Review: Tom Bihn Synik
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_Disclaimer: Tom Bihn provided this bag free for a review. All opinions below are entirely my own._ You may recall that recently I reviewed my Waterfield Staad backpack which is a lovely backpack that I use a lot of the time. However there are times when I need to carry more than fits in this bag - trips where I'm away overnight or just need to carry a lot of things. When the chance came up to review a new Tom Bihn bag with a dedicated laptop compartment, clamshell opening and luggage pass through it seemed meant to be - and this was confirmed by the random number generator saying I won! I'll start with some background. The Synik is based on another Tom Bihn bag, the Synapse. That one doesn't have a clamshell opening, dedicated laptop compartment, side opening, or luggage pass through - it's a great bag but honestly not one I would buy for myself. It comes in two sizes (19L and 25L), and according to everyone I know who has one it's an amazing bag. There are two sizes of the Synik, 22L and 30L, the idea was that enough space was added to the Synapse to make space for the dedicated laptop compartment and also to allow for full use of the clamshell opening. The straps on the Synik are also different - they're edgeless straps which means there are no seams touching your shoulders. Day to day I've not really noticed a massive benefit, but I'm sure if I loaded the bag up with heavy items that could cause the straps to dig in I would! For those of you who aren't familiar with Tom Bihn bags there's some important facts you might like to know:
- They're made in the USA in Seattle.
- All of their bags have a variety of colour options available, including different internal colours.
- Bags have O-rings, this allows you to clip things to your bag so you can pull them out without losing them or find them without digging around (my keys are on a long strap, my sunglasses are in a pouch which keeps them close to the top, etc.)
- There's a wide array of accessories which you can purchase to go with your bag, including the above mentioned keystrap and sunglasses pouch (a small Ghost Whale for the curious).
- The water bottle pocket is in the center, this means that I won't end up weighed down on one side.
- The front pockets pack inside the bag, instead of bulging outwards.
- The front bottom pocket might look small but it fits my Nintendo Switch easily.
- The clamshell opening means I can also just open the side of my bag and reach in to grab something (assuming I remember where I put it), and I can of course open up the whole bag.
- It's not too large, I got away with it as my personal item flying home - the 30L would have looked large though and I might not have been so lucky.
- The laptop is suspended in the bag, so when you put it down it's not likely to hit the floor.
- There's a system where you can attach a "cache" (Tom Bihn's device sleeve) to the opposite side of the main pocket - I bought one for my 11" iPad Pro and it's wonderful.
- I can put it on the handle of my trolley case when in airport lounges, on airport buses, etc. (Did I mention I fly a lot?)