I do a lot of travel and my THULE Covert DSLR Rolltop Backpack is great when I need to carry all my gear for an extended trip. But it’s a bit much for an everyday carry bag, where I just need a few essentials to get some work done. Even my Timbuk2 Commute Messenger bag is too bulky–I wanted something minimal, durable, and that keeps all my stuff protected and secure. So after lots of surveying, I finally found a bag that checks off all the requirements: the Tom Bihn Ristretto.
Tom Bihn is an American company that designs and makes a variety of backpacks, messenger bags, and briefcases in the US, most of them in their Seattle factory. Their bags are known for being super functional, incredibly durable, and extremely well-rated by their loyal customers.
This is the Ristretto messenger bag, and I want to point out right away that this is the newest, latest version. In the past, Tom Bihn made the Ristretto in a variety of sizes, but after user feedback they upgraded some features of the bag and now make one standard size — this one.
This messenger bag is oriented vertically instead of horizontally–its dimensions are: 14.5″ x 11.75″ x 4.75″, and it only weighs 1 lb 6 oz.
The bag also comes with a second strap to secure the bag around your waist or hips, for example if you want to wear the bag while on a bike or while hiking. The waist strap is removable, and you also have four attachment points, so you can choose which way feels the best for you.
The inside of the bag is protected by this front flap with a pinch-release buckle.
Here you can see the interior fabric, which is a 200 denier Japanese Dyneema®/nylon ultralight ripstop fabric. There are several color options — I chose black for the exterior and a wasabi green for the interior. I love how the interior fabric stands out and makes it really easy to see the inside of my bag when I’m searching for items.
The padded compartment is meant for your laptop and is padded on all 4 sides for extra protection. In addition to my MacBook Pro 13″, I also keep my iPad Air 2 in this compartment. The inner padded wall is extra long so you can fold it over your laptop to protect the top.
If you want to see even more details about the bag, check out my video review of the Tom Bihn Ristretto here:
This is a really great bag and suits my everyday carry needs perfectly. It holds what I need to work as a kind of mobile office, has an attractive minimal design, is lightweight, and is super durable.
I couldn’t be happier with it, so I hope this review of the Tom Bihn Ristretto has been helpful to you.