Inside The Factory: Fall 2025 Update

Updates from Our Seattle Factory

After much discussion, testing, and careful planning, we have a big update this fall. We’ve decided to partner with a family-owned factory in Vietnam to expand our production capacity on accessories and several of our tote and crossbody styles. All of our backpacks, travel bags, and briefcases will continue to be manufactured exclusively in our Seattle factory – the heart of our operation and our home. 

With this update, we want to take a moment to walk you through the decision, answer some of the questions you might have, and share why we believe this change is best for the future of TOM BIHN.

Why is this happening?

We’ve mentioned in the past about some of the recent challenges that we’ve been facing. Our costs have risen significantly as we’ve strived to pay fair, living wages to our Seattle factory employees and maintain the uncompromising quality you expect from us. These cost increases have far outpaced the 2-3% average annual price increases that we’ve passed along. 

This year, on top of the typical cost increases, we’re being charged an extra 10-15% tariffs on our premium imported materials for which there’s currently no true domestic equivalent (we recognize the irony and oppose tariffs for supporting US manufacturing). 

We’ve done everything we can to absorb these cost increases, including implementing efficiency measures to improve productivity across the company, but it hasn’t been enough. This left us with a big choice: raise prices significantly, or supplement some of our ancillary production with an overseas partner. 

We chose the latter and believe it’s the most sustainable path forward: strengthening our operations while improving inventory shortages on bags you’ve been waiting for.

What does this mean for our Seattle factory and our team?

Our Seattle factory remains the heart of TOM BIHN. We have the most talented in-house team of artisan sewers and bag-makers anywhere. Our new partnership will not replace what happens here but rather supplement it. We plan on retaining all of our team members and continuing to grow our Seattle factory production, with a focus on our core products which are also our most complex — the Synik, Synapse, Techonaut, Aeronaut, and all other backpacks, travel bags, and briefcases. These will remain Made in Seattle.

For most accessories and several models of tote and crossbody bags, the most common colors will transition to being made by our partner while we continue to craft seasonal colors and special editions for these items in-house. We will clearly note on our website in the product pages where each product and colorway is made.

And while this shift happens, we’re still investing in our Seattle roots. Last month, we expanded our lease into an adjacent warehouse, knocking down a wall to add 3,600 square feet to our main factory at 4750A Ohio Ave South. With the new space, we are upgrading our storage system, building a better employee break area, and replacing some equipment with newer models that will allow us greater production and flexibility. Seattle is where all of us on the team live and where we will continue to have design, fulfillment, repair, customer service, marketing, retail, and the bulk of our manufacturing production, all under one roof. Our factory showroom doors will remain open, and we invite you to visit to see how your bags are made if you are in the area!

Why we believe this strengthens TOM BIHN

We believe this partnership will strengthen our own manufacturing and operations. Accessories — while simple in design — require production runs that can be time-intensive and don’t fully make use of our Seattle team’s specialized skills. Partnering with another factory for these items lets us focus more of our in-house expertise on the complex bags and gear we’re known for. By focusing our in-house team on our core designs and special editions, we’ll be able to keep more items in stock and even bring back past in-demand bags like the Smart Alec, Little Swift, Founder’s Briefcase, Sprout, and Cambiata. 

We’ll also have more time and freedom to experiment, test, and refine new designs and materials, including some items that we’re excited to start sharing more information on soon. 

About our new partner

Quality and values are non-negotiable for us. We spent over a year visiting dozens of factories across multiple countries before choosing a family-owned partner in Vietnam whose craftsmanship, size, and philosophy align with ours. Their team works under fair labor standards and good conditions, specializes in small-batch production, and brings decades of experience making high-end goods.

We’ve worked with this partner to utilize the same key materials and suppliers, including the same fabrics, zippers, and hardware. This means the durability and feel of the products produced will remain what you know and trust. Every product will go through multiple rounds of sampling and inspection: first, by our partner, then through a 3rd party inspector, and finally at our Seattle factory to ensure it meets TOM BIHN’s high standards before it ever reaches you.

And as always, every TOM BIHN design, no matter where it’s made, will be backed by our lifetime guarantee and serviced right here in Seattle.

A look back before what’s next:

We know you may have questions, and we welcome them. Thank you for being part of this journey and for continuing to care about how and where your bags are made. Your care has always shaped how we grow.

Reflecting on the journey, we can’t help but feel deeply grateful for the incredible support of our customers and community. During a recent operations meeting, we laughed about how Tom himself used to drive to the port to pick up the few rolls of Halcyon fabric that he had imported. Today, we’re receiving full 40-foot containers off the Seattle dock. The scale has changed, but the heart remains the same: a small team trying to make the best gear we can.

Just like those early days, we’re still learning, adapting, and doing our best to build something for the long term. What’s guided us through every change — and what will continue to guide us — is the same belief that started TOM BIHN: thoughtful design, best-in-class materials, enduring craftsmanship, and respect for the people who make and use our bags.

What’s next?

We have had a very full summer working on product launches — debuting the Smart Alec 2.0, introducing two new limited edition 200d Halcyons: Selkie & Kelpie, reintroducing the Guide’s Edition Syniks with a revamped Coyote Halcyon lining, making a special drop of the Synik 26 in Periwinkle X-Pac (picked by you!), and most recently debuting the Big Bantam. 

Now, moving into the fall, we are in full prep mode for the holidays. Here’s a peek at a few things in motion:

Our new 420d Spectron color is finally on the way. We have been so pleased with the feedback that we’ve received for our 420d Spectron fabric, and we heard you loud and clear: you want Spectron offered in more than one color. We’ve been playing around with a lot of color dips and going back and forth with our partner mill to get our new Spectron color just right. We drew inspiration from vintage TOM BIHN color offerings (we pulled out every scrap we could find – Sapphire, Nordic, Steel, Crimson, Azure) and set out to create something distinct, a color that none of our current Ballistics has yet captured, while also tonally harmonizing with our current interior lining offerings. 

We also have two more seasonal Halcyons joining our winter lineup: one is a long-awaited fan favorite making its return and the other is a totally new color offering that we hope will be just the right amount of sunshine to brighten winter days.

As always, our rule stands: we can’t share specifics until the fabric arrives at the factory, but we’re excited to reveal more soon.

For Black Friday-Cyber Monday this year, we’re planning a mix of something new, something vintage, and a few customer favorites we haven’t made in a while. Tell us in the comments if there’s something you really want to see because there’s always a chance we can make it happen.

And while we’re busy wrapping up the year, we’re already looking ahead. Work has begun on our 2026 (and even 2027) lineup. While reorganizing the factory, we unearthed some old, half-developed prototypes that sparked new ideas — a reminder that inspiration often lives in the archives. We’re also challenging ourselves with some completely new design ideas, exploring shapes and functions we haven’t tried before. We’re excited to keep building what’s next, one thoughtful decision at a time.

Thank you, as always, for being part of this journey with us!