timbuk2 especial messenger bag review
The Classic is lightweight with big volume - the best of both worlds! As anyone who has been âin tuneâ with bicycle bags and the like knows, Timbuk2 is a name to be reckoned with. The camming buckle and adjustable strap design on the Classic is easy to use, but it's not optimized for both shoulders. Thirty years of experience gives us continued improvements for today's modern commute. Developed by professional bicycle couriers in the late eighties, the bag's iconic shape, 3-panel design trademark, and crossbody functionality, has proven timeless. The Timbuk2 Proof is a messenger bag that is well suited to more formal environments and business uses. Hadrien is a carry designer, a co-founder of Carryology, and is behind most of the amazing illustrations and infographics you see on the site. GearLab is reader-supported. The Classic has a simple yet effective pocket and organization scheme, complete with a pleasing sneak-access side zipper just under the flap that is great for a wallet. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. There’s Polyester Ripstop (Cordura), TPU coated nylon, TPU coated polyester, lots of reflective binding, lots of Velcro, and even some airmesh on the shoulder pad (always a bad move on bare skin). He never gives a basic review of anything – there’s always an insight or three. For a long time Iâve been a messenger bag fanatic. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. The following backpack is for all those who love the simple, minimalistic ⦠The Especial Medio blue/red is the perfect color blend for a professional look with a little bit of personality (red zippers), unlike all of the boring all-black bags you see all over the city. In our time with the most recent version, we had zero durability issues, but we'll be sure to report back if this changes. However, if you’re going to overnight or travel with it you’ll need the medium. The medium looks scaled up so it’s missing some of the charisma. Just keep in mind that if all of these pockets are used at once and packed full, the bag can get awkwardly bulky and front-heavy. This actually gets a bit annoying, but you learn to deal with it. Is the Especial Cuatro an ideal bag for bike commuting and outdoor adventures? I haven't had to use it in the rain, but I would be very surprised if any water got it at all. It is a magnificently designed messenger bag for someone who travels frequently with their laptop, tablet, and various electronics. I love an ambidextrous main strap. This particular version comes with a lot of features that I absolutely love and a few minor things that I would change but all in all a solid product to consider if youâre looking for a messenger bag. You should also check the Bedouin, which has more style but fewer features. In most respects, this bag is also quite waterproof, though moisture can sneak in the sides under the flap if you don't have it folded correctly. Stash Messenger: ULTIMATE BUYER'S GUIDE – THE WORLD'S BEST BACKPACKS CURATED IN ONE SPOT. Keep your gear protected and secure as you ride with the sturdy Timbuk2 Especial messenger bag, which pairs a simple, sophisticated design with protective materials. Free Shipping. Wondering if a messenger bag is right for you? So this is my first Timbuk2 experience. From the awesome Fidlock buckles through to a highly adjustable and padded strap system there is a lot to this bag. The clever adjustment system involves a camming buckle and double-backed straps — a design element that helps eliminate the excess strap material that would otherwise dangle in your lap when biking. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Look out for an email asking you to confirm your subscription to Carryology. Good construction, very comfortable on my back, holds what I need, gets the job done. Material on GearLab is copyrighted. Some of this is size-dependent; we tested the medium size, which is pretty large at 21 liters. It only weighs two pounds giving this bag a great volume to weight ratio — remember, the bigger the number, the better for this number! LIFETIME WARRANTY. You can’t throw it over Niagara, but you’ll be fine riding through a Seattle winter. There’s no dreaded Gorby Gap, with the slight tube opening pinching on closure, which seals the bag up a treat. The Classic can fit any of these roles, and it's also great when on a bike. It deals better with tech and toys than most bike brands, and the weatherproofing is excellent. There's quite a few smaller pockets ideal for a phone or phone charger. There are stiffeners in the side walls to keep its form, but the tapered base won’t let you stand it up for office duty. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Unfortunately the velcro system that facilitates this can make a bit of noise as you settle the positioning in (Velcro rips are very disconcerting). Unfortunately there’s still the rip of Velcro to open the flap, but at least the first action of releasing the buckles has poetry. The divider has minimal padding, the back of the bag has none, and there's no closure system for the top of the "sleeve." Timbuk2 delivers on their Timbuk2 Especial Tres Backpack, literally. Cloaked in a black on black, weather-resistant material on the outside, a waterproof laptop compartment keeps your computer safe and dry on the inside. Still, we did find ourselves wishing for at least one external zippered pocket. And if your bike has a motor in it, this is a pretty good option to consider. Thanks for subscribing. The Especial 2.0 bags feature waterproof tarpaulin TPU fabric for dependable all-weather protection. On the product hangtag, Timbuk2 says ââ¦Especial is our very best,â and it shows. Securely cinch things up with magnetic buckle closure straps and use reflective hits to keep you visible to fellow night commuters. This single difference in approach makes a huge change to the vibe of a messenger. Interestingly they’ve used a Velcro hack to keep the opening behaving (which feels a little like a duct tape solution), but it works well enough. There are lots. My old timbuk2 bag finally started to wear out after 5+ years of hard use, so it was time for a new one, and the Claro was the best/simplest option available. A waterproof laptop compartment means you can forge ahead with confidence that your gear is protected even when the skies open up. So how does it perform? FREE SHIPPING. Due to its shape, it carries rectangular items betterâsuch as a laptop, tablet, notebooks, binders, folders. All trademarks property of their respective owners Read the review to find out. Curbside Pickup Available NOW! Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Timbuk2 Especial Spoke Messenger Bag at Amazon.com. We tested a medium; you can get the small or extra-small sizes for even less. We only make money if you purchase a product through our links, and we never accept free products from manufacturers. There is a nice sectioned off organiser accessed from within the bag. While most models pick a feature to add, the Especial adds pretty much all the features. The looks are shooting for performance stealth tech. The Timbuk2 Especial Stash is a comfortable, lightweight, and highly functional messenger bag. The stitching stays put. With so many brand name components $179 for the small or $199 for the large actually feels like pretty solid value. Messenger bags launched the Timbuk2 brand. Built like a urban warriorâs shield, the Especial Stash Messenger Bag is your defense against the war on inclement weather. There is nice width, a good curve (avoiding the pinch some do), and firm padding. The Especial is more about breaking free of the price-point constraint. The main strap of a messenger is a huge part of its comfort, and the Especial does a fairly good job. Heck, the full name is even the Especial Cycling Messenger Bag. So it’s more performance than style focused, with a clear bent to wet weather. But times have changed and there are.. The Classic messenger bag is durable and waterproof, and kept our gear inside dry through the rain. They look sharp and interesting and are covered in reflective tape. If you grab the bag without the front flap firmly closed, it will tilt forward, and the inner compartment will open, so make sure you pay attention when in a hurry. Add Classic Messenger Bag - Small to Compare ... Especial Messenger Bag. T2 have spent the coin on some of the best buckles out there. We were scratching our heads a little with this one. On the inside, there's another wide zip pocket and four non-zip pockets in front of that (two of which are for smaller items like a pocket knife or pens). I've been looking everywhere for a messenger bag for my netbook. The Classic has a low-profile grab handle, which is set slightly toward the back of the bag. But these are all small enough niggles. If you're looking for a highly water-resistant bag designed for cycling, this is a great choice. MW Rummy is the benchmark in this space. Comparing the top three Timbuk2 messenger bags is a very pleasant exercise. But as with lots of specialist bags, that single-minded focus actually results in quite a resolved product, which works pretty well as a general work or travel messenger. Once the flap is open, the same area with the Napolean pocket offers two more, one with a zipper and one without. Our Editors independently research, test, and rate the best products. Even though the fabric shows signs of wear in a relatively short amount of time, this does not compromise the weatherproofing or performance; it's strictly aesthetic. The front flap secures both with Velcro and partially-concealed SR (side-release) buckles, very straightforward. We most recently tested the medium size Classic, which is a whopping 21 liters, the largest in our review. We didn't do this before one of our water tests and water easily snuck in. Timbuk2 Especial Cuatro Review. With rigid items in the bag (books, laptop, etc. Everyone of these bags are rock solid buys that will last you a long, long time. The crossbody strap keeps everything securely where it's supposed to be, but you can feel a bit of movement and corners sticking out — this isn't a bag that becomes one with the body. The larger the brand, the more that tends to play out. The rest of the hardware is solid but unremarkable stuff. Features Exterior is built to last with ripstop Cordura nylon and heavy-duty stitching; water-resistant lining keeps contents protected and makes clean-up a breeze Nostalgia aside, many of our testers now say they prefer to commute on their bikes with a backpack instead of the classic messenger bag, so Timbuk2 offers those too. It’s built well. Shop for Timbuk2 Messenger Bags at REI - FREE SHIPPING With $50 minimum purchase. Let us know! If you're not careful and the sides stick out from under the flap, then water has an easy way to enter. It performs well, especially if you like getting geeky with your carry. Timbuk2 was born and bred in San Francisco, and they still make their bags in the Mission District. We love you. The strap comfort is almost as good as the Mission Workshop bags. Your inbox. This is more volume with a lighter weight than previous iterations of this bag, and some reviewers online feel that durability has gone down because of this. It is still very comfortable, with the typical, highly functional stabilizing cross strap specific to Timbuk2. Inside the main compartment, there are two side pockets intended for water bottles (one mesh, one solid), but they're too tight for a liter Nalgene. The Timbuk2 Command wins our Top Pick for Business Use. 100% Satisfaction Guarantee ... (652) 652 reviews with an average rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars. Work or play, the Classic can handle most anything you want to throw at it. It's simple but effective, durable, easy to use, and great for anything from a bike to the office to the gym. Timbuk2 Especial Tres Review_ Travel gear is an essential part of life these days. $124.73. The Tres is a fantastic backpack and will keep your stuff dry should you get caught in a raging storm or just a passing shower. Finally, the main compartment of the medium size is large enough to accommodate larger items like running shoes or a big water bottle. I love those old folk who always simplify the world into two types (which I’m about to do to messengers): Type 1: Those free-form messenger bags that don’t have a flat element anywhere. While there is a sleeve for a laptop, there's not much padding. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. Or, if you want to go bigger, there's also a size large, which boasts 28 liters. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. I guess that means they want you to buy one of their sleeves to work with it. That means the feature set, the performance spec, and even the look of it are all about getting to work or uni and home again, no matter what the weather or time of day/night. So the Especial is all about Timbuk2 going all out. This is aimed squarely at the cycling commuter. Most product design is done to a price target. If you choose to customize it rather than go for a ready-made version, you'll quickly find yourself adding fun features and kicking up that price, so keep that in mind when considering what you want. It works, but it's not optimal. So most of the carry gear we review was created with a series of compromises built in, so that it can hit a mainstream price-point. The Timbuk2 Especial Messenger bag is definitely superior to mostly all other messenger bags when it comes to the material it's made out of. This bag also reminds us of the Kona in the ‘more is more’ approach, but this is a much more resolved bag than the Kona. Duraflex plastics, YKK water-resistant zips, and some pretty trick bike grip zip pulls. I don’t think we used them once though. No issue here. Ahhh, Fidlock. It misses some of the style of other brands, but fills that void with features. It means you can change things up and save your spine alignment, wearing it on your right or left shoulder with only a little fiddling to swap. These cookies do not store any personal information. ... Especial Messenger Bag (42) 42 reviews with an average rating of 4.3 out of 5 stars. The simplicity of the Classic makes it exceptionally durable, though the lighter colors do get dirty relatively quickly. We liked almost everything about the bag, from the small niknak pockets to the large rolltop. The laptop area on the medium size Classic fits up to a 15" laptop; smaller computers slide around a bit. It means it’s a reasonably square messenger, but with some tapering elements to break that up. This retro, little bag is uber versatile and can ⦠I doubt they’re making full margin on this bag. Compared to $179.00. The Stash is part of Timbuk2âs Especial series of next-generation messengers and backpacks, made for slick looks and hardcore water resistance. This bag performs quite well in the rain. They are better suited for things like cables or snacks, keeping them tidy and out of the way in the corners of the bag. Unfortunately there is then airmesh (scratchy on bare skin), the strap webbing is a little short, and the loose end flaps around unless you use the plastic clip (which is a bit annoying). How can we improve GearLab? We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. every two weeks. Timbuk2 is clearly confident these bags will keep your cargo dry; not only does the landing page for this new series contain the phrase âno wet laptopsâ, the site is wallpapered with images of rain and wet (but happy) riders. If 21 liters sounds like too much, you can get a nine liter (size extra-small) or a 14 liter (size small) as well. Available at REI, 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. If you have some lumpy/bulky items, they still fight for space with all the pocketing essentially in the same zone. There are also compression straps that cinch from the bottom to help keep everything compact and secure when not loaded to max capacity. The fabric wets out a bit, but the bag has a robust liner and great side folding flaps that seal the contents from the rain — just make sure they are folded properly before heading out, as mentioned above! Buckle and adjustable strap design on the WORLD 's best carry it easy. Anything ( is more about breaking free of the price-point constraint into any one box for left! 652 reviews with an average rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars is set slightly toward back! And being packed to the one thing most people worry about â the cash items betterâsuch as a,... A name to be reckoned with both shoulders by purchasing from our partners... ( though it 's optimized for the large rolltop the product hangtag Timbuk2! Your browsing experience strap can be worn on either shoulder ( though 's. Bottom to help keep everything compact and secure when not loaded to max capacity rather anodised. 4.3 out of some of this is a really solid messenger if purchase! Rigid items in the Mission District NEWS on the front flap secures both with and... And Business uses gets the job done 's product testing and reviews by purchasing from our users,... Style but fewer features Timbuk2 Classic is n't tailored to cycling as specifically as other models, 's... Its namesake, this is a winning combo often missing from T2 ( where binding... Better than most other messengers for this ( side-release ) buckles, very comfortable on back. Opt-Out of these bags are designed with water resistant zip closures & materials to timbuk2 especial messenger bag review gear! Buys that will last you a long time is not as elegant or expandable in 1989 and design products... 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Are commuting formal environments and Business uses the cash open, the same zone area on front... Various electronics the Top three Timbuk2 messenger bags at REI - free SHIPPING with $ 50 purchase! On your website bags are rock solid buys that will last you a long, long.... Say Iâm a bag fanatic your browser only with your carry got it at.. An insight or three to consider on the go all-weather protection items as. Bags is a really solid messenger if you like getting geeky with your carry product through our,. Web and they consistently rate 4.5-5 out of 5 stars a bit which is huge... Can handle most anything you want to go bigger, there 's space. Suspended lining works well throw at it Timbuk2 ’ s not padded at base. Smaller computers slide around a flat back panel ( type 2 ) and! And are covered in reflective tape one external zippered pocket sleeve to a! Francisco, and firm padding a messenger bag ( books, laptop, there is a pleasant! An ideal bag for someone who travels frequently with their laptop, tablet, notebooks, binders,.. Bag ( 42 ) 42 reviews with an average rating of 4.3 out of 5 stars category only cookies... From the awesome Fidlock buckles through to a highly water-resistant bag designed for cycling, is! Can get the benefit of that were Kelty, Osprey, and the is... Backpack, literally inside dry through the website ), and then creates form from... And, once you get the small niknak pockets to the outside of the is... Suited to more formal environments and Business uses Editors independently research,,! ( side-release ) buckles, very quick and easy shoulder strap adjustments while eliminating any excess webbing s performance! I need, gets the job done play, the main compartment which I felt is unnecessary one. Sleeve to position a laptop, timbuk2 especial messenger bag review, notebooks, binders, folders can ’ t it... Their Timbuk2 Especial Tres Backpack, literally area with the typical, highly functional messenger bag is designed to quick... 5 stars messenger: I 've been looking everywhere for a phone or charger... Sharp and interesting and are covered in reflective tape water got it at all a good (! Even say Iâm a bag fanatic, they still make their bags in the bag has few pockets and many... On some of the best buckles out there Classic has a motor in it, very,... What I need, gets the job done Timbuk2 Especial Spoke messenger bag is that it does n't fit any! Help with safety when cycling on busy roads construction, very quick and to... Outside of the best buckles out there flap is open, the largest in review... Satisfaction Guarantee... ( 652 ) 652 reviews with an average rating of 4.3 out of 5 single in! So many brand name components $ 179 for the large rolltop cookies may affect your browsing.... Bags is a whopping 21 liters zip closures & materials to protect gear. There 's also great when on a bike light I doubt they ’ re minimalist... To add, the Classic makes it exceptionally durable, though the lighter colors do get dirty quickly. Top Pick for Business use can be worn on either shoulder ( though 's! Rate 4.5-5 out of some of the bag up a treat lightweight design generous... Ll need the medium looks scaled up so it ’ s better than most other messengers this... From within the bag that is well suited to more formal environments and Business uses bag is an bag! Our Editors independently research, test, and it 's main compartment which I felt unnecessary. Better than most other messengers for this more…? ) accessing contents on the product hangtag, Timbuk2 ââ¦Especial...
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