After dropping all that money on a shiny new notebook, why on Earth would you then cheap out on the laptop bag that is going to be used to carry it around? You want to have adequate protection for your technological investment, you want to have adequate storage for your various accessories, and you probably want to look good walking around town with it too.
Aiming to satisfy all three of these objectives is the Tom Bihn Brain Bag. Available in four different colors (as well as a special universal camouflage version for military personnel), the Brain Bag is big enough not only to accommodate one laptop; it’s actually designed to pack around up to two notebooks at the same time.
A Laptop Backpack for Brainiacs
Since this is a Tom Bihn product, you already know that the Brain Bag is built very well with high quality materials made right in Seattle, WA USA. They’ve also done a great job loading it up with several different compartments, straps, and other doo-dahs to accommodate your various computing and technological goodies. That’s the good news.
Part of the bad news, at least for traveling techie types, is that the Tom Bihn Brain Bag does not feature a TSA checkpoint-friendly design. Instead, it’s a fairly conventional backpack in that regard, quite unlike something like the Mobile Edge ScanFast line of bags.
Even so, the Brain Bag has a lot to offer. It’ll hold up to 36 liters off stuff, it’s made with 1000 denier Cordura lined with 500 denier Cordura, and both the interior and exterior surfaces have been treated for water resistance. Do not fear the rain!
The Tom Bihn Brain Bag Laptop Backpack retails for $140 US in the base configuration. Our bag with all the goodies came to well over $200 US properly equipped. Let’s see if it’s worth the green. It’s available in black, olive, grey, blue and a special camouflage.
Ample-Sized Front Pockets
Some people are perfectly happy with a laptop bag that has enough room to fit their laptop and that’s about it. This is not the laptop bag for them. The Tom Bihn Brain Bag was designed to fit all kinds of extra accessories and other items that you’d carry around with you.
There are two vertical front pockets, both of which have some organizational things inside for holding pens and other small items. Outside one of these pockets is an exterior pocket with a mesh outer layer, which could be a good place for something like a water bottle.
And above all of these is a top outer pocket, which is actually surprisingly big. I’ve always had trouble finding a backpack with a suitable pocket for my Canon S3 IS ultrazoom point and shoot, due it is slightly bigger lens compared to more compact point and shoot cameras. Yes, this pocket can fit it.
Look at All Dem Accessories!
As if dropping $140 on a backpack for you laptop wasn’t enough, Tom Bihn is more than happy to outfit you with an assortment of accessories to accompany the Brain Bag.
Each of these are meant to be additional organizational tools, since the two major compartments in the Brain Bag do not offer much in terms of additional pockets and other ways to sort through your gizmos. The accessories range in price from less than ten bucks to about sixty dollars, so be prepared to open that wallet just a little further.
Let’s take a look at a few of the available accessories and whether they are worth the additional investment.
Brain Cell Protects Your Notebook
One thing that you’ll notice about the Brain Bag is that while it is certainly large enough to accommodate most notebooks, it really doesn’t have a dedicated padded compartment for your portable computer. To get that, you need to invest in a Brain Cell, which is available in both horizontal and vertical variations.
The Brain Cell can operate as a fairly minimalist notebook bag on its own, since it has a few small outer pockets, but anything more than a quick trip to the coffee shop will require a more substantial bag. It does help that the largest compartment in the Brain Bag has attachment hooks to keep the Brain Cell in place during transport.
The Vertical Freudian Slip
Since I majored in Psychology during my university career, I am particularly taken by the naming of the Freudian Slip.
While some other backpacks already have slots that are designed for files, folders, and other paperwork, the Brain Bag does not. You need the two-sided Freudian slip for that. Again, it helps that you can remove this completely from the backpack to grab your pens, portable hard drives, reading material, and so forth. The side not pictured is more typical of holding file folders.
Another accessory that you might want is the Snake Charmer, which looks like a small pouch for your toiletries while traveling. They say it’s good for your notebook power supply, but it’ll take on more than that for sure.
Little Protective Pouches for Little Things
What about all those other little things that inevitably need to be packed into your backpack whether you’re going for a day on campus, an afternoon at your favorite coworking space, or another jaunt to Las Vegas for the Consumer Electronics Show?
Tom Bihn has you covered on that front too with a variety of clear organizer pouches. Each of these is clear on one side, fabric on the other side, and come with a zippered enclosure, as well as a hook.
These pouches are good for things like small iPod accessories and various flash drives, since they work like removable pockets. That’s the good news.
The down side is that I had a hard time finding just the right place to clip these little pouches. It would have been nice if the two major compartments (each is big enough to hold a laptop on its own) had something better on the inside where you could connect the hooks.
There are some small straps on the inside and I thought they would be a good place to clip the pouches, but the clips don’t really fit onto these straps very well. With all this other attention to detail, especially with the integration with the Brain Cell, couldn’t Tom Bihn do some thing for these pouches too?
Being Creative with Attaching Accessories
The only place where I found an available strap with a hook was in the top pocket on the front, but this really isn’t the ideal location for the clear pouches. You might have to get a little creative with how you pack your gear.
You may also notice the single small loops near the top (front side) of each major compartment. These are good for connecting the pouches, but I wish there were a few more. The idea is there, but it was never completely embraced.
Alternatively, you can be satisfied with having a series of loose pouches, Snake Charmers, and Freudian Slips hanging around in there. I appreciate the versatility, but something should have been done to better accommodate the accessories if they really want to push them as an add-on purchase.
Putting It All Together
Hardcore travelers will like having two large compartments for two separate laptops, but once again, you will probably want to invest in a Brain Cell (or some other similar sleeve) for each notebook; the compartments are heavily padded like most other notebook bags.
If you are only bringing one laptop with you, though, the second compartment can be a great place to stash other accessories and a change of clothes, making the Brain Bag a great option for a short jaunt that’d get you away from home for a couple of days.
Back Straps, Waist Bands, and Overall Comfort
What about comfort? Tom Bihn has done a few things in this department too. The back straps are made from a stiff foam-like material. Personally, I would have preferred some slightly softer padding, as this is generally more comfortable. Softer edges would help too.
Depending your perspective, you may like the lateral straps. There are two of them: one that goes across your chest and another just above your waist. Yes, you’ll look like a dork if you use them, but your back will thank you if you happen to be carrying a heavier load. The good news is that both straps can be easily removed.
Overall, the Tom Bihn Brain Bag is reasonably comfortable, particularly with heavier loads and using both of the horizontal straps. There are all sorts of straps along the sides too, in case you want to tighten up that load or attach other doo-dahs to the exterior.
Closing Thoughts
If you want a backpack that is not only well made but hand made with love, durable, and versatile, you can’t really go wrong with something like the Brain Bag from Tom Bihn. You get four exterior pockets, two large compartments, high quality materials, and excellent craftsmanship. Most importantly, it’s completely customizable for your needs.
While it’s certainly not the most compact of laptop backpacks, but it was never meant to be. After all, its two major compartments are designed to accommodate up to two separate laptops; two brains if you will. It is a little strange to find these compartments relatively barren of pockets, but that’s how they upsell you into the various accessories. But at the end of the day, you get a bag that is customized for your needs.
By the time you pack in a Brain Cell, a Freudian Slip, and some other add-ons, you’re well into the $200 US range with this backpack solution. This is far from being the cheapest option on the block, but you do get great hand made quality compared to some of the other mass-produced bags on the market. It’s definitely worth every penny if you can afford it.
Pros
- High quality materials and quality hand construction
- No shortage of accessories
- Ample storage space for up to two notebooks
- Robust and versatile design
Cons
- Relatively expensive
- Almost forced to buy some accessories
- Lack of loops for connecting accessories
- Not checkpoint-friendly
Overall Rating: 8.5/10.0
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