Customer Reviews Timbuk2 Tote Rucksack

I generally like this bag. The color is great (grayish-blue) and it held up in a recent rain storm. The only thing that needs improved are the backpack straps. every designer by now should know that when you make straps out of nylon, they're not going to hold in place. The heavier the bag, the more likely the straps will loosen.

I love this bag! I like that it can be a backpack or tote so I can be casual or professional. My only issue is with the lack of inside pockets and or pen/pencil slots.

I love it! I use it as a backpack mostly, but enjoy that the tote option comes handy when I move around fast. One thought for improvement is that backpack straps are not padded. It's not a problem now that is winter, but I am worried I will get annoyed when I wear it on bare skin. Aside from this it is an excellent bag. Looks slim yet it is very roomy inside. Many many pockets and zippers.

I bought the black/gold bag for my work commute and love it. Guess I'm not the only one because I've received several compliments on it! My only issues are the strap material is a bit slippery so I'm continually tightening them and there's no side pocket for a water bottle, but the pros definitely outweigh the cons.

I love using a commuter bag that can double as a shoulder bag and a backpack. I think this transitions nicely. I like the material also, the clean lines look professional. I do agree with the vast majority of the comments that the interior pickets are to small (both too narrow and too shallow) and that the outer compartment child use a size boost as well.

This is a really beautiful, well-made, thoughtfully designed, high-quality, practical bag (fits a ton of stuff without looking stuffed or sloppy), and I was so excited to get it--in the "army" color way...but the color is so dark that it looks off-black in all but the brightest light, and it's just not enough contrast for my black-heavy wardrobe. It also has a sateen-like gold undertone and gold-looking hardware--just not my thing. I'm returning it and getting a black one, which is classic but not very interesting. Hope they offer this in a true army green sometime soon!

Loving the overall shape and use of the bag, but it would be MUCH easier if it had dual zippers on the outside pockets, rather than just one. The zippers are ALL difficult to use and not smooth. It may need time to break in, but the zippers are a pain.

I gotta say I do love this bag. I got it to replace my everyday backpack, which I often use as my carry-on bag for short travel as well. I don't usually drag my laptop around, but knowing I can is great. Also this bag fits a solid load of groceries which is handy. I'll give it a solid 4 stars, but the same problems that others have complained about are my major annoyances. The main one being the slippery texture of the handles. It defeats the purpose of "adjustable" if you have to tie a knot. I'll actually be taking the bag to have the handles sewn in place. Also the zippers are a bit sticky. I hope with time they will loosen up. Finally, the inside of the bag is quite cavernous - a slightly bigger inside pocket would be really valuable.

Love the size of this bag, it fits everything I need for the day (fits my laptop, lunch, gym clothes - my essentials, and still has room for my MK wallet and tech case). Also love that this has handles on it and the straps are removable if you'd like to carry as a hand/ arm tote. Really like the front pockets as well, and how secure the side zip pocket is so that I can reach behind me and grab for something without worrying that anything is going to fall straight out. I'm afraid that over time the straps material might wear out a bit and the shoulder straps will be more difficult to tighten over time but I'll have to wait to see.

I love how this bag looks and feels. Good size for personal item on the plane. However, I am having issues with the zipper. It gets stuck, especially in the compartment where I keep my wallet.

This bag is very well made and true to timbuk2's typical high quality standards. I have been wanting this bag for quite a while and so was sad to send it back. I ordered the black with gold hardware and it's an amazing looking bag with lots of great compartments and storage for phone, wallet, keys, sunglasses etc. My issues with it were based on design and comfort. The tote straps are not long enough to comfortably wear it on the shoulder and the backpack straps, while nice and compact, cut into my shoulders with a pretty nominal amount of stuff in the bag. I would buy this bag a million times over if the shoulder straps were longer and the backpack straps had a little padding on them. PLEASE update this bag to an even better version so I can buy it!

Since receiving my bag, I have been primarily using it for work. I'm excited to take it on an upcoming trip though, and am hoping it will also become a good travel bag for short trips or when I'm exploring new cities. At first, the zippers were a bit hard to open and close, but its been about a week and a half and the zippers have become softer. The straps are a bit long, and I think they tend to slide loose so I am finding myself readjusting the length of the straps whenever I put it on. This is only a minor issue until I can find a cute way of tying the straps at a length that works for me. Overall, the size and quality seem to be good, and I'm liking my purchase.

I've only had this bag for about a week, but I love it. It is so easy to use and much larger than I was expecting it to be so it can hold a lot. The only thing I'm not a huge fan of are the zippers. They tend to get stuck often and its a little difficult to close and open my bag. Other than that it's a great bag.

I had been eyeing this bag for a while, mostly for traveling but also as a casual but presentable daily tote. I haven't used the backpack straps yet, but I did a quick test and they seem reasonably comfortable. Haven't really had any zipper issues like some have mentioned. Only thing I'll mention is that the straps are quite smooth nylon, so there's a little bit of slippage (maybe I have sloped shoulders, but I think cinching up the straps a little more might help!) But as a design feature, a small piece of neoprene sewn along the inside of the strap might be a good addition? I still think this will be perfect for travel where I can board the plane with my travel backpack and carry this as a tote as my personal item, but then use it as a daypack when heading out. It is even more spacious than I anticipated!

I bought this bag to replace my work bag which was falling apart. I wanted something that was less unruly than bag I had, (not the Forge Tote) and could carry the same amount of my old bag. I also wanted something that could be packed flat in my luggage or something that could stow under seat in an airplane. This bag does all these things well. It looks cute, the backpack straps are surprisingly comfortable, and I love that they can be tucked away. I also own the Forge Tote (which I like better than this bag, but not for work) but my biggest complaint of that bag is that the backpack straps don't tuck away. This bag also has a hook for keys in the vertical zip compartment on the outside of the bag (which is another thing the Forge Tote lacks). I keep my house keys on the hook and store my work keys in the same compartment. This is the best part of this bag because I'm no longer digging for my work or house keys! The front compartment is a good size, but I wish it had some minor interior storage like some pen loops and a slim pocket or two. The inside of the main compartment also lacks organization. There is a zip compartment with two slim pockets on the outside of it at the top of the bag and the laptop compartment... that's it... The laptop compartment is nicely padded on both sides (the Forge Tote lacks padding towards the inside of the bag). I would suggest getting some pouches or cosmetic bags to help organize this bag. Because the it is so deep, it is really easy to lose things and have to dig for them (The Forge Tote also suffers from this, but has more pockets than this tote). Despite the shortcomings of less than optimal interior storage, this is the perfect bag for what I need. It has the dedicated space for keys that keeps me from digging when going to work and home. It is also cute, multifunctional, and takes up less real estate than my previous bag, which is nice when you share a small office with 5 other people.

I use this bag for my everyday use as well as the gym since I workout daily. The straps are not as thick as I thought they would be but they are holding up well. Thought they might snag easily since the material used is so smooth (like satin finish ribbon) and not webbing. Haven't used the backpack straps yet so I can't comment on their comfort yet. The only other slight Con is the deep compartments which make finding things a little awkward. Overall I really am glad I purchased this bag.

Love it but wish it was closer to 5.5" deep.

Good size, well made and versatile. Can use as tote for work, convert to knapsack for commuting - very pleased.

Love this bag! Just wish the zippers were a bit better. By better, I mean smoother. Unlike my other similar Timbuk2 bag, the zippers on this bag are not as "refined" as what I am used to with Timbuk2's quality. Zippers do seem that they will hold up to a lot of abuse, though. Still, fantastic bag with plenty of room for everything. Love that I can wear it as a backpack or a tote as well as it adds more versatility. Bought this bag in Shade and it is like an eggplant purple with sheen- beautiful.

I absolutely adore this bad and don't know if I can ever go back to a non-convertible bag ever again. I am obsessed with bags so I rarely use a bad longer than a week before I'm switching to another one for some reason or other but this bag is going 3 weeks strong with no desire to change and even when I do change I think i'll Come back to it. I often switch bags because I will like carrying a tote but my shoulder or back will start to bother me and I like carrying nook bags but feel young and awkward carrying them to meetings. This bag defeats both of those issues. On a daily basis I switch back and forth between the 2 functions and I just love it so much, especially the convenient pouch to stash my backpack straps in to. I've has convertible bags before and normally didn't use them long because the backpack straps just hung out when not in use. I got the Shade color and it is a beautiful plum purple that I think can go well with anything. I think this bag is one of the Best buys I've ever done and I'm glad I finally caved and bought it when it was on sale. I also dropped my bag in a big puddle of water the other day with my iPad, phone and keyboard in it and I was prepared for the worst that something got wet but this bag kept everything dry and dried itself within an hour! My only issue with the bag is the zippers which are kinda awful, they are really stiff and get caught constantly. I've been spraying mine with oil on a daily basis and they're slowly getting better but hope to see better quality zippers on future versions. I really hope this bag becomes a staple with Timbuk2 because I would be more if other (Brighter) colors become available or it becomes one of the customizable bags. If I could get this bag in bright red I might have my first forever bag.

i'd love a few more interior pockets for organization, but this nice sleek pack is great for my workweek. i like the ability to transition to a sleek tote and hide the pack straps. the gold zippers and hardware on the black provide a sleek, on-trend yet classic business look. if you need a pack that doesn't make you look like you just walked off the college campus, this is it.

Just received this in the mail and I love the look of it. It's lightweight and fits my laptop and other items (glasses, wallet, water bottle, etc.) perfectly. Using this as my commuting backpack and possibly for biking on the weekends. I am happy with the look of the backpack - and the quality seems good. the zippers are easy to zip and unzip. I just wish this had a pocket for a water bottle on the outside for easy access. I hate that I have to take the backpack off to get my water bottle during my commute.

Purchased this for casual days at work, weekend errands, and travel. Had a lululemon Enroute bag convertible tote backpack I needed to replace and chose this. I have many Timbuk2 bags and was spoiled by the old Cargo Tote and Iris duffle I still have and love. For such a deep bag I do wish there were more organizational pockets and an interior bottle pocket. The zippers are stiff and can get stuck. Looks better as a backpack than tote in my opinion, but I use primarily as a tote. Overall a very good purchase and I am satisfied but I do wish Timbuk2 kept the organizational pockets they used to have from my older bags. Purchased black with gold zippers. Looks great.

I so wanted to love this. It's a great looking bag with all the functionality I was looking for(zippy top, laptop pocket, convertible, key attachment), and the style I wanted but the straps were just too skinny! Maybe I'm asking for too much, but if they could somehow make this design with wider straps I would buy again. Just feel like this would make it way more comfortable to wear (I returned the original).

I use this bag a lot. Its a great size and the pockets are all useful (2 front zipped, interior slot for laptop, and interior zippered pocket). The straps are a bit slippery. For heavier days, the convertibility into a backpack is a bonus- but not a backpack that I would use as a first option. The side cinch straps are not functional IMO.