Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Well-Designed, Comfortable & Durable, October 11, 2009
For reference, I purchased the medium-sized grey/white/grey bag Timbuk2 Commute 2.0. I am using this bag primarily for my daily commute to work (~4 miles roundtrip by bicycle) and air travel.
This was my first Timbuk2 purchase and at the two month mark I am very pleased. I purchased this bag after my last messenger (Swiss Gear) disappointingly fell apart after about 2 months of moderate use. Just looking at the construction and feeling the quality of materials I can tell the Timbuk2 is going to with me for a long, long time.
I considered a few of the trendier labels (Chrome, Manhattan Portage, Crumpler), but in the end the price, functionality, and aesthetic of the Timbuk2 just fit my personal needs perfectly. In terms of aesthetics, I like that my bag is kinda sporty and fun if I'm using it for leisure, but also businessy enough that I can use it with a shirt and tie. For what it's worth, I managed to snag my bag on the cheap from an Amazon Marketplace seller for $59. :)
Following are a few thoughts I had on the bag:
Construction & Durability (Grade = A)
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I've only had the bag for two months, but it has held up perfectly thus far and I envision it still going strong for many years to come. After two months of daily use, it basically still looks and feels like new.
The seamwork, fabric, zippers, and design are all of very high quality, and you can tell just by holding it that the bag was built to last. It might begin to fall apart if you are extremely rough with it or if you are a professional bike courier, but for the average person it'll probably last at least a decade.
Size (M) (Grade = A)
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I've been pleasantly surprised at how much my bag (medium) can fit -- I typically carry a Canon EOS 20D DSLR + lens, small laptop & accessories, business papers, a couple books, a spare t-shirt, a whole bevy of electronic gadgets and there is still room for more. My main laptop is pretty small at 13.1" and quite thin, and fits into the laptop pocket with ample space. Do be sure to check your laptop dimensions though... my other laptop is a 15.4" and does not fit in the medium laptop pocket.
Fit & Comfort (Grade = B with stock strap pad, A with Grip Pad)
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Initially, I was a bit skeptical that the bag didn't have any way of attaching a cross-strap for stability while riding. For this and for comfort reasons, I decided to purchase the Grip Strap Pad with my bag and I couldn't be happier. In my opinion, the grip pad should be the standard pad that comes with the bag, and is an essential buy to make the bag more comfortable and functional. With the grip pad, the bag hardly ever slips off my back when I'm riding.
The laptop chamber with it's corduroy back padding helps keep the bag from losing its shape. It is firm yet supple, so that the bag feels sturdy and comfortable on your back. With a rigid back, I was afraid the bag would slide around on my back but if the strap is properly adjusted I find the bag to be nicely form fitting and very little unintentional sliding occurs.
Design Features (Grade = B+ as stock, A with Slider Case)
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(+) Swivel joints on the strap make it so that the strap hardly ever twists/tangles.
(+) Strap has quick-release adjustment buckle which makes adjusting the strap a cinch.
(+) Good organizational pockets underneath main flap.
(+) Rubber bottom and waterproof fabric lining the main flap.
(+) Corduroy laptop lining keeps laptop safe and allows bag to keep its shape.
(+) Strong and well-positioned handle so it can be carried briefcase-style.
(+) Velcro on main flap keeps flap secure if you're too lazy to buckle/unbuckle.
(+) TSA-approved laptop sleeve makes going through security a little easier.
(-) The Grip Pad probably should have been included as stock.
(-) No quick access pockets on the exterior of the main flap.
This issue was solved for me by purchasing the Slider Case which gives me access to my mp3 player right on my strap.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A breeze for air travel, October 9, 2009
I've been using this bag for a few months now and travel pretty regularly. It was advertised as "TSA compliant" and, I have to say, this is one of the best things about this bag. It's so much easier to go through security. I can spend more time fussing with my boot zippers than dealing with taking my laptop out of my bag!
The bag also has a ton of great organization pockets and overall, it's just a really comfortable fit. It looks causal but professional at the same time. I'm really happy with this bag and definitely recommend it!
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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Great Bag, but no tolerance..., September 26, 2009
I ordered a medium sized bag, and I thought based on the description that my laptop would fit in it... The dimensions listed here and on the timbuk2 site are painfully accurate and allow no tolerance at all. My Toshiba laptop is about 1/4" too tall and about 1/4" too thick, and let me tell ya... the dimensions they list are already for a fit that is probably too tight. I wanted a new bag because my laptop backpack squishes my machine just enough to flex the screen into the keys and leave little marks. My point is that snug is good, squished is not. So... order the large, right? The bummer is that the laptop compartment on the large is not much bigger. For my laptop it might just barely be tall enough (exactly tall enough) but the thickness on the large, medium and small versions are the same as the medium. I'm not willing to try again. The designers at Timbuk2 obviously slipped a mac book in this thing and considered it all good. Great bag, but if your laptop is close to the dimensions they list on the website, you better test it. Maybe the Chrome SOMA bag will work...
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