| | |  | Travel backpacks | Home » » Timbuk2 Command Laptop Messenger Bag 2011 | | | | | | Colors: | | | | | Description: | | More Berlin than Berkeley, the Command's oxford nylon and anodized hardware make it Timbuk2's most sophisticated bag. Pair that with its TSA compliant laptop sleeve with studded Loveglove technology and you're practically guaranteed to fly First every time. | | | Features: | |
• Durable oxford nylon fabric feels smooth and has a subtle sheen
• Waterproof TPU liner
• Classic Messenger fit
• TSA external laptop compartment unzips and lays flat to clear security without removing your laptop
• Reversed zipper along laptop compartment for improved water resistance
| | | Product Details: | | | Product Length:
| 6.69 inches | | Product Width:
| 19.29 inches | | Product Height:
| 13.58 inches | | Product Weight:
| 3.56 pounds | | Package Length:
| 1.0 inches | | Package Width:
| 1.0 inches | | Package Height:
| 1.0 inches | | Package Weight:
| 1.0 pounds | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 66 reviews |
| | | | Customer Reviews: | |
Average Customer Review:
 ( 66 customer reviews )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
114 of 115 found the following review helpful:
A very decent compromiseFeb 20, 2011
By Søren H.
(Note: For 2012 Timbuk has a newer version of this bag. The newer model has swivel strap connectors, a real carrying handle, removable velcro covers and more padding in the laptop compartment. Until the 2012 model is correctly labeled on Amazon look for the swivel hooks in the product picture. Swivel hooks=2012 model)
This is my third Timbuk bag. I have an original messenger bag from the 90's (which is indestructible) and an original Commute bag (which is not). Before purchasing this bag I looked at Chrome, Crumpler (Heegoer), booq (Cobra Courier), Domke, Manhattan Portage, Tom Bihn and others. All of these companies produce comparable bags that are better in some way than the Command Messenger, but not in all ways. The Command Messenger however, seemed to be the right kind of compromise for an all purpose bag that will go a few miles comfortably via bike or foot to the classroom or the office and also manage an airport or two.
The Useful:
1. The Command Messenger is designed like a bike messenger bag; i.e. it straps like a messenger which makes it more versatile than a shoulder bag/satchel for securing and carrying stuff.
A bike messenger bag (a wide bag with a wide, rigidly secured strap) secures the load of the bag across one's back rather than allowing it to hang at the waist like a satchel does. While the (bike) messenger bag is designed for bike use, it also works well when walking for longer distances and you'd rather not have the contents of your bag banging into your hip. Most bags sold as "messenger" bags are satchels with a less 18th century name. For instance, if the bag has metal hook and ring fasteners to hold the strap to the bag, even if it also has a stabilizer strap, it is not a messenger bag (unless made by Cocotte). Another point to make here, however, is that although the Command Messenger is designed like a messenger bag, there are better choices if you are going to be using the bag primarily on a bike. The strength of this bag, however, is its versatility.
2. It has a handle for gracefully moving it short distances when you don't want/need to get strapped in.
3. The laptop compartment zips away from the main compartment to lie flat (TSA compliance). Also, the same compartment can be accessed from the top of the bag without opening the main compartment. If you are a person who gets into class/meetings after they have started this is crucial as it avoids having to tear away the loud velcro secured main flap to get to your laptop.
4. It has little velcro tabs on the inside top of the main compartment to help secure the contents against rain.
5. It has a panel on the back to fit over the extended handle of a luggage bag; a luggage handle pass-through. (Which may have a wider opening than shown in the pictures)
6. It is lightweight. This is more important than it might seem. A 3 lb laptop in a 5 lb bag is as heavy as a 5 lb laptop in a 3 lb bag.
Notes in response to other reviews: Having the Command Messenger fall to the ground when you unbuckle the strap is only possible if you are not wearing the bag as designed. Some bags (i.e. most Chrome bags) are designed to unbuckle and fall away and you can wear the Command Messenger in this way as well. Also, the two straps on the bottom/front of the bag that hook into the main flap are compression straps: they adjust the depth of the main compartment.
The Awkward:
1. The main strap is thinner than Timbuk's regular messenger straps and not at all rigid. The thin, floppy strap distributes the weight of the bag less effectively and also allows the strap to get in the way when you are snapping in the strap buckle. On the other hand, when you set the bag down the strap lies down with it instead of remaining insolently poised above the bag.
2. The protruding cam buckle lever. This is a new design which is meant to be easier to open and close than the old flush design. The flaw here is that when walking and wearing the bag in a messenger style (high on the back), the cam lever protrudes into the wearer's right arm. With the snap buckle allowing the strap to be set at a particular length and then snapped in and out, a protruding cam lever just isn't necessary. If you wear the bag low on the back or on the hip this will not be a problem.
3. Those metal hooks (anodized aluminum hardware) Timbuk says are for "quiet entry" will get you stealthily to the moment when you need to pull up the main flap and the sound of thousands of nylon hooks ripping away from a bed of nylon fuzz alerts everyone that you are using more velcro than you need. There will be no quiet entry. And there will be no quick closure either because you will need to thread those hooks behind a very thin and flat strap.
The Neither Here nor There:
1. There is no significant padding in the laptop compartment. A neoprene insert/sleeve will solve this problem.
2. No cross strap included.
2. The inner loops which allow inserts to be attached get in the way of moving things in and out of the main compartment.
3. So many compartments for "little things" that you may be unable to find a receipt or a credit card that you stashed away.
4. There is no way of knowing what color the "Potrero" bag is unless you are holding the bag in your hand. Maybe not even then.
Overall, not as rugged as Timbuk's regular messenger bag but a good redesign that creates a more versatile product. A great bag for under $100.
Update (after one month):
1. As other reviewers have noted, the metal hooks cause the reflective material around the front nylon webbing to tear a bit (about 2-3 mm). This happens almost immediately when the straps are tightened. This is only a slight cosmetic defect.
2. The back of the bag is not the same as in the photo's. The bag I received has a wider opening along the top and bottom of the back panel (the luggage pass-through) that is meant to go over a luggage handle. This may have been changed to make the panel easier to get over a luggage handle when the bag is full.
3. When the bag is picked up by the handle (or the strap), even if the front flap is not secure and the computer section is unzipped, the bag assumes its regular shape and nothing falls out of it. Other bags either open trifold or from the top (Commute 2.0) and if not re-zipped before being picked up, the laptop compartment will dangle below the bag. Locating the "hinge" for the laptop compartment along the top of the bag is probably the best design feature of the Command Messenger and is the only bag I know of to have this design. The downside of this design is the potential for water to get into the bottom of the laptop compartment when set down on a very wet surface. (So for those who delight in setting their bags down in puddles. . . This is not the bag for you.)
Useful modifications:
1. I cut down a gel shoe insert to 2" width and put it in the shoulder pad between the strap and the bottom of the pad. The gel insert has a fuzzy side and with the fuzz against the strap, the shoulder pad can move along the strap without displacing the gel insert. (Technically this would be against TSA regulations)
2. Added a cross strap (1" x 40" webbing strap from REI)
3. Added a super light foam insert (app 3/8" thick packing material from a 15" computer sleeve) under the luggage handle pass-through. It is not visible and puts some padding under the laptop which helps when wearing the bag like a messenger bag.
19 of 20 found the following review helpful:
Excellent bagMar 29, 2010
By A. Saraiva
I have used four different Timbuk2 messenger bags up to this date, including the Commute 2.0, and this one is by far my favorite one. The "Napoleon" pocket and the bottom compartment make it very handy when rushing to catch your next flight and having to keep your passport in a secure, zippered, compartment that you can access without opening the bag or even looking at it. It has become second nature to me to simply store my car keys and get my badge from this same pocket every morning as soon as I arrive at the office.
The only reason that I don't give it five stars is because its shoulder strap simply detached from one of its sides on the very first time I was wearing it, allowing the bag to fall and hit the sidewalk. My MBP actually ended with a minor dent because of this. Lesson learned: I noticed that you MUST leave the plastic quick release bucket in place all the time so that the shoulder strap will not end up getting loose as it occurred to me. One extra step you can go to be sure it is firmly attached is to simply pass the shoulder strap twice through its connector.
20 of 23 found the following review helpful:
 Excellent Quality and Design, with one (big) flaw.Aug 16, 2011
By Joel M. Overpeck
I think the positive aspects of the bag have been well documented by other reviewers, so I won't go into that side of it too much. Suffice to say, the quality is top notch, it feels very well constructed, it's very functional (lots of storage options and conveniently placed pockets.), and I have already had mine out in a very heavy rain, and it protected my laptop perfectly.
I gave it 3 stars due to the lack of padding for my laptop. Timbuk2 makes excellent messenger bags, but as a laptop bag, this is barely passable. This is a hybrid bag that errs a little too much on the side of being a messenger. Because the laptop section is separate, on the outer portion of the bag (a feature that I like, actually), it's very vulnerable to errant bumps. If the padding wasn't so flimsy, this probably wouldn't be that big of a deal. The product description reads:
"Laptop liner is studded for intense laptop protection"
If it were designed to protect my "Hello Kitty" scented stationary, I'd feel most excellent. But my $2,000 unibody aluminum MacBook Pro doesn't feel "intensely" protected... at all. I was expecting to receive a laptop bag first and foremost. Instead, I feel like I got a killer messenger bag that just happened to have a convenient laptop storage space as a bonus... you know.. just in case you ever needed to use it.
In summary, I was really expecting more out of a product that advertises itself as being made for laptops. This is easily a 5 star bag if Timbuk2 could just deliver better protection. I like the bag enough that I'm currently looking into workarounds. Perhaps lining the pocket with extra cushioning or purchasing an additional laptop sleeve. Either option would probably work well, as there seems to be enough room.
9 of 9 found the following review helpful:
Very roomy and nice, with some reservations.Oct 11, 2010
By Carl Veazey
First off, the laptop protection seems ridiculous, which is the main downside of this bag. I am fortunate however in that my 17" macbook pro (mid-2010 model) fits perfectly even with a laptop sleeve - so I never worry about it. I would have a hard time trusting just the protection of the compartment. But if you have a thin laptop like mine then you can fit it and a case in this bag. So for me, that is a non-issue but I still half to knock off half a star or so.
The rest of the bag is great. It feels very durable, and has an insane amount of space. Lots of pockets, clips, etc. It's very comfortable and easily balances on your back, so your shoulder doesn't get strained.
My only other reservation is I wish the external pocket was placed somewhere else - it's not the most convenient place to store stuff like a bus pass or small paperwork, and it doesn't afford as much protection to those items as I'd like. So another small deduction in rating.
Overall, I'm very pleased with it. Just make sure you supplement your laptop with some other protection and you will love it.
9 of 10 found the following review helpful:
 Excellent Bag for anyone that travels for workJan 23, 2011
By Troy A. Martin
"Troy"
Let me start by saying the I am a Field Services Consultant for a software company so I spend 95% of my time either traveling to a location or on location as opposed to being in the office. I am writing this review after traveling with this bag for a month.
10 Reasons I like this bag:
1. Lightweight & not bulky. Perfectly fits my 13 inch Macbook Pro. I use a sleeve for my Macbook and the laptop compartment fits the sleeve + 13 laptop perfectly. I went with the medium size version as I wanted a bag that I can carry down the airplane isle w/o hitting everyone seated in the head.
2. TSA compliant so I can just unzip and lay flat on the belt. No need to remove my laptop at security.
3. Tons of zipper storage so if my bag gets bounced around a bit in the overhead storage, I don't have to go digging my my travel accessories. I have a compartment for my flash drives. A compartment for my Overdrive Wifi Card. A compartment for my travel expense receipts and a compartment for my Magic Mouse as well as charging accessories. What is the saying " A place for everything and everything in its place".
4. Tons of interior storage for bigger items. Worst thing you can do is buy a bag with a bunch of little pockets and find that it doesn't have enough storage for documents and etc. Not the case here. I have tons of room for hardcopies and my Garmin.
5. I didn't buy this bag for the Napoleon pocket but I am glad it is there. I use for anything that I want quick access to such as gum, chap stick, business card wallet and rental car keys. At security I put my iphone in it as opposed to placing it in the bin. Less stuff you put in the bin, the less stuff you have to take out.
6. Separate storage at the bottom of the bag for my power cord and it has enough room to fit a 6 foot VGA cord.
7. Shoulder strap is much more comfortable than my last bag. It comes with a velcro attached pad and you can adjust the strap to your comfort and how you want to wear it.
8. Upper zipper for quick removal of you laptop. The "studded portion of the bag for the laptop storage doesn't offer much padding. But that is perfectly fine for me as it gives me the perfect area for my 13in Macbook in its sleeve. I just leave the sleeve unzipped so I can unzip the Timbuk2 bag and grab my laptop without having to mess with any buckles or what not. From bag to table in less than 3 seconds....
9. It comes with a velcro pen holder and business card holder that you can setup how you like. The interior of the bag has straps that you can utilize to customize how you want the interior attachable pockets to be placed. My bag came with a pen pouch, a smaller pouch that I use for cards and a spare set of batteries as well as a larger pouch for miscellaneous items. I wound up not using the larger pouch simply because the bag has enough zipper pouches for my needs.
10. Flexibility. I guarantee that no two people will set up their bag the same. This bag gives you flexibility to set it up your way. You can see I am all about separate compartments for all the travel gadgets. Maybe you just want to toss everything in the main compartment. In short, the bag is flexible.
I can't talk to durability yet as again I have only had it a month but so far so good. I have been in traveling positions for the last 10 years or so and I have gone through more bags than I can count. I have to say that this one has been the most flexible to my to traveling needs. I would even recommend this bag for people that are in the road warrior category or even people that occasionally travel and want a bag that is good for the home to office commute. It professional looking enough for work but casual enough to take to the coffee shop.
See all 66 customer reviews on Amazon.com
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