Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsNicest Laptop Messenger Bag I've Ever Owned
Reviewed in the United States on December 30, 2018
I've had this bag for a few months now. I needed time to get used to it, but I've now had it long enough to write an intelligent review.
I bought this bag as a temporary replacement for my Timbuk2 Claro bag, which was in need of repair. I have since received the Claro bag back from Timbuk2's repair facility, but I have yet to "move" back into it, simply because the Command bag is so much nicer. It has more organizer pockets than the Claro bag does, and it seems to me that more thought and planning went into the Command bag's pockets. They're just better for organizing the things I need to carry with me, which makes it easier to find what I need. I can access more parts of the bag without taking it off. It also seems to be more durably built than the Claro bag.
One thing I really like about the Command bag is that the laptop/tablet compartment is in the back, accessible via a separate zipper closure. There is adequate padding to keep your laptop nicely protected, and there's a separate, Velcro-closed pocket in that compartment for your tablet. It has enough room to accommodate a 10-11" tablet. This makes the laptop and tablet more easily accessible than they would be if I had to open the main flap, and I'm also less worried about either one getting marred by the pens and tools I keep in the main compartment. I've been out in the wet weather with this bag, and the weatherproof zipper does a good job of keeping the laptop and tablet dry.
The main compartment has a roomy area for large items, and it's large enough to swallow a second 15.6" laptop if I need to bring one back to my home office for repair. I've also been known to stick a few odd items in there when I've had to pick up small items from stores like Best Buy for clients, but the bag is really not large enough to use as a general shopping bag. All around the main compartment are handy storage pockets; a couple larger ones closed off by a zipper and a Velcro patch, respectively, and others that are just handy spots for tools, pens, etc. It's easy to organize your things in this bag.
One glaring difference between my Claro bag and this one is the stabilizer strap. The Claro came with a very flimsy connector loop for its stabilizer strap, and the strap quickly broke off and got lost. Timbuk2 fixed this problem on the Command bag; both ends of its stabilizer strap have durable connectors. That's a good thing, as you'll see when you read about my couple of gripes, below.
There are several pockets accessible from the outside, without opening the main flap. One is a pocket right inside the flap. I want to say it's about 6" by 6" square. I keep my bicycle lights in there, where I can get at them easily. It would also accommodate most cell phones, although a phablet probably would not fit. There is another pocket under the main flap, but accessible via a zipper on the side of the bag, that runs across the entire front of the bag. It's big enough to accommodate a bike lock, although I prefer to simply carry my bike lock on the bag's carry handle while I'm riding. I've been known to keep a couple of reusable shopping bags in there; I can sling those over my handlebars while riding home, and that's how I handle small shopping trips. Finally, there is a vertical pocket located on the left front side of the bag, and it's shaped suspiciously like a laptop charger. I think Timbuk2 even refers to it as a charger pocket. My charger actually lives in a mesh bag that I keep in the main compartment, but I use this "charger" pocket for some of my lesser-used tools.
This is simply how I use my Command bag. What actually sold me on it was a YouTube video from an IT consultant who had run electrical and USB cables through his bag and essentially created a mobile desk out of it! I figured that a bag that versatile couldn't disappoint, and so far, mine hasn't.
I have a few minor gripes about this bag, but they're not enough for me to dock it any stars:
1. I'm a short man, just 5'4" tall, and I find that the strap can't be adjusted quite short enough for my liking. I'm guessing that shorter men, as well as women under about 5'8" (typical feminine proportions include shorter torsos and longer legs, although, of course, YMMV), will not find this bag comfortable for cycling. However, the work-around, for me, is the stabilizer strap. The main carry strap gets *just* short enough to keep the bag away from my bike's working parts, and I can actually keep it in its shortest position while putting the bag on and taking it off. Once the bag is on my shoulder, and my bike lock is attached to the carry handle, I attach the stabilizer strap, which keeps the bag from swinging into any part of the bike. I still wish the main strap got a little shorter, but this works for me.
2. There are two ways to fasten the main flap: a pair of metal clips, and a pair of Velcro strips. I'm not enamored of either, but for various reasons, I've settled on using the metal clips. (They're really supposed to be used interchangeably, with the Velcro strips providing the snuggest closure, and the metal clips providing the quietest, i.e., avoiding the loud tearing sound that Velcro makes when you pull the hooks off of the loops.) The problem with the clips is that while they're generally easy enough to close, the flap has to be at just the right angle to get them open again; otherwise, they get stuck. I find that to open them, I have to take the bag off my shoulder, lay it on a flat surface, get the end of the flap as close to the bag body as possible and slide the clips out of their cordura loops. It's inconvenient to have to put that much thought into opening the bag, but on the other hand, at least I have no worries about it flying open while I'm riding.
3. Not enough reflective material. My Claro bag is literally covered with reflective material. The whole bag shines brightly when a headlight beam hits it. My Command bag has just a few reflective highlights. I ride both day and night, and would prefer more reflective material.
Those few issues aside, I'm finding my Command bag a lot easier to live with and more pleasant to use than my Claro bag, which is why I'm still using it as my primary bag.
