Official Website: http://www.timbuk2.com/tb2/retail/catalog.htm?categoryId=7
My Rating: 8.5 out of 10
Bags must be one of the most over-discussed topics on these forums.. it seems that every 2 weeks a new thread pops up about which bag is best for their new MacBook, MacBook Pro, and so on. I recently had the same question, and did research all over the internet... I was intrigued by the Timbuk2 Commute, but couldnt find any detailed reviews and, most of all, any good photos beyond the stock retailer photographs. Because the bag isnt exactly cheap ($100 for the medium sized version), I decided to write my own little review of the bag based on my experiences so far. Hopefully this will come in useful for someone who has a similar decision to make.
Let me start off by saying that Im very happy with this bag. It has a few unfortunate drawbacks (described later), but overall is an excellent choice. If thats all you needed to know, then good luck with your new Timbuk2. For those of you whod like to know a little more, read on.
I chose the navy / gray / navy version from the Timbuk2 website. As is almost always the case with online photographs, the color looks quite different in real life. Even the photo that Ive provided, taken with the flash, make the bags colors look brighter than they actually are. Nevertheless, you get the idea. The material (rugged ballistic nylon exterior) seems sturdy. The bag itself looks and feels sturdily made, and appears to be of good quality. I have little fear that this thing will fall apart.
Opening up the bag reveals a white inner flap. It occurred to me that this might get dirty, but as you can see, there are no pen slots on the immediate interior of the bag. I consider this to be one of the small drawbacks of the bag, but I suppose theres some logic to it too. In the middle, where the gray band ends and the black material begins, are two pockets - one with a zipper, and the other, just above it, without. These are not large pockets but work well for a video ipod. (In fact, the video ipod fits into the zippered pocket almost perfectly). On the side, where the bag straps are, are two pockets. I was disappointed to find that these pockets are deceptively small. Moreover, its easy for whatever you place in here to fall out. I use it for my TI-83, as Id notice if it fell out, as well as my laptop mouse. However, I dont quite see the logic behind them. The side of the bag also has two beverage slots. I havent tested these as I dont often carry drinks around, but they dont look very large. I cant really comment at this point, though.
When you open the bag, you notice an adequately padded laptop compartment (not removable), which appears to be lined with some form of corduroy . I use a 15 Macbook Pro and the bag fits it *perfectly* without any additional sleeves (such as a RadTech Sleeve, which I own but cannot use with this bag... Im not worried about it, because the Timbuk2 compartment feels sturdy enough). I assume that it fits the regular 15 PowerBook very nicely as well, though I cant confirm. For those of you with 17 MacBook Pros, Timbuk2 make a larger version of the bag, though Ive never seen one to attest for the laptop fit. For those of you with macbooks, I cant give you any insight. I assume the laptop would be ok, but I like to feel like my laptop is secured in the bag... I doubt very much that I would get that assurance with such a small laptop with this bag, but I could be wrong. With that in mind, the corduroy-like material doesnt seem like it would every scratch my laptop, something that Im very conscious of, and therefore also very grateful for.
In addition, there is a thin pocket-flap (the best way I can describe it) on the other side of the inner portion of the bag. The pocket flap can swing out of the bag, for easier access, as photographed below:
I wont go into too much detail about these pockets since you can see quite clearly what is what. However, I will add that the top right of the flap has another padded pocket - my RAZR fits into this perfectly, and I feel confident that it wont get scratched. If just it had its own little flap to prevent the phone from falling out, because the pocket isnt exactly tight. It also wasnt large enough for my video ipod. There are two individual pen compartments, and a larger area big enough for 2 more pens, as you can see. In addition, there are several larger pockets, all of which should be visible from the photograph.
Seeing as how well thought out this bag appears to be, Im a little blown away by the fact that I should have this complaint, but its a big one: theres no good compartment in which to place a power adapter, ESPECIALLY one of the gigantic magsafe adapters. I carry mine in the main pocket of the bag, but this adds a decent amount of clutter to the main compartment. Why, oh why, Timbuk2, would you overlook this very important aspect of a laptop pack?
As stated, this is the largest flaw... and it isnt something that makes the bag unusable. I filled it up with what I consider would be an average daily load for a college student, such as myself. Photographed below is the bag filled with a MacBook Pro, the magsafe power adapter, a 5-subject notebook, as well as 3 smaller thin textbooks (what I consider to be the equivalent to one thicker textbook, if you HAVE to carry such a cumbersome book around).
The photo makes the bag look pretty stuffed, but its still perfectly usable. It closes without any problem, and feels comfortable to wear (aside, obviously, from the burden of carrying around that much weight). The back of the case contributes significantly to how comfortable the bag is:
As you can tell, the back is very padded... and its wonderful. Im not one of those people that carries their messenger bag fully across both shoulders (like its supposed to be worn); instead, I prefer to carry it, dare I say it, purse-style, on top of the shoulder where the bag hangs. This is more of a lazyness issue than anything, and certainly doesnt do anything to make the carrying any more comfortable. Nevertheless, the padding makes carrying the bag any way you desire perfectly pleasant.. certainly as comfortable as you could ever expect from a bag with heavy items in it. If you ride a bike to class, or to work, there is an optional clip-on belt strap that will keep the bag well secured on your back.
My only other complaint: although the strap is nice and thick, it doesnt have any padding. I found this a bit confusing and checked on the Timbuk2 website, only to find that padding for the straps are sold as an extra, for $10. I found this a bit outrageous for a bag which already costs $100, but I suppose they have to make their money somehow. I probably wont buy the $10 pad (+ shipping) unless I start to get seriously sore, or have to walk an outrageous distance to class, but for those of you that are sensitive to this, perhaps you should just buy it while youre ordering the bag.
In conclusion, I highly recommend this bag. I hope this review has been helpful, and perhaps it will save the forums from an unnecessary bag thread. Ive noted a few drawbacks which I find more surprising than limiting given how well thought out this bag is, in general. Theres certainly room for an improved version in the future. Nevertheless, I found no other bag that I would consider trading this one for. I like the look of the bag (particularly in the color that I chose), its sturdy feel, and its comfortable nature. If youre looking for a perfect 15 Macbook Pro bag, this is certainly a good way to go.
My Rating: 8.5 out of 10
Bags must be one of the most over-discussed topics on these forums.. it seems that every 2 weeks a new thread pops up about which bag is best for their new MacBook, MacBook Pro, and so on. I recently had the same question, and did research all over the internet... I was intrigued by the Timbuk2 Commute, but couldnt find any detailed reviews and, most of all, any good photos beyond the stock retailer photographs. Because the bag isnt exactly cheap ($100 for the medium sized version), I decided to write my own little review of the bag based on my experiences so far. Hopefully this will come in useful for someone who has a similar decision to make.
Let me start off by saying that Im very happy with this bag. It has a few unfortunate drawbacks (described later), but overall is an excellent choice. If thats all you needed to know, then good luck with your new Timbuk2. For those of you whod like to know a little more, read on.
I chose the navy / gray / navy version from the Timbuk2 website. As is almost always the case with online photographs, the color looks quite different in real life. Even the photo that Ive provided, taken with the flash, make the bags colors look brighter than they actually are. Nevertheless, you get the idea. The material (rugged ballistic nylon exterior) seems sturdy. The bag itself looks and feels sturdily made, and appears to be of good quality. I have little fear that this thing will fall apart.
Opening up the bag reveals a white inner flap. It occurred to me that this might get dirty, but as you can see, there are no pen slots on the immediate interior of the bag. I consider this to be one of the small drawbacks of the bag, but I suppose theres some logic to it too. In the middle, where the gray band ends and the black material begins, are two pockets - one with a zipper, and the other, just above it, without. These are not large pockets but work well for a video ipod. (In fact, the video ipod fits into the zippered pocket almost perfectly). On the side, where the bag straps are, are two pockets. I was disappointed to find that these pockets are deceptively small. Moreover, its easy for whatever you place in here to fall out. I use it for my TI-83, as Id notice if it fell out, as well as my laptop mouse. However, I dont quite see the logic behind them. The side of the bag also has two beverage slots. I havent tested these as I dont often carry drinks around, but they dont look very large. I cant really comment at this point, though.
When you open the bag, you notice an adequately padded laptop compartment (not removable), which appears to be lined with some form of corduroy . I use a 15 Macbook Pro and the bag fits it *perfectly* without any additional sleeves (such as a RadTech Sleeve, which I own but cannot use with this bag... Im not worried about it, because the Timbuk2 compartment feels sturdy enough). I assume that it fits the regular 15 PowerBook very nicely as well, though I cant confirm. For those of you with 17 MacBook Pros, Timbuk2 make a larger version of the bag, though Ive never seen one to attest for the laptop fit. For those of you with macbooks, I cant give you any insight. I assume the laptop would be ok, but I like to feel like my laptop is secured in the bag... I doubt very much that I would get that assurance with such a small laptop with this bag, but I could be wrong. With that in mind, the corduroy-like material doesnt seem like it would every scratch my laptop, something that Im very conscious of, and therefore also very grateful for.
In addition, there is a thin pocket-flap (the best way I can describe it) on the other side of the inner portion of the bag. The pocket flap can swing out of the bag, for easier access, as photographed below:
I wont go into too much detail about these pockets since you can see quite clearly what is what. However, I will add that the top right of the flap has another padded pocket - my RAZR fits into this perfectly, and I feel confident that it wont get scratched. If just it had its own little flap to prevent the phone from falling out, because the pocket isnt exactly tight. It also wasnt large enough for my video ipod. There are two individual pen compartments, and a larger area big enough for 2 more pens, as you can see. In addition, there are several larger pockets, all of which should be visible from the photograph.
Seeing as how well thought out this bag appears to be, Im a little blown away by the fact that I should have this complaint, but its a big one: theres no good compartment in which to place a power adapter, ESPECIALLY one of the gigantic magsafe adapters. I carry mine in the main pocket of the bag, but this adds a decent amount of clutter to the main compartment. Why, oh why, Timbuk2, would you overlook this very important aspect of a laptop pack?
As stated, this is the largest flaw... and it isnt something that makes the bag unusable. I filled it up with what I consider would be an average daily load for a college student, such as myself. Photographed below is the bag filled with a MacBook Pro, the magsafe power adapter, a 5-subject notebook, as well as 3 smaller thin textbooks (what I consider to be the equivalent to one thicker textbook, if you HAVE to carry such a cumbersome book around).
The photo makes the bag look pretty stuffed, but its still perfectly usable. It closes without any problem, and feels comfortable to wear (aside, obviously, from the burden of carrying around that much weight). The back of the case contributes significantly to how comfortable the bag is:
As you can tell, the back is very padded... and its wonderful. Im not one of those people that carries their messenger bag fully across both shoulders (like its supposed to be worn); instead, I prefer to carry it, dare I say it, purse-style, on top of the shoulder where the bag hangs. This is more of a lazyness issue than anything, and certainly doesnt do anything to make the carrying any more comfortable. Nevertheless, the padding makes carrying the bag any way you desire perfectly pleasant.. certainly as comfortable as you could ever expect from a bag with heavy items in it. If you ride a bike to class, or to work, there is an optional clip-on belt strap that will keep the bag well secured on your back.
My only other complaint: although the strap is nice and thick, it doesnt have any padding. I found this a bit confusing and checked on the Timbuk2 website, only to find that padding for the straps are sold as an extra, for $10. I found this a bit outrageous for a bag which already costs $100, but I suppose they have to make their money somehow. I probably wont buy the $10 pad (+ shipping) unless I start to get seriously sore, or have to walk an outrageous distance to class, but for those of you that are sensitive to this, perhaps you should just buy it while youre ordering the bag.
In conclusion, I highly recommend this bag. I hope this review has been helpful, and perhaps it will save the forums from an unnecessary bag thread. Ive noted a few drawbacks which I find more surprising than limiting given how well thought out this bag is, in general. Theres certainly room for an improved version in the future. Nevertheless, I found no other bag that I would consider trading this one for. I like the look of the bag (particularly in the color that I chose), its sturdy feel, and its comfortable nature. If youre looking for a perfect 15 Macbook Pro bag, this is certainly a good way to go.
