Customer Reviews Timbuk2 Classic Messenger - Extra Small

Normally, I don't bother to write reviews. However, considering how much help I received by reading other customers' reviews, I am here to warn you guys about the very SHORT STRAP. Buyers beware! I am 5'10" but the bag sits in the middle of my back. Cannot go down any further. Fortunately, mine is an S. I cannot imagine wearing an M like that if not cycling. Apart from that, I am very happy with my new bag. BTW, the handle leaves much to be desired if you really consider carrying it that way.

I use my bag daily. Weekdays it goes with me to the office carefully carrying my thermos, lunch, and notebooks. Weekends will find it with camera and water bottles at local bike races. There may even be diapers and supplies for my young son, to offset lugging his diaper bag around. I've owned a classic bag for years, but felt it was lacking in areas; no bottle holder, no grab handle, stiff shoulder pad, etc. This updated messenger is exactly what I was looking for. Thank you!

I just received my messenger bag, and I have one word for you people, FABULOUS! It`s very rare to find a product where quality is the norm rather the the exception. The materials used are durable ,colorful, and practical. I plan to use my bag on vacations , and walking my dog. The bag is perfect for stashing his snacks, extra leash, water bottle, cell phone, and of course poop bags. I could have used an extra storage compartment. I have already recommended your product to several of my friends. Keep up the good work.

I deliver sandwiches on my bike with this bag. The cam buckle and comfy strap are very convenient, but I can only fit 3 paper bags inside, the same of my old book bag. However, my bag was medium, if you will use this as a serious messenger, get a large. Great bag though!

Really like the bag. Both over the neck like a traditional messanger bag and also slung over the shoulder. Mostly worn like that due to having to travel (I need to keep things light+) with a duffel bag that I carry like a backpack but when I dump it off and need to walk a while staight into messanger mode (the amazing adjustable strap is very handy). Only problem I have have found is that their is no padding on the bottom (not really that much of an issue) If their was a pocket that I could slide my ipad mini (with a cover on it) it would be perfect and eliminate that fault (if you could even call it that). The extra small pockets in the main compartment hold a few pens and my flashlight pefectly - BIG bonus for me)

Good thing for 2014 that a handle was added. I was specifically looking for a handle on a basic messenger bag last year and the only way to get it was to order custom made and that costs more $$$$$. Next year or maybe this year, please add an open back pocket like the ones the Patagonia messenger bags have.

I had the previous generation CMB - and quite frankly didn't like it...the inner pocket was too unstructured - if you were always carrying a lot of stuff, it didn't matter - but it often felt like there was too much space for what I needed - not that that's a bad thing, but it just didn't work for me - and I returned it and went to a Rickshaw bag. When the new version came out - coincidentally;y when I decided I needed a little more space...I thought I'd give it another look. Lots of subtle improvements - that at first glance don't seem to differentiate it from the old one - but really do ina lot of ways. It's lighter. The compression straps are a HUGE improvement. To improve on those, adding a "locking mechanism, so the compression can remain in place even with the flap open would be a big improvement. Some room for improvement though: I also think that the slash pocket could be improved by having either/or: 1. more padding as a standard (I didn't customize, so I was stuck with the slash. 2. A smaller, interior slash, so I could store my iPad and MacBook together without them mashing. 3. Also adding some velcro or a strap on the Slash pocket. Anyway - I have the CMB with 2 Brown Canvas panels - and love it.

good for shopping

I LOVE ...the new fabric - light, durable and good feel I LOVE ...the simplicity of the pockets that are offered - keeps me from carrying and not finding all the stuff i do not need ;-) I LOVE ...the extra waterbottle pockets inside this bag I LOVE ...the new adjustable CAM buckle - this one is really practical I LOVE ...the new integrated compression straps - reminds me of my very first timbuk2 bag, and the new design is practical and easy to use I LOVE ...the new, low profile grab handle - what a great feature I LOVE ...the new mesh pad I'M OK WITH ...the length of the strap (180cm) - could be a little longer though I HATE ...the narrow design of the strap - that sucks!!! I choosed the S model. All the other timbuk2 bags I got in small size had a strap with the same width as the bigger ones. I don't know if the bigger ones got wider straps - but the size of the bag works fine for me. Loaded with some sheets of paper, a water bottle and some little extras really get's uncomfortable after a few minutes! I got the same problem as the austrian guy! Returning this bag is pretty inconvenient - and a bigger one won't fit my needs! PLEASE consider to get back to the usual or wider sized strap - I won't mind paying a few bucks more! Cheers

I love the new design. Awesome fabric makes it super lightweight and the strap feels so comfortable. Roomy inside like a Timbuk2 bag is suppose to. But when I got it, there was something missing that wasn't in the old one. LESS POCKETS! The old one probably had almost twice as many pockets as the new one. Also, I don't know if this is on all the bags but the handle is what makes me feel like it's kind of useless. The handle to me is at the back of the bag and when you grab it, it tilts making it difficult to carry. Overall, great bag as always. I can live without the millions of pockets and the handle itself.

I owned a medium Timbuk2 messenger but found it was really too big and cumbersome for my 5ft 4" frame. Ordered the new 2014 messenger in the small size and it is perfect for me--easy enough to carry all through the day and very light. Love the inside water bottle pockets-very handy. My macbook air 11" fits nicely in the back slip pocket. The only thing that keeps this bag from being 5 stars is the lack of an outside back zipper pocket. I'm surprised it wasn't added...its a bit of hassle to put my keys and phone inside the buckles every time. Other than that, I love this bag!

In San Francisco for the weekend, I took the opportunity to check out the new version of the classic messenger at the Hayes St. store. Fortunately for me, they had the dusk blue/ yellow stripe bag in stock, and I spent an inordinate amount of time deciding whether or not to purchase. Eventually (after taking a 20 minute walk to think it over), I did purchase the new version in extra small. For one thing, I love the new, refined look. It is crisp and streamlined in appearance. The Cordura makes it lighter and supple against the body. I really appreciate the way it wears on me. The narrower, much more flexible strap is a great improvement, and I am glad that the bag's dimensions and carrying capacity are unchanged. And yet. Two reasons I had to take a walk to think over the purchase: the lack of Napoleon pocket (my favorite Timbuk2 feature), and the redesigned buckle. I had my doubts about this feature, and three days of non-stop walking later, my concerns were valid. While I can appreciate the reason for putting a smaller, quieter clip on the lighter, looser strap, the buckle itself is a bit too trigger-happy for my taste. That is to say, one accidental bump and whooosh! down slides the strap, and down goes the bag from my back to the lowest point on my hip. Since the strap is sewn at both ends, the bag is not going to fall off, but at the same time, I don't like my bag to slip at unexpected moments. I wrestled with it constantly for three days. The length is oddly short as well. I am 5'3, and it the bag sits at lowest point of my hip at the strap's furthest length. Another quibble is the non-removable strap pad. Though much better than the previous version, it is not a great pad, and I would like the option of switching it out with one of my third-party pads when necessary. One possibly more serious issue is with the new fabric. The corner of the bag that was against my side has some loose thread already. Not sure if this is just where the 'Cordura' label is stitched in, or if it is something at the seam. I only noticed it this morning, and need to take a closer look. I do like the bag, and do not regret the purchase. Hopefully this nicer looking, lighter weight classic extra small messenger will be as reliable and durable as my others.

This is a nice bag, though some of the updates seem to be changes that I wouldn't have made. For example, the shift to a one-pocket design under the flap from a tiered set of pockets means less organization. There was something nice about having those three there. My only major complaint is that the strap is too short. It seems as if they've removed a good deal of available slack in this edition. With the cam undone and all slack used, it is still tighter than I'd like and I'm not a particular big person. I'm undecided on whether to return this because of the inadequate strap length.

I'm homeless. And being out here in the elements, I need a bag that can stand up to constant use. This bag is it. It reminds me of the quality bags that I'd use as a bicycle courier in Boston back in the 80's it holds up to constant stress, and stays dry in the rain.

The bag is much smaller that I thought and there isn't enough padding to keep the laptop from potentially being damaged. The quality is nice but I need something larger. I will be returning it and trying to find something else that will work better for what I need it for.

I have a small and a medium timbuk2 messenger bag I bought 10 years ago for college and the adjustable strap clamped down and locked in place. This new one has a different kind of strap, made out of thinner slipperier material, and the adjustment buckle does not really clamp down on it, it's held down by tension when you have the bag on. but when you take the bag off, it tends to readjust itself to a different length. (I think I can fix it with a pin or a rubber band, but considering the cost of this bag, that's a little annoying.) I bought this for a music festival - the size was perfect for an extra shirt, festival program, glasses case, and sunscreen bottle. You could fit a little more in there, but that's what I had in it. I did not find a good place to attach a carabiner and hang a water bottle off of it though - that would be nice.

Almost 10 years ago I bought a Command Messenger Bag, and I was completely happy with it in every way and would give it 5 stars. Recently I got a Classic Messenger Bag and it is a big disappointment. The material is notably thinner, cheaper, and weaker. The padding for a computer is super thin. It has these unnecessary dangling straps that you can't tuck away. The velcro on the main flap is noisy and unnecessary. It has a wedge shape wider at the top that then squishes together and wrinkles when you put it over your shoulder which ruins the appearance making it look sloppy. The shoulder strap gets tangled easily and I'm constantly having to unravel it to get it to lay flat on my chest. The quick access pockets are not easily accessible from the edges like they were on the Command, which had three. The Command had none of these problems which is why I wore it out and had to get a new one, but the Classic is a major step down. Please bring back the Command design.

Generally speaking, I like the bag. It's a good size, it's fairly comfortable and will probably get more so once it's broken in, and it seems durable. The design is so-so. The laptop compartment is great, as are most of the zippered pockets. However, there are some elements I don't care for. The shoulder strap buckle system is heavy, clunky, and hard to adjust, and the extra long strap doesn't really fit in the pocket, so it just flaps around outside. I also don't know why there's a water bottle pocket inside the bag. You don't need one on the inside. Water bottles don't need to be inside taking up space. It would make more sense to put it on the outside, or not have one at all. Also, the carrying handle should be up higher on the bag, not where it is, which pokes in your back. Overall, the bag is better as a shoulder bag than a bike bag.

I have been biking to work with a TIMBUK2 bag for decades now. They've changed the strap design since I bought my last bag. The strap is now thinner material and I'm guessing to compensate for that they've made the shoulder pad thicker and longer. The problem is at 5'2" I have had to adjust the strap so that the pad butts up to the bag on one side and the buckle on the other side. This has changed the weight dynamics and flexibility. Sad design flaw for shorter people.

Major downgrades from the old bags: cheaper, thinner nylon strap, no more release clasp, the inner pocket is about half the size it used to be with half the compartments, and the water bottle add-ons won't fit a nalgene. I'm disappointed in my custom. Still, it's a great back. If you're looking to replace a favorite old bag, I would take a look at some others first. My favorite parts of the design are all gone now.

I already have the small messenger bag which I love but wanted one with a bit more room. I pulled it out of the shipping bag and the first thing I noticed is the shoulder strap redesign to now have a flappy tail that they think the elastic is supposed to hold down. It doesn't, it just flaps around everywhere. The buckle has a big loop in it that you would think you would pull to shorten/tighten the strap similar to what my current bag has but no, it has that big loop for no reason... I honestly am not sure what you're supposed to do with it. You pull the flappy tail piece to shorten it which makes the flappy tail thing much longer and flapping around in front of you. Seriously, looks like you're wearing a tie with your outfit. The shoulder pad is super stiff too, probably would break in after a while. The bag itself is roomy which is why I bought it, for a bit more room, but aside from not getting past the flappy tail thing, there is no separate strap for keeping your laptop in like my smaller Timbuk2 bag has and my previous Timbuk2 messenger bag. As someone who has forgotten to strap in the laptop and has gone into the bag to get something and almost dumped my laptop out only to pinch it between my forearms and legs it is kind of important to have the extra protection from accidents. On top of that it makes it pretty easy to snatch. I wouldn't recommend it but if you can get past a big chonk of seatbelt flapping around in front of you it would probably be fine. Seriously, your previous straps were fantastic, the first one I bought was back in like 2006 I think and it was a great design, the one I currently have now is maybe 5 years old and it is a great design, why did you think that stupid little piece of elastic sliding up and down was going to hold this flappy tail down? So weird of a design change.

I use this daily for work. I had one years ago and loved it. I do not like the changes they made to the shoulder strap. There's always this extra strap that's hanging around that you constantly have to fix. Not a very clean design I think. Makes me look sloppy for work I think. The water bottle pockets are pretty small. Had a hard time fitting in a hyrdoflask.

I use this bag most when I go out to perform (I play the viola). My instrument is sort of large, and I carry it on my back, so it's nice to have a small bag that I can wear in front or at my side to carry auxiliary items. For this function, it's NEARLY ideal. The material seems durable, the strap is wonderful, ... but it's just slightly too small towards the bottom of the bag. If it were only about one inch longer, I think it would easily hold a standard sized folder or binder. As it is, I can sort of cram a file folder into it, but it isn't an easy fit.

Quality of the bag is nice. Organization seems like an after thought on this bag. Pockets are awkward and I couldn't find a water bottle that fit into the water bottle pockets. I wound up returning the product. I wound up buying a bag from another company because I could not buy an new in stock back and get a full refund - waiting for store credit doesn't work when the bags are in and out of stock.

Of course, your bags are great. It's a bit heavier than I would have liked/expected. Hmmmm. But it has all the space and pockets I need. I just needed something bigger than your Small bag.