Customer Reviews Timbuk2 Classic Messenger - Extra Small

I've bee using the classic messenger bag for about 15 years, so i have had quite a few. This current version see much of the previous quality taken out. Material is thinner, not as many pockets, strap is of lighter quality. Still an ok bag, but nowhere near the quality they were only a few years ago.

Sadly had to return 5 minutes after opening the package and trying. The bag itself seemed great, but after trying to put it on with the strap at its longest length, it was too short - it sits too high - more like a sling bag. Plus the short strap makes it difficult to lift over my head to put it on and take off. The old messenger bag (lowepro) I was going to retire had a much longer strap which made it more practical. I'm 5'11" but maybe if you are a shorter person it might be alright. Too bad, I really liked the bag itself.

I like the size and weight of the bag. Also how every thing I need for travel fits well inside. What I don't like is the fact that the velcro strips destroyed a pair of designer jeans. The exposed velcro literally tore the denim to shreds. Fix the design flax and I'll be a returning customer.

I bought this bag because my Vapor crossbody was too small to accommodate a notebook and water bottle. It is reliably sturdy with good internal compartments for keys, a notebook, and a small water bottle. But after a few weeks, I have two gripes. The main thing I dislike about this bag is that the strap is soooo short for a cross-body bag - it isn't long enough for the bag to sit at your hip. In addition, there isn't an external pocket for easy access to your cellphone. I actually wish I had returned the bag when I first got it, but I was so excited that I took the tags off right away. Overall, it is objectively a nice sturdy bag, but it doesn't work well for my purposes.

I've had this bag for about 2 years and have used it on the daily to and from work. Mixed opinions on this. The bag was super stiff when it was new, but I figured it would break in eventually. It's still very stiff and tough now though, it feels bulky and there's lots of awkward gaps that it leaves instead of fitting snugly against the body (definitely not made for female bodies lol). The bag even when empty is fairly heavy to lug around. On the plus side, the velcro is still strong and the bag has almost no wear on it, it's like new. But it's not a "comfortable" bag like other smaller bags I own and at this point I guess it never will break in to be what I would prefer. Organization and compartments are top notch and very useful. Alas, I have gotten to the point where I am too annoyed by the easily (too easily) adjustable shoulder strap buckle. It's a cool idea in theory, to let you adjust on the fly to have the bag sit appropriately across your shoulder/along your side. But it is CONSTANTLY getting loosened now. It never did feel very secure even from the beginning, and always was a little whimsical about when it would suddenly give way and your bag would be dragging on the ground behind you (yeah, I'm a short hobbit...) but within the past few months it's now almost impossible to keep the bag at the right length, it just falls if you look at it wrong. When I press it to "lock" it at the right length it barely seems to be holding. Really this is a good idea but it just seems poorly executed. There should be an actual latch or physical catch on the adjuster so that it won't just fall away at the slightest bump... And there's no way to swap out the shoulder strap with this frustrating adjuster to a different strap, as it's sewn into the bag itself. I would love to keep this bag as I do like the space, organization, and sturdiness it offers... but the annoyances especially with the strap are too much. I am now looking for a new bag, unfortunately.

I use this bag for commuting on weekdays. What's good: It's light and roomy. I can bring my laptop, tablet, headphones, umbrella, water bottle and some accessories, with still some room to spare. It's also comfortable to carry. Strap padding is good, and the lightness helps with shoulder fatigue. What so-so: No exterior pockets. No luggage pass-through. The strap is not detachable and/or reversible. Wish it was a liiitle bit shorter, around 36cm long. Longer side is advertised as 38cm, but it's actually 40. You know what they say, a couple cm makes all the difference. What's bad: I officially hate velcro with capital H. It's very noisy and makes it hard to quickly take things out and back into the bag, while walking. I need to stop and place the bag somewhere to take out my umbrella or headphones. I also keep forgetting to keep any fabric materials away from the front velcro stripes. The buckles don't help either. I very much prefer a single magnet buckle, like other bags. Overall, it's a nice bag, but I'm still searching for THE ONE.

I have always used a backpack for business travel, but wanted something more versatile for local meetings. The Timbuk2 fits the bill for size, weight and ease of use. My one knock is the lack of pouches. And the pouches it does have doesn't hold the gear I bring with me.

I bought a Timbuk2 bag about ten years ago, and it is clear that the quality isn't what it used to be. (My old bag is still in great shape; I just wanted a smaller bag.) The space for the laptop in this most recent purchase is not padded at all whereas my bag from ten years ago was padded--I felt completely safe putting my laptop in it. However, with this bag, I will need to buy an additional protector for my laptop. It is very disappointing. I do realize that Timbuk2 actually offers a "laptop bag"; however, the images with the messenger bag show a laptop in the bag--so I assumed it was designed to keep a laptop safe. Also, since my last purchase was a messenger bag, I assumed it would be similar quality. With that said, the stitching is still quality as are all of the other components of the bag. Just bummed about the quality of the laptop area.

Replacing my 10 year old former bag used daily

Before I ordered this bag, I wrote to ask the length of the strap. When I received the bag, the strap was significantly shorter (8") than what I was told, and therefore too short for me. I was pleased with the bag itself, but haven't really had a chance to use it, since I've sent it back for modifications (at my expense, as was shipping). I'm hopeful that the bag will work for me when I get it back. I had one of their bags before and used it happily for years. I just wish that I'd been given accurate information about the strap in the first place.

the quanlity and design are not as good as the previous product that I bought a few years ago

product design is ok can have better design. color is nice. materials are fine. price a bit higher than all over designmaterials and function. Over all is ok.

I've been using an XS Timbuk2 bag for daily carry to-from work for about ten years. I love it! But I am trying to be a little healthier and bought this Small Timbuk2 bag so I could start bringing food, instead of restaurants daily. Who loves Meal Prep!(?) The new bag has the extra room for a frozen choice of healthy cuisine and all my usual (man purse) stuff. It still seems to be made out of the same durable materials with all the pockets for important stuff and that extra stuff I wonder why I carry (or where it came from) but, But, they've revamped a couple noticeable things. Some things are a little smaller and hang looser. The shoulder strap is thinner, not a deal breaker. The buckles are too small. I love the big tactile feel of the thick strap and pinching the fat buckles on the XS. I had to use two hands to manipulate and then pinch the little buckles. I quit after a week and just trust the Velcro. And they hang loose down under to snag and whip. I thought it thoughtful, like maybe I could carry a rolled jacket, but the little straps just swing and snag. At the one-month point, I started shopping around. Now, at the two-month mark you ask my opinion. Bring back the bulky tactile straps and buckles! Please.

I had a small messenger bag and used it every day for more than 10 years. I would have kept using it, but the liner was shedding bits of black plastic that clung to everything. I got the medium Eco Lightbeam to replace it, as I was commuting to university classes and thought the extra space would be nice. When it came, I was happy to see the same super-tough exterior. Also, the main strap is nicely designed and well-padded. And the extra room really is great. However I miss my old bag for two reasons: First, the Eco Lightbeam has no padding to hold the bag in shape, so I'm always having to reach down into it to push the sides out and adjust it when put away my ipad and notebooks. Second, the second strap is lightweight and clips to the main strap (rather than to either side of the bag near the bottom so while it's functional once on, I don't use it because it's too awkward to get everything into the right position. Still a great bag. I just miss the heavier, more solid feel of my old small bag.

I had me previous messenger bag for 20 + years and loved it. The new one is mostly very good-solid, durable. However the carry handle on top is terrible-almost useless. It is a small piece of canvas that is not even placed to allow you to pick up the bag evenly. The bag shifts and tilts. Despite liking other aspects of the bag, in hindsight I am not sure that I would have purchased it.

I absolutely love the way this bag looks! It's so beautiful that I didn't want to return it, but decided that I should look for something that works better for the reason I purchased it. In all fairness, I don't consider myself a cyclist. I found the brand because I was looking for something well made and I bought it to carry my 15 inch laptop. I don't feel there is enough padding around the laptop section of the bag. That led me to buy a sleeve for the laptop, which then made the laptop no longer fit in the designated section. It did fit in the main compartment which you can choose to expand or pull in based on your contents. This bag was so uncomfortable on my shoulder with the weight of my laptop that I thought about having the option to attach it to a suitcase handle in the event I were traveling, but the handle on the back is too narrow to even attempt to fit it around a suitcase handle. Now, the cross strap that helps to secure the bag close to the body did work some...just not enough for me personally. I would love to see another version that addresses these concerns. I did see the Commute Messenger Bag that has a nice section to fit around a suitcase, but it doesn't come in the beautiful color I love. I would recommend this Classic Messenger Bag to someone who wants a very nice bag, but doesn't necessarily need a laptop bag. Who knows, a cyclist who is bending over on a bike might find it more comfortable, but my review is based on me standing and walking upright. So far, the customer service reps have been wonderful and hopefully the return goes smoothly. The process seems simple.

It's my daily using bag when I have less things to carry. The size is great but the shoulder strap material should be firmer to stop it from twisting and undoing the buckle which is small and not robust.

It's a great bag but it is a bit large for me. I was expecting it be a slim and wide just wide enough to snugly fit a 13" laptop. But that's just a personal preference, it's a great high quality bag

A friend recommended this messenger due to its great padding and structure. I got the Medium and I've had it for about 3 months and it's great for the most part. The material is amazing! Definitely the best bag I've had when it comes to the materials. I got caught in heavy rain and nothing inside got wet. While I really wanted to love it, some things just don't work for me. First, this bag is heavy. Even with just a novel and 2 notebook, my shoulders were hurting. It also doesn't hold much. I once added a thin sweater and it got quite bulky. The other thing I should have listen to in the comments was that it's designed to be worn on the left shoulder. I'm a righty, but always wear bags on my right and I thought I would be fine with it, but maybe this messenger bag was just not made for my shoulder.

Timbuk 2 is fantastic, I've had a few of them. This is my second Classic Messenger. I love the size and features. The first bag had the lining fail, probably 3 years in. Thought it was maybe a fluke, so bought the same bag again. At about year 3 the same thing happened, lining started failing in the exact same way. I don't remember if I reached out to Timbuk 2 the first time, but now I see all these reviews saying these last for years and years, which has not been my experience. Still a great bag, just not for 10 years in my experience. Maybe 2 or 3.

Love the bag but won't buy it just yet because the colors are so boring and drab. Hopefully they will come up with better color options as the year goes by. And NO I am not paying for a customized bag.

I'm a busy mom of 4 who can't find a purse that works for me. I have a Timbuk2 messenger bag as a diaper bag and I love it so much I decided to get an extra small messenger to use as a purse. It's great! Just what I wanted..except the strap is about 6" too short to wear comfortably as a crossbody purse. That's why only 3 stars. It's a fabulous bag, but the strap could be longer.

Good bag overall, it's not the same as it use to be. My last bag I had for 7 years and had seen better days so I bought a new classic messengers bag. Same size as the original but holds far less, the old bag could swallow anything but the design of the new one holds far less. They have removed many of the pockets that use to be there, and the ones that are there are laughably small. The main strap was nice and thick and sturdy on the old one, the new one they have used a flimsier strap that actually folds up when you use the cross body strap. It's still a great bag that is well priced but the company has made some decisions which results in a bag that is far less functional than the one I purchased 7 years ago. I hope they read this.

It's not mentioned in the product listing, but this is for right-handers. The only way to get a left-handed messenger is to use the Custom option. This is in part to replace my old TB2 messenger that I've had for more than 10 years, so I know the setup is different for right/left. When I saw the listing made no mention of either one, I assumed they probably had an improved adjustable or ambidextrous design. Not the case. It was final sale so I can't return it. Oh well. It is possible to figure a way around it and get by, but I do miss the intuitiveness that comes with the correct configuration. As far as the bag itself, it's as advertised: the classic messenger bag, pretty basic, time-tested stuff.

This bag teeters between a 3 and 4 for me. There is alot of minor things that annoy me, but it's still my most used bag. I always take it overseas with me. I have the largest size in black. Pros: Great bag material - It doesn't snag on anything, easy to clean, beads light rain pretty good, durable. Just high quality material. Size - straight forward, I needed a bigger bag to carry things. Shoulder strap padding - I like how long it is. It doesn't pinch into my shoulder when there is a heavy load in the bag. Don't get me wrong, your shoulder will be tired, but it seems to distribute the weight good. The shoulder strap adjustment - I like how it is easy to adjust how high and low you want the bag on your back. Cons: Bag needs more structure - The bag sometimes folds in on itself, especially if there is stuff in the front organizer pockets. There is no back panel or semblance of structure or padding. Things will poke into your back. There is no panel structure on the front organizer pockets, so when you put stuff in there (wifi hotspot, batteries, etc), in collapses into into the bag. No Water bottle holders - The 2 piddly like sleeves inside the bag on the ends are pathetic. What are they supposed to hold?? The standard should be to hold a 32oz nalgene. These little pockets are useless. It sucks when a big full water bottle is moving around so much in the bag. It's a big cavernous space. The grab handle sucks - It's just a piece of webbing. Uncomfortable to hold. No luggage passthrough - There is no pockets on the back panel. My no pass through? The webbing "handle" is not even big enough to have a passthrough fit through it. Maybe just sew 2 wider webbing handles handles will fit and slid through. No external pockets or anything - I wish there was some external mesh or some small bungee cords or same slash webbing to attach stuff to on the outside top flap or back side, somewhere to put wet things.