Incase’s Messenger Bag: A Great Bag For Bikers That Doesn’t Scream Hipster [Review]

The Incase Large Messenger Bag is strong, stylish and functional. It's one of the best messenger bags I've used. Photo: Nadine Kahney.

I’ve been a long-time user of messenger bags, ever since I was a bike courier here in San Francisco in the mid-1990s. I’ve been though a few of them, including an original Zo bag, but one of the best I’ve used is the Large Messenger Bag from Incase.

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Spot the brand: Incase's Large Messenger Bag is subtly branded (IE. it's not). Photo: Nadine Kahney.

Best known for iPhone and iPod accessories, I didn’t have very high expectations for Incase’s $119.95 Large Messenger Bag. Frankly, I expected a me-too product.

But I’ve been using it for months, and it’s become my favorite biking bag. It’s plenty roomy if you have to carry a bunch of stuff; there are pockets galore for all my junk; and it has a great strap system that doesn’t slip and is quick to adjust.

Best of all, it’s not one of the hipster bags of choice that are everywhere here in SF. (I won’t mention the brand because they are great bags. But all the kids have them, and I’m too old to pretend to be hip).

The Incase Messenger is barely branded at all. There’s just one small Incase stamp on the flap. It’s hard to spot close up and all but invisible from a few feet away. As someone who hates branded clothing, I like its anonymity.

Strong, Stylish, Functional
At $120, the Incase Large Messenger is at the lower end of the price scale for quality messenger bags. Incase also sells a Small Messenger Bag ($79.95) for the 13-inch MacBook Pro; and a Medium Messenger Bag ($99.95) for the 15-inch MacBook Pro.

Made of water-resistant black nylon, it has a large flap secured by Velcro and a pair of buckles. Inside, there’s a padded computer compartment with a faux-fur lining and Velcro lid.

This is a big messenger bag. Designed to accommodate a 17-inch MacBook Pro, there’s plenty of room for MacBook, charger, DSLR camera, shoes, clothing, magazines and books. This all weighs a ton, of course, but loosen the strap, throw it on your back, and you can almost forget it’s there until you hit a hill.

There’s a ton of pockets, inside and out. Some zippered, some Velcro, and a couple that are fur-lined for storing items that are easily scratched, like iPods and sunglasses.

Easy-Adjust Strap
The padded shoulder strap has a big plastic buckle that’s easy to adjust for tightness. The strap works well with the removable stabilizer strap: the bag hasn’t slipped yet. I’ve always had problems with messenger bags moving around when on the bike, and this is the only one that stays put.

Finally, it has a handy nylon carrying handle that’s good for grabbing the bag from the back of a cab.

The only complaint is that the padding for the laptop sleeve is a bit skimpy. But if it were thicker, I’d probably be complaining about the extra bulk.

Overall, this is a very durable bag that looks like it’ll last a long time. I’ve been using it for months and there’s no sign of wear except for a few grubby smudges on the furry interior. It’s simple, stylish and functional.

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Highly recommended.

Specs
Dimensions: 17’ x 12.5’ x 9’
Designed for: 17’ MacBook Pro.

There's plenty of room for tons of junk, and lots of pockets to keep things organized.

The strap buckle is easy to adjust and slip-proof. It's one of the best I've used.

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