Customer Reviews Timbuk2 Classic Messenger Bag - Large

I love the weight & size of this bag.it is durable,adjusts to what length I need for shoulder strap,. It fits under plane seats and has multiple pockets for safe storage of personal items. My one complaint is that the water bottle pockets are not big enough for my water bottle(a Yeti ,26oz.).

Overall I love this bag. The style and build quality are excellent. I expect to be using this bag for many, many years. It is the perfect size and is comfortable to wear. There are however two things that could be improved. First is the water bottle pocket. It is very small so most water bottles will be difficult to fit in it. I am using it as an extra storage pocket and just putting my water bottle in the main area. Second is the carry handle. It is mounted on the back side of the bag instead of the top. Because of this I find that it can dig into my back at times. Adjusting the bag on my shoulder I am able to eliminate the discomfort, but it would have been better to have the handle on top where it wouldn't be an issue.

I use this bag daily to replace the Classic Messenger bag I bought from 10 years ago. Some features I like: strap excess easier to manage, taller storage space, grab handle is major upgrade, options for hi-vis and crazy bright colors. Stuff that could improve: standard strap pad should be included (I used the one from my old bag), cross body strap should be longer (I'm US Large sizes and this strap barely reaches from the buckle side where I prefer it), and flap straps now go all the way around bag vs just the face (I rarely use them so its just more straps to dangle/flap). Overall, fantastic bag and glad to have a new one to replace my decade old and tattered one.

The colors are great and i love the bag but the strap needs to be longer. They used to be much longer but this one barely fits as a crossbody for me (plus sized) or for my 6'4" son. Even if an extra long strap was an option i could pay for - that would be better.

Great bag and meets my personality and the the rain resistance material is great too.

I bought this bag to replace my 10 year old classic messenger, which after many faithful years of daily use was finally reaching the point where stitching didn't work. As an avid fan of this brand, I was disappointed to find out after purchase, that their custom bags are no longer made in San Francisco; one of the major reasons I went custom this time. This didn't knock points off for me, but the quality is less than previous purchases. The slash pocket stitching for example, has already come undone after a week of use (without a laptop). An easy fix, but surprising nonetheless. Still satisfied.

After early use seems great. Replaced an older one that just wore out from heavy use. Was pleasantly surprised at how quickly things moved from order to delivery - official estimate was overly conservative, like 1 to 4 weeks and it came in about a week. It is a bit bigger than I expected - I guess I used to have medium and this one is large and frankly I am losing stuff in it. Zippers are a little sticky but that might reduce with use.

Just got my sixth or seventh customer messenger bag from UPS and sadly I see a glaring yellow sticker on the packaging stating MADE IN MEXICO. I liked the custom bags as they were (usually?) made in the San Francisco factory (where my wife and I were given a wonderful tour several years back). I love my T2 bags but maybe it's time to just like them.

I purchased this bag to replace the need to drag three separate bags to and from school. This bag is beautifully suited for the job. With dividers and pockets, I can finally find my stuff quickly. The messenger style bag with the added strap pad makes heavy loads easier to haul and I can find my lanyard and keys while wearing it without trouble. The customization options allowed me to get exactly what I wanted. My ONLY reason for not rating it 5 stars is that there is just a slight plastic smell to it and I wonder how truly phthalate and chemical free the bag truly is. The US has far lower standards on that. Otherwise, this bag is perfect!

Bag itself is great and I love the colors. I was disappointed that the custom bags are now being made in Mexico, thought they were still made in California. Also the water bottle pockets are very small. They'd fit a small disposable water bottle but don't work for liter sized Nalgenes or even the smaller sized hydroflask bottles I own

This bag, which I configured with colors to match the French flag, carries all my books and supplies for my studies in the French language at the University of Maryland and Alliance Franaise in Washington, DC. The cavernous interior is vital for me (akin to the large bags that Kyra Sedgwick's character Brenda Leigh Johnson carried in the series "The Closer"). The bag easily holds everything I need, including books, notebooks, pens/pencils/supplies, umbrella, keys, laptop, iPad. Good times. I haven't yet tried it with the clip that prevents the bag from swinging as I walk, but I plan to soon. I love that the bag is waterproof. The optional carrying handle is vital to me because I've read that carrying such bags in the conventional manner is hard on the back (thank you, Wirecutter). Even so, on long walks across campus I find that sometimes carrying it on my back is more practical than using the carry handle (it's there, though not visible in the photo). When I carry it by the handle, my shoulders get fatigued after about a half-mile, requiring me to switch to the other hand. On really long walks, I'm thus having to switch back and forth between hands continually. It's not a dealbreaker by any means, and in any event I prefer this to a traditional backpack (which, at 47, I feel a bit silly carrying).

This is my second Timuk2 bag. After more than 12 years of daily use, it finally was time to retire. I love that you can customize colors and sizes now. I particularly appreciate the easy access for my iPad and secure Velcro. My only dislike if the seemingly thin should strap. It feels much thinner than my prior bag.

I love Timbuk2 bags. This is my fourth one, all still in use. Practical, useful, rugged yet stylish. I'm a nurse and. I carry all sorts of stuff to and from work, my Tmbuk2 bags keep me organized. My last bag doesn't fit my laptop and was starting to wear (this hadn't happened before) so I got a new one as a Christmas prezzie. The handle on the back and the tucked in snaps are great new additions. Looks awesome. My only complaint would be the webbing of the strap is not as sturdy as my old bags. The laptop section is organizational heaven. Can't wait to get it to work.

This is a very well made bag, and I do like it. The colors on the website are more muted on the website then what actually arrives, and I now wish I had used different colors. The tightening strap is also not as secure as I would like. Overall it is not a bad bag, and my next bag would be a smaller one.

I loved my old Timbuk2 bag and was looking forward to a custom colorway. What, no swirl logo?! I called customer service and was told the new parent company doesn't like the logo. Bad move to take away the iconic logo, part of the branding. Thinking of returning the bag.

Excellent service. Shipping arrived on time, marvellous since I am on the other side of the world. I have owned one of these before and they are just the best.

The custom messenger is made vert well and I've been using Timbuk2 since the 90's and went through several custom and specialty messenger bags so far. One medium, five large, and one XL which I really miss having. Always the same issue why I have to replace them. Their inner waterproof lining always breaks up and chips all over the place, which can't be helped nor repaired. Daily (7 days a week) use for me lasts about 4-7 years having multiple bags at a time and at the end of it's lifespan their exterior still looks great and well kept. But that might just be me with all my stuff. Of course I recommend their messenger bags, since I traveled the world with it and never do check in baggage. I believe the the longest distance I ever had to travel with it on my back non-stop was rollerblading over 20 miles from the train station to my parents home after midnight on Thanksgiving day during my collegiate years. Having had many different generations of their custom messenger bag, the only gripe I have is that they put less pockets. For me it's extremely useful to have them. Other than that Timbuk2 is always my daily go-to bag even though I always have a Manhattan Portage. And of course I have my designer (Prada, Gucci, LV, and etc.) messenger bags for certain work occasions/meetings. Though, one of the greatest things Timbuk2 has is being able to return your old bag and getting a percentage off for my next one.

This is a nice bag with lots of storage for a MacBook Pro 16" as well as notebooks, charger and a water bottle. I deducted one star because the logo is no longer stitched onto the front flap.

I'm glad that I was able to receive the protect as it was shown. The texture and the colors are just was I was hoping for. Also I use this to carry my books and other items. I do believe I would have like the xs one better.

Ordered this new bag for carrying my MacBook to work. This is my third Timbuk2 messenger bag. it is well built and should last through many years of abuse. There are a few things that bother me, first the color, I ordered a custom bag to match the custom iPad sleeve I ordered years ago. They do not match, not even close, they are both army green, the new one is a darker shade if army green, but the orange is a perfect match. The second thing is the strap that holds the laptop in place, it is way too long, I will end up moving the velcro so it actually holds my MacBook in place. Also the interior organization pockets inside have changed quite a bit, my old messenger bag has a zippered one and a velcro one with a soft lining. The new one just has pockets with no closures. Lastly just a suggestion, as my old messenger bag aged, it gathered many patches and pins, it would be great if there was a service where I could have sent my old bag in to have the patches put on the new bag when it was made so the stiching would not come though the rubber inner fabric. All in all, it is another very well made bag that I will grow to love and customize to my needs. I will buy another one in about ten years for sure!

Too much Velcro! I covered up a lot of it with duct tape.

Finally ordered a custom classic messenger. I was waiting for holiday sales. My bad. They discontinued the option for a swirl logo on the front of the bag. That accent and color options harken back to the original messenger bags and really set the custom bag apart. At 2x the cost of the stock bags, you'd think they would keep that option. Other than outside color choices, the custom bag isn't a value. Big disappointment. I wanted the reflective material since I commute by bike and winter is coming. Other than that, I'd recommend a pass on custom bag and just choose a stock bag. Timbuk2 classic messengers are still the best so you can't go wrong, but they really need to offer more in the custom version to justify the cost. If the color scheme is really important and you don't like any in the stock bags, then go ahead and splurge on custom. Quality and function will be the same as the stock bags.

Its a very useful bag. No instructions on how to add shoulder pad, or configure straps but partner she uses it as a shopping bag given the refusal of the manufacturer to send instructions to those of us who are technically challenged to unravel a knotted bunch of straps. Old timers may laugh but its a problem when it arrives tangled and bereft of a guide. Looks great. Obviously very well made.

Great product. Large enough for computer and more. Well built.

Overall I LOVE my new bag. I had used my old Timbuk2 bag for over 10 years! There were a couple of things that I don't think were as quality as my old bag. The shoulder strap is quite a bit thinner/lighter and constantly gets twisted. And the water bottle holders inside the bag are WAY too small. Its hard to fit even a regular sized travel coffee mug or water bottle. I don't even use them.