Customer Reviews Timbuk2 Command Messenger Bag - Large

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.

I'm a junior high principal and this bag serves as my briefcase. Perfect for shuttling my laptop to various meetings. Very happy with this product!

I like nice-looking implements but my main concern is that the things I acquire will do their job effectively. In this case, the bag needed to be big enough and have good padding, be able to hold my Mac and my Dell and other appurtenances along with a few papers. I may be pushing it a little bit to carry both but they are thin and it seems like sufficient padding, especially since I use sleeves as well. I'm semiretired and the world and profession are changing just as my personal situation is changing. Less work, more personal travel. A flexible carrying bag, attractive and easy to use (carry, take through airports) is a comfort, a convenience and, in final analysis, a pleasure. I like how it works and how it looks. Also the good style and color variety available combine to make the bag distinctive and easy to identify as my own, while not being unusual. Not inexpensive, but not out of line.

Really happy with the bag--extremely functional but stylish and fun, even professional. Solid build makes me feel it will wear well and stay in good shape for years.

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

I travel extensively and need to be super organized. This bag holds everything I need! This is my second Command Messenger Bag. My cat mistook my first bag as a litter box :( and so I needed a new bag. I looked at lots of other options and came back to the bag I loved using for the past few years.

I have an older model of the Messenger bag. Timbuk2 has made some great improvements -- in areas I didn't think needed improvement. Great stuff. Solid bag.

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 Laptop Bag is perfect the only thing to beware of is your laptops size for the Back pocket. I have a Dell Inspiron 15 Gaming 7000, 7567, 2017 model that has all the soft touch, My Bag is the Medium Size which is recommended by the fit chart. Honestly it fits just fine except its a little tight of a fit, the major problem is the Zipper itself that protrudes, if you aren't careful it will scratch the side of the laptop the whole length and because of the soft touch surface it will scrape it down to the hard plastic, leaving a scar line in the outer shell. This could be solved easily by having the Zipper at the end L vertically downwards after being horizontally extended all the way, or by just sowing in a small strap that when pulled outward from the inside assists with sliding the laptop in place and essentially covers the zipper creating a barrier and a slide mechanism assistant. Blue color matches American Airlines Uniforms, I was looking for something close this happened to be it, during the summertime we are incredibly busy, during the winter business falls off a bit and you get small amounts of downtime and rest where you normally wouldn't, during that time the bag is perfect for storing everything on the go I may need for entertainment or business purposes. Bag seems like it could go through the weather conditions we go through just fine keeping everything safe.

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

Would love it even more if it had a lefty variant. Lefties wear the bag over a different shoulder so the handy pockets are on the wrong side. I can live with i, but that would be the max. :)

Needs an external pocket with no zipper to carry 8x11 folders, paper, etc. Needs more internal pockets to hold external hard drives, cell phones, check books, key holder. Like the zip pockets openable with out unflapping. Internal zip pocket needs more room. I may have to have a custom one made

I was a long time user of the Timbuk2 Classic Messenger bag. I loved that bag, but I travel every week now and needed a back that can attach more easily to my luggage. This bag fits that need, but there are many other small improvements for a person on the go. The ability to access my computer and iPad without having to unclasp the bag is a huge benefit. I can easily just slip them in and out. I almost always carry water with me on the plane and having the water bottle holder on the outside of the bag provides easy access. The multiple front and side pockets are great for your passport, ID, and snacks.

Great bag! Lightweight, very nice looking. I got the Small size. The laptop sleeve is a perfect fit for my 15" Macbook. And the main compartment is a perfect fit for a folded Keltec Sub2000.

overall this is a great bag. lots of pockets and even some that are almost hidden. the strap and padding could be beefed up a bit, it's a tad uncomfortable at times when carrying a heavy load.

Just what I was looking for. Enough room for my 15 in. Macbook Pro and a few textbooks. Plus a pocket for water. Love it!

I bought this bag to carry client files to courthouse--it works perfect for this purpose. Bag has plenty of room and is well made. Also has a cushioned pocket to put your laptop and tablet. I use the strap of bag when I walk from parking lot to courthouse--the strap is comfortable--but tends to slide off as I walk. That's the only downside. When I get to court--i put the strap in the bag and carry bag as briefcase. I'm very happy with the purchase and i would buy it again.

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 use this as an very day briefcase for my laptop. I have been using going on trips and going to work for almost two years. I am always on the look out for a better bag. I own three Tumi brief cases, and I still use this command bag every day. It is the most organized and well thought out bag I own. It has three pockets that can be accessed without opening the bag. One is perfect for computer cables and chargers. One is perfect for you phone and headphones. The other pocket I use to stash metal objects before I go through a metal detector. All the pockets are quickly accessed. Inside are places for business card, pens, water bottles, and papers. There is also a well padded pocket for a laptop and tablet.

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.

I bought this bag for my boyfriend who is in school for therapy. He uses this bag for school and for commuting to clinicals with clients. We really liked that the bag had a lot of space for his laptop, books and paperwork, while still having a lower profile than the classic messenger bag he used before. It has plenty of organizational pockets for those loose items, chargers, notepads, and etc. The carbon/molasses color is a bit more grey in person than online, but turns out to be really nice, especially the accent colors. Definitely a great upgrade for the professional world, while being versatile for travel and personal use.

At first, I was really excited to use this bag. I thought it had everything that I needed including a water bottle holder, laptop compartment, and many pockets. Unfortunately, what I discovered is that the material of the bag is a little bit rough and over time, it will destroy your clothes by rubbing against it. The right side of my best is worn, my right pockets and belt loop are frayed, etc. On top of that, the strap is relatively slippery so that I have to constantly readjust the bag on my shoulder to keep it from slipping right off. This is a nice looking bag, and it's somewhat functional, but it's cost me a lot in ruined clothing, and isn't particularly comfortable. Skip this one.

My wife purchased this for me when I started grad school. This bag is incredibly well-made, comfortable to carry, and holds everything I need. I regularly carry a laptop, tablet, chargers, writing supplies, notebook, water bottle, wallet & keys, and several textbooks - this bag holds it all.

You have done such a fantastic job designing this bag. I feel like you accessed my exact needs and made this bag for me and me alone. Please keep up the good work.

This is my first replacement for my Timbuk2 bag that I purchased in NYC 25 years ago. That bag is still kicking but not really for public facing experiences and is now a beach, wet bag. All of the connectors and straps still work on that bag. Recently, I had been using a single strap back-pack made by case-logic. It works well for a quick jaunt between car and office, but for travel through an airport, etc., it constantly falls off of the shoulder and won't sit well on top of a roller suitcase. After scrutinizing the Timbuk2 website, there's a lot to choose from and it's a little daunting, I chose the Command Messenger Bag. I'm very happy with my choice. Same rugged construction as my original bag, but with more storage compartments, especially for computer and iPad, related cables, et al. I made a comment above that the bag could use more compartment storage, but really a request for more small hide-away pockets for smaller cables and electronic accessories. The storage is largely adequate and this is only a minor complaint. I carry a 13" Mac Book Air, and 12.9" iPad Pro. I'm a real estate agent and am constantly in the field so I need a bag with the right balance of style, ruggedness against wear, professional looking but not pretentious looking. This bag hits all of the marks. The build quality is outstanding. The shoulder strap is very comfortable; I'm 6'2" and over 215 pounds and the soft strap coverage works well for longer wear and is highly adjustable for load variation and adjusting for saving the shoulders. The back zipper for removal of computer in security is outstanding (I store computer and iPad in that compartment--btw--the iPad dedicated pocket is not large enough for this size iPad). I highly recommend you watch the product video to better understand the storage systems in this bag. I think it would work really well for bike commuters as well. I do very little of that now, but the bag sits well on the back like my old one did.