Customer Reviews Timbuk2 Classic Messenger Bag - Large

Not up to my expectations, went with an Army surplus sack type pack, works great for my purposes. Your bag flops around like an amoeba, making it very difficult to put items in and take them out, stop using such thin material, or add corset style bands to give the bag some structure!

I have been a longtime fan of the classic messenger. I have four or five classic messengers, several backpacks, and the command briefcase. It's been a while since I bought a classic messenger and the new model is frankly disappointing. The shoulder strap on the new bag is thinner, less wide, and flimsier than the strap on my older bags. The cam buckle that was standard on older bags has been replaced with some other feature. Organization pockets have been eliminated. Both zipper pouches and a Velcro closure that was standard in the interior organization area. Metal elements that were standard are have been replaced with plastic. These changes are fairly disappointing. I would have thought twice about this purchase if I had known.

this bag was poorer quality than my previous classic messengers. I plan to return it. I honestly feel the new bag will fail before my older bag. the laptop sleeve was less cushioned. the shoulder strap has a single stitch location and seems more likely to fail compared to the previous two the closing latches had less force than my current 5 year old bag * currently*. the waterproofing feels thinner. I don't feel this new bag is worth the price unlike my older bag

I ride a motorcycle all year and this is my main cargo carrier. I have had the classic messenger bag in the second smallest size for at least 10 years. it's been over much of the world with me and has held up well. But it was getting beaten and was alway just a bit small to get that last grocery item in. So I ordered the next size up. Second from the largest. No inside divider. Carrying handle. And water bottle holders on the inside was how I designed it. All Items that I wished I had had with my original. Right away I noticed that it now has many less storage pockets. That's fine, as it still has plenty and I am not constantly trying to remember what I put where. The disappointment, and this could be a deal breaker, is with the shoulder strap. The strap itself is at least 50% less robust. This on a bag that is bigger, and therefore supposed to carry more. Having said that it's probably fine. Maybe. The biggest disappointment is the adjustable buckle on the strap. It is substantially less robust. Even cheap feeling. It doesn't seem to want to stay locked in the position I chose. The slightest knock and it slips all the way to the full extension. This is very annoying on a motorcycle going 70mph. Perhaps even dangerous. I can't return it I am told, because I custom ordered it. I wish a robust strap and buckle had been an option, but I didn't know they had been downgraded. For a messenger bag, this is the last place they should have saved a few pennies. I would send it back if they would modify it with the old style shoulder strap and buckle. As it is now I am leery of using it

Had a custom messenger bag since 2015, and was excited for a replacement bag. Sadly, this edition did not live up to expectations. It does not sit down well, constantly falling over. The strap is shorter, too short to be comfortable over a down jacket in winter. The computer sleeve is sown into the back really weirdly, with the laptop not sliding in evenly easily and flopping around. Pens in the interior pockets constantly fall out. Most importantly, did not protect my laptop and had a broken screen within a week of using it. Sadly, some of the most useful pockets from the last version, like the exterior newspaper pocket and exterior water bottle pocket, are gone. Lesson learned. Hopefully a future version will bring back the best of the past.

I've owned a classic messenger bag that just wore out after 15 plus years, the thick threaded waterproof liner started to crack. Now the same bag is only rated to be water resistant and has two small clips difficult to open with one hand (one large easy clip on the older bag). The padded handle would maybe fit a child's hand through it so not functional as a grab and go feature. The red clip is now located in the front small pocket making the pocket unusable for anything besides what is attached to the clip (used to be located inside the front large pocket). The strap is now permanently affixed to the bag so you can't switch out to a more comfortable strap. I do appreciate the lightness of the bag but they've lost that rugged feeling in the process. I doubt this bag will last a third of the time as the older version.

I've had several Timbuk2 messenger bags over the years so was quite comfortable ordering a new custom bag....good quality and good looks at a good price. But this last bag is awful! Standard and custom features are fine --> but the smell!! It's like someone soaked it in glue or acetone before it was shipped out. It's now in our garage airing out. I'm going to give it a few days and if it still smells, go back to using my old mess bag. If you're sensitive to odors or have respiratory problems, think twice before ordering.

I purchased this as a gift for my son after he borrowed mine for a European trip. The custom bag looks great and was manufactured faster than I expected. I wish I could give 5 stars but the new version has a narrower, thinner, less rigid shoulder strap. I appreciated the heft of the strap on my classic bag but the new one is weak/lame.

I bought my old messenger bag 12 years ago and loved it. I bought a replacement after the inner lining started to tear this year. I'm disappointed with how the product has changed over time. The materials seem a bit cheaper (the strap alone is made of much thinner webbing). Most annoyingly, the interior zipper pouch is considerably smaller than in the bag I just threw out. The old one held two glasses cases, laptop and cell phone charger, several calculators, a dozen pens, etc. The new one will hold half as much at most. The bag is pretty and fits well. But it's a step down from the one it replaced. And that's disappointing.

If I may be honest, I'm a little disappointed. This is my third bag from timbuk2, the second I order directly from you. Now I notice that every time the workmanship seems a bit cheaper, the materials are scarcer and the good ideas from the beginning have partly disappeared again (keychain.. f.e). Especially when it comes to the strap to carry the bag, fastenings and the like. The strap is a few millimeters narrower, the cross fastening too and also the bags inside are not so numerous. I'm not so satisfied with this bag, even though it looks good and I still like the concept. What a pity.

I love the colors of this bag, but it is huge. I ordered small and thought it would be small. It is way too large for my small frame. The email said I cannot return. So this bag is useless to me. This is really unacceptable.

Received this over a week ago and have called customer service twice with no return call yet. It arrived with a missing strap pad. Terrible experience. Bought this one to replace my worn out 10 yr old Timbuk2. Regret it!

Just got my basic messenger. It is to substitute my old one I bought in 2005. That one was fantastic. Though heavier. This one is very good too but the shoulder strap is kind of disappointing: the old one was rigid, hard, it practically stood up by itself which made it easier to pick it up from the floor. The new shoulder strap is flaccid, thin, hangs down like a thin ribbon and has a flimsy feel... Why did you change the old strap design for this new one?

My family and I have been loyal Timbuk2 bag owners for years. We loved the sturdy quality and design. My older bags still work great, but I wanted a larger size. I bought this online without seeing it in person because I thought I could trust the quality. Unfortunately I am disappointed. I can tell the straps are not as tough and the buckles are a cheaper plastic. The inside and outside organization and pockets are not as roomy or great. I was hoping to have a larger inside zippered pocket, comparable to the size/ratio of my other bags. They have decreased the number of zippered pockets. I think the fabric inside lining is still ok in terms of waterproofing but I am sad that when a company gets older, they feel the need to cutback on certain things to have a bigger profit margin. When their company opened, they had quality products and continued to improve. The messenger bag is the signature bag. I would have hoped that their signature product would have kept up with quality. I only know the difference because I have a couple of their older products which I love. Perhaps this is just one product that I have come across that does not meet up to their original standards. I hope the rest of their products are not like this. Will I still use it? Unfortunately, yes... it was final sale.

I've owned the original Timbuk2 bag for ten years and it has served me really well. It was functional and well constructed. The upgrade is hardly an upgrade. I bought the custom classic, because I wanted the original logo. Imagine that, I paid, almost $50 more to get a logo. I didn't realize that this would also mean that my sale was FINAL. No returns. The strap is too thin and flimsy. The laptop sleeve should have been attached to the back of the bag. It should come with a cross strap by default. I would not recommend this bag at all.

I bought an earlier version of this bag about 5 years ago. It's built like a tank, but the top flap doesn't cover the bag completely, so it's pretty much useless if it's raining. The current description suggests that there are some sort of flaps which fold over to keep moisture out. Take a real good look at that before you remove the tags and decide to keep the bag.

I have a 10 year old classic messenger I commute with daily. It was a great bag, weatherproof and perfect for commuting with on a bicycle, but the TPU lining is heavily cracked and no longer waterproof. I ordered a new one and once it arrived, I had a sinking feeling of disappointment. Why isn't a laptop sleeve the default? Why did I have to "custom order" a bag just to get a laptop insert? This is the 21st century. How many people need waterproof bags to bring to work, but don't use laptops? Why didn't they test these with professional grade laptops? I have a 15" MacBook pro and the padding is thin and inadequate. Maybe if you have a lighter MacBook air or tiny chromebook, it might be enough padding. My old one could be dropped to the floor with complete confidence but with the new one, I can hear the MacBook aluminum clank on the hardwood floor if I don't lower it slowly enough. I really don't know what's wrong with the people at timbuk2. Do they not use computers? Have they never handled a laptop before? Are they weirdo San Francisco hipsters that carry typewriters to their local coffee shop? Finally, there are a lot of bad design and workmanship details. Unlike my old bag, the handle is WAY off center your knuckles are pressed against the bag uncomfortably. The strap on my old one is thick, burly, and majestic. This one is thin and flimsy feeling. The same applies to the fabric. My old one felt thick, heavy, well-made, and luxurious.a high quality bag that is built to last (and did). The new one feels like a cheap knockoff you'd buy in a bad neighborhood. Since I had to get a custom bag to get an insert, Timbuk2, won't let you return itshame on me for needing to commute with a laptop! I suppose a bonus is that I commute with my company's laptop. The sooner it breaks, the sooner I get a new one. Maybe I'll get to try out new work laptops a lot faster thanks to Timbuk2's inadequate protection. I'd never trust my personal laptop in this bag's sleeve.

I have a 10 year old classic messenger I commute with daily. It was a great bag, weatherproof and perfect for commuting with on a bicycle, but the TPU lining is heavily cracked and no longer waterproof. I ordered a new one and once it arrived, I had a sinking feeling of disappointment. Why isn't a laptop sleeve the default? Why did I have to "custom order" a bag just to get a laptop insert? This is the 21st century. How many people need waterproof bags to bring to work, but don't use laptops? Why didn't they test these with professional grade laptops? I have a 15" MacBook pro and the padding is thin and inadequate. Maybe if you have a lighter MacBook air or tiny chromebook, it might be enough padding. My old one could be dropped to the floor with complete confidence but with the new one, I can hear the MacBook aluminum clank on the hardwood floor if I don't lower it slowly enough. I really don't know what's wrong with the people at timbuk2. Do they not use computers? Have they never handled a laptop before? Are they weirdo San Francisco hipsters that carry typewriters to their local coffee shop? Finally, there are a lot of bad design and workmanship details. Unlike my old bag, the handle is WAY off center your knuckles are pressed against the bag uncomfortably. The strap on my old one is thick, burly, and majestic. This one is thin and flimsy feeling. The same applies to the fabric. My old one felt thick, heavy, well-made, and luxurious....a high quality bag that is built to last (and did). The new one feels like a cheap knockoff you'd buy in a bad neighborhood. Since I had to get a custom bag to get an insert, Timbuk2, won't let you return it...shame on me for needing to commute with a laptop! I suppose a bonus is that I commute with my company's laptop. The sooner it breaks, the sooner I get a new one. Maybe I'll get to try out new work laptops a lot faster thanks to Timbuk2's inadequate protection. I'd never trust my personal laptop in this bag's sleeve.

I have a classic messenger from 1996 and it is still very serviceable albeit somewhat "broken in" and the new bag build doesnt come close. This is a product and company that had a reputation for indestructability but the slide in quality is obvious and the bags have become pedestrian. It is impossible to tell the difference between and Osprey or Patagonia (for example, have had both) and Timbuk2. It hurts to say because I was really passionate about the brand and excellence is hard to maintain over the long term. Also very disappointed that the bucket lining can no longer be customized, a custom messenger is really semi-custom at this point, I am sure this decision was made to "simplify the process". To the folks at Timbuk2 I am sorry, I am sure you work hard and care a lot, but I am moving on.

I have 3 messenger bags, the first was too small so I bought a larger one and I love those two bags! Last year I bought my 3rd bag to use as a diaper bag but it's lesser quality than my first two and am disappointed they changed the design. The first two straps are much thicker than this last one and most importantly they no longer have a buckle where you could unclip to take the bag off or put it on. (Pics below.) The best part of the bag was the buckle because you could quickly unclip it to take the bag off so you don't have to always adjust strap. If you're new to these bags, you won't miss the feature, but if you have other bags, you'll notice the quality reduction immediately and miss the buckle. I'll stop purchasing until the buckle is brought back. Also, the other two bags had three pockets when you flip open but this newest one only has one large pocket which is a bummer.

I have three custom Timbuk2 bags and this is the first one I didn't love. I purchased a small to replace my well loved and well used XS Timbuk2 custom messenger. However, I was very disappointed in my replacement. The quality of these custom bags and the attention to detail has fallen off since buying my custom XS. The strap is much flimsier and there are fewer pockets. The pockets that do exist are not as useful and not as high quality as they used to be. To be specific, my XS had two pockets within the inner zippered pocket and now there are none. Also, there is no longer a closed Velcro pouch or a soft cell phone pocket on the outside of the inner pocket and it has been replaced by two flimsy open pockets/sleeves and two pen holders that are not really useful when the bag is full. Additionally, I was disappointed with the color of my liner. I thought I was getting a bright green liner, based on the color online, but ended up with a very dark hunter green liner. I guess I should have read that the color was "Forrest Green" and not "bright green." So, I can't completely blame Timbuk2 for my color choice. I love all of my previous bags and have sang the praises of Timbuk2's custom bag for over 12 years but I'm not sure I can recommend these bags anymore. My bag looks great on the outside but the inside is very disappointing.

I use it when I don't need my full backpack for school. I love the adjustable strap and access to the phone pocket without opening the big flap. But the darn thing is just too big for me and is therefore uncomfortable when I have it on my shoulder. The material is great but not flexible enough to wrap around my hip, adding to the discomfort. If I were to do-over, I would order two non-custom bags (the medium and the small) to see which one I like the best and then I would send both of them back and order the custom the way I want it. That's probably not a solution that you want to hear, but it's the only way I know that I could be assured that I get what I need and want since the custom classic bag cannot be returned.

The mistake is my own but I am stuck with a bag that I cant really use. I bought a custom bag, but did it without sizing the bag properly. The bag is beautiful, but just way too big for an office setting. I should have sized the bag first and then ordered a custom one. Oh well, it is on me but I do like the product and would order again but just need to do my due diligence first.

The reference picture they let you view does not show you the approximate interior capacity. They use the same photo for all sizes I would not suggest using the small for school because it can barely fit the width of a single binder. They really should include internal dimensions when you're customizing your bag online. I could never return it either (custom order).

I am told the bags are thinner in order to be lighter. The bags were never very heavy, it was the things loaded inside that made it heavy, and thinner fabric for the bag is not going to make the contents any lighter. These bags are never carried on time-trials. The new shoulder strap is interesting with how it loops within itself. The old strap could probably lift 4 tons, so it was probably over-engineered. The new bags are probably fine for the more common rider these days on their leisurely cruisers. The flap straps are interesting as well, but annoying: too long and must be attached to the flap to keep from dangling 1/2 meter below my rump. The design has gone from basic adaptability and ruggedness to form applying to presumed specific use with minimal contingency consideration (crashes and other weirdness). I expect my first Timbuk2 bag to last the rest of my life and hope to pass it on. This new one is disappointing, but I'll have to wait and see. As it stands, I will purchase no more Timbuk2 bags and would accept a refund if offered. Although perhaps I have misjudged and the bag is sufficient as Timbuk2 claims; I want more than sufficient life.