The Buzz Sling Bag by Tom Bihn

Gadgeteer Hands On Review by Judie Hughes

March 02, 2004

Product Requirements:
Daily gear that needs a bag, a smaller sized laptop (up to 11.5" x 9.5" x 1.5" / 290 x 240 x 38mm)

One of my favorite gear bag manufacturers is Tom Bihn. This unpretentious and friendly company has a past record for producing some of the best looking, hardest working and longest lasting bags that I have personally encountered. Even so, some of you may have found that their backpack style bags can be a little too large for daily excursions, especially if you are not the type that needs to carry an entire supply closet's worth of gear. Since I often find myself in that category, I was very interested when Darcy wrote me about their new, smaller sized sling bag called The Buzz.

Available with a black body accented with a steel (deep gray) side panel and your choice of either a crimson, plum or spruce front, the Buzz offers a color splash for those that would rather not go with the also available solid black. All of the bags, except for the solid black, have a light gray piping between the steel and color panels which will reflect light at night. 

I was sent a bag with the plum front panel, which according to the accompanying letter was the "very first completed bag," sewn by Tom, himself. For those of you that didn't know, Tom Bihn is an actual person, and he really does have a hand in the manufacturing process. There is a "Tom Bihn Portable Culture" tag on the front panel which is tastefully done and features deco lettering and a red plane.

  
Pictures courtesy of the Tom Bihn website

At first glance, it might be possible to dismiss the Buzz as a typical sling bag, but doing so would be a mistake. The Buzz is distinguished from others of this style because of its superior design, materials and craftsmanship. Let's take a look from the outside in...

The Buzz's exterior is composed of 1000 denier Cordura. All of the zippers are YKK and coated so as to be "splash-proof." Instead of having a standard zipper-pull on each of the substantial metal YKK sliders, there is an easy to grip 2" loop of cord capped with a plastic tab.

The bag weighs 1.64 pounds when empty, and it measures approximately 17" tall x 12" wide x 4" thick. On the right side of the bag, there is a side pocket with a wide elastic inset panel suitable for holding up to a 750ml bottle of water, can of soda, or a portable umbrella. Two adjustable straps will secure any item held within. I don't necessarily recommend it, but I have been known to slip my Cannon PowerShot in this pocket, since it is so accessible and since the top can be more or less cinched shut.

There is a woven nylon handle near the top of the shoulder strap. What I would ordinarily say at this point is that I wish it were more padded. However, I found that when using this sling bag, I never once reached for the loop - it was just as easy to grab the strap. So for once, I am not going to consider this a con, and I will just make note that there is a loop, for those that like there to be one.

The sling strap is padded throughout its entire length, but not overly so. It is comfortable without being bulky, and one of the features I most like is that there is a heavy-duty plastic quick-release clip so that you do not actually have to lift the bag over your head to wear it or take it off. On the strap is a flap pocket that closes with a tab of Velcro. The flap and pocket are cut so that it will hold just about any phone with either a right or left side antenna. If you'd prefer, you can carry an iPod or other similarly sized MP3 player securely in the same pocket. There is another "Tom Bihn Portable Culture" tag on this pocket's flap.

   
Picture courtesy of the Tom Bihn website

The back wall of The Buzz is padded with 0.25" of foam. When the bag is not being worn, it should protect the contents from ordinary shocks - but certainly not a major fall.

Now let's move to the bag's interior...

The front compartment is secured with two #8 YKK zippers, which open to reveal its top and left side. Inside, the back wall is comprised of a contrasting blue Cordura. A detachable key-clip dangles a plastic loop on the top left, and a sectioned pocket comprised of blue Cordura with gray trim rises to the right. The first two pockets are sized to hold pens, the next is perfect for a PDA (shown is a CLIÉ NZ90 in a Vaja case), and the last pocket can hold ID or business cards - or in this case, a Starbuck's card. ☺

The rear compartment of The Buzz is divided into two sections and is very adaptable. It is accessed by opening two #10 YKK zippers. On days when you need to carry your smaller sized laptop, you can slide it right into the padded rear section. Due to the previously mentioned padded rear wall of the bag and an additional padded interior divider wall, your laptop should be safely sandwiched for commutes. The only improvement I would like to see would be a bit of additional padding on the bottom of the bag. As it is, there is a lightly padded bottom that feels as if it is lined in soft polar fleece. In front of the padded divider wall is an open section which can hold larger items, such as books or 8"x11" files and folders. This is where I carry my extra cables (inside a pouch) when I am toting my laptop.

The Buzz is not a large bag, yet it is sufficient to carry necessary daily items without a lot of overkill. If you are someone that tends to carry accessories just because you have a pocket in which to place them, then this might be a good way to help you lighten your load. Conversely, if you are someone that needs to carry as many accessories as possible because you will most likely have to use each and every one of them, then this is probably not the bag for you. The Buzz is extremely well made, and should hold up for many years under heavy use.

Price: $90 The Buzz is available in in solid black, black/steel/crimson, black/steel/plum and black/steel/spruce

Pros:
Extremely well made from quality materials
Can hold a smaller laptop in the lightly padded interior
Strap is easy on, easy off
Come with one of the best guarantees you'll find anywhere
Made in Port Angeles, Washington, USA

Cons:
Would like more padding in bottom of computer section