A Tri-Star in Steel (medium grey) 1050 Ballistic. A Tri-Star in Steel (medium grey) 1050 Ballistic with an Fjord (dark blue with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. A Tri-Star in Steel (medium grey) 1050 Ballistic with an Island (blue with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. A Tri-Star in Steel (medium grey) 1050 Ballistic with an Northwest Sky (light grey with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. A Tri-Star in Verde (green) 1050 Ballistic. A Tri-Star in Verde (green) 1050 Ballistic with an Northwest Sky (light grey with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. A Tri-Star in Navy (blue) 1050 Ballistic. A Tri-Star in Black 1050 Ballistic. A Tri-Star in Black 1050 Ballistic with an Taiga (olive green with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. A Tri-Star in Black 1050 Ballistic with an Northwest Sky (light grey with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. A Tri-Star in Aubergine 1050 Ballistic. A Tri-Star in Coyote (brown) 1050 Ballistic. A Tri-Star in Coyote (brown) 1050 Ballistic with an Moab (brick red with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. A Tri-Star in Burnt Orange 1050 Ballistic. A Tri-Star in Burnt Orange 1050 Ballistic with an Tidal (pale blue with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. A Tri-Star in Coyote (brown) 1050 Ballistic with an Northwest Sky (light grey with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. A Tri-Star in Black (black with grey grid) 400 Halcyon. A Tri-Star in Black (black with grey grid) 400 Halcyon with an Island (blue with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. A Tri-Star in Black 525 Ballistic with an Fjord (dark blue with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. A Tri-Star in Original (black with white grid) 400 Halcyon. A Tri-Star in Mars Red 525 Ballistic. A Tri-Star in Mars Red 525 Ballistic with an Northwest Sky (light grey with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. A Tri-Star in Black 525 Ballistic. A Tri-Star in Black 525 Ballistic with an Northwest Sky (light grey with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. A Tri-Star in Black 525 Ballistic with an Island (blue with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. A Tri-Star in Deep Blue (dark blue) 525 Ballistic. A Tri-Star in Deep Blue (dark blue) Ballistic with an Taiga (olive green with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. A Tri-Star in Deep Blue (dark blue) 525 Ballistic with an Northwest Sky (light grey with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. A Tri-Star in Nebulous Grey (Medium grey) 525 Ballistic. A Tri-Star in Nebulous Grey (Medium grey) 525 Ballistic with an Island (blue with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior.
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Tri-Star

4.8
Rated 4.8 out of 5 stars
32 Reviews

$371.00

Three-compartment travel bag designed to rule the world (or at least the skies).

33 liters / 2000 cu. in.

Black 1050 Ballistic/Taiga 200 Halcyon
Coyote 1050 Ballistic/Northwest Sky 200 Halcyon
Black Ballistic/Fjord 200 Halcyon
Black Ballistic/Island 200 Halcyon
A close shot of the side grab handle and the TOM BIHN tag. A close shot from a profile point of view of the three main pockets and their locking zippers as well as a side grab handle. detail visible detail visible detail visible detail visible detail visible detail visible A close shot of the three main pockets and their locking zippers. A close shot of the three front zippered pockets. A close shot of the main compartment zipper chain. A Tri-Star with each of its main pockets filled with, from front to back, a pair of shoes and tablet in the front divided compartment, a packing cube in the middel pocket, and a packing cube and jacket in the rear main pocket. A 16 ounce water bottle being removed from the water bottle pouch on a Tri-Star. A top-down shot of the front main pocket's zippered divider while zipped. A top-down shot of the luggage straps in the rear main compartment of a Tri-Star being used to hold a jacket in place.
A Tri-Star in Coyote (brown) 525 Ballistic in a hotel room. A profile view of a Coyote (brown) Tri-Star in a hotel room. A person carrying a Tri-Star across a crosswalk using the optional Absolute Shoulder Strap. A person walking down a street wearing a Tri-Star via the included backpack straps. A person using a laptop on a train with the Tri-Star in the next seat. A person hailing a cab while wearing a Tri-Star via the included backpack straps. A person walking on a rail station platform while wearing a Tri-Star via the included backpack straps. A person seated accessing a main pocket on a Tri-Star while it is next to them on a bench. A person on a moving sidewalk at an airport wearing a Tri-Star via the included backpack straps. A person reading a book at the airport cafe with a Tri-Star in the seat beside them. A person carrying a Tri-Star via the optional Absolute Shoulder Strap.
A thumbnail for a video showcasing the Tri-Star. A tumbnail for a video showcasing the Tri-Star's features.

TLDR

The Tri-Star is a 33L, 3-compartment, 3-way carry travel bag designed with the super organized, minimalist business traveler in mind. It's feature-heavy, but we will give you the short spiel:

  • 3 compartments: front and back open completely flat and the middle can fit most sizes of our Cache laptop sleeve
  • Exterior front panel has 4 quick-access pockets: 1 curved right zippered pocket and 3 overlapping horizontal zippered pockets
  • 3 ways to carry: briefcase, backpack, or shoulder bag (add Absolute Shoulder Strap)
  • So many O-rings (9 in total!) for extra organizing pouches, if needed
  • Carry-on friendly on most airlines (including ones with restrictive requirements)

Full Description

Carry-on friendly, 3 ways to carry, 3 compartments, tie-down straps, room for a laptop; this could be your one bag.

At 33L, it's the perfect size midsize carry-on for use in Europe and Australia, where airlines' carry-on sizing requirements are stricter than in the United States. This bag is also suitable for those who don't need a carry-on as large as the Techonaut 45 or the Aeronaut 45.

The Tri-Star is replete with useful features — it may just be a business or pleasure traveler's dream bag.

Front Compartment With Zip-Out Divider

The front compartment can be further divided left and right with a zip-out divider. Depending on what you pack and how you like to organize, you may find this divider quite useful. Once divided, one side is larger than the other: the larger side can accommodate a three-ring binder; the smaller side can fit a pair of shoes (inside a Packing Cube or not). There are also 2 O-rings in this compartment.

Center Compartment For Your Laptop

With room for most sizes of our Cache laptop sleeve, the center compartment of the Tri-Star provides a secure and protected place for your laptop. Simply attach the Cache onto the two unobtrusive webbing loops and you're good to go. If you want to store a notebook, pens, and/or a small tablet, the Freudian Slip is a great organizational addition to the Tri-Star. There are also 2 O-rings in this compartment. 

Back Compartment With 2 Compression/Tie-Down Straps

The back compartment is full of open space and is ready to accept one Large Tri-Star Packing Cube, a Small and a Medium Tri-Star Packing Cube, or your clothes just on their own. It also features two compression/tie-down straps to help you keep clothing in place and wrinkle-free. They're an alternative to the Packing Cubes. The compression/tie-down straps are removable (via Gatekeepers) so if you don't want or need to use them, you can leave them behind.

Curved Right Zippered Pocket

When you unzip the curved right zippered pocket partially, it's a useful pocket for a boarding pass. Unzip it entirely, it's an expandable water bottle pocket. The bellows that make the pocket expandable can be snapped up so your water bottle doesn't fall out, or unsnapped to allow greater access to the pocket.

Three Horizontal Zippered Pockets

On the left are three horizontal zippered pockets. Each has an O-ring inside, which makes it perfect for attaching a Key Strap or organizational pouches like the Clear Organizer Pouch, Double Organizer Pouch, or Ghost Whale Organizer Pouch.

The top zippered pocket spans the full height of the bag and fits a hardback book or Kindle. The middle pocket goes about halfway and fits your sunglasses or a laptop power supply. The last one is the shallowest of the three. It's able to store your wallet, keys, passport, and other small items.

Carry As A Backpack

Want to carry the Tri-Star like a backpack? Untuck the hideaway straps from the back compartment and snap on the bottom of the straps. They're padded and contoured and feature a removable sternum strap and an optional removable waist strap. Both the sternum and waist straps are simple webbing straps designed to help distribute weight and stabilize the bag to your body.

Carry As A Shoulder Bag

The attachment points for an optional shoulder strap are offset on the Tri-Star to provide the best balance and comfort, should you carry the bag with a shoulder strap. We recommend using the Absolute Shoulder Strap with the Tri-Star if comfort is your primary concern. You also have the option of using any shoulder strap you already have that attaches to D-rings.

Carry As A Briefcase

The two PORON® foam padded handles are positioned for maximum comfort, stability, and balance — they are designed not just to meet at the top dead center of the bag.

Durable Materials + Expert Construction

Tom spent approximately 1,500 hours designing and refining the Tri-Star. First released in 2009, this bag is a tried-and-true classic in our collection.

No bag lasts forever, but choosing the best and most durable materials and taking care not to abuse it (no washing machine or dryer!) can help a quality bag serve most people well (with maybe a repair or two) for up to 10-20 years.

This bag requires significant skill to sew and construct; it's not just any sewing factory who can pull this off and do it well, it's ours, and it's because of the talent of our crew. They're the reason why our designs can be made in an ongoing practical fashion.

Front Compartment With Zip-Out Divider

The front compartment can be further divided left and right with a zip-out divider. Depending on what you pack and how you like to organize, you may find this divider quite useful. Once divided, one side is larger than the other: the larger side can accommodate a three-ring binder; the smaller side can fit a pair of shoes (inside a Packing Cube or not). There are also 2 O-rings in this compartment.

Center Compartment For Your Laptop

With room for most sizes of our Cache laptop sleeve, the center compartment of the Tri-Star provides a secure and protected place for your laptop. Simply attach the Cache onto the two unobtrusive webbing loops and you're good to go. If you want to store a notebook, pens, and/or a small tablet, the Freudian Slip is a great organizational addition to the Tri-Star. There are also 2 O-rings in this compartment. 

Back Compartment With 2 Compression/Tie-Down Straps

The back compartment is full of open space and is ready to accept one Large Tri-Star Packing Cube, a Small and a Medium Tri-Star Packing Cube, or your clothes just on their own. It also features two compression/tie-down straps to help you keep clothing in place and wrinkle-free. They're an alternative to the Packing Cubes. The compression/tie-down straps are removable (via Gatekeepers) so if you don't want or need to use them, you can leave them behind.

Curved Right Zippered Pocket

When you unzip the curved right zippered pocket partially, it's a useful pocket for a boarding pass. Unzip it entirely, it's an expandable water bottle pocket. The bellows that make the pocket expandable can be snapped up so your water bottle doesn't fall out, or unsnapped to allow greater access to the pocket.

Three Horizontal Zippered Pockets

On the left are three horizontal zippered pockets. Each has an O-ring inside, which makes it perfect for attaching a Key Strap or organizational pouches like the Clear Organizer Pouch, Double Organizer Pouch, or Ghost Whale Organizer Pouch.

The top zippered pocket spans the full height of the bag and fits a hardback book or Kindle. The middle pocket goes about halfway and fits your sunglasses or a laptop power supply. The last one is the shallowest of the three. It's able to store your wallet, keys, passport, and other small items.

Carry As A Backpack

Want to carry the Tri-Star like a backpack? Untuck the hideaway straps from the back compartment and snap on the bottom of the straps. They're padded and contoured and feature a removable sternum strap and an optional removable waist strap. Both the sternum and waist straps are simple webbing straps designed to help distribute weight and stabilize the bag to your body.

Carry As A Shoulder Bag

The attachment points for an optional shoulder strap are offset on the Tri-Star to provide the best balance and comfort, should you carry the bag with a shoulder strap. We recommend using the Absolute Shoulder Strap with the Tri-Star if comfort is your primary concern. You also have the option of using any shoulder strap you already have that attaches to D-rings.

Carry As A Briefcase

The two PORON® foam padded handles are positioned for maximum comfort, stability, and balance — they are designed not just to meet at the top dead center of the bag.

Durable Materials + Expert Construction

Tom spent approximately 1,500 hours designing and refining the Tri-Star. First released in 2009, this bag is a tried-and-true classic in our collection.

No bag lasts forever, but choosing the best and most durable materials and taking care not to abuse it (no washing machine or dryer!) can help a quality bag serve most people well (with maybe a repair or two) for up to 10-20 years.

This bag requires significant skill to sew and construct; it's not just any sewing factory who can pull this off and do it well, it's ours, and it's because of the talent of our crew. They're the reason why our designs can be made in an ongoing practical fashion.

Materials

Exterior Fabrics

U.S. high tenacity 1050 denier ballistic nylon
bluesign® certified 525 denier High-Tenacity 2x2 Ballistic nylon
— or —
bluesign® and OEKO-TEX® certified Ultralight 400d Halcyon/420d nylon ripstop

Interior Fabrics

bluesign® and OEKO-TEX® certified 200 denier Halcyon®/nylon ripstop

Zippers

#10 YKK Racquet-Coil water-repellent coil zipper on main compartments
#8 YKK Racquet-Coil water-repellent coil zippers on all other pockets

Shoulder Straps

Edgeless EV50 1/2” / 12mm shoulder straps (EVAZOTE® OEKO-TEX® foam)

Handle

PORON® foam handle

Other Components

Tough Duraflex®, Nexus, and Woojin buckles and related components

Specs

Dimensions

18.9" (w) x 13" (h) x 8.1" (d) / 480 (w) x 330 (h) x 205 (d) mm

Weight

1050d high tenacity ballistic nylon: 3 lb 6 oz / 1525 grams
525d high tenacity ballistic nylon: 3 lb 2.5 oz / 1433 grams
400d Halcyon®/420d nylon ripstop: 2 lb 12 oz / 1255 grams

Volume

33 Liters / 2000 cu. in. (ASTM Standard Measure)

Total O-Rings

10 (2 in the front main compartment, 2 in the center main compartment, 3 in the back main compartment, 1 in the top front zippered pocket, 1 in the middle front zippered pocket, 1 in the bottom front zippered pocket)

4.8
Rated 4.8 out of 5 stars
Based on 32 reviews
94%would recommend this product
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32 reviews
  • Mark
    2 years ago
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    Voice of experience: It's an outstanding bag that will last for decades.

    I’m twice as old as people in TB’s marketing photo. I like the Tri-Star more than any bag I’ve had. 5 years of frequent use and my Steel Tri-Star looks new. It’s stylish but low-key, functional, and durable. I use it for month-long (or longer) trips for work and/or fun with lots of moving/packing/unpacking. I can easily see living out of this thing for a year.

    High notes:

    --underpacking makes it look smaller. Sometimes I use it as checked baggage if I’m lazy, but as a carry-on I’ve never had to gate-check it.

    --love the end handles. Sling it into an airplane bin in 3 seconds, waste no space, and retrieve just as fast at the end. FAs appreciate that, and so do I. Why waste my life trying to handle luggage?

    --the slide-out laptop sleeve and the internal rings to strap a clear 3-1-1 bag are brilliant. Airport security is easy, and the agents think those things are cool.

    --concealed backpack strap connectors on the corners are elegantly subtle.

    It looks serious but not ostentatious and the steel gray hides dirt. It holds its shape and isn’t floppy.

    The zippers are excellent. I hated the noisy metal pulls and replaced them with paracord. TB’s plastic ends for the paracord are high quality plastic, look good, stay together, and are easy to disassemble.

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  • RC
    Verified Buyer
    Bought For Myself
    Product Standouts Thoughtful Design, High Quality Craftsmanship, Durable, Compact, Versatile
    11 months ago
    Bought For Myself
    Product Standouts Thoughtful Design, High Quality Craftsmanship, Durable, Compact, Versatile
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    Form and Function - an awesome work travel bag

    I’ve been travelling on and off for work for 10 years now with a Tristar. It really nails the perfect work bag with function for clothes and work gear. I’ve travelled for up to a week in the bag although it can be heavy if you overload it (my problem, not the bag’s).

    I like the boxy nature of it as it stands up by itself, never falling over. And each pocket serves a purpose well. I’ve tried many others over the year, but this is the one I keep coming back to. Nothing is perfect, but this bag is a close to it for your travelling worker as it will ever get.

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  • Glenn Jenkins J.
    Verified Buyer
    Bought For Myself
    Product Standouts Comfortable, High Quality Craftsmanship, Good Storage Size, High Quality Finishings, Thoughtful Design
    10 months ago
    Bought For Myself
    Product Standouts Comfortable, High Quality Craftsmanship, Good Storage Size, High Quality Finishings, Thoughtful Design
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    Finally Did It!

    Let me get this out of the way first…I’m a HUGE Tom Bihn fan. I have a little bit of of an obsession, but we will save that for another day. Now for the Tri-Star…This bag is just amazing. I ordered it for a 3 day trip to Naples, FL and it was the perfect companion to my Tom Bihn Brain Bag. It fit all of my clothes, toiletries and my laptop (in a Tom Bihn Cache😀). I also have the Absolute Shoulder Strap which was awesome as I had to hustle through the Atlanta airport. I had wanted a Tri-Star for a very long time and finally pulled the trigger. Like all Tom Bihn products, the quality and craftsmanship is top notch. Great bag for a 3-4 day get away.

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  • Michael H.
    Verified Reviewer
    Bought For Myself
    10 months ago
    Bought For Myself
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    100s of trips and still like new

    One of the best things I've ever purchased. Not just best bags. I fly tons of small regional planes (CRJ700) and it always fits in the overhead. In a pinch, it will fit under the seat on a small plane, but your legroom will be lacking. I usually just put it in the overheads. On larger planes you won't have any problems. I take this for 2-3 day trips every couple of weeks. You can also hide the backpack straps and hand carrry if that matters to you. It fits everything I need including my portable CPAP. It still looks like new. Simply amazing.

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  • Juli Z.
    Verified Buyer
    Bought For Myself
    Product Standouts Thoughtful Design, High Quality Craftsmanship, Sewn in USA, Versatile, Durable
    10 months ago
    Bought For Myself
    Product Standouts Thoughtful Design, High Quality Craftsmanship, Sewn in USA, Versatile, Durable
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    The perfect travel bag

    I’ve been looking for the perfect travel bag for my professional needs for years now. I had many requirements and this is the only one that I have found that checks all the boxes. I needed a side opening bag with several compartments, but it had to be convertible to a backpack with straps that tuck away. That is the Tri-star to a T! The zippers are rugged and durable, it has just the right number of pockets. Add a Freudian slip and a cache, and it’s the most organized bag out there as well. I’ve been waiting a long time to get this, but the wait was so worth it. My new favorite travel bag!

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Sewn in Seattle

Our bags are designed and sewn right here in Seattle, Washington, U.S.A.

That allows us to be control freaks in the best way possible; we have direct control and oversight of the quality of our materials, our products, and the jobs and working environment that we help create. It also offers us a unique spontaneity: when we have an idea for a new product or accessory, we can design it, figure out how to build it, add it to our website and be ready to ship it out our front door all within just a few weeks. How cool is that?

Intrigued? You can find out more about the unusual way we do business on our Company Philosophy page.

THE BIHN Guarantee

Everything you buy from us here at TOM BIHN is satisfaction guaranteed. We’ve been in business since 1972 and we stand behind what we make.

If something goes wrong and it's our fault, we'll fix it for free. Repairs due to normal wear and tear or due to other things that are not our fault will be performed, when possible, at a reasonable charge right here in our Seattle factory where your bag was made. Defects in materials or workmanship are uncommon and almost always evident while the product is still new. Keep in mind that bags and packs are often subject to extreme wear in everyday use: do not expect them to last forever. Only true love lasts forever! You can expect a TOM BIHN product to give years and years of hard service.

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