in many a serious down pouring rain storm, and all of my stuff was safe and dry inside. This bag was no exception to that as I was caught out in the rain without an umbrella, just my North Face Ventura jacket and this bag. The shoulder strap was a nice touch, but I found it was a bit more annoying, perhaps because my other Timbuk2 bags don't have them. The shoulder strap is very thick and tough, so most of the time I pushed the shoulder strap behind my shoulder...though people should note you should really in a way "break-in" the bag, especially as the shoulder strap is really straight flat when you first get it, and have it form to your shoulder. The clamp on the side of the bag was also annoying as it never worked right for me. The bag's strap is so thick and wide it just kept on slipping. Good thing I wear this across my body as it made up for the constant slack. The velcro inside is very difficult to open easily, and made such a loud sound, I would avoid opening the bag in quiet places such as a museum. The new side pocket in the front was extremely helpful. I put my foreign currency (a small amount and mostly change) as I used this pocket more than ever. I used to put my small pocket map of the city there too, but I ended up keeping that in my jacket pocket. The key fob was flimsy, but I never use them...especially since I use this mostly as a travel bag and most keys for hotels/B&Bs didn't fit or were cards. This bag isn't really light when empty and easily gets weighted down. I had: Kindle, guidebook, small camera, pens, various papers/brochures/maps, wallet, passport, and small purchases and it got pretty hefty at times. I have the red/black/red and it was a nice slight darker color than what you see online. I appreciate the new extra pocket in the inside back of this bag that can fit many of the papers that I carried separate from the main compartment. The smaller inside zip pocket held my more delicate items such as my iPod and other items. All-in-all, this bag was an awesome travel bag, even though it's very stiff. I did get a lot of small circular bruises on my left thigh due to the corners of the bag which was tiny bit painful but after a few days it didn't bother me at all. This bag fits easily underneath the seat on planes with half of the space free. I've flung this bag around, it's been on the floor a few times, and dragged on the brick wall a couple of times...in the end it still keeps its color and still looks brand new. I interchanged this bag with another Kipling bag now depending on where I go. That bag doesn't bruise me and is more flexible and holds just the same or maybe more...Kipling Lancelot. This is a great unisex bag and I saw a few of them during my travels.

I ordered from another site but I have to say I adore this messenger! the extra small looks too small when you first get it out of the box but once you start filling it up you see how much it can hold! perfect for everyday and lighter school loads. I take this from work to school and use it as my everyday bag. Feels very secure on the back and the strap is not that bad, kinda bulky but I assume with time it will be more flexible. Very sturdy material and the clips seem stiff but stuff like that gets easier with time, that said these bags are built to last! Also some people complain about the velcro and the noise, get over it! It's not like people don't know what the sound is, I work in a hospital and no patient is getting bothered by me opening and closing the bag. I have the dark khaki/violet color and it's a very pretty neutral to go with anything. Saw it, got it, love it, now go buy it. :)

Love my new bag that I bought for myself for my birthday to replace a shoulder bag that I had had for 10 years from Lands End. Great size and very manageable.

Very stylish looking bag that's also sturdy and functional. Highly recommend!

This was bought as a birthday gift for my son-in-law to bring on a family trip to Italy. As my daughter said, now I don't have to carry all the maps and guide books. The recipient loves the bag and his first of the kind. He says it does not look like a man's purse, it's a bag, a man's bag.

This is an awesome bag, not overwhelmingly big. I added a padded sleeve, and it's perfect for my SLR camera with lens, and extra lens, with lots of little pockets for memory cards, batteries and the like. And it doesn't scream "I've got good camera equipment in here!" when you're traveling in iffy areas. Waterproof lining and durable exterior and comfy for long hikes. Love it!

Perfect smaller messenger bag. Great for wandering cities or day treks. Carries water bottle, camera, wallet (in hidden inner zip pouch), cell phone, etc. Loved it in Egypt, riding camels, climbing the pyramids, shopping in crowded bazaars.

Perfect bag for me! I was looking for a small, lightweight messenger bag I could take with me to work every day and I couldn\'t be happier. It\'s comfortable and cute and holds all my essentials.

This bag is amazing! It is great for everyday usage, or for long distance traveling. You can pack a lot or a few things in this handy bag, and I am very happy that I decided to make this purchase. :)

Timbuk2 messenger bag extra small - Excellent quality and looks. This bag is the best of its kind.

Great urban bag! Needed a messenger bag that wasn't humongous and light. Bingo! Here it is. Carry a little. Carry a lot!

The perfect bag - This bag is the perfect size to carry with you. It closes well. Going to Germany and I hope it is as perfect as I think it will be to carry personal stuff and the travel book as well as maybe some extra stuff. Great size for a camera bag.

Just another great product - I've been using this bad for a few weeks now and I don't have any complaints at all, and I get so many compliments about the looks of this bag. It's so handy, portable, comfortable and it has a lot of room and it doesn't look bulky. I'm so glad I bought it.

I love it! It was just as I expected. A friend of mine has a similar one. It's a great bag. Zappos is the best was to go. They have a ton to choose from and there shipping is overnight. I love this site.

The perfect bag!! I debated for the longest time between this bag and the timbuk2 metro. I'm sooo happy I chose this one! It’s the perfect size where it holds plenty but still is compact like a purse. I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a good everyday bag. You won't be sorry!

Timbuk2 Extra Small - A great style and that's just the right size. Love the colors.

Almost perfect..... I returned this bag for only one reason. Everything about it was perfect except for the shoulder strap. The strap is adjustable but the design for dealing with the excess strap material was a little bulky. Any excess is looped around itself and held under a black clip which didn't hold as tightly as I would have liked. It also seemed to make the bag heavier. If I had wanted to make the strap much shorter it would have made it difficult to do so. I really loved everything else and hope to find a Timbuk2 bag with a better designed adjustable strap. I love Zappos for its quick hassle-free service. Thanks!!

Uncomfortable to carry - I bought this bag for a trip to Europe. It was the perfect size for a compact airline carry-on bag (lots of pockets), but larger/bulkier than I expected for everyday walking travel. I am short/petite and the bag was much less comfortable to carry than your typical backpack. The shoulder strap is thick and rubbed painfully against my shoulders (caused blisters on both sides after several days!) I will say that the bag felt secure (heavy velcro straps and clips), though there is no zipper under the flap to completely secure items. The bag does look nice (I bought the grey/green one), and I got many compliments on it from friends and even my boyfriend--I may give it to someone who is more comfortable carrying it. The service from Zappos was excellent--this was a last-minute purchase the week before I left and it arrived within 48 hrs, but I would have returned it had I more time to purchase an alternative bag.

Too large for my needs - And I didn't like having to fasten and unfasten the clips to use it. Thanks, Zappos for hassle-free returns!

I bought this bag because I wanted to carry around my DSLR in the same bag as my normal purse-type items and not advertise that I had expensive camera equipment. I bought the all-black one so that it would not look as casual. I am 5'1, so the extra small looks like the right size on me (when I look at myself in the mirror), but this bag is definitely roomy enough to hold everything! I have a Canon 7D with a 24-105 lens and an external Canon Speedlite 420 flash. I plan to add a Camaroo padded insert for my camera and lens, and then I'll be all set to go for day trips, vacations or just around town!

I was looking for a messenger bag for my surface pro tablet. I remembered the brand Timbuk2, because years ago a bike messenger friend of mine had one when we were in school in DC together. I can't be any happier with this bag. I want something that I could take with me that wouldn't be too cumbersome to lug around. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that this bag comes in 3 different sizes. I Chose the smallest of the 3. Now, fair warning this is just big enough to house the 11 inch tablet in sleeve, power cords and any other small items you need. I.e. pens, cell phone, keys. I've had the Timbuk2 for about 3 months now and it has not let me down yet. If you are in the market for a constructed, versatile messenger, look no further. This one is a winner.

This is a great little bag for carrying just about anything. It is very comfortable to wear cross-body and has a separate section where I carry my Nook. Works well for everyday use.