Tom Bihn- Small Bag and Padded Sleeve
Overview
A star in the Pacific Northwest, Tom Bihn and
the company pride themselves with the quality of their bags
which are all made in the US where they believe that they
can control the quality of the material as well as the workmanship
better than overseas' manufacturers. Many of the Tom Bihn's
bags have an outdoorsy design to withstand the rainy weather
of the Pacific Northwest region. The collection of sizes,
colors and designs is quite large, so you can find a bag
that fits your computer and your style. We tested the Acer
Tablet PC C100 series and Sony Vaio TR2A with the Brain Cell
(size 5) and Mitre sleeve (size 5) bags.
Size & Fit
The Brain Cell bags
have a large piece of Velcro sewed on the bottom of the
lining inside of the bag. You can snap the Velcro to different
heights to change the inner dimensions of the bag. Because
of this feature, both the Acer and Vaio can fit firmly—a
very versatile design! There is a large front pocket that
is made of stretchable material and fits your extra battery,
power adapter and more.
The Mitre Padded Sleeve bag is designed to
mitt your computer before you put it in your travel back
or backpack to give it an extra protection. Both the Acer
and Vaio fit the bag just fine, and the case flap can be
closed easily using the Velcro snap.
Both Brain Cell and Mitre bags come in 5 sizes
and they all fit in larger models of Tom Bihn bags. There
is a detailed list of which laptops and Tablet PCs fit in
which size on Tom Bihn's web site.
Features and Quality
The Brain Cell bag is designed to be either
carried like a suitcase or over the shoulder like a messenger
bag. There are two nylon handles on the front and back side
of the bag, and two shoulder strap holders on each side of
the bag. The shoulder strap is not included. Tom Bihn offers
2 types of shoulder straps which can be purchased separately.
Unlike many other laptop bags, the Brain Cell has a Velcro
strip instead of zipper on top of the bag that acts as a
closure. This design will avoid the trouble a worn-out zipper
could present, but don't open your bag in a quite meeting
as it's quite loud.
The Brain Cell bag is
built with a strong corrugated plastic shell with foam
padding that's laminated to Velcro-compatible fabric that
feels very smooth. There is a gap between the out shell
and the Velcro snapped-in lining, leaving the laptop “hanging” in
an adjustable sling. This design not only permits the bag
to fit many sizes of computers, but also prevents your computer
from making contact with anything should you drop your bag.
It is a very clever design. The front accessory compartment
is stretchable and quite large; definitely a plus for someone
carries the computer along with other small items.
The Mitre Sleeve has a very simple design for
a very simple purpose: preventing scratches and scrapes.
If you have a slate designed Tablet PC and use a large bag,
this Sleeve is a must-have in order to protect your Tablet's
screen. Slide your computer into the sleeve and fold the
tongue over and close the sleeve with the large Velcro patch.
The sleeve is built with soft foam padding; the lining of
the Mitre is made of very soft and smooth brushed nylon.
Both the Brain Cell and Mitre are well built
and made with quality materials. All Tom Bihn bags come with
life-time warranty.
Style
The design of Tom Bihn bags can be categorized
largely into two styles: city messenger and mountain trail
hiker. The Brain Cell bag belongs in the city messenger category,
with its minimalistic design, utilitarian snaps, Velcro and
even an extra set of straps that can be hooked on to any
backpack externally. There are a large number of colors available
for this bag including solid colors, plaid patterns and more.
The material also makes the bag ideal for all seasons.
The Mitre Sleeve also has a simple design that
comes in two colors: Titanium and Inferno. The black trim
on the edgesand the black Velcro closure goes well with both
colors.
Summary
Tom Bihn bags are built with a no-nonsense
design that provides very good protection for your Tablet
PCs or sub-notebook. The urban and weekend-warrior designs
both have attractive yet clean styling. The good selection
of colors and sizes make these bags very versatile. If you
live in rainy areas or travel outdoors often, do consider
these bags.
Price: Brain Cell: $50 Mitre: $30
Web Site: www.tombihn.com
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