Customer Reviews Timbuk2 Uptown

This bag is execelent for my taste, a lot of space and pockets. Of course this bag is not perfect (I wish it was). there's a lack of padding on the strap lining, the zipper is somewhat cheap.

Overall a great backpack. It's a little floppy so when the pockets are all loaded and you unzip a compartment the whole bag collapses. Not a deal breaker at all but mildly annoying when compared to bags with more structure. Big main pocket works great for light overnight travel. Thickly padded back rest reasonably mitigates back heat when running to Muni/Bart. The best backpack I've had so far!

I love this bag. Two of my colleagues suggested I buy one since they love theirs so much. As a teacher, I carry around multiple devices, folders, and papers everyday. This bag has room for all of those things and more. It looks very stylish and sophisticated, while sporting a rugged exterior that provides a lot of protection. Its lightweight and not bulky making it very easy to load up and travel with quickly. The laptop space is structured and located at the back of the bag which balances the weight for a comfortable carry. On top of all that, it came in a color combination that compliments my school's colors (added bonus). The only downfall for me is the lack of designated pockets/holders for power cords. It is tough to have to dig around in the bottom of the bag each time. I also wish it had a clip for keys in the very front pocket. Beyond these small things, the bag is perfect.

This bag has way more pocket that the regular messenger, and the laptop pocket doesn't just flap around inside, as it's built into a side

The bag was recommended to me by my friend who is a timbuk2 evangelist. The bag is awesome from a comfort and fit standpoint. But it doesn't feel too trendy, which I think is a good thing as its more functional and its not trying too hard to just look good.

The only reason I didn't give this 5 stars was because the straps are a little lacking in padding and mildly uncomfortable. It's not a deal breaker but if you're carrying a heavy load for a long period of time, I imagine this wouldn't be the best choice for you. After watching several Timbuk2 videos deciding between this bag and another, I decided on this one because of all of the pockets, compartments and "roominess". It looks like a small backpack when you first get it but you'll be amazed at how much you can fit in there. A computer, several days of clothes, toiletries, etc. An excellent commuter bag with plenty of space for any size drink in the very stretchy side pocket. The slate color is much lighter than I expected but I still love it! The aqua details are very stylish.

Use it every day to travel to and from work with my lap top. Love it for travelling on planes as no need to unpack laptop from bag. Also great for short or overnight work trips as no need for a seperate bag

Absolutely love the backpack, it's perfect. Got great help from store staff in choosing which pack. But, customer service for the company was really bad, unanswered phone messages and emails super frustrating.

Even though I watched the video a few times, I didn't realize one thing. The computer pocket is BELOW the arm straps. This means if my computer is on the floor and I want to take out my backpack, I have to move the arm straps out of the way and awkwardly take out my computer and iPad. Hardly ideal place for a computer pocket. Decided not to use this for my daily commute, but more for travel where I will not be taking my computer out as frequently.

The color of the bag is actually darker than shown in the photo. I am definitely satisfied with the bags quality and utility. It's a lot larger than I expected so I am trying to manage. If you're someone who's commuting to work and home I would suggest a bag with fewer compartmentsbut its great for storing lunch and gym clothes. Additional Note: You may want to pack less things if you're commuting on a crowded subway train.

The color of the bag is actually darker than shown in the photo. I am definitely satisfied with the bags quality and utility. It's a lot larger than I expected so I am trying to manage. If you're someone who's commuting to work and home I would suggest a bag with fewer compartments-but its great for storing lunch and gym clothes. Additional Note: You may want to pack less things if you're commuting on a crowded subway train.

This is a well made pack with nice number of pockets and sections for organizing. The laptop section is well padded but the side entry for laptops is maddening. To insert or remove your laptop comfortably, you must turn shoulder straps to the front of the bag, fully unzip laptop section, lay the laptop pocket flat, and pull the velcro. Not sure why the pocket opening isn't on the top. This would make the bag so much easier to use.

This is a pretty good backpack but there could be some improvements. The pockets are great; smaller quick access pockets (front slash pocket for wallet/passport/plane ticket, phone pocket), a good pen/pencil area and 2 large main compartments to keep work notes/mouse/power brick etc. separate from clothes/lunch/whatever. The capacity of this bag is good and it can hold a lot. The external laptop pocket is great for airport security and also good to keep books/papers flat. Now the cons... the backpack is not waterproof. I live in Vancouver, BC where it rains all the time, so I worry about my laptop getting wet. A backpack cover helps, but because the laptop sits closest to your back, it's vulnerable if water gets in that gap between your back and the cover. Then there is the laptop pocket itself. I don't know why, but Timbuk2 designs everything for MAC products which have rounded corners. A lot of professionals use PCs for work and it's difficult to get a PC into the pocket. I have a 15in Lenovo Thinkpad and it fits, but it's a tight squeeze and I need to be careful when zipping it up around the corners. The laptop sleeve is side loading, so it's difficult to use if you don't unzip the laptop pocket fully and fold it all the way open, which requires a lot of space and can be awkward. A top loading sleeve would have been better. I find the straps fairly comfortable but they do sit close to your neck, and the roughness of the inside stitching/webbing has been hard on the shoulders of my coat. Some other minor things...the zippers are not smooth running (although they are getting better with repeated use), the colour Surplus is really quite green, not grey like the photo, and there is only one outside mesh pocket, which I use for a wet umbrella. A second mesh side pocket would have been great. So overall, it's a pretty good bag but it needs a few improvements, especially if you use a PC and live somewhere that it rains.

I really liked this backpack. It has a lot of pockets and I can fit everything I need to go to work and then some. The one major complaint I have is that it is not waterproof. It was not clear in the description of the backpack that it is not waterproof. During a really bad rain storm by the time I got into the office the whole backpack back was drenched and there were puddles inside the backpack. Luckily I did have my laptop with me that day. The other minor complaint is I got the Jet Black backpack but it looks dark gray. I really do like it but if the description was clearer in regards to the not being waterproof, I might not have gotten this backpack.

When you place the pack down and try to set it upright, it immediately flops onto its back. The design of the pack did not take into consideration the desire to place it down in an upright position on the floor, a desk, chair, ect. It's frustrating to have a flop down all the time and constantly having to try to situate it so that it's supported by something.

It's little bit too heavy.

This bag is used for going to work and the gym and travel. It is almost a fantastic bag. The fact its difficult to get your laptop out and no place to hook your keys on are two glaring issues. If you don't mind those its very nice and comfortable.

There's a lot of pockets and a lot of room. I bought it for a commuting bag; it's probably better for a travel bag. The zippers seem cheap and dont zip/unzip easily. The color on the website is way off; the zipper shows orange on the website; it shows up as primary red. A description of color on the website would help prevent this inaccuracy. I'm generally positive about it, but there were some disappointments.

I have owned 3 pieces of Timbuk backpack and shoulder bag. The old ones had much better quality , the material and zipper were better. The uptown backpack material is stiff, cheap , the zipper is hard to open. However, I can live with that. The worst 3 things are : 1. The laptop compartment is not a good design, it sits too low so if you have a big 15in laptop PC it makes the backpack very uncomfortable to carry . 2. The laptop compartment is too narrow, it is not enough room to fit a 15in PC engineering laptop like the workstation HP zbook in there, It is just too small. The macbook pro laptops are fine, but not everyone uses MBP. 3. The straps are too thin, need more padding, and the straps shouldn't get in the way when you take out your laptop. The uptown backpack is very stylish and practical with all the small pockets. I loved it much better than my Tummi Kingsville . However, my Tummi is far more comfortable to wear than this backpack. I think this backpack has a very bad design, and at the cost of the backpack, there are much better option.

I bought the uptown in Currant. Based on the photo, I expected a bright brick color - instead it was brown! It looked nothing at all like the image. I would never have ordered that color so I immediately turned it - never even used it. Unfortunately, that's also when I learned returns aren't free. Really disappointed because I've heard so many good things about timbuk2 but I really didn't love my experience.

Have had this bag for about a year now so feel like a review might help others who are deciding if they want to buy this. Pros: The bag has tons of room, like way more then most people probably need. If you want to transport it, there is probably a pocket for it. The front pockets are really handy, and I also really like the laptop storage. I read loads of comics so being able to put those in the place designed for the tablet is really nice, no damage to them due to the way the pocket is designed. I use this for daily commuting, and recently used it on an overseas trip, and it handles both equally as well. Cons: This is weird, but over time, the material on the backpack will actually begin to damage your clothing. The way the backpack rubs against the lower part of my back has caused it to actually start to create wear and tear to most of my cotton hoodies, shirts, etc. I have tried tightening my straps, loosening, etc, to no avail. I reached out to Timbuk2 about it and they just said it was either the way I had my straps set up or that they would sew a patch on it for me. Haven't sent it in for the "patch" because that seems like a cheap solution I could handle myself. So if you want a really nice, roomy, comfortable bag, and don't really wear cotton, you will love this bag

I use this bag to carry my laptop to work, along with other miscellaneous items. I've found that the laptop compartment in this bag is very frustrating to access. First, I have to flip the straps out of the way so I can unzip the compartment. Next, I have to unzip all the way down so I can access the side-load laptop sleeve - while doing this, some cloth covers the bottom of the zipper so I have to make sure to maneuver around it.

Uncomfortable without a laptop in the compartment. Has weak zippers that you need to be careful with. Material feels like it might be weatherproof, but is really thin and not weatherproof.

The bag is loaded with storage compartments and has more than sufficient capacity to hold quite a bit of stuff. That said, if you plan on hauling a laptop and any other gear inside of it, be prepared for a pretty uncomfortable strap experience. There is insufficient padding in the strap and it makes it somewhat painful to lug around. Pretty disappointed with this purchase given how expensive it was.

The zippers are not good - even if they are an inch open, you have to use 2 hands to close them. In other words, you cannot just slide it across. They need to be much smoother and more durable. I should have returned it but didn't get the chance to and needed it for work.