Customer Reviews Timbuk2 Command Messenger - Large

The bag is really well designed -- the makers have thought of everything to make it easy to use, and convenient in all respects. My only one somewhat negative comment is that the buckle on the shoulder strap -- I'm referring to the clasp that you use when you want to extend or shorten the length of the strap -- will not stay "down" (i.e. flush with the strap). It always bounces back up to a 45 degree position for some reason. This, however, is a very minor point -- I'm extremely pleased with all other aspects of the bag itself, most importantly with the fact that there are so many well-considered features that make it convenient and easy to use.

I purchased this for my new laptop that is 15 inches wide. Snug fit but will work. Plenty of room for cables and second laptop or tablet. The front hooks takes some time to get used to, but the fabric and construction seem solid. Look forward to many years of service.

Just received my bag. It appears to be of solid construction and has excellent, easy to use pockets and compartments. It's a little bigger bag than I originally anticipated for a "medium" sized bag, but other than that I think it will be great!

I love the look and materials, and the overall design (all the pockets and compartments). The only con is that the strap adjustment (quick release feature) has come undone inadvertently a couple times.

I really dont give anything 5 star and here is why. The bag is a 5star seriously, the video doesnt even do it justice [Spoiler Alert] once yiu get it your're like wow ok i gotta show it off or something! But some of my electronics are delicate so i thought i shouldnt get the bad but couldnt return it because the sale on the bag was final and costumer need to wait about a week for reply from costumer service. SO this is my take on the command messenger bag.

This bag is huge (we bought the large), and can accommodate a 17" laptop. A few pockets for cords and other things that benefit from organization. The material is great and the general quality is excellent. We would have liked more internal organization for travel needs, but are happy with the purchase.

I picked up the Command Messenger Bag on sale (hard to resist a sale!) and got to take it on a business trip this past weekend. Overall, I really like it! In particular, the buckles on the flap are great: I'm not a fan of the common plastic snap buckles common on a lot of bags. The velcro closure, and the option of using it or not, is great, too. My favorite feature is the access to various zippered pockets while the bag is closed without having to undo the buckles; I just wish there was easier access to them while wearing the bag on my left side (as I usually do). Based on performance from this trip, I've definitely adopted a new regular-use bag!

I had a command bag which I bought ~7 years ago, such a great bag but it was time to replace it because it was starting to wear out. I bought the new model, the bag is a big different but still very good, and looks very professional as a shoulder bag or as a briefcase. I normally carry a woman's wallet (which is bigger then a man's wallet), two pairs of glasses, a 13 inch mac book pro with its charger, computer cables, small digital camera, some hygiene stuff and sometimes a book for spare time. There is less organizational space for small items and the pocket for power bricks/chargers doesn't fit a mac book pro's charger (with or without the cable). But the new small pocket on the cover is super useful. So I had to reorganize my stuff in the bag, but the big plus is that once I put everything in, it doesn't look bulky, it doesn't feel heavy, doesn't matter if I carry it on my shoulder or in my hand as a briefcase. Just wonderful. The shoulder strap is very comfortable and easy to adjust. It's a really good bag, the only reason I'm giving four stars is because I'm disappointed with the chargers pocket. I still use the pocket for other things. I also would have liked a vista loop, like the old bag.

I chose this over the commute during the sale. The main reason was the top opening laptop compartment opposed to the TSA flap. I've had this bag for a couple of weeks now and I really like it. It fits all my daily stuff and a 20oz wide hydro flask. The only thing I wish was included was a key lanyard. Seems like most other Timbuk2's have this. You wont be disappointed with this, highly recommend the red interior color.

A nice solution for a corporate bag. The strap is very comfortable and adjusting makes it easy to work with slacks, dress or suit. I do wish there were more pockets but that is easily resolved with a pencil case.

Needed to replace an Alpine satchel (lots of pockets, but comparatively poor construction which required duct tape and electrical tape to address wears and tears) with something newer and nicer. Currently, I substitute teach but am looking for gainful employment. This purchase will be used either to carry sub teaching materials or (hopefully) items that I will use in my new 8-5 or 9-5 position. Looks like this messenger bag will be good, will serve me well.

Overall, the bag is very nice. I am still getting acclimated to the pockets and areas in which to store items. I don't bike so I can't speak to the bag while in transit mode.

Great bag overal. Good quality seems to wear well and is fairly resistant to water spills and stains. My only wish would be more pockets, however a minor annoyance.

I really love how well constructed the bag is. It feels like a premium product I'll be using forever. I like all of the hidden pockets. A little heavier than expected but that's ok. Color seemed a little off from the product photo but again, that ended up being ok. The main compartment doesn't open as wide as other bags I've used and I find that I have difficulty standing it up with the front facing out for easy access when I need a notebook or whatever (just falls face down immediately.) The construction is great but it makes the bag rigid in ways I wasn't expecting. Most of these are minor quibbles, I love the bag and use it everyday. When I decide to get a new one (which won't be because this wore out; this thing is a beast), I'll only be looking at Timbuk2.

Firstly, I purchased this at 40% off. I am writing this review as if I had paid full price. Overall bag design is very good. Lots of good features. Very smart looking and the rip stop polyester is very tough. Tons of storage inside, just the right size for a personal bag when travelling. I can even insert the camera insert from my Billingham Hadley into the main compartment of this Command medium, which makes me very pleased as I can bring a camera on a trip without having to change bags (my Billingham would also not accommodate a 15" laptop. I really like the padded dedicated compartment for the laptop and one on the front for my eye glasses. I can get into a meeting and whip out the laptop and glasses and get going fast without having to fiddle with opening the main compartment. What I dislike: 1. It does not stand up when placed on the floor, which is how I store it when not in use. It will stand up on a carpet if placed leaning on something. It will never stand up on a smooth floor (such as wood, vinyl etc), which is my use case. So it just falls over. Design needs some thought. Yes the TSA compliant compartment is nice, but for me that 2% use case comes with a heavy usability penalty for the rest of the time. Very annoying. 2. While the strap is good quality, the method by which it attaches to the bag has two problems. Rather than attaching to the bag directly, loops and attachments are used. A) the hardware gets in the way of me inserting a drink into the bag side compartment. Not totally, just slightly. B) the hardware on the strap and the loops on the bag contact each other below the top of the bag. There is no easy way for the strap therefore to become untwisted by itself. When off the shoulder the hardware on the strap can turn 360 degrees so it can become easily twisted. When I pick up the bag at the end of the day I'm usually in a rush and the strap is usually twisted on my shoulder. Better for these to turn 180 only. V good bag, not superb

I've was looking at the Command bag for quite a while before I decided to upgrade my existing Chrome bag. I primarily updated it as the particular model bag I had before had minimal organizers/pockets, and I found this was causing issues with abrasion of electronics and sometimes messes when I was traveling and tossed a snack in. The organization and padding is quite impressive. You do pay a cost for this by getting a heavier bag, but for someone carrying electronics it is worth the piece of mind. Having a more office-friendly style and a handle are big plusses for me. I find that more often than not while at work I am taking out my laptop via the separate zippered and padded area, and don't even open the front flap. The ability to pick between velcro and metal snaps is somewhat wasted on me as a result - the type of usage where I'd want to use the velcro would probably just make me pack a different bag. Unfortunately, the strap clips and buckle are plastic. Historically, the plastic pieces have been the Achilles heel of otherwise invincible bags for me. I actually would prefer the shoulder strap *not* be removable, as I rarely am in situations where I think a messenger bag strap would be inappropriate. One benefit that you do get from a removable strap is that it is easy to switch between left and right-handed use. However, the napoleon pockets are different shapes on each side, so if you are purchasing based on this feature make sure the pocket in reach is the one you want. Hanging on my left side, I have access to a pocket just barely big enough for my cellphone.

well-made, nice details, but far too heavy and bulky (even the small size) than I needed for daily use. It would be a good travel bag. I ended up giving it to one of my sons who likes it fine.

With pre-check I use the zip out almost not at all, and removal is mandatory in EU, so that's my least used feature. Moving the pocket to the back of the main storage area helped access when loaded, but I have too many things fall out of the front pockets when the bag tips over. That's too much risk so I don't use the small front pocket at all, after my wifi hotspot fell out of the pocket 3 times. I forget to zip up the napoleon pocket in the flap, and lost a cell on the street as a result. The zipper does start up from the bottom a bit, but never stow more than one item there if you might leave that fly open accidentally. Looks way better than old Command though!

I have a 10-year old classic messenger bag, and needed to upgrade to something more professional. The Commander is a great bag. The Napoleon pockets are a wonderful addition, and the padded laptop compartment is great. Two nit-picky annoyances. First, I loved the red ribbon with key hook, which this bag does not have. Most importantly, the new strap mechanism comes loose too easily, and I'm having to re-set the strap too often. The older mechanism (2007?) was much more secure, and the whatever improvement the new strap is supposed to provide is not worth the hassle. Still, it's a great bag, and I'd buy it again.

Fits laptop comfortably, but main compartment not very big. Don't expect to carry water bottles etc. if full.

I would look at moving the zippered pocket that has the pen & card holders toward the front of the bag. When filling the bag, I place the biggest, flattest items toward the back. With the current placement of that pen area and zippered section, when I put big file folders and notebooks in, they eventually start to bend over the pens. I stopped using that interior pocket because of this, which is a bit disappointing.

The only downside to this bag is the handle is a little off-center, making the bag unbalanced.

Very practical bag to carry around school and business items. I noticed a few spots from pets drool (hehe) and totally easy to clean. Lots of compliments from friends.

I do love this messenger bag and have been using it as a work bag for several months. I commute via train to work, and the bag is very comfortable to wear and walk with. The material is high quality and durable, and I don't foresee it wearing down anytime soon. The design is timeless, professional, and the colors are tasteful. I also love the various options of large/small/hidden compartments. Overall, it is the perfect bag for my daily work commute. Just 3 things I wish could be improved upon in future versions: 1. The cup holder sleeve is on the small side, so something like a tall 32oz. Hydroflask mug probably wouldn't fit. 2. The hooks that close the main/large compartment are not easy to open. For example, it's almost impossible to open the main compartment when you're on the go and have only one hand available (I guess most people would opt to use the velcro instead if it becomes a big enough issue). 3. This is nitpicky and I understand it would compromise the "sleekness" of the bag, but the outer laptop compartment only works well for thinner laptops. I have a Lenovo that's on the bulky side, and am having to "inch" it in as it barely fits. When I'm feeling lazy, I'll just slip my laptop more easily into the main/large compartment, but it is not padded in there.

Finally had to replace my old Timbuk2 bag.