Customer Reviews

Kenneth Cole Messenger Bag

5 star:		(62)
4 star:		(27)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

I searched high and low for in-depth reviews on this product, and came up short, so here you are:

Purchased: Dark Brown Kenneth Cole Reaction Messenger Bag

Full Description (What you can't see from the pictures):
- 13 inch width, 3 inch thickness (small-medium bag)
- Single gusset interior pocket, 2.5 inches
- 2 pockets on front of bag containing:
- -Left Pocket: Phone Holder (Blackberry-Tour sized with space)
-Right Pocket: 3 business card/credit card slots, 2 pen holders.
- Interior zipper pocket roughly 10 inches across.
- Back magazine pocket sitting directly behind handle, lined with same material as the interior.
- Strap pattern leading down both sides of the bag.

Pros
- The bag pulls off what very few male (or androgynous, as this bag is in the small-medium category) messenger bags can do: it looks great when you're wearing sweatpants or when you're wearing a business suit. The brown is dark enough to seem professional, light enough to go with a black suit (just don't carry it all around with you during a banquet; it's not a man-purse), and has a simplistic enough stitch to come off youthful and assertive.
- The dark brown does not run at all. My guess is that most of the bags that have an issue with the leather bleeding are black.
- It is very portable in comparison to many male messenger bags. At only 3 inches in thickness, it doesn't seem you are carrying your entire life with you.
- Currently my bag is holding my 10" Asus netbook, a 600-page softback textbook, a clipboard, a 20 ounce Coca-Cola, my blackberry, 2 pens, wallet, optical mouse, and keys. The front pockets still have some room for probably a one-subject notebook, a magazine or two in the exterior pocket, and my laptop charger and portable phone charger in the front pockets. This would be the full capacity of the bag, though.
- the leather strap already comes at an excellent size for a 5'10" to 6'0" man, and can be adjusted for several sizes. The shoulder pad is pretty comfortable, fits well with the bag, and stays still when you want it but can be slid to the position you want.
- the magazine pocket is big and has its own magnetic closer. You won't want to put anything other than large magazines or flat objects or it will dig into your thigh.

Cons
- The bag is a soft bag, and the leather cover folds in unusual places when being worn or hung up. This will eventually leave marks in the top on the leather. It won't diminish the overall professionalism of the bag, but can be annoying to OCD users who insist on the bag keeping form or folding right at the center.
- The cover stays closed magnetically, and the magnets aren't all that strong. I have lifted the bag by the handle successfully (while the bag is very full) without the covers sliding open, but if the cover is already open, the bag could fold over and let objects in the gusset slide around.
- The strap looks professional but feels awkward when picking the bag up. The bag tips slightly forward when you grab it. I like the positioning because your eyes aren't drawn to the handle when you see the bag, but for those who like a briefcase-style open, it can be a problem.
- The strap must be put on the right side, or else your neck will feel the strain. This is slightly annoying for people like me who like to grab their back while walking and throw it on.
- This bag will take damage. The wear is very natural and still looks professional (it is leather, after all), but marks will become noticeable eventually over time.
- This is most definitely not cushioned for your laptop, nor will it fit a standard laptop above 13" (and 13" is a stretch).
- It is not designed to carry your life when traveling.
- It is a high-volume bag, meaning you may run into others with the same bag even in your own company.

Why 5 Stars?
- It is incredibly multi-purpose for the business user. Any efficient businessperson has made the move to the comfort and portability of the netbook/smartphone combo. It still works for a student, as well, although don't expect it to hold your netbook and several classes worth of books at once. I am a Graduate student who works full time, and it's very nice to go from class, make a quick pit stop to drop off my books and fill it with business work, a drink, and some snacks, and go straight to work.
- Not only does it fit the usability criteria, it also fits the fashion criteria. Nobody, man or woman, will look bad wearing this bag (until they treat it as a man-purse).
- Not only does it fit the criteria to make it look like a Man's messenger bag, it is small and does a LOT with the space it has. A normal Man's messenger bag is 1-2" thicker.
- Every con of the bag does not take away from the versatility or fashion of the bag. They are minor nuisances that take a few minutes to figure out and adjust to, and in only a few days they had become natural for me.
- All together, this bag is more impressive and better looking than many bags several hundred dollars more expensive. If this bag cost $400, it would earn a lower star rating, but it's very similar quality (minus obvious finishing touches of lavish bags) for 75% off the price.

This is a beautiful bag, as is true with most Kenneth Cole products. It wears very comfortably over my shoulder and stays out of the way as I walk. The look is absolutely awesome. But I was shocked at the small size of the bag. There are some small inside pockets, but the pockets aren't always enough. Considering all of the electronics and accessories that we carry today, this bag may not offer all of the space you require. If you're traveling light, though, this is the bag for you.

I don't know if its a defect but the leather bleeds color into anything lighter than pitch black. pants that are not black will end up with unsightly black ink marks after a days wear. I am very disappointed in the product considering its suggested retail value.

I love the look of this bag but the leather rubs off onto my pants. I've had the bag for about 4 months and it still continues to bleed. I tried applying a leather protector but this only helped a little.

I mainly purchased this bag to carry around things other than my computer, a 15" MBP. I was expecting to only carry a paper notebook or 2 with my iPad and Clear Spot. Maybe a few other things like power adapters, headphones, camera, pens/pencils etc...To my surprise, my MBP fits even with the clear Speck snap-on case attached. I don't plan on carrying it around very much but it's nice to know it's up to the task.

I bought this for my husband. It has held up to vigorous use, and looks better now than it did when it was brand new. It seems very compact, but with a multitude of pockets and compartments, this bag has hidden assets.

This is an absolutely beautiful bag! It arrived on my doorstep this morning in a plain brown shipping carton. Upon opening the carton I discovered to my surprise and delight that the bag was packaged in a traditional kenneth Cole Reaction box, instead of shipped loose as these things so often are. That grey color with the reaction logo is so classy. As if that wasn't good enough, inside the KCR box, the leather bag was protected inside a Reaction branded nylon material slip cover. This bag was well protected and it shows. There wasn't a mark on it. The bag itself is buttery soft and smells like a high end leather store. The leather has a deep black satin like finish. I expect that as the bag ages and acquires some battle scars it will look better and better as time gos on.
I would recommend this bag to anyone.

1 Amazon has been great, many orders from it. (5-star)
2 Bag is very good. good material. size is exactly what i wanted (small, no more than 3inch thick). Inside lining very good. Very good design, simple too. Very happy with the bag. For those looking for it, it's model name is "risky business" on the ken cole sticker. (5-star)
3 Shipped from outside vendor, 2day delay. (reasonable, not big deal) But the bag does not look like brand new. It looks more like a display unit with a few small but noticeable scratches on the front. Also couple of spots at the back looks like black marker pen touch up. (They're small tho, and at the back)

I did some polishing up, and it looks ok. So, I'll keep it instead of spending time to refund and find another 1. After a month of normal use, the bag probably would look like this anyway.

3-star means "acceptable" for me, mostly due to the condition of the bag not being mentioned by the vendor. If it's advertised as a floor sample/display unit, I'd consider it in good shape. (and probable would give 4-star instead)

Great bag. All of your items are easily accesible. However it is only 3 inches wide so don't plan on putting your whole life in this bag. Iwould not recommend it for a student---there isn't enough room for multiple books and notebooks. But general office jobs should be able to use the bag with ease.

I have been a fan of messenger bags for decades and have always opted for the black canvas sort. Many years earlier I had favored the Army surplus messenger bags. All that to say, I never have enough pockets for all the toys I carry. My wife offered at one point recently, "Aren't you a little old for a ratty canvas bag?" Well, I was and this Kenneth Cole Reaction messenger bag came along at just the right time and it was on sale. I am very pleased with it. I did not buy it as a computer bag and it is big enough for those days I need to carry a 15.6" notebook to various places. Plus I have always been a fan of tan leather...anything, actually: shoes, jackets, gloves, and _____________ (fill in the blank). I really like the simplicity offered in the messenger bag, no secret zippers or clasps, nothing to interfere with getting to the stuff inside, everything is easily at hand.