Customer Reviews Timbuk2 Classic Messenger Bag - Large

I've bought custom Timbuk2 messenger bags for 16 years now. It's my primary laptop/everything bag that I use for my work as a writer, filmmaker, photographer and designer. I travel with it locally and internationally. Every bag I've owned has had top quality stitching, materials and design. Great customer service and warranty as well. Up until now I couldn't be happier. My one complaint is that with each iteration of the Classic Messenger Bag we lose more pockets. My last bag had three horizontal zipper pockets on the front side which is now just one and the width of even that has been reduced by an inch - all a major loss for storage. On the inside zipper pouch there were three pockets perfect for cards, pens and jump drives - all gone. And the biggest loss of all is the Velcro pocket on the main interior of the bag, perfect for a passport, cash and essentials that need to stay put which was replaced by an open sleeve. Disappointing and replaced by pockets of much inferior quality and craftsmanship. For an extra charge I did get the interior bottle holder sleeves which is a nice addition. The built-in, shock resistant, breathable laptop sleeve is the same high caliber of construction and design as before. Overall, I payed much more for this bag than my last bag in 2012. The craftsmanship and materials are great quality, but I'm very unhappy in that I've lost a lot of "Function" which Timbuk2 places in higher regard than "Form." It's less than what I expected from a company with a great track record. Comparison photos attached.

This product is definitely well-made, but I was not totally jazzed by it. There were a few features that made me not like it. First, I did not like the fact that every time I need to open it, I need to pull open the velcro holding the flap down. I'm okay with velcro, but it was really secure. I want something that's a bit easier to open, if I need to. I like the clips on the flap, for a more secure closure when necessary. I have two little kids, so I constantly need to get into my bag. The velcro did not help me do that. Also, there are zero pockets on the outside. I like having at least a small pocket to put things I need to get quickly or often for my kids, like tissues, instead of having to open the entire bag each time. There's nothing wrong with the bag itself, it's more a matter of personal preference, and I just prefer something else. I really wanted to like this bag, too.

I love the colors but when I ordered small I thought it would be a small bag. It is huge and I have no use for it with my small frame. Over $100 purchase that I cannot use and it says I cannot return. I have had other timbuk2 bags and have always loved them. This is just wrong that I cannot return for a smaller size.

I've owned seven Timbuk2 messenger bags over the years. The updates to this generation are mostly great. I love the water bottle pockets inside the main compartment. I don't use them for water bottles because it creates an uncomfortable lump against either my lower back or the back of my shoulder, depending on how I wear it. I actually keep my headphones and sunglasses in those pockets, which keeps them convenient and out of danger. I also love the laptop sleeve. Not only does it make my laptop safer; it also gives the bag more structure. My older medium classic is so floppy that anything inside the bag is right up against my back when I ride, which can be very uncomfortable if I don't arrange items in a specific way. The laptop sleeve give me a soft, yet firm barrier between me and the contents of the bag. It's made a big difference in comfort. I also love the compression straps. They definitely make the load more secure for my commute. I don't like the buckles under the flap. It looks cleaner; but it makes the velcro less secure; and it makes buckling and unbuckling the clips awkward and difficult. Plus the straps connected to the buckles already look like Troll Dolls from the velcro causing them to fray. I HATE HATE HATE the new shoulder strap! The old straps were so strong and secure. This strap is flimsy and uncomfortable. I also hate the little extra "gabby" strap. It's a mouse trap on my chest, waiting for me to accidentally trigger it at 20mph on Wilshire Blvd (yes, it's already happened). For a bag originally designed for bicycle commuters, this is a deal-breaker. Go back to the fat, strong strap. As is, this is a great bag for anyone NOT commuting on a bicycle, which, sadly, I do. "Why can't I quit you?" Since I bought it for that reason, I'd definitely return it if I hadn't gotten it "final sale". So now I'm switching between my older Timbuk2 messenger and my Osprey Radial 26. And using this bag when I'm not riding, which it's great for.

as i mentioned above, the colors differ too much from reality, so that i got a strange color mix, with which i now have to live. Ordered from Germany berlin, extra in san francisco, cause of the color and material choice, which looked awesome. Unfortunately the colors are not the one, they look like on the screen (btw, i got a color tuned ASUS Monitor). So yes, shipment turns out fast, but very expensive, in the end with german tax about 240$ ! for a Bag with a non desired colormix - what a pity :-/

Loved the colors that I picked and the bag, of which I have another, however it was missing the pad on the strap????

I have always wanted this bag so I immediately got this when it went on sale. The only problem that I have with this bag is that there's no shoulder cushion that came similar to the later models. Also, the strap locking mechanism isn't that intuitive. Nonetheless, I wish they have this color for the newer models as I have always love the messenger bag. PS: I have 4 messenger bags in total!

I love the general functionality, the padded computer sleeve, etc. It's huger than it seems, which is workable. My primary complaint is that the hardware attachment on the bag hits right at my shoulder and isn't adjustable- the point of contact between the bag and my body is the buckle. Unpleasant. Maybe I need an alternate strap side? Historically I have loved Every One of the Many Timbuk2 bags I've had. This is, well,... fine.

I like the fact that you can customize the bag. Few things I would change in order to make it better. Grab handle is not in the correct place for usage...it is worthless as placed. The interior side pockets are not stitched evenly on each side, one is good the other is too far back. The edging looks like it is loose but if it does I am sure I could send it back. I bought a custom back in 2005 and it was amazing...this one needs a few corrections.

LOVE the bag, I don't like the color I customized it with. It is not the same teal online. It is olive green.

Love your bags. Understand that you say in the small print that models don't include straps ugh. Your bags are the bomb please make the default all-inclusive of the features we love? Don't make us need to check if the sauce is included in the spaghetti dinner. You guys are SO much better than that. Loyal (3 bags) fan momentarily pretty unhappy.

Love your bags. Understand that you say in the small print that models don't include straps - ugh. Your bags are the bomb please make the default all-inclusive of the features we love? Don't make us need to check if the sauce is included in the spaghetti dinner. You guys are SO much better than that. Loyal (3 bags) fan - momentarily pretty unhappy.

I like the bag, but there is not shoulder strap pad. I called the them, but they said my bag doesn't have the shoulder strap pad, so it is very uncomfortable.

Made custom bag and mixed fabrics. The stitching was buckled between the thicker and thinner fabrics. No mention of this when creating the custom bag. Brought it up to customer service on Wednesday and still haven't heard. I realize the custom bags are not refundable - but would have liked acknowledgment that the feedback was received. The stitching between like fabrics was impeccable. I would recommend choosing similar fabrics when creating this bag.

I ordered a custom bag and it is missing a strap. Nice bag. Just wish they would give me my matching strap pad.

I received my bag and am using it now. This is my second timbuk2 bag. My first one, is thicker and better made than this latest one. I am glad I did not pay full price for this bag. It is disappointing but I will use it. I will not be buying another Timbuk2 bag based on the latest one I received. Dave

This is my third Timbuk2 Messenger bag and is likely my last. My old bag had a far better inside compartment/pockets design. I'm guessing they have been removed to cut production costs. The key lanyard on my new bag was attached in two places which shortened the lanyard significantly. That means I have to take the keys off of the lanyard to unlock my front door. On my old bag the lanyard was long enough to unlock my front door without removing the keys from the lanyard. I sent pictures to customer service showing this production flaw and they told me that it wasn't a bug but by design (?). Customer service did offer to take the bag back and give me a full refund. But what I wanted was my bag lanyard fixed.

I would say one of the most important features of a messenger bag is how sturdy and comfortable the cross-strap is. I have a ~20-year old "classic" bag, and when I received this new one, immediately noticed how much thinner in width and thickness of the strap material itself, compared to my old bag. Is this where costs were cut over the years? That's too bad, and NOT the place to go cheap on a messenger bag, IMHO! The rest of the bag seems fine, but honestly it gave me a very disappointed feeling to see the significant lower quality of the this vital piece (the cross-strap) of the construction of the bag, and makes me wonder about the quality of the rest of the bag...only time will tell. Typical lowering of quality for most American-made items these days...thought this company would be different, apparently not...

I've had the old messenger laptop bag with the corduroy laptop padding for over 10 years, countless trips on Muni/Caltrain/VTA/BART. Air travel for business all over the US and international. TPU liner failed so I thought it gave me many great years so time to retire. My new bag didn't last one week in China before a zipper broke and also the stitching on the internal stretchy pocket started ripping out. Love the Napoleon pocket and the new laptop holder. Hate the quality, hate strap that always seems to twist, hate the strap pad that didn't have rubber to stop siding around your shoulder and is much less flexible than the only rubber one. Not so pleased with the new strap adjustment. How is it supposed to be one handed when you need to lift the bag with your other hand? If you've never had an older bag you'll never know what your missing. Not much else to say. Buy any other bag like the original Commute (but skip Commute 2.0)

I really wish I could just get a new version of my old Timbuk2 bag, which was a large flexible sack with a couple pockets outside and a large front pocket inside. It flexed around anything I wanted to carry-- food, shoes, a laptop, shopping... This is a very handsome bag, and I really like the 'briefcase' handle (great innovation), but it's stiff and full of pockets. If I were just using it as a briefcase (papers and a computer), this would be great. But given that I'm often carrying some of those things, along with clothing, containers of food, other lumpy things, it's pretty restricting. I'm going to continue to use it and see if I can acclimate, but it's not my favorite so far.

The bag is very nicely made which is why I chose to purchase a timbuk2 bag. The problem is that the website doesn't do a good job with sizing differences. I chose the medium thinking the large would be too large and small would be too small. I knew that I was going to have an issue. As it turns out the medium is quite small. I can only imagine how small the extra small is, maybe more like a fanny pack.

I've had a Timbuk2 messenger bag for at least 15 years. I ordered the "Classic Messenger" online (because of your sale) and when it came, its at least a third smaller than my old bag. And it doesn't have the cross-body clip in the front. Why not? That was super useful in keeping the bad stable, and redistributing the weight. I liked my old bag way better (but the waterproofness wore out). Not sure why you had to change the classic.

I purchased my first Timbuk2 Messenger bag in 2005 and since then have purchased two additional bags for my family, in 2012 and 2015 respectively. Numerous things have changed about these bags over the years, and I'm alright with this. The 2018 models are still solid, even if they have less cubic room and pockets than their older counterparts. As I am no longer commuting by bicycle the necessity to carry an entire day's worth of supplies is also no longer there. Seeing as how the bicycle messenger has gone the way of the buffalo, the need for Timbuk2 to make fully functional messenger bags has also disappeared. These bags stay true to their roots, with a modern twist.

On my third custom messenger bag and the current iteration is a step backward. Previous versions had a stiff webbing shoulder strap and an aggressive cam buckle. With that old version you did not need to worry about twisting and length adjustments were rock solid. Current materials and hardware mean twisted straps and mishaps with the shoulder strap suddenly releasing. While it's only happened to me once, having the shoulder strap get a foot longer while making a turn in traffic with a laptop in your bag is not pretty. I dislike the current setup enough that I am going to send my older bag back and ask them to rebuild it so I have a reliable shoulder strap. As for other issues, the internal pockets are not quite as well designed as older iterations and the surface of reflective bag fabric wears easily, starts to look shabby quickly, and is overall lower quality than I would hope from this company. Don't get to big TIMBUK2 and don't lose sight of what made you great in the first place. You'll quickly go the way of other brands that got off track.

I use the bag to carry around my laptop. I am a developer and I am always called to solution technical issues. I have a car but prefer to take the mass transit when I can and this is the perfect travel companion. My bag is small and is fully loaded. The inside 2 side mesh pockets are awesome, keeps my small power connector and mouse in place and not mashed up against my computer. There is a front zipper pocket, that's awesome, holds my phone and easily allows me to access my phone without opening up the bag. You have to buy the oversized shoulder strap it is a perfect fit for the bag and balances out the weight very well and comfortable. The only flaw has to be the laptop crater sleeve. I have a Lenovo thinkpad yoga and the first week in this bag I got a crack in the screen. That tells me that the sleeve doesn't provide enough protection. I ended up buying a refurbished laptop, and I only had the Lenovo for about 6 weeks (I probably would've rated it a 4 if I used a sleeve). So, I strongly recommend by-passing the crater option and simply buying a sleeve for your laptop. This is my second Timbuk 2 messenger bag, but I also own a back pack. Really good bags though.