What Goes Into A Tom Bihn Backpack?
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Description
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Synik 22 Key Features
Smart Pockets, Seamless Access
5 external pockets keep you organized without adding bulk—each thoughtfully placed for balance & function.
Pack Flat, Move Fast
Full clamshell design makes packing easy, with padded protection and tie-down straps to keep everything secure.
Laptop Access, Two Ways
A dedicated compartment opens from the side or top, making it easy to grab your laptop without unpacking.
Perfect For Travel Days
Packs like luggage, carries like a backpack, fits under most airline seats, and slides over rolling bag handles.
Interior Storage, Simplified
A low-profile banded pocket keeps essentials tidy without adding bulk.
Comfortable Carry
Lushly padded shoulder straps and grab handle.
Smart Pockets, Seamless Access
5 external pockets keep you organized without adding bulk—each thoughtfully placed for balance & function.
Pack Flat, Move Fast
Full clamshell design makes packing easy, with padded protection and tie-down straps to keep everything secure.
Laptop Access, Two Ways
A dedicated compartment opens from the side or top, making it easy to grab your laptop without unpacking.
Perfect For Travel Days
Packs like luggage, carries like a backpack, fits under most airline seats, and slides over rolling bag handles.
Interior Storage, Simplified
A low-profile banded pocket keeps essentials tidy without adding bulk.
Comfortable Carry
Lushly padded shoulder straps and grab handle.
Smart Pockets, Seamless Access
5 external pockets keep you organized without adding bulk—each thoughtfully placed for balance & function.
Pack Flat, Move Fast
Full clamshell design makes packing easy, with padded protection and tie-down straps to keep everything secure.
Laptop Access, Two Ways
A dedicated compartment opens from the side or top, making it easy to grab your laptop without unpacking.
Perfect For Travel Days
Packs like luggage, carries like a backpack, fits under most airline seats, and slides over rolling bag handles.
Interior Storage, Simplified
A low-profile banded pocket keeps essentials tidy without adding bulk.
Comfortable Carry
Lushly padded shoulder straps and grab handle.
Reviews
Total 5 star reviews: 465 Total 4 star reviews: 52 Total 3 star reviews: 7 Total 2 star reviews: 3 Total 1 star reviews: 3
530 reviews
- DCDanielle C.Verified BuyerBought For MyselfProduct Standouts Thoughtful Design, Comfortable, High Quality Craftsmanship, Durable, Good Storage Size3 years agoBought For MyselfProduct Standouts Thoughtful Design, Comfortable, High Quality Craftsmanship, Durable, Good Storage SizeRated 5 out of 5 starsEverything I wanted & more
I truly love this backpack. It's a little ridiculous how much I love it, if I'm being honest. Prior to purchasing the Synik 22, I've carried the Synapse 19 (a little too small for my daily needs), the Synapse 25 (a little too big for my 5'3" petite-ish frame. Gifted to my dad who is now a Tom Bihn one-bag minimalist travel convert), the Paragon (not enough structure & organization for my EDC- plus my teen son "borrowed" it months ago & it's happy with its new owner) and the Daylight Backpack (a fave for stuffing into my Aeronaut 30 when traveling & using as a light day trip bag). While all these other bags have many splendid uses, none fit the bill as my EDC like the Synik 22. I easily fit my laptop, lunch bag, light packable rain jacket (for unpredictable PDX weather), wallet, keys, hairbrush, airpods, hand sani, pens, and 2 cubelets with miscellaneous essential oils, and other small useful things. The larger center pocket is perfect for a 21oz hydroflask. I'm a healthcare worker and have put many miles on this bag. The black 525 ballistic fabric has held up impressively well to daily use in the 6 months I've owned it. The clamshell opening is convenient & I've never had an issue or concern that the main compartment of the bag will accidentally open on its own. The zippers are very strong. The backpack straps are ultra-comfortable as well. I'm so grateful to have found my goldilocks EDC in the Synik 22. Additionally, while I continue to aspire to become a one-bag travel…
- CEChristopher E.Verified BuyerBought For MyselfProduct Standouts High Quality Craftsmanship, Unique, Durable, Thoughtful Design, High Quality Finishings3 years agoBought For MyselfProduct Standouts High Quality Craftsmanship, Unique, Durable, Thoughtful Design, High Quality FinishingsRated 5 out of 5 starsNearly Perfect
I did a deep dive on reddit.com/r/onebag, and finally decided to purchase the Synik 22 as an everyday carry bag. Like many of you, I researched all the unique futures and benefits of this amazing bag.
Things that I love:
1. Centralized water bottle pocket. A much more elegant solution than the standard 2 pockets on almost every other backpack. I can fit a large 32oz Hydroflask in this pocket with ease, and from the outside you can't even tell that its there.
2. Night Walk is an amazing color. RIP. I haven't had the chance to try a Ballistic Nylon bag, but I really like Halcyon as a material. You can tell that attention and care went into the design and construction of this bag, and the result is a durable piece of equipment that I think will last for decades with the right care.
3. Versatility. With the full clamshell zipper I could see myself also using this bag as a travel bag for short trips. The zippers on the clamshell are also "sticky" enough to where you can open it like a traditional non-clamshell backpack if you would like.
Suggestions for improvement:
1. Deeper front pocket. The central horizontal zip pocket just superficial to the water bottle pocket could be a little bit deeper. I wanted to throw my iPhone into it, but I was surprised to see that its only 3 or 4 inches deep.
2. A more elegant and integrated strap keeper. The straps were extremely long when tightened, which was easily fixable with the Tom Bihn strap keepers. This solution is okay - the…
- JCJohn C.Verified BuyerBought For MyselfProduct Standouts High Quality Craftsmanship, Durable, Unique, Thoughtful Design, Versatile2 years agoBought For MyselfProduct Standouts High Quality Craftsmanship, Durable, Unique, Thoughtful Design, VersatileRated 4 out of 5 starsMy one travel bag for 6 mo around Europe
I’ve been living out of Synik 22 for 6 months now, and still going. I’m going to nitpick here because the bag has been a solid choice overall, but I think there’s definitely room for small but functionally significant improvements. The bag has been on 3 international flights visiting the US, 2 Ryan Air flights in Europe, 3 weeks in Italy riding trains between 5 cities/towns, 2 weeks in Budapest on Subway and buses, throughout Portugal on many buses and trains. The bag easily meets the sizing requirements in all scenarios mentioned. The bag still looks new with a damp cloth wipe down. Quality, second to none. I have the Black 400 Halcyon/Solar interior. For reference, I’m 5’10” , and as far as carry comfort goes, it’s good not great. I’m a long trail backpacker and have owned many backpacks so I have quite a bit to compare the Synik against. When fully loaded, the shoulder straps are a little narrow and don’t distribute the weight as well as they could. The cushion and thickness is superb, but I think a 1/4 -1/2”” wider would make a big difference. Also, the bag rides lower on my back than I’d like, it’s something about the design, Even with the straps cinched as snug as reasonably comfortable, it sits low. I don’t know if it could be remedied by sewing the attachment point a little lower at the top of the pack. I own an Aeronaut 30 and it rides perfectly positioned on my back, just for comparison note. Also, a really nice feature would be a quick release bucket at the…
TBTOM BIHN2 years agoHi John! Thanks for the thorough review, lots of great feedback for us to think through for future designs!
- JHJennifer H.Verified BuyerBought For MyselfProduct Standouts Sewn in USA, Good Storage Size, Comfortable, Thoughtful Design, High Quality Finishings1 year agoBought For MyselfProduct Standouts Sewn in USA, Good Storage Size, Comfortable, Thoughtful Design, High Quality FinishingsRated 5 out of 5 starsComfortable everyday carry, overnight and personal item travel bag - NOT recommended for "one-bag travel."
I had a tough time deciding between this bag and the Synik 30 for a ten-day trip to Michigan in May 2024. In the end, I decided that the smaller Synik 22 would work better for my modest everyday carry needs. I don't travel often, but I did need an everyday bag for work.
The Synik 22 works well as a "personal item" that fits under an airplane seat. However, I still needed to pair this bag with a roller suitcase for my 10-day trip. I have an ancient carry-on roller, and its 6.5" wide handle meant I could not make use of the Synik 22's luggage pass-through. The Synik 22 would juuuust fit over that handle when empty, but not when packed.
I also have a 2018 iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation). This big boy would slide in and out of the side pocket in a half-empty bag, but I struggled to slide that iPad into the side pocket in a packed bag. In a packed bag, the zipper grated against my iPad's Smart Cover. Fortunately, the TSA at the Burbank (BUR) and Detroit Metro (DTW) airports now have machines that did not require removing my electronic gear from my bag. I sent the whole Synik 22 through the spiffy new CT scanners without opening a single zipper. I packed the bag with my iPad, chargers, cables, Apple Pencil, power bank, electric toothbrush, noise-cancelling headphones, earbuds, snacks, brush, and a few days' worth of clothes in case my checked luggage went missing (it didn't). It was easy to find everything I needed. It fit under the seat in front of me, and I had no trouble…
- EEmilyVerified ReviewerBought For MyselfProduct Standouts Comfortable, Sewn in USA, Thoughtful Design, High Quality Craftsmanship, Good Storage Size2 years agoBought For MyselfProduct Standouts Comfortable, Sewn in USA, Thoughtful Design, High Quality Craftsmanship, Good Storage SizeRated 5 out of 5 starsPerfectly perfect!
We went on a trip to Italy in the spring, and after sprinting through Schiphol (twice!!) I decided I needed to upgrade my backpack. So, my search for the unicorn clamshell backpack began and y'all I.Am.Picky. I was so excited to find a company that's local-ish to me to support.
I'm 5'2" and the Synik22 is the perfect size for me when traveling (I think it's a little bigger than I'd like for an EDC). I decided I wanted my backpack to double as my personal item when traveling (I'm not yet leveled up enough to be a one bag person!), and finally got to use it last week. It was stuffed full, but still easily fit under the seat in front of me. It carried a blanket, hoodie, laptop & cables, Nintendo Switch, Bose headphones, Kindle, purse, toiletry bag, small packing cube, wallet, keys, Epipen, 18oz Hydroflask, hair straightener, belt and a bunch of miscellaneous things like Chapstick, mask, etc.
The backpack was super comfortable to carry. The organization is fantastic - everything I brought had a place! The main zipper is clever in that you can open it as little as you want and it'll stay where you put it so you don't have to open the entire clamshell. The waterbottle pocket made me nervous at first, but it couldn't be designed any better. No more stupid mesh ones that snag and tear, it's in the middle so the weight is centered instead of off to one side, and it doesn't take up a bunch of internal space.
I am officially a Tom Bihn convert . . . and possibly addict.
Quality Designs Since 1972
Designed with obsessive attention to detail, we pride ourselves in offering bags in unmatched quality and durability—whether you're commuting, traveling, or navigating daily life. Built to endure, made to move with you.
The BIHN Guarantee
We stand behind every bag we make. If it’s our fault, we’ll fix it—no questions asked. For everything else, we offer honest repairs in our Seattle factory.