Timbuk2 D-Lux Race Stripe Laptop Messenger Bag,Black/Gunmetal/Lime-Aide,M - Lancomworks

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pixels and bits –

  

Timbuk2′s D-Lux Race Stripe Messenger Bag is not only extremely functional, but also so well engineered that it should serve the most demanding user very well for years to come, even under the harshest of conditions. Its tough “ballistic” nylon is moisture resistant and so strong that it should resist all but the sharpest of punctures. The interior is lined with Timbuk2′s waterproof TPU material to further protect your belongings from the weather. All of the velcro closures are heavy industrial grade materials and designed for maximum functionality. For example, while the front closure has 2 vertical velcro strips attached to the bag, the overhanging flap has 2 horizontal velcro strips that run the entire width of the flap. This provides bag security even under the most casual and off-hand circumstances. If the flap makes any contact with the body of the bag, the velcro will catch and your bag is a lot less likely to spill its contents.

All of the stitching is strongly reinforced. The zippers and buckles are all top-of-the-line components and even the pull-ties are engineered to take a beating. The “memory-adjust True Fit cam buckle” relieves the neck pain of heavy bag removal by allowing the user to unclip the bag to create slack and then re-clip it back to the preferred adjusted fit. Timbuk2 also includes a cross strap for stabilization so that the loaded bag stays tight against the body – even over tough terrain. This cross strap has been engineered like the rest of Timbuk2′s products with durability and high function in mind. The velcro adjustment strap is doubled up for added security and the buckle is the same high quality as the rest of the bag’s components.

Inside, there is a back compartment called the “love glove” and has been engineered to not only protect your laptop but also help keep it cool by providing better ventilation through the employment of padded “studs”. There are 2 removable interior “modular” organizers where all manner of equipment can be secured. The facing wall of the “love glove” also has several modular organizing straps. Just under the flap on the front of the bag are 3 zippered pockets and an open stash pocket. There is also a zippered “Napoleon” pocket that opens up from the side to allow access to items like keys or a wallet without having to lift the secured flap of the bag. In the name of versatility, Timbuk2 has also included 2 adjustable buckles called “compression straps” on the bottom to allow for volume control.

In regards to size selection, I would like to offer the following information: I am an average sized female of 5’5″ and the medium bag is large on my frame. I don’t think I could comfortably use anything larger and a small bag may have been more appropriate for my physical size. Timbuk2 advises that the small bag will accommodate a laptop up to 13″, the medium up to 15″ and the large up to 17″. I can also assure you that aside from the laptop specific “love glove” compartment, the interior of this bag is extremely generous. With the compression straps fully extended, the medium bag is large enough to hold not only your electronics but also a change of clothes and toiletries, making it extremely versatile and useful for almost any application.

The only thing I can think of that I wish had been incorporated into this bag is a “grab” strap at the top of the bag. As these bags are not small, it would have been nice to be able to have a quick grab option for those occasions where you may be taking a rest from wearing the bag but need to move it – such as standing in line at the airport. The omission of this feature is not significant enough to me to dock any stars from my evaluation.

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M. N. Betancourt “freelance critic of everything” (Miami Beach, FL) –

  

I’m a bit of a messenger bag junkie, and I’ve bought a lot of them over the years. Before I got the Timbuk2 D-Lux bag, I was married to my Incase messenger. I still think that Timbuk2 and Incase are the two best bag designers on the market, but Timbuk2 slightly edges into first for the modular system of attachments, organizational pockets, and other little touches really let you make the bag your own. Also, I don’t know how they do it with the strap but I carry the same huge textbooks and laptop in this bag as I did in all my previous bags, but this one seems to distribute the weight better across my back.

Trust me, I’ve tried a lot of other bags out so you don’t have to. Get this one.

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joyousdance (Cottage Grove, OR) –

  

This is a review for the Timbuk2 Messenger bag. Here are my thoughts:

- First impression is that this is an extremely well-made bag. The bag I got was blue, and it is a little duller than the brighter blue of the picture as it appears on this website. The nylon is rugged, stiff, and will likely need some time to loosen up. When I put the strap across my shoulder, it did not bend easily without weight in the bag yet. This reminds me of really well crafted stuff made of tough materials that takes a few uses to loosen up and bend in the right places. The entire interior is lined with a thick white coating (which appears durable and waterproof).

- These are huge bags. Be sure to get the size you need and no bigger. The small accommodates a 13″ laptop, a medium holds a 15″, and a large a 17″. I have the medium and the bag has one pocket for the laptop, and the adjoining pocket can be adjusted to as big as maybe 3 1/2 inches deep (using two 1 inch thick adjustable straps on the bottom of the bag). That gives you a (approx) 4 to 4 1/2 deep by 19 inch wide by 11 inch tall bag. That is a HUGE bag and would likely be too big for most folks to want to carry, unless they just had a ton of stuff. I am a 5 ft 6 inch woman and it feels really big for me.

- The padding that is velcroed around the strap is very thick. The padding is also long and would have no problem protecting everywhere it needs to around the neck and shoulder. The shoulder strap is about 2 inches thick and has a clip that is made of thick plastic and pops open and closed to quickly adjust the length of the strap. I like this clip a lot, but it also confuses me a bit as the extra length of shoulder strap simply coils into itself and makes a loop that I can’t figure out how to flatten. I think it will take a bit of playing with the strap to figure out how it all works.

- The front flap of the bag is not only secured by two rugged plastic clips, but also two 1 1/2 inch wide bands of velcro that go across the entire width of the bag flap. This makes for a very secure closure of the bag, even without using the clips to secure it shut. There may be those who hate having to rip velcro open every time they want to open their bag, so for them this may not be an asset.

- On the front of the bag, right under the flap, are three zippered pouches. Each of these are layered, one on top of the other, and each are big enough to hold small things like credit cards and keys. Each of these pockets can accommodate relatively flat objects which are approx. 6 1/2 inches wide and 2 3/4 inches tall. Behind these three pouches is another zippered pouch (accessed by a zipper to the right side of the pouches). It can accommodate something flat that is about 8 inches by 4 1/2 inches.

- Inside, as I said before, are two large pockets. The smaller one is just large enough to accommodate a laptop. This pocket has squishy round “buttons” under red fabric. These “buttons” provide the padding around the laptop, and are quite ingenious because it lowers the overall weight of the bag without getting rid of the thick padding necessary to protect the laptop. There is a wide velcro strap to prevent the computer from coming out of this pocket. The larger pocket has lots of nylon straps sewed to the interior of the bag. I couldn’t figure out what those were for at first, but then it occurred to me that they are for add-ins (customizable things to add to the interior of your bag). There are two of these “add-ins” that come with the bag already. One of these looks like it will hold three pens. The other is a zippered pouch that has two smaller pouches inside (will hold stuff approx 6″x9″). This pouch has those nylon straps across the front of it so another “add-in” can be attached to the pouch itself. Basically you can velcro a bunch of stuff where ever you want in the bag and probably order other stuff to add-in. All of these add-ins have velcro to attach them where you want them to go. (Please note these add ins may only come with the medium size?)

-Additionally, I received a 1″ wide nylon strap around 17 inches long. It has a quick clip attachment at one end and a loop at the other that can be detached quickly with a plastic clip. I imagine this added accessory is for something like keys?

To sum up: If you want a rugged bag that can carry a ton of stuff and last forever, this would be a great buy. Is it worth the hefty price? Perhaps. It’s a steep price, but it’s definitely well constructed.

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