Customer Reviews Timbuk2 Classic Messenger - Medium

This will be my third messenger bag just over twenty years. Almost ten years of daily commuting and routine weekend trips finally wore out my waterproof lining. That and the design of "in-bag" water bottle management may be the greatest change ever...carabiner on the outside of the bag with 1 water bottle and 1 coffee thermos was getting old. Thank you for an ever smarter design and a product that lasts. I can't wait to try out the not-so-new features!

I use this bag every day and it is more than a woman's "handbag". It gets packed up every morning with all the usual items plus all of my medications, durable medical equipment and medical supplies I need throughout the day. It is a very functional bag yet eye catching too...am always asked where I got the bag. I tell the person about Timbuk2 and that they are definitely missing out if they don't have at least one!!!

At first I was doubt about the size s and m. I'd like my mac 13" to fit with this and I decided to go with s. Indeed, it's great to put my 13" mac pro and still have a little space. I'd say it can store many stuff and overall is great. One thing I don't like is the colour. I mean for classic messenger, there is really no colour I perfectly want, comparing to the previous year.

Awesome, awesome bag! High quality, comfortable and stylish. Love the fact that my things stay dry inside no matter how wet it gets outside!

Great for LDS missionaries!

I constantly travel by train and this bag makes it easy to move through crowded stations and rail cars

I recently began grad school and consider my timbuk2 bag to be a professional step up from a backpack. I also plan on using it for airport travel and office work. The cherry on top is that I found it during a phenomenal sale! Thanks timbuk2!

I bought this bag because I am so tired of small, cramped little nonsense bags which are filled up and bulging out when you put just your essential items in it already! No, I am not a cyclist (anymore) nor an active career person but an ordinary house wife, who carries everything because my husband carries very little. I carry a larger wallet which contains essentials like: credit cards, check book, I.D.s, money, coins etc. I carry mail to and from the Post Office, a bottle with water, snacks, a sweater, vest or rain jacket, small books and dog treats, a note book and pens and often the camera. This bag holds everything beautifully, keeps its shape and looks great, worn cross-body style. The ONLY (and I almost hesitate to sound critical) thing I would like to see changed is the under-the-flap key compartment; I find it rather small because I carry a large key ring with keys to my house(2) my car, my P.O.Box and the Garden Shed, so the pocket is adequate but could be a little bigger. I purchased this bag also for its color combination and because I wear a lot of black, it goes well with all my black coats while the brown gives it a very nice accent! This is my "Winter bag"! Love the padded strap, its length, the way the bag cinches closed and the Napoleon pocket for my cell phone. Also, this bag holds up well while out with my 2 retrievers; hair does not stick to the fabric and muddy paws and wet-snout-marks are easily wiped off. My dogs will come bounding, carrying sticks and they do not ruin or mar the fabric of my bag. I own 2 more bags like this, one in the Conductor material and one in the grey herringbone with the pink piping and I love them all! Highly recommend them!

I was super stoked when I purchased this bag and I'm even more stoked now that I have it. I'm not going to lie, it's the best work bag I've ever had. Plenty of room for my coffee, water bottle and gym equipment and well spaced enough to carry my laptop computer, reading materials, and notebooks. This thing is thebomb.com and I couldn't be happier with it. Nice job Timbuk2.

A beautiful bag that has evidently been crafted over time. The bag is roomy, beautifully waterproofed, and I love the way it looks when I'm wearing it. So much more comfortable than a backpack.

I got my bag a week ago. It is very a good friend of mine. I always carry it during my day trip. Bag's design is good. This black and grey match thing easily. The only thing only I think of this bag is fabric. It get flaky abit. Overall I just love it.

When I was searching for a new bag, Timbuk2 was naturally at the top of the list. Though I had never owned one of their bags, many friends do; and the quality and design always impressed. I had a lesser messenger-style bag which was specifically to my 13" MacBook Air. It had severe shortcomings which made it unpleasant to use. I decided to upgrade. After a lot of investigation, I determined that the Small 2014 Classic was what I needed, so I ordered one. The bag is certainly the best made and designed I have owned. Prior to wanting a messenger bag, I was a regular Brenthaven customer. My first Brenthaven was purchased from their first offerings, and I had three more over the next 15 years or so. But, in messenger bags they can't hold a candle to Timbuk2. The bag is wonderfully designed. Not without room for improvement, I don't think you could find something better right now. It has enough room for my computer and a variety of other things. I can carry more in the bag than I would want to, it gets too heavy if I actually fill it up. I commute on foot 5 to 10 miles a day. I carry everything I need in the bag, and even when I do make it heavier than is ideal, it carries the load gracefully. The strap adjustment is quick and easy, so I can get the bag into just the right spot so it doesn't bounce while walking, then drop it down when I am not moving along. I walk at about 4.5 MPH, quite a brisk pace, but the bag stays on my back without flinching. To address some reviewers complaints, which I don't share... First, the strap does occasionally twist when I am not actually wearing the bag, never when I am. It fi twists I find it trivial to correct it, and the pad NEVER flips, a problem with many other bags I have owned. In actual use, the strap is perfect and the softness means is conforms well and doesn't cut into me. I like it. Second, the cam buckle is brilliant. It never opens unexpectedly (it may be a matter of really getting it closed, I have strong hands and arms and perhaps I don't notice the difficulty in properly squeezing it home). I do know that once it is closed, it stays that way for me. One reviewer complains that a loaded bag cannot be adjusted. Even stuffed full, the strap can be adjusted while wearing it. The trick is to reach around and lift it from beneath to remove the tension, then pull the strap to tightening it. It's easy once you practice. Third, the number of compartments is not an issue for me. While I am a person who carries a lot of small items, I can organize my stuff in what is provided. I am not sure that I need more pockets, or if that might really be a negative. To give you an idea of what I manage to carry: 13" MacBook Air in sleeve I provided; In the main compartment: small bag with all the dongles and cables one needs for that and its various accessories; small bag with MBA power supply; headphones for iPhone in box; medium microfiber cloth; In the water bottle pocket: a Leatherman Wave with bits in sleeve; In the pocket on the other side: a two-way radio with extra battery; In the front organizer pockets: two mobile phones; MacBook remote; iPhone tripod; two pens; charging cables for iPhone, other two phones, and bluetooth headset. In the front zipper compartment (internal): two sets of keys, extra Li batteries for flashlight, 3.5" folding knife, minimalist first aid kit; In the unzippered outside pocket: Timbuk2 wallet (great item!) when I don't want it in my pocket. (note: it would be nice to have some kind of closure on this pocket to prevent the wallet from falling out with the flap is open and the bag is laying down. There is NO danger of it falling out when walking.) In the Napoleon (side access) pocket: Fenix PD35 flashlight, or, sometimes iPhone if I need a good signal and pocketing it won't work. A long narrative to show that the existing pockets seem quite capable, particularly for a SMALL bag. In the end, I don't think you can do better than this bag, though you might have to learn to use some of its features. Buy it.

I was given this bag in the large size as a gift and it is an excellent bag. I don't often ride a bike but I do plenty of running around to catch trains, etc. I find all the features to be well-designed and of very high quality construction. The way the strap adjuster works is very, very cool, and I frequently adjust depending on what else I'm schlepping. The shoulder pad is so great that I ordered 2 more for other straps on various instrument cases I own. The little "grab and go" handles are super. I don't know what the complaints are about pockets - there are at least 8, not including the main compartment or the slash pocket for laptop etc., Some are hidden, some zippered, its wild. Key fob, cup holders, compression straps in case I want to bring a recliner with me... Its really the kitchen sink, while still being very lightweight and attractive (as far as a large messenger bag can be!) Anyway, I'd balance this review out with some "cons" but as yet I don't have any - I've used the bag almost daily for 2 months and its excellent all around, I highly recommend it.

i use the bag going to office. it contais all the necessary plus 13" laptop

This bag is perfect! My only criticism is that I can't easily tighten the strap when the bag is full (or even when carrying even just a couple of books and/or my computer) and it does frequently unclip on its own, but these are the most minor of inconveniences and do not stop me from worshiping this bag. Well done!!!

I am an academic, and I use the bag to commute by bus, bike, walk, car, and sometimes air with my 13" MacBook Air with Classic Messenger Bag 2014 (small). It's fantastic. The single complaint I have is that the strap tends twist easily.

It's quickly becoming my favorite everyday bag. It's big enough to hold all my essentials (keys, phone, an 8x10 notebook, kindle, etc.), yet lightweight enough to wear all day. I've gotten some many compliments on this bag. I bought the last one in stock, which was the gray tweed with pink lining. So I use it at the office too.

Love the classic messenger bag. Great for day trips or airplane carry-on bag. The medium bag is just the right size to fit my books, cosmetics, water bottle, and snacks, and still fit under airplane seat.

A friend recommended checking out these bags when I was looking to replace an old backpack that I use when cycling, and this messenger bag is perfect. It's exactly as described, with extra speedy international shipping. Two thumbs up.

This is the best dang bag a guy could ask for. I moved down in size from a large D-Lux so when I saw this in the mail I thought it was way too small and that I'd have to return it. Boy was I wrong. It holds everything and still looks slim.Oh, and its gorgeous to boot. Thanks Timbuk2.

I bought my first Timbuk2 bag in 1989, and I still use it every day. The Velcro doesn't work so well, water soaks right through, but I live in Southern CA now, so that's OK. I have another big Timbuk2 messenger bag I inherited from somewhere, and a custom laptop bag that looks very styly, but lives in the closet most of the time. I have shown this bag no mercy, and I just can't hurt it. I wanted to file a warranty claim for the loss of water tightness - but my wife said "don't you dare!" This is the kind of product you are lucky to run into once in your lifetime. Now I'm looking for the last seat bag I'll ever buy.

Overly complicated. Need the hard strap and the big open bag back.

I got my one and only messenger in what I thought was 1989, but maybe it was 1990. 1990 was the future. And so was my bag. I still use it, but the nylon was looking a bit shabby. So I got another. This re-jigged bag is called a 'Messenger', but it is a totally different shape, different material and different feel. I doubt if it's used by Messengers anymore. The waterproofing is on the inside - which makes me wonder - - the outside isn't waterproofed nylon. There are so many pockets I wonder if it's more a toiletries bag for Hipster travelers? You can't just put you hand under the flap and have a feel around. The fastening straps are long and gay, and for some reason they start at the back of the bag and hook all the way under and up. And if you don't clip them in they hang below your behind like big pieces of pasta. But probably the worse is the flaccid lightweight shoulder strap with a big sliding pad for all those hunched over malnourished shoulders that have whined about 'oh the discomfort'. I still have my original. Why bother trying to change something that can't be improved upon. Mind you, if you are running a business and your product is so good it lasts the lifetime of the customer then what do you do? The original was USA bag of USA values. The new one is good but different. It's really a laptop bag for people with short hair, Sad. But still a good bag. I need a map for the road, and for the pockets. "Now which pocket did I put my phone in"...Keep it simple next time. I'm off to get a sharp knife and do some serious cutting. I would recommend getting a pillow case and an old car seat belt for the strap if a friend asked about getting a bike bag.

I bought the small size of the pre-made bag to take with me on a week-long trip to Disney World, and it fit my needs very well. The strap is comfortable. For the size it fit just about everything I needed. The waterbottle pocket is something of a gimmick - it's only large enough to hold a small sized bottle, and it's inside the bag so if your bottle is cold and there's condensation (or if it leaks) it's going to get all over your stuff. However, that's a relatively minor quibble. The bag feels sturdy, there were lots of pockets (better pockets in the pre-made bag than in the design-your-own, it appeared) and I would buy again. I might have chosen the medium size, looking back.

I bought this bag for a recent weekend trip to New York which involved flying, and was very pleased with it. I needed something to carry my SLR camera in that would not be heavy and bulky, and would also hold other things like my phone, wallet, and odds & ends. This one is extra-small; I have a small Classic Messenger that I've taken on several trips to England which was great when out and about all day for two weeks, but it seemed too large for a quick weekend trip that didn't require toting as much stuff around. The bag was just the right size, and actually I can get my iPad mini in it with the camera although that's a tight fit. It is comfortable to carry, and I can verify that it kept everything dry when we were caught in rain - the new addition of small overhanging flaps at each end of the top opening is great. My only complaint is the lack of a side-zip pocket on the front of the extra-small bag. That's really handy on the bigger one since you can stick things in it without opening the bag. I love the addition of water-bottle-or-whatever holders inside, though (a tiny umbrella fits there perfectly) Even better, I'm still using the bag for work daily, to carry my mini and other work essentials (minus the SLR). I bought the Village Violet/Tropical Mist Pink and was really pleased with the color (much more violet than pink). I would definitely recommend it.