Customer Reviews Timbuk2 Classic Messenger Bag - Large

I carry my dog's food, bowl & leash, and there's room for my stuff too! Friends complement me on the colors.

Bag looks great but I had to return it as the water bottle holders I'd ordered hadn't been included. However, customer service was prompt and responsive and I've sent it back to be warrantied and returned back to me. Looking forward to it.

This bag is bigger than I thought it would be. It is still meeting my needs well though. It easily fits my 16" laptop and also holds my iPad Pro in the padded pocket while leaving room in the bag for a large water bottle, notebooks and tons of other stuff.

The only thing I'm not thrilled about on this product is that the flap tends to turn up if you have the straps buckled and the velcro fastened. The custom colors, fit, storage size, and everything else are great though.

I did the design your own bag. It came really quickly. I would have liked the option of a hot pink Timbuk2 logo, but it wasn't available. Black looks fine. I use this mainly to take to and from full-time, work-related classes. Many books and notebooks are required and it holds them all. The different sections and pockets are helpful. The laptop sleeve is a bit big for my current class laptop, but it still works, especially with a sleeve on it. My older, larger laptop fits perfectly. I wish the sleeves at the side of the main compartment for water bottles were stretchier or bigger. My Nalgene bottles don't fit. Right now one holds an umbrella and the other random things. Overall, I'm happy with the bag. I've heard they last forever and it looks good.

I was finally forced to retire my 1999 Timbuk2 messenger bag when the shoulder strap adjuster broke irreparably. I looked allover google land for an acceptable replacement, and ended up back with Timbuk2! No bag compares. The only things that don't make the cut after 23 years are: The new shoulder strap adjuster releases randomly / not as strong as the OG. and the internal zipper and pen pockets materials are too thin and flimsy, more like tent material than the former sturdy canvas = the new pockets lack support to actually keep pens and stuff in place, the fix I found for this is to zip the inner pocket and don't use it. Also the water bottle pockets maybe holds a 16oz bottle , but too small for my 32oz bottle, so I use them for everything I can't keep in the inner zipper pocket... Despite it all, this is Still the best dang bag for the price and I < 3 my Timbuk2 for life!

I have a size S, but I wanted a new size M. I bought a size M about 10 years ago, and now I have a new one, but I feel that the pockets have evolved. I felt that the pockets, etc. have evolved. The side pocket is easy to use and just right for a pass-case. But I liked the sturdiness and texture of the old one better.

This bag work great for my commute

medium was smaller than i anticipated - but very nice quality. would purchase again - but in a large

Top notch quality at a great price as you'd expect from Timbuk2. The strap quick-release stays locked better than previous models. The laptop sleeve is unnecessarily tall though. You have to fold over the top of it to get the bag full closed. I'm also not sure why the Velcro strap that keeps the laptop sleeve closed is always so long. Seems like they could shorten that up a bit to keep the sleeve closed better. They probably have good reasons for the things I find strange so I'm not too worried about it. I've owned three of these and 10 years from now when my new one wears out I'm sure I'll buy another one.

I used the bag for my daily work bag. It's nice but I think I was too used to my old Timbuk 2 bag. The new features, like the shoulder strap and the pocket configuration I just don't like as much. I like better the old version of three big pockets along the front of the bag and the thicker shoulder strap. The laptop pocket works well and the water bottle pocket is okay but a little awkward.

I use this as a main bag for work and love it. My one wish would be that the front pockets were wider like some of the older models.

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.

I love this bag. It's my second o e. They last for years and are super functional.

I have carried at Timbuk2 classic messenger back since the late 1990s. The first one lasted well over 10 years. The second one wore out much faster--the rubber peeled off the interior and the underside of the flap very unsightly (and unprofessional) whenever I opened the bag. Also the fabric around the flap kept fraying and I had to keep trimming off the "fur". I just ordered my third bag to replace that one. I am disappointed by 1) the thinner, lighter strap (I loved the older wider strap); 2) the front pocket is wider and seems shorter--I keep my phone in that pocket and now the pocket gapes open and the phone keeps falling out; and 3) the inside pockets have changed; there are just two large open ones now. I liked that one had a flap before--and there was a narrow one perfect for pens and glasses. I'm going to try to have the old strap sewn on the new bag--and make some modifications to the outside pocket to stop it from gaping open. And hope I end up with something that lasts another 10 years, but I'm not holding my breath. Just FYI: the fabric descriptions that you have in your Fabric Guide section (https://www.timbuk2.com/pages/faqs#fabric) don't correlate AT ALL to the fabric options in the shopping process. This made it very difficult to select a fabric. So much more difficult than the last time I bought a bag when there were no fabric options at all ;-)

I purchased my first Timbuk2 bag in 2008. I used it daily and it has finally started to show some wear. I ordered a new one that is customized. My only complaint is the "Ink" color looks more blue online than in person. The Ink color almost looks black unless I have it in the sunlight.

The classic messenger bag is great, very practical and got lots of pockets that I like. My only regret was the size. I bought a small size, and it seems like just a cross body bag as it is really small. I can fit inside 2 500ml water bottles and 2 small lunch boxes and that's it. Wish I bought the medium one for books, notebooks, and a jacket. Dunno if I can still exchange this for a medium size and still get the discounted price. Oh well.

I bought this for my boyfriend after the last one he had got ruined by an egg. In the interim, he was carrying around this canvas TOTE that was so flimsy and non-mannish that I called it his "tinky winky" bag and we had a lot of laughs from that inside joke. Upon the reminder that he really needed a better bag for work and was tired of that nickname, I immediately went to your website and checked out what you had. Fortunately, I found one on sale and it was the quickest shipment I received, the next day. I surprised him with the gift and although it wasn't exactly like his other bag, which had more compartments, he was thankful for the upgrade, served his purpose. I myself was so happy to have gotten rid of that Tinky Winky bag! Thank you for making these quality bags that last!!

This is a great bag which I bought to replace my 4th Timbuk2 small messenger. I was surprised that this strap lacked the padded section which makes it somewhat uncomfortable if carrying anything heavy like your laptop. I'm wondering if it is available as an accessory

My love of the Classic Messenger started last year when I bought the small, mainly for school. I was carrying a backpack with a large 15.6" laptop, books, etc, and it was getting to be too much. Wanting to purposely downsize and organize better, I bought the small Classic to carry a 13" laptop, pads, a book or two, etc. The small is almost perfect for that. Fast forward a few months and I needed to expand my carry items to include headphones (in a hard case), a little more cabling, etc. The small was just too small for this, so I ordered the medium Classic. Still in love with the bag, but the medium does exacerbate a few of the small's issues, namely in the lack of structure in the body of the bag overall. The bag is still beyond excellent, but not having much rigidity, while making the bag more comfortable to wear and carry, does make it a little more difficult to load and unload when the items are smaller than the bag itself. That said, this is still an awesome bag. I only have two real gripes with the bag, aside from the above - 1) the internal water bottle holders are just too small for the majority of reusable bottles. I carry an RTIC 20oz bottle and it takes real work to get it into the bottle holder, and even then it sticks up a bit too y'all for the bag to close normally. These holders should be made slightly larger in diameter and deeper. I'm on board with them being inside the bag vs outside, but they're just too small. And 2) the grab handle needs to be slightly larger and moved more to the top of the bag. I'm getting used to it being on the back of the bag, but really, it would better moved up. All in all, though, a really great product and I will continue to recommend and buy, assuming either of mine ever die. Which I doubt.

I've had 2 Timbuk2 bags for commuting to work in the last 20+ years. Longevity of your product is not a problem. I finally decided to replace my current bag and have been pleased with the new bag. My only disappointment was the shoulder strap. The new strap is much thinner and narrow compared to my previous bags. I like the wider and stiffer material much better.

First of all: it's a very good bag!! It's my second timbuk2. I love the colours and the new material and most of the new features. The bigger Velcro is perfect! It locks ALWAYS.But..I had an old Messenger before. At the moment (maybe my opinion changes, when I get used to the new one ;-)) I have problems with the hand buckle for adjusting - it's not fixed strong enough, so sometimes it unlocks when I move and the messenger slides down. The old buckle was tighter and on a better place where you're not able to unlock it accidentally. And I loved the wide shoulder strap. Nevertheless, IT's A VERY GOOD BAG!

Love the tough exterior. Lots of room inside. I packed a laptop, an ipad, a nintendo switch and a case for headphones on a plane and still had room for an EDC pouch and snacks. It was heavy, but I got it all in I just wish it had more side pockets for pens, phones and other small things.

Purchased this for my son, who has worked for years with at-risk youth. He travels and makes home visits and carries his office with him. He puts his 15" laptop in this Lg bag, along with many files, etc, but he wanted a bag big enough to hold his personal 17" Mac at times, too. I does the job, looks sharp, and he says the handle on top makes carrying very versatile.

I ordered my first custom-made product from TimBuk2 about 10 years ago, and the bag is still going strong and has traveled to several continents with me. I expect to use the same bag for much of the same purposes. It's been my every-day 'computer and research materials' tote for certain periods, it's been a day-trip bag for hiking, and it's been my important document carrier while backpacking across countries. The only disappointment I have was when I discovered that the custom-options had drastically decreased from the last time I ordered a bag. Far fewer things/parts of the bag could be tailored to my preferences - but I still expect to enjoy it for many years.