Osprey FlapJack Courier (and also the women's color models "FlapJill") Vs. Timbuk2 Classic Messenger
I thought I'd do a personal review of this year's best of the best. I used both bags for 30 days.
About me: I'm a medical student, commuter, and I'm in to style, comfort, and professionalism. I've been trying to find the perfect messenger bag for years now and after some thorough research I've nailed it down to two: the often Reddit-touted Timbuk2 and the reliable-and-stylish Osprey.
Style:
The T2 has excellent customizable color options whereas Osprey has solid, stream-lined colors. However, this year's T2 2017 colors have been less diverse.. The color options seem very limited compared to past years. Osprey's FlapJack/Jill models features only 4 colors each, with the FlapJill featuring more "feminine" colors. Overall, they are both very stylish in their own right. For the professional look, I would recommend the Osprey packs. For something more younger, professional, and customizable, the T2's.
Winner (yeah I know "style" is a bit subjective..): T2, for their great color and feature customizability.
Laptop Compartment:
This is where T2's fall short in my book. Unfortunately, this year's T2 models do NOT feature a padded laptop compartment. The imported T2 models feature no protection on the backside and honestly I was very disappointed with this.. If I'm gonna spend a lot of money, I want my gear and laptop to be protected on the go. If you do wish to add a laptop compartment to your T2 bag, you'd have to custom order it (made in SF) which is going to cost another $20.
Osprey bags come with an excellent padded laptop AND tablet pocket. The flapjack compartments tend to be a bit bigger than the flapjill, but both are of identical quality.
Winner: Osprey, hands down.
Lifetime Warranty/Customer Service:
Here is T2's warranty: while T2 boasts of lifetime warranty it also comes with some caveats as "Damages not covered are those resulting from abuse, normal wear and tear, accidential damage.." and only bags purchased through Timbuk2 sellers and authorized dealers are covered under their warranty.
Osprey's "All mighty warranty": As a previous owner of an Osprey backpack (DayLite series), I can absolutely vouch for their incredible customer service and warranty. I emailed them that my backpack had some minor tears from daily use, took some pictures, shipped my bag to their HQ, and they completely replaced the backpack with a new one, and for free (S&H was free too).
Osprey will repair any damage or defect for any reason free of charge – whether it was purchased in 1974 or yesterday. If we are unable to perform a functional repair on your pack, we will happily replace it.
^ the above is true.
Winner: Osprey.
Affordability:
T2's range anywhere from $72-$110 depending on color/style. T2 San Francisco-custom made bags tend to be $109-$139 and above.
Ospreys are currently selling at $50-$70 on Amazon.
If you want more bang for your buck, I'd go with Osprey since it contains nearly-identical feautures to the T2
Winner: Osprey.
Pockets and Space:
The 2017 T2 models feature less pockets than previous years which to me is a bit of a downgrade. I honestly have no idea why they decided to 1) get rid of the padded laptop pockert and 2) reduce pockets overall. Like what?? The past models had both and were great quality!
This year's Osprey model features larger pockets and spacing, which is an upgrade from last year.
Both models have ample space for all my books, supplies, laptop, etc.
Winner: Tie. (If this was the 2016 review I'd give it to T2).
Comfort of strap/weight:
Both bags are very lightweight (~1.8 lbs), although the FlapJill weighed a bit less due to the smaller size.
Both the straps on the Osprey and T2 were of comparable comfort-- good quality, easy to adjust, the weight of my stuff did not make it feel that more uncomfortable either.
(Note: customizable T2 bags do not come with a strap, you must pay extra $$)
Winner: Tie
Protection against the elements:
T2's are slightly more water resistant than Osprey. Thus, for the bicyclists out there, T2 may be worth it more in this regard. However, Osprey comes with a padded laptop and tablet pocket whereas the T2 does not (unless you customize it for more money) which offers more protection from dropping.
Winner: Tie
Overall Winner:
As much as I loved the T2's customizable style, I gotta give it to Osprey. They are more affordable, have an excellent padded lap-top sleeve which offers more protection for your gear, excellent warranty policy, light-weight, great quality, and just beautiful looking bags. You would have to spend an extra $30-60 customizing the T2 to give it more features that the Osprey already has which I think is a big negative even if you did have more money to blow. The positive to customizing your T2 bags is that it's sewn in SF. However, for all the features that I was looking for in a great bag, Osprey wins this year.
Submitted July 03, 2017 at 07:52PM by DrLaidBack http://ift.tt/2sGgZd9
