I’ve been wearing the armory pack from timbuk2 designs San Fransicso. It’s been through about two weeks of everyday carry and I think I’m ready to share what I found. This is my Timbuk2 armory pack review. This laptop bag made it in my professional laptop backpacks for men post, check it out to see how it ranked among the competition.
Design
Timbuk2 knows how to make a modern nomad laptop backpack. This backpack combines a subtle look of an “I’m going to hike the Appalachian Trail” guy combined with a slick “I work with dogs in the office at my start-up” vibe. It looks comfortable and more presentable than a typical Jansport backpack. You can walk into the office confidently with this on your back and expect to get compliments. Half of these compliments will be snarky remarks but people will notice. The bag is smaller than most 15-inch laptop bags. I am 6 feet tall and 228 pounds. The bag looks slightly small on me, but I think most guys will rock this non-baggy pack for profitable quarters to come. So the bag is definitely made for the slim design.
Slim down
The buckles on the front straps are slim. The front bag straps are slim. Actually the whole laptop backpack is slim. If you are tired of shopping for a laptop bag that is thicker than most Instagram models you found the right one. There are buckles on the left and right side of the bag to keep it even slimmer. These short side buckles help because as you break in the bag it will want to let more of its fabric hang out like buddahs gut.
Armory Pack Pockets
If you are looking for a crazy number of pockets this bag isn’t for you. Don’t expect to carry the rest of your office in this bad boy. You can expect a clever placement of useful pockets. As you can see above there is a zipper compartment I keep my headphones and charging cables. Below the zipper slot are a few pen slots or one pen slot and a presentation thumbdrive slot. There an open pouch for odds and ends and a bright orange trap with a clamp on the end for your keys. On the other side, there’s an open pouch I threw my journal in. The whole back pocket compartment can be filled by many things like:
- Another Laptop
- 2-3 Notepads
- A PS4 or Xbox One (For Work Right?)
- A Couple Days of Clothes
- Books
The back pocket is pretty spacious. I like the lack of 20 pockets and crazy organization compartments. I want the essentials when I wear a backpack. Why? Because if you have a pocket, human nature will tell you to fill it. Once you fill all the pockets you’ll notice that your pack will be heavier and less comfortable from being loaded down with extras. The water bottle pocket gives you plenty of room for a metal tin sized for 16oz. Don’t go any bigger or it won’t fit in the mesh pocket. On the other side of the water bottle spot on the bag is a small zipper slot. You can fit a phone or sunglasses in it.
Laptop Compartment
The main pocket of the armory pack shows the laptop compartment sleeve on the back of the bag. It’s a common placement and it accepts laptops sized at 15.6 inches or smaller screen sizes. I have a 2-inch 3-ring binder, a 365-day calendar (ancient technology I know), and a marketing day planner. There is plenty of room for work binders or vanilla folders. The laptop compartment really hugs my 15.6 Samsung Chromebook tight. It feels secure and the badding surrounding it feels thick, but it could be thicker. I don’t recommend slinging this bag around unless you’re carrying an inexpensive Chromebook in it. So that brings me to the durability of this.
Durability
I can’t speak much to the durability of the laptop backpack. What I can say is that I looked at reviews to find what others said about it after an extended period of time. I searched Timbuk2 on Reddit and found some old threads complaining about how the quality has gone downhill for our San Fransisco buddies. This may be true, this is my first Timbuk2 product and I wouldn’t know any better.
What I do know is this bag feels sturdy. The padding is thick for its size and the stitching is solid. The stitching threads look thin to me, but maybe the material don’t need to be thick? The build quality feels solid. There’s no flash to this bag. I had to take a picture of the sunset with a purposeful lens flare to make the backpack pop. This was built to handle daily challenges with a one-bag daily solution.
1-Star Amazon Reviews
The one-star Amazon reviews mention there are some quality control issues. Someone mentioned the fabric came frayed at some areas and a another person said they found the buckle loops breaking. I have a problem with 1-star reviews that don’t offer pictures for proof. If I paid money for and an item that’s defective, I’d write a review with pictures, sound effects, and memes galore. I also have a blog about laptop bags so maybe I’m the weird outlier here.
Either way, the most noticeable complaint that may have merit is the zippers jam up. I haven’t noticed a problem with my zippers on the back pocket, but the main compartment requires you pull the opposite tab when zipping it up. There’s not a jam, but I can see it being annoying for those who lack patience.
5-Star Amazon Reviews
I won’t repeat all the glowing reviews. I think what sums up the 5-star reviews is the Timubuk2 Armory Pack is simple and effective. There’s a smart construction to this bag. It was created for professionals who need something to bring their laptops to work every day. This is not a laptop bag for cameras, check out a Peak Designs backpack for that. The main compartments are spacious, the zippers are solid, and enough pockets to hold the essentials.
Final thoughts
The Timbuk2 Armory Pack is the best everyday office laptop bag. Unfortunately, it has been discontinued! The Timbuk2 Division is the spiritual successor to the Armory bag in this post.I have been testing out the eBags Professional Laptop Bag and it doesn’t fit as well as this bag does. It is slim, it is modern, and it is a professional setting friendly bag. The pack simply allows me to keep my blogging stuff all in one place. If you are thinking of getting this laptop backpack, I highly recommend it. It feels sturdy, it has long pockets, with a slim and light profile. This is a boss laptop bag, no doubt.
If you have any questions, comments, or concerns about this Timbuk2 review please leave a comment below. Thank you for reading. If you’re looking for a more affordable laptop bag check out my Brinch Laptop Bag Review.