Testimonials
Tucker & Bloom Laptop Backpacks
Laptop Backpacks
When choosing between laptop backpacks, several important considerations should be made. Personally, I am very picky about certain technical features, and won’t buy one if it does not meet my criteria.
I have found, through trial and error, that Tucker & Bloom make sure that are are tough, hold all the items that I want to carry, in every situation, and are made in the USA. These features will make or break a bag for me; as in, if the bag doesn’t perform, I’m just not going to use it. End of story.
Construction Quality and Durability
Construction and materials are very important to me when choosing between laptop backpacks. I like Tucker and Bloom’s because they use only the best materials, such as heavy duck canvases, top-grain leathers, and ballistic-grade nylons, to put together designs that are made by people who have been in the business for over 30 years.
The material that they are made of will give you an idea of how they will hold up to regular usage. Strength and durability are qualities that are directly influenced by how they are made, and what they are made from. Myself, I prefer heavy ballistic nylon, because it’s nearly indestructible and holds up well to all weather.
Ease Of Use
This next quality is one that is so very important to me, because I am often on the go. I want to be able to grab my belongings quickly from the bag, while it is on my back. There’s no use in having an iPod pocket, if that iPod isn’t reachable.
There’s no worry about these things when the bag is well designed, in the first place. Putting that iPod pocket on the strap, with a little padding to protect it, at the right location, can make a lot of difference upon if the customer “likes” or genuinely “loves” their stuff.
Tucker & Bloom makes all of their bags with many pockets & plenty of space to keep your stuff.
Capacity
A hugely important quality I look for is capacity; how much can this one really hold? It is imperative to me that all of my tools serve more than just one purpose. This even applies to my bags.
My computer bag should have multiple pockets, because I carry a lot of stuff. I need a pocket for my computer, one for my cell phone, and another for a notebook & pens, and still another for tickets, change, and passport, etc.
This is another aspect that Tucker & Bloom are on top of. All of their products are huge, with large capacity.
Where Was the Bag Made?
Lastly, I care a lot about where & how my bag was made. This goes for all my belongings, really, because I prefer things to be made in America, by American people.
Tucker & Bloom are based out of Nashville, Tennessee, and have over 30 years experience in the bag industry. Their designs are functional, yet are very stylish, and all are made right here, in the good old USA.
Specific things I looked for before buying my laptop backpack
I’d never purchased a laptop backpack before, and wasn’t really sure of what kind of backpack I needed in the first place. I knew I wanted to be able to comfortably carry my MacBook Pro (15 inch version) with no real headache or hassle whatsoever, but I also knew that I wasn’t going to be toting my laptop around all the time so I needed one that was functional as well.
Well, I must have looked at between 30 or 40 different options out there on the market today – ranging from do cheap and flimsy made to ridiculously expensive (we’re talking like three or four rent payment expensive here) and overbuilt – all before I landed upon the Tucker and Bloom's website.
Instantly I knew that this was a company that I could get behind, just because every single one that they had for sale looked picture perfect for my needs. I contacted their customer service department, and they helped walk me through the different things that made their backpacks really stand out from the rest of the crowd – and I just kind of “filled in the blanks”.
I needed one that would fit a 15 inch laptop with no headache whatsoever
The last thing I needed to deal with was a computer case that wouldn’t fit my laptop, an issue that I know a lot of my friends who had searched for others and really struggled with on a regular basis. Sure, they said, all different kinds of backpack manufacturers will tell you that your notebook will fit in this specific bag – but very often you find it’s too small to fit and your computer is bursting out the seems or you find its way too big and leaves your notebook flopping around in your backpack loosely.
Both of those things would be completely and totally unacceptable, but I learned shortly after that it would be something I didn’t have to worry about since I bought a Tucker and Bloom.
You see, the one that I ended up going with was specifically designed for 15 inch laptops and fit my MacBook Pro perfectly – so much so that you’d almost think it was the specific laptop that they built the bag off of in the first place. Everything is snug and tight, but not too tight, and gives me the kind of confidence I need knowing that my computer will be protected no matter what.
I also knew I needed real versatility for when I wasn’t carrying around my macbook
Understanding that I probably only carry my computer around with me 50% of the time – but I almost always need a backpack on a daily basis – I was looking for a back pack and bag that would be as flexible as my needs were.
Again, the Tucker and Bloom really stepped up to the table. Most of them were built with all different kinds of additional functionality, pockets, and extra compartments that I could use with a little headache or hassle whatsoever. The bag that I did end up going with is almost overloaded with these kinds of features, but not that I’m complaining.
Hipster messenger bags popularity continue to rise
Hipster Messenger Bags
Okay, so by now we’ve all noticed that riding a bike in the city has become very “hip”. Whether it be because of the green movement, or because it saves them money, or maybe even just because they want to look cool, hipsters are riding their bikes everywhere. Along with his or her expensive fixed-gear bikes, everyone is also carrying the ubiquitous hipster messenger bag, as well.
They used to be really simple affairs, you’d see them used by the filthy, tattooed and pierced dudes that came into the buildings you worked in. Won by those loonies who rode so perilously close to the many car mirrors they passed on their bikes. The bags would be slung across his or her chest. Sometimes they’d even be seen using two bags, when one bag’s pocket wasn’t enough.
That’s my point, right there, too… Old-school messenger bags were so simple. Made of canvas or sailcloth, with usually only one huge pocket, and a flap closure, lots of times they’d be hand made by another messenger who also sewed, as a hobby.
Today’s riders, and bag users, aren’t all actual messengers. In fact, there are only even a few left in the city, today. These riders are riding to work, and to school, and for fun, so they want something more suited to them, when it comes to their hipster messenger bags.
A company called Tucker & Bloom, located in Nashville, Tennessee, makes great, multi-use custom made bags, for today. Whether the user is an executive, a bike rider, a DJ, or a student, or even a combination of these things, Tucker & Bloom has them covered in that department.
Tucker & Bloom make hipster messenger bags with more pockets than the old style of bags. The extra pocket on the inside can be for a laptop, and can be padded. Organizational panels are added on for pens, mp3 players, and loose change. Then there’s the all-important water bottle pocket, slyly sewn onto the sides of each bag.
Small details on each bag by Tucker & Bloom make them stand out front and center, amongst others. For example, they use high quality metal alloy clips and slides, so that each bag can be adjusted to fit anyone and anything. Straps are removable, convertible, and come in different spots, to be used in different ways.
Best of all, though, Tucker & Bloom offer several different design possibilities and sizes to the consumer. Most of their hipster messenger bags come in different sizes, depending upon the size of the user and the job. Then there are wide bags, more narrow bags, and some that are even square in shape – sized to carry records.
These hipster messenger bags, on offer from Tucker & Bloom, are made in America. Products that are made in the USA are big in hipster circles, today, because it means the products are made well. Tucker & Bloom’s bags are made tough and durable, with quality designed to encourage individuality.
Is it possible to buy a hipster messenger bag without, you know, looking like a hipster?
Hipsters have absolutely invaded the United States, not only taking over coffee shops, independent bookstores, and all the Pabst Blue Ribbon they can get their hands on, but also taking over the ridiculously simple, amazingly functional, and truly handsome bag – converting all of them to their way of life and “counterculture”.
And while most of us can readily give way to many of the things that hipsters have claimed for their own, the simple messenger tote is one that people simply have a difficult time giving up – if only because it is maybe one of the most perfect examples of form blended with functionality.
A hipster's bag doesn’t have to be ironic to be amazingly useful, handsomely designed, and affordable – it just has to come from Tucker and Bloom.
My experience purchasing a hipster tote
The last thing in the world that I could be confused with – and the last thing in the world that I would want to be confused with – would have to be a hipster.
Sure, I enjoy a well-made fedora. And yes, I’ve been known to sip on a single batch whiskey from time to time – but I don’t look for everything and anything “ironic” in modern life and am actually quite proud of America and how we got to be who we are.
I also absolutely, positively have always been in love with the traditional bag – ever since my days of being a bicycle messenger myself in New York City (the hot bed and “den” of hipster culture).
And though it’s been some years since I wrote a fixed speed bicycle through those concrete canyons in New York City with an important package to deliver to some big shot on the 75th floor, I was definitely in the market for a new custom made piece from Tucker & Bloom.
Proud to purchase quality materials made by real craftsman here in the United States
One of the key criteria that I was looking for was that it would be made by real professionals right here in the good old US of A and it simply wasn’t something that I was willing to compromise on.
Call me a Stone Age dinosaur, call me a rabid nationalist, and call me anything else that you will – but I miss looking at products that have the United States of America stamp right underneath “made in” and knowing that I (in some small part) contributed directly to a local small business somewhere in this great country.
Tucker and Bloom products are made right in Nashville, Tennessee – which isn’t exactly in my neck of the woods, but I appreciate that they spent decades and decades honing their craft, perfecting their skills, and creating fantastic looking bags right here in America.
So many designs to choose from, but only because so many spoke directly to me
The age-old style is one of the more simpler designs you’re ever going to find, but each and every different manufacturer puts their own spin on things – and for good reason. Tucker and Bloom is no different, and they offer a number of different types of stylish accessories for sale, all of them truly handsome, amazingly functional, and ruggedly constructed I’m sure.
I know the one that I ended up with is definitely going to be my “go to” for years and years to come – and I have since recommended a ton of people to the Tucker and Bloom web store. I hope you’ll find what you’ve been looking for – even if you have no interest in being a hipster whatsoever.
Cool backpacks for men - A Tucker & Bloom vision.
Cool Backpacks for Men
It certainly is hard to find cool backpacks for men. I mean they are a dime a dozen, but they’re rarely actually “cool” looking. A lot of them are made with children in mind, so they look overstated, are cheaply made, and just not “cool” looking.
Now Enter Tucker & Bloom!
Based out of Nashville, Tennessee, with over 30 years in the bag business, Tucker & Bloom make some of the nicest cool backpacks for men that I have ever seen.
All of their products are designed with today’s professional in mind, and Tucker & Bloom realize that just because you commute to work, that doesn’t mean you want to look like a fifth grader while doing it. They make cool bags for men that are as tough as they are cool.
Dig That Construction!
Tucker & Bloom Bags have large, zippered main chambers with strong taslan nylon backings, while the external shells are made of heavy 1680 denier waterproof ballistic nylon. No matter what you put them through, these cool custom made bags for men are going to stay put together.
The front pockets feature U-zip designs that have an easy-access organizer panel for iPod, phone, sunglasses, etc. Additionally, adjustable straps, ending in quick-release buckles, make it simple to swing the bag, in order to access the main chamber.
There’s nothing worse than zippers that wear out, so Tucker & Bloom uses heavy, “self-healing” #9 nylon coil zippers that have lockable pulls. This ensures that whatever you put into your cool totes for men will stay put, and you won’t have to worry about cheap zippers anymore.
And How Fashionable, Too!
Tucker & Bloom make several different cool style for the fellas, so that it doesn’t matter what your personal style may be, you’ll be able to buy a bag that fits your character.
On top of different styles, Tucker & Bloom offer each bag in different colors, with some even being available in other fabrics, too. The bag you pick will be one-of-a-kind, and made just to your specifications.
Also available are laptop sleeves, if you choose. Padded well to protect your investment, the laptop sleeve will help to ensure your data is safe and sound, and protected from drops, as well as from your other stuff.
Depending upon how you move through your day, Tucker & Bloom’s bags allow you to maneuver in cramped quarters with different straps. The super-strong shoulder straps are made of heavy-duty nylon webbing, with comfy felt backing, while a low profile handle is attached to them for use in tight quarters.
Simply the Best Around!
Tucker & Bloom make cool custom made cases for men that are both exceptionally durable, as well as waterproof, ensuring that whatever you carry will be protected from the elements. Their bags are functional, yet fashionable, and can easily make the jump from office to classroom to on the town with stylish ease. They are simply the best around!
My battle to find cool styles for guys
Even though most people won’t admit it, it’s almost impossible to find cool backpacks for guys available on the market today.
Some of them have been designed for guys and made to look like they just stepped off the battlefield – built with military style construction materials, over engineered to ridiculous tolerances, and would look foolish when stacked up with any outfit that isn’t completely camouflaged.
Many others that have been designed for men on the market right now take a different approach completely. They offer you this super luxurious, ridiculously silky smooth, and almost feminized masculine bag (if that makes sense at all), basically an overblown purse that is supposed to be designed for men simply because it’s “bigger”.
At the other end of the spectrum, you have some designers that feel as though guys can use backpacks that are basically larger versions of the totes that they used as children – sporty looking bags that make men look like an oversized kid stuck in some sort of weird Hollywood comedy.
But not the folks at Tucker and Bloom. When I was searching for cool backpacks and this was a brand that continue to come up in conversation – both the real conversations that I had with people who had already bought fantastic ones as well as many of the conversations that I “eavesdropped” on that were happening online.
These were actually built from the ground up to look fantastic but also serve a real purpose – perfectly blending form and function in ways that I didn’t think anyone was still paying attention to.
The perfect backpacks for men
Basically relying on 30+ years of business, it is Nashville, Tennessee based business has been pumping out small batch hand crafted American custom made products for years and years now – though they are just now starting to gain the kind of recognition and acclaim they deserve.
There’s just no other way to put it than that these are very cool backpacks for every man, especially guys that want to retain their masculinity while cruising around town with one strapped to their backs. You’re going to find elite level construction materials – some would even say luxurious construction materials – designed to be ruggedly masculine without being cartoony, the kinds of bags that most people strive to make but never really hit that perfect note.
At the same time, these bags have been designed to be ridiculously functional. With messenger bags and even just traditional styles are available – and so much more – functionality is always critical in each and every one of their designs.
I know, because now I own three or four different Tucker and Bloom bags – and am considering ordering three or four more to boost my collection. These are just that good, and I have since recommended them to each and every one of my friends and family members looking to invest in a new back.
Construction that is off the charts, design that is amazingly attractive, and a price you just can’t beat
The reason that I think these are the very best of the best when it comes to cool accessories for men is simply because they blend all of the key criteria you’re looking for in a bag so seamlessly.
The attention to detail that has been spent on every aspect of construction is off the charts, but something that you would anticipate from a small batch shop that does much of their work by hand. Design is never to “freely” or fancy, but is instead a very rugged, very masculine, and very durable. Top that all off with very reasonable prices, and it should come as no surprise to you why so many people consider these to be the very best on the planet.
Handmade messenger bags are always in style.
Handmade Bags
In 2013 it pays to be hip, to know what is “in”. What’s in style right now is custom products. People are more willing to pay well for quality handmade messenger bags if they are Made in the USA, out of tough, high-quality materials.
These custom bags are a sort of cross-cultural organizational item, since people of different styles and types use them. Some use the typical bike messenger bag for doing actual messenger work, while others just want something that’s more comfortable when they commute to work or school.
Tucker & Bloom is a family business that has more than 30 years in the bag business. They make all of their products in the good old US-of-A, and they focus on quality, well-built organizational products, with a flare for style and sophistication and, best of all, made for a heavy workload. All of Tucker & Bloom’s designs are made for people with a need to look professional, but provide an alternative to the norm. Each of their products is made in small batches with an eye towards traditional European-style craftsmanship.
Take Your Pick!
Tucker & Bloom make several different completely handmade messenger bags, so that it doesn’t matter what your personal style may be, you’ll be able to find one that fits your style with ease.
Also available in some are extra pockets, if you would like one. While some pockets are padded well to protect your investment, the laptop sleeve will help to ensure your data is safe and sound, and protected from drops, as well as from your other stuff.
As well as different styles, Tucker & Bloom offer each handmade messenger bag in different colors, with some even being available in other fabrics, too. The one you pick will be one-of-a-kind, and made just to your specifications.
As always, every one of the handmade bags from Tucker & Bloom feature their limited lifetime warranty! This all ensures that you get one that you will be happy with, and that will hold up, for many, many years to come!
They’re Really In Style, Now!
So, everyone knows that hipsters today love handmade products, and these are no exception! Kids want to be able to carry all their stuff in one and they want to look really cool doing it.
Whether at school, at work, or out on the town, later, Tucker & Bloom make the handmade totes that everyone who is cool will want.
Take one part style, mix it with another part substance, and then wrap it all up in an indestructible shell, and there you have it- a bag that everyone can use.
My favorite custom handmade piece is the Tucker & Bloom North to South Messenger Bag. In it, I can carry all of my recorded media that always has to come everywhere with me, but I can also throw in a book to read on the subway, with a change of clothes after work.
Handmade cases aren’t just for hipsters anymore
Look, you’re probably not going to find anyone in America – or around the world, for that matter – that dislikes hipsters any more than I do. There’s just something about their phony “ironic” attitude that strikes me the wrong way, and it’s not difficult to see that I’m not alone. Sure, I probably take my dislike to entirely new levels than anyone else – but hipsters aren’t exactly someone or something to aspire to be.
At the same time, it seems as though I have fallen in love with a big favorite of hipsters – handmade messenger bags.
There’s just something about the incredible construction, the attention to detail, and the care that has gone into each and every one of these custom totes that make it so much more special than anything else. I appreciate the creative process (like to think of myself as a creative as well), and definitely recognize true “old world” craftsmanship when I see it.
There is a real reason why the Tucker and Bloom products pulled me in like a tractor beam and haven’t let me go since.
You just cannot compete with something that was designed, developed, and crafted by hand
I know, I know – you are probably a little bit on the fence about spending money on a handmade bag when you can get a machine processed bag for a fraction of the price (sometimes).
I get it, I was in that same position just a short while ago and had to really fight my inner dialogue to ignore the little voice that said “save every single one of your pennies and put off happiness as long as you can”.
There’s just something about looking at a piece of your property that you know was something delicately crafted by a professional, someone that has spent years and years – decades maybe – honing their craft and skill so that they could build the perfect bag for you and you alone.
That’s really where the difference between handmade bags and mass-produced come in. You know that even if you purchased a handmade bag that was one of hundreds made in that same series, none of them – literally none of them – are going to be exactly the same as yours. Your bag is truly one in 1 in a million, and it’s likely that the craftsman spent hours and hours perfecting your bag before moving on to the next.
We just don’t get that with modern purchases anymore, and it’s something that a lot of people are trying to bring back into their lives.
The attention to detail spent is second to none
With everyone worried about whether or not customer service is going to provide them with a full refund on everything and anything they’ve ever purchased – simply because we know, in the end, it’s going to break or fail us – that’s never really a question that crosses your mind with Tucker and Bloom.
But it’s not because their customer service department is sorely lacking – the opposite would be true. Their customer services very friendly, very helpful, and will make sure that you are taking care of (and I would know), but when you’re talking about handmade you just don’t get the same kind of defects, mistakes, and oversights that you would with commercially made bags that are produced in the hundreds and hundreds of thousands.
Maybe I’m just sentimental. However, I know that when I first opened up that package that had my brand-new Tucker and Bloom messenger bag in it I felt like a kid at Christmas.
I bet you will too.
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