This review turned out to be quite long so I'll put the summary at the beginning. here it is:
What I like - Brain Cell
- gives lots of protection
- fits the 700m like a glove
- fits some accessories in its pocket
- has handles
What I don't like - Brain Cell
- looks like a purse when carried by its handles
- expensive
What I like - ID bag
- the bag is waterproof
- it carries the essentials and nothing more
- It seems to be well constructed and it looks like it'll last a long time
- lots of pockets
- waist strap is a good idea, although I'm not sure how often I'd use it
- Doesn't look like a "computer bag"
What I don't like - ID bag
- handle is too small
- it carries the essentials and nothing more
- plastic strap attachments (should be metal)
- wish the shoulder strap was detachable
- would like to see compartments on the exterior sides for water bottle or similarly sized items
- expensive
After a long search for a bag I finally decided on the Tom Bihn Brain Cell and ID bag. A few people have asked what I think of it so I thought I'd post a review.
I'm not taking any pics because there are lots of pics of these bags on the internet.
OK, when I first opened the box I thought that the bags were quite small. I was skeptical that I would fit all my stuff in the bags.
The brain cell is a computer sleeve. It looked tiny. I didn't even think that my 700m could fit inside, but low-and-behold it slid inside and it looked like the bag was specially made for the 700m (with 8-cell battery). I believe the proper expression is it fits like a glove. The bag itself has 8mm of padding and 4mm of hard plastic (according to a review I read on the internet) protecting the precious cargo inside.
Unlike other laptop sleeves this sleeve has a handle and it has a mesh pocket on one side. The mesh pocket stretches to fit your spare battery, power adapter and mouse. Or it can be used for a magazine or two. There are 2 snaps on the mesh pocket to hold it closed when not being used. I must say though, with the mouse, AC adapter and battery it's a pretty tight fit, but as a testament to Tom Bihn's quality I felt like I could pack all that stuff in there without worrying about the pocket ripping or coming unstitched.
The top of the brain cell has a velcro-like strip all along the top. The velcro was one of the things I was a little unsure about, but it was easy to close AND easy to open. It's been my experience in the past that long strips of velcro need a lot of pulling power to open. Tom Bihn also gives you a pull-tab to make opening that much easier.
Brain Cells come in different colour combinations, I got grey and black. The whole sleeve is a darkish grey and the mesh pocket and handles are black.
One last point about the brain cell is that it has 2 loops on the back. These loops are to secure the Brain Cell to the inside of the ID bag.
The brain cell bag can be used alone and I've already had occasion to do so. I had to go to a meeting but I didn't want to take my entire ID bag so I unclipped the brain cell, slid my spare battery into the mesh pocket and went off to my meeting. I was secure knowing that if I dropped my laptop or it got banged along the way it was protected. Up until now I've been carrying my laptop unprotected. One word of caution though, it kinda looks like you're carrying a purse, so if you're male just remember that it's all in the way you carry yourself. If you think you're drawing attention to yourself because you're carrying a "purse" then you will, but if you walk with purpose and self-confidence then anything goes. :-)
OK, now for the ID bag.
The ID bag looked at first to me like it wouldn't hold all my stuff and I immediately wanted to return it, but I gave it a try anyway. The bag was able to hold my laptop (in brain cell), one 1.5" binder, one 1" textbook, AC power adapter, spare battery, thick deck of flashcards, 2 pens, mouse, CDs and there was still room for a small water bottle and something else.
First let me tell you about how it looks, features, pockets, etc. The ID bag I got is grey and black (just like the brain cell). The inside is grey while the outside is black. There is a main compartment which has 2 buckle-like things that secure the brain cell into the bag. I like that the brain cell is secured inside knowing that it isn't going to slide around. At first glance it looks like nothing else can fit into that pocket with the brain cell in it and I found myself wishing that the bag was about 1" deeper (front-to-back), but I thought I'd try and pack all my stuff anyway. I fit a 1.5" binder and 1" textbook in the main compartment and found that I could push everything to one side (including the brain cell) and make enough room for a small water bottle, or AC adapter or something like that. Again, with all that stuff in there it's a very tight fit. You couldn't get anymore in there. Oh, one more thing. The back side of the main pocket (the side that sits against your body) is padded. This helps make the bag sturdier in my opinion and it also makes it more comfortable to lug around.
Next to the main pocket is what I'll call a gadget pocket. It's a pocket with a three pouches inside. The inside pouches are large (fits the AC adapter with AC cord), medium that will fit a full-sized mouse, and small that will fit something like an ipod. There are also 2 pen/pencil slots. The gadget pocket can also hold other misc. items. I use it for my spare battery (which lies along the bottom). If I didn't put my textbook in the main pocket it would have easily fit in the gadget pocket, but then there'd be no room for gadgets. Oh and one more thing. There is a place for your keys too.
On the outside of the gadget pocket there are 2 more pockets. A zippered pocket that can be used to carry CDs and an open pocket that I use to carry a thick deck of 5"x3" flashcards.
When you close the flap you see that on the front of the flap there is yet another pocket. This pocket can be used for airline tickets, or anything that you need quick access to. I use it for my glasses case because you just never know when you'll actually need to get your glasses out to read something.
On the back of the bag (closest to your body) is yet another pocket. This pocket is almost the full size of the bag and can be used for carrying magazines or thin notebooks or the like.
All-in-all I can carry all my essentials, although with all my stuff in the bag it looks like it's ready to explode, but the construction of the bag is such that I don't think it will. If the bag were bigger (like I wanted it to be) I'd just put more stuff in there but it would get that much heavier.
The outside of the bag has several features too. The shoulder strap is very wide and it's got an extra long padded, sliding shoulder area with a rubbery slip-residtant underside. The padding stops the strap from digging into your shoulder. The strap is attached to the bag with 2 large plastic permanent buckles (not sure if that's the right word). I am rather surprised that Tom Bihn elected to use plastic, especially given how much stuff can be jammed inside the bag and how heavy it can get. I've not read any negative comments about the plastic so presumably they'll stand up to the wear and tear of everyday use.
I wish that the strap was removable. If you remove the strap you can make the bag look something like a briefcase for those formal meetings that sometimes have to be attended. Also you could choose which strap to put on. Tom Bihn sells an amazing shoulder strap that stretches and makes heavy loads feel lighter. I would use that strap on the ID bag.
The ID bag has a waist strap. This is a really good idea if you don't want your bag to be swaying around, or if you're on a bike, or if you're on holiday and you don't want someone snatching your bag from your shoulder.
The bag is made from waterproof nylon and everything inside your bag, including stuff in the flap pocket will stay dry. The zipper on the flap pocket is waterproof if you can believe it. Only documents in the large open back pocket (the one against your body) will get wet because there's no cover for it.
Another beef I have with the bag is its handle. The handle needs to be thicker and it needs to have more padding. It seems to be a rubber stick like a pencil inside the nylon strap webbing. Not very comfortable for long durations, but then again the bag is meant to be worn on your shoulder.
Overall I like the bag. Even though it's not perfect it fits my needs more than any other bag I've seen. This one is a keeper...Hopefully for a really long time.
What I like - Brain Cell
- gives lots of protection
- fits the 700m like a glove
- fits some accessories in its pocket
- has handles
What I don't like - Brain Cell
- looks like a purse when carried by its handles
- expensive
What I like - ID bag
- the bag is waterproof
- it carries the essentials and nothing more
- It seems to be well constructed and it looks like it'll last a long time
- lots of pockets
- waist strap is a good idea, although I'm not sure how often I'd use it
- Doesn't look like a "computer bag"
What I don't like - ID bag
- handle is too small
- it carries the essentials and nothing more
- plastic strap attachments (should be metal)
- wish the shoulder strap was detachable
- would like to see compartments on the exterior sides for water bottle or similarly sized items
- expensive
After a long search for a bag I finally decided on the Tom Bihn Brain Cell and ID bag. A few people have asked what I think of it so I thought I'd post a review.
I'm not taking any pics because there are lots of pics of these bags on the internet.
OK, when I first opened the box I thought that the bags were quite small. I was skeptical that I would fit all my stuff in the bags.
The brain cell is a computer sleeve. It looked tiny. I didn't even think that my 700m could fit inside, but low-and-behold it slid inside and it looked like the bag was specially made for the 700m (with 8-cell battery). I believe the proper expression is it fits like a glove. The bag itself has 8mm of padding and 4mm of hard plastic (according to a review I read on the internet) protecting the precious cargo inside.
Unlike other laptop sleeves this sleeve has a handle and it has a mesh pocket on one side. The mesh pocket stretches to fit your spare battery, power adapter and mouse. Or it can be used for a magazine or two. There are 2 snaps on the mesh pocket to hold it closed when not being used. I must say though, with the mouse, AC adapter and battery it's a pretty tight fit, but as a testament to Tom Bihn's quality I felt like I could pack all that stuff in there without worrying about the pocket ripping or coming unstitched.
The top of the brain cell has a velcro-like strip all along the top. The velcro was one of the things I was a little unsure about, but it was easy to close AND easy to open. It's been my experience in the past that long strips of velcro need a lot of pulling power to open. Tom Bihn also gives you a pull-tab to make opening that much easier.
Brain Cells come in different colour combinations, I got grey and black. The whole sleeve is a darkish grey and the mesh pocket and handles are black.
One last point about the brain cell is that it has 2 loops on the back. These loops are to secure the Brain Cell to the inside of the ID bag.
The brain cell bag can be used alone and I've already had occasion to do so. I had to go to a meeting but I didn't want to take my entire ID bag so I unclipped the brain cell, slid my spare battery into the mesh pocket and went off to my meeting. I was secure knowing that if I dropped my laptop or it got banged along the way it was protected. Up until now I've been carrying my laptop unprotected. One word of caution though, it kinda looks like you're carrying a purse, so if you're male just remember that it's all in the way you carry yourself. If you think you're drawing attention to yourself because you're carrying a "purse" then you will, but if you walk with purpose and self-confidence then anything goes. :-)
OK, now for the ID bag.
The ID bag looked at first to me like it wouldn't hold all my stuff and I immediately wanted to return it, but I gave it a try anyway. The bag was able to hold my laptop (in brain cell), one 1.5" binder, one 1" textbook, AC power adapter, spare battery, thick deck of flashcards, 2 pens, mouse, CDs and there was still room for a small water bottle and something else.
First let me tell you about how it looks, features, pockets, etc. The ID bag I got is grey and black (just like the brain cell). The inside is grey while the outside is black. There is a main compartment which has 2 buckle-like things that secure the brain cell into the bag. I like that the brain cell is secured inside knowing that it isn't going to slide around. At first glance it looks like nothing else can fit into that pocket with the brain cell in it and I found myself wishing that the bag was about 1" deeper (front-to-back), but I thought I'd try and pack all my stuff anyway. I fit a 1.5" binder and 1" textbook in the main compartment and found that I could push everything to one side (including the brain cell) and make enough room for a small water bottle, or AC adapter or something like that. Again, with all that stuff in there it's a very tight fit. You couldn't get anymore in there. Oh, one more thing. The back side of the main pocket (the side that sits against your body) is padded. This helps make the bag sturdier in my opinion and it also makes it more comfortable to lug around.
Next to the main pocket is what I'll call a gadget pocket. It's a pocket with a three pouches inside. The inside pouches are large (fits the AC adapter with AC cord), medium that will fit a full-sized mouse, and small that will fit something like an ipod. There are also 2 pen/pencil slots. The gadget pocket can also hold other misc. items. I use it for my spare battery (which lies along the bottom). If I didn't put my textbook in the main pocket it would have easily fit in the gadget pocket, but then there'd be no room for gadgets. Oh and one more thing. There is a place for your keys too.
On the outside of the gadget pocket there are 2 more pockets. A zippered pocket that can be used to carry CDs and an open pocket that I use to carry a thick deck of 5"x3" flashcards.
When you close the flap you see that on the front of the flap there is yet another pocket. This pocket can be used for airline tickets, or anything that you need quick access to. I use it for my glasses case because you just never know when you'll actually need to get your glasses out to read something.
On the back of the bag (closest to your body) is yet another pocket. This pocket is almost the full size of the bag and can be used for carrying magazines or thin notebooks or the like.
All-in-all I can carry all my essentials, although with all my stuff in the bag it looks like it's ready to explode, but the construction of the bag is such that I don't think it will. If the bag were bigger (like I wanted it to be) I'd just put more stuff in there but it would get that much heavier.
The outside of the bag has several features too. The shoulder strap is very wide and it's got an extra long padded, sliding shoulder area with a rubbery slip-residtant underside. The padding stops the strap from digging into your shoulder. The strap is attached to the bag with 2 large plastic permanent buckles (not sure if that's the right word). I am rather surprised that Tom Bihn elected to use plastic, especially given how much stuff can be jammed inside the bag and how heavy it can get. I've not read any negative comments about the plastic so presumably they'll stand up to the wear and tear of everyday use.
I wish that the strap was removable. If you remove the strap you can make the bag look something like a briefcase for those formal meetings that sometimes have to be attended. Also you could choose which strap to put on. Tom Bihn sells an amazing shoulder strap that stretches and makes heavy loads feel lighter. I would use that strap on the ID bag.
The ID bag has a waist strap. This is a really good idea if you don't want your bag to be swaying around, or if you're on a bike, or if you're on holiday and you don't want someone snatching your bag from your shoulder.
The bag is made from waterproof nylon and everything inside your bag, including stuff in the flap pocket will stay dry. The zipper on the flap pocket is waterproof if you can believe it. Only documents in the large open back pocket (the one against your body) will get wet because there's no cover for it.
Another beef I have with the bag is its handle. The handle needs to be thicker and it needs to have more padding. It seems to be a rubber stick like a pencil inside the nylon strap webbing. Not very comfortable for long durations, but then again the bag is meant to be worn on your shoulder.
Overall I like the bag. Even though it's not perfect it fits my needs more than any other bag I've seen. This one is a keeper...Hopefully for a really long time.
