Tom Bihn Imago Bag Review

Recently Gear Live had the opportunity to review another model from the Seattle based bag artist and engineer - Tom Bihn. This time I was reviewing the Imago, a stylish shoulder bag designed for the on-the-go professional.

The Imago solves the problem of what to do when you have a big data-centric phone, camera, PDA (or even a small laptop), keys, cords, USB drives, and all the other bits of clutter that life necessitates and no place to put them.

Find out more about the Imago, and get detail impressions after the jump.

INITIAL IMPRESSIONS

The Imago beats the clutter and lets the tech-savvy professional stash their gear and always keep it handy. The Imago features three “reach in” pockets, two Ultra-suede lined gadget pockets with water-resistant zippers, a zippered wallet/ID pocket inside, and a single large external pocket designed for magazines or papers.

All these pockets are logically laid out, and help both organize and protect your belongings. The two Ultra-suede gadget pockets are placed on the side exteriors making it easy to keep your cell phone, iPod, or camera always at easy reach. The zippers are lined with a rubberized fabric to further protect your tech from the occasional splash or light rain.

The inside pockets are roomy and easy to access with the bag open. The “top down” design allows the Imago to stay slung by your shoulder while you access it’s contents - handy if you need something out of the bag and don’t have a place to sit.  Tom even thought to put in three O-ring’s placed strategically within the bag to let you clip your keys directly into the bag. All this is protected by the Imago’s cover flap which is secured by a strong plastic clasp to make sure you won’t have your belongings flying out at an inopportune moment.

As always the Imago features Tom Bihn’s legendary build quality. I’ve lugged my trusty Brain Bag and Monolith over two continents, through countless airports and cities, and round trip to work every day for over a year now and it’s still in great shape - a quality that I have full confidence in the Imago for sharing. The Imago is engineered from 1000 Denier Cordura and 1050 Denier Ballistic Nylon, and available in a variety of stain-resistant colors (this one has a black exterior and a Wasabi interior).

USING THE IMAGO

Due to it’s light-weight and portable design the Imago is easy to carry everywhere. It’s stylish enough for any work or sport activity and makes it easy to bring akk yiyr gadgets and toys with you on the road. The large number of pockets it easy to keep expensive gadgets from getting scratched, and let you organize your belongings to suit your lifestyle.

One great (but unadvertised) feature is that the Imago happens to fit perfectly within the large middle pocket of the Brain Bag. The Imago makes for a “man purse” of sorts, carrying my wallet, phone, keys, and iPod - something that I’ve carried with me everywhere for the past two weeks. For those times when more is needed I can put the Imago in the Brain Bag (along with the newly updated Macbook toting Monolith and my camera bag) and have with me an entire portable digital media workstation on my back in one convenient and sturdy package.

FINAL VERDICT

The Imago gets a clear 10/10 Editors Choice pick - between it’s medium size (smaller than a backpack, larger than a purse), well laid out pockets, and sturdy construction the Imago is an easy buy for anyone looking for a messenger bag. For the asked price of $85.00 is of similar price to many other bags lacking the durability and style of Tom Bihn.

If you need something smaller check out the small, medium, and large Cafe bag’s. If you want something bigger for carrying a large laptop, SLR camera’s, or other equipment Tom Bihn has several other bags that may suit your needs.