Long term review

It was 2004 when I last wrote about the backpack I'm using mainly for the work laptop. It was the first time I bought something from the Internet for a serious amount of money and it had to be imported from the US, so Dutch customs wanted a big chunk of money before the courier was allowed to bring it to me.

I had been looking for a proper backpack for a laptop with a protective sleeve. A real protective sleeve, not some neoprene condom thing, but real protection. After looking around I ordered a Brain Bag from Tom Bihn with a Brain Cell. I thought I'd do a review after more than 6 years of more or less daily use.

Executive summary? Very, very, very satisfied!

You won't believe how much stuff will fit in it, two laptops, a couple of VoIP phones, all required cabling,everything. If you want to go on a weekend holiday? No problem, just put it in the Brain Bag. I can't speak highly enough of the quality of the fabric, workmanship or after sales support. It is just fabulous. After so many years there's just two places where the bag is failing a little:

• The edges of the shoulder strap are fraying a little
• The front main zipper has eaten through its own fabric so I have a hole next to the zipper. This is because I use that zipper a lot, but there's never anything substantial behind it so it always wobbles about when opening or closing and therefore eating into the its surrounding. So it's basically my own fault being careless when opening the zipper.

So the thing is absolutely 100% rock solid, built like a tank, doesn't weather, etc, etc. It's almost too good.

I can't recommend Tom Bihn bags enough. Buy one!