The Cadet in Nebulous Grey Ballistic The Cadet in Nebulous Grey 525 Ballistic with a Island (bright blue) 210 Ballistic interior. The Cadet in Nebulous Grey 525 Ballistic with a Cloud (light grey) 210 Ballistic interior. The Cadet in Black Ballistic The Cadet in Black Ballistic The Cadet in Black 525 Ballistic with a Island (bright blue) interior. The Cadet in Black 525 Ballistic with a Cloud (light grey) light grey interior. The Cadet in Aubergine (purple) Ballistic The Cadet in Aubergine (purple) 525 Ballistic with a Cloud (light grey) 210 Ballistic interior. The Cadet in Burnt Orange Ballistic The Cadet in Burnt Orange 525 Ballistic with a Cloud (light grey) 210 Ballistic interior. The Cadet in Mars Red 525 Ballistic The Cadet in Mars Red 525 Ballistic The Cadet in Coyote (brown) Ballistic The Cadet in Coyote (light brown) 525 Ballistic with a Cloud (light grey) 210 Ballistic interior. The Cadet in Ursa (dark brown) Ballistic The Cadet in Ursa (dark brown) 525 Ballistic with a Cloud (light grey) 210 Ballistic interior. The Cadet in Wilderness (forest green) 525 Ballistic The Cadet in Wilderness (forest green) 525 Ballistic with a Cloud (light grey) 210 Ballistic interior. The Cadet in Deep Blue (dark blue) Ballistic The Cadet in Deep Blue (dark blue) 525 Ballistic with a Cloud (light grey) 210 Ballistic interior.
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Cadet

4.9
Rated 4.9 out of 5 stars
48 Reviews

$186.00

Everyday carry laptop briefcase. Checkpoint friendly.

14 liters / 825 cu. in.

Black Ballistic/Island 200 Halcyon
Black Ballistic/Northwest Sky 200 Halcyon
Aubergine Ballistic/Northwest Sky 200 Halcyon
Burnt Orange Ballistic/Northwest Sky 200 Halcyon
Deep Blue Ballistic/Northwest Sky 200 Halcyon
Ursa Ballistic/Northwest Sky 200 Halcyon
Top of Cadet showing the zippers and front of the bag. Back of the Cadet Front pocket of the Cadet with multiple interior pockets and an attachment point at the top Shoulder strap attachment point at the base of the main compartment zipper. A cellphone in the front small pocket of the Cadet. Close-up of the zippers on the front of the bag Close up of the main zipper and grab handles A close shot of the Cache in the main compartment of the Cadet.
A person holding a conversation while carrying a Cadet. A person retrieving a laptop from a Cache inside the main pocket of a Cadet. A person waiting for the light rail wearing a Cadet. A person walking across a bridge wearing a Cadet. A person doing work on a laptop with their Cadet beside them on the table.

TLDR

The Cadet is a minimalist, everyday-carry briefcase designed to fit your laptop, a few files or magazines, power supplies, pens, notebooks, and other small accessories.

  • Main compartment with 2 interior unobtrusive webbing loops (to which you can secure the optional Cache), a large open-top pocket inside, and 2 O-rings
  • 3 exterior-access compartments (second compartment includes 2 O-rings)
  • 6 interior organizer pockets
  • 1 exterior open-top pocket on the back
  • Exterior, wide, quick-access pocket in the back for a magazine or newspaper
  • Optional rolling luggage handle pass-through when quick-access pocket is unzipped
  • Padded front, back, and bottom between the exterior and lining to provide some protection for an unprotected laptop
  • Left and right shoulder strap attachment points
  • Comfortable padded handles

Full Description

The Cadet is what we like to describe as the strong, silent type of briefcase: straightforward and good-looking with lots of features inside. If you want a thinner briefcase that will still keep your stuff protected, then the Cadet is for you.

Main Compartment With 2 Interior Unobtrusive Webbing Loops + Open-Top Pocket

Inside the main compartment are two unobtrusive webbing loops to which you can secure the optional Cache.

If you don't want to put your laptop inside the main compartment, you can store your files or magazines in the large open-top pocket or insert a Freudian Slip for extra organization.

Three Exterior-Access Compartments

The Cadet has three exterior-access compartments. The first of the exterior pockets is a small horizontal zippered pocket. Like the other compartments, it has a YKK Racquet-Coil water-repellent zipper.

Behind the small zippered pocket is a contoured zippered compartment that opens to about half of the height of the bag, revealing organizer pockets sized for a Magic Mouse or similar size device, cell phone, passport, plus three pen/pencil pockets. There's plenty of additional room in this compartment for a power supply, phone charger, a small notebook, or snack. There are also two O-rings inside.

Wide Open-Top Pocket On The Back + Luggage Handle Pass-Through

The back of the Cadet features a wide, open-top pocket for a magazine or newspaper. If you're using the Cadet for travel, the bottom of this pocket zips open so that you can slide the bag over the handle of a rolling luggage.

Wear The Cadet Three Different Ways

The Cadet can be worn as a messenger (crossbody), shoulder bag, or briefcase. Shoulder strap attachment points are on the left and right sides of the Cadet and feature our exclusive, super-heavy-duty DuPont™ Delrin® eye-loops, tested to 260 pounds each. Our Standard Shoulder Strap is included with the Cadet. You have the option of upgrading to our Absolute Shoulder Strap. Two comfortable padded handles meet above the bag's center of gravity; when the Cadet is zipped shut, the handles come nicely together so you don't have to fish for them when it's time to grab and go.

Closed Cell Foam On The Front, Back, & Bottom

Between the exterior and the lining is .25/6 mm closed cell foam on the front, back, and bottom — this gives the Cadet its shape and provides additional protection for your laptop; if you choose to go au naturel (no Cache), this foam will provide some protection for an unprotected laptop.

Inside the main compartment are two unobtrusive webbing loops to which you can secure the optional Cache.

If you don't want to put your laptop inside the main compartment, you can store your files or magazines in the large open-top pocket or insert a Freudian Slip for extra organization.

The Cadet has three exterior-access compartments. The first of the exterior pockets is a small horizontal zippered pocket. Like the other compartments, it has a YKK Racquet-Coil water-repellent zipper.

Behind the small zippered pocket is a contoured zippered compartment that opens to about half of the height of the bag, revealing organizer pockets sized for a Magic Mouse or similar size device, cell phone, passport, plus three pen/pencil pockets. There's plenty of additional room in this compartment for a power supply, phone charger, a small notebook, or snack. There are also two O-rings inside.

The back of the Cadet features a wide, open-top pocket for a magazine or newspaper. If you're using the Cadet for travel, the bottom of this pocket zips open so that you can slide the bag over the handle of a rolling luggage.

The Cadet can be worn as a messenger (crossbody), shoulder bag, or briefcase. Shoulder strap attachment points are on the left and right sides of the Cadet and feature our exclusive, super-heavy-duty DuPont™ Delrin® eye-loops, tested to 260 pounds each. Our Standard Shoulder Strap is included with the Cadet. You have the option of upgrading to our Absolute Shoulder Strap. Two comfortable padded handles meet above the bag's center of gravity; when the Cadet is zipped shut, the handles come nicely together so you don't have to fish for them when it's time to grab and go.

Between the exterior and the lining is .25/6 mm closed cell foam on the front, back, and bottom — this gives the Cadet its shape and provides additional protection for your laptop; if you choose to go au naturel (no Cache), this foam will provide some protection for an unprotected laptop.

Materials

Exterior

bluesign® certified High-Tenacity 2x2 Ballistic nylon

Fabric Lining

bluesign® certified 210 denier High-Tenacity 2x2 Ballistic
— or —
bluesign® and OEKO-TEX® certified 200 denier Halcyon/nylon ripstop

Zippers

#10 YKK Aquaguard® water-repellent coil zipper on main compartment
#8 YKK Aquaguard® water-repellent coil zippers on pockets

Components

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

Specs

Dimensions

16.1" (w) x 12.6" (h) x 4.5" (d) / 410 (w) x 320 (h) x 115 (d) mm

Weight

1 lb 9 oz / 710 grams

Volume

 14 liters / 825 cu. in. (ASTM Standard Measure)

What's Included

1x Standard Shoulder Strap, May be Upgraded to Absolute Shoulder Strap
1x 8-inch Black Webbing Snaphook/Snaphook Key Strap
1x Black Zipper Pulls w/ Plastic Ends (8-Pack)

Total O-rings

4

(2 in the main compartment
2 in the contoured zippered compartment)

4.9
Rated 4.9 out of 5 stars
Based on 48 reviews
100%would recommend this product
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48 reviews
  • Nathan D.
    Verified Buyer
    Bought For Myself
    Product Standouts Comfortable, Sewn in USA, Good Storage Size, Versatile
    1 year ago
    Bought For Myself
    Product Standouts Comfortable, Sewn in USA, Good Storage Size, Versatile
    Rated 4 out of 5 stars
    Good bag but overpriced

    This is a good bag but I don't feel it's worth the price. Also after a couple weeks of use I've noticed a few tiny threads sticking out of seams-I used scissors and cut them off but this is disappointing for a bag that cost almost $200. The handle is a little flimsy without any rubber and doesn't have a solid feel but I mostly use it with the upgraded shoulder strap(a nice upgrade but should really be standard. Overall it is well made and has great zippers. It's a good bag but I probably would not buy it again unless it was considerably cheaper.

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  • James B.
    Verified Buyer
    Bought For Myself
    Product Standouts Compact, Good Storage Size, High Quality Craftsmanship, Thoughtful Design
    11 months ago
    Bought For Myself
    Product Standouts Compact, Good Storage Size, High Quality Craftsmanship, Thoughtful Design
    Rated 4 out of 5 stars
    Great bag

    Really like this bag. Perfect sized for day to day commuting with a Mac Air. My Pilot is great but too big for the daily grind.

    I have one minor(ish) gripe about the Cadet. The handles are too thin and not particularly comfortable when not carrying the bag with a shoulder strap. The handles on the Pilot were lightly cushioned and it made for a more comfortable carry. Upgrade the handles in a future model and it would be a 5 star.

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  • Kathy D.
    Verified Buyer
    Bought For Myself
    Product Standouts High Quality Craftsmanship, Good Storage Size, Versatile, Thoughtful Design, Durable
    1 year ago
    Bought For Myself
    Product Standouts High Quality Craftsmanship, Good Storage Size, Versatile, Thoughtful Design, Durable
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    The Cadet Bag is Wonderful!

    The Cadet bag is all I hoped it would be. This bag holds not only my laptop but my lunch and water bottle. I’m so happy to carry only one bag now.

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  • Mark K.
    Verified Buyer
    Bought For Myself
    Product Standouts Easily Adjustable, Thoughtful Design, Comfortable, High Quality Craftsmanship
    8 months ago
    Bought For Myself
    Product Standouts Easily Adjustable, Thoughtful Design, Comfortable, High Quality Craftsmanship
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    Great side bag for my needs

    I'm one of those weirdos who wears a cloak as a winter coat. It doesn't exactly work well with my backpack, so I needed another bag and this one was perfect. Same high quality as my backpack without making me look stranger than I already am

    If I'm headed to work I can clip in my laptop in it's cache, or I can leave it out and have more room for anything I pick up along the way.

    This is made as a briefcase-alike so is mostly good for storing things that would fit/go in a briefcase. But in a pinch I can fit two frozen pizzas in it, so who could ask for more?

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  • Atlas T.
    Verified Buyer
    Bought For Myself
    Product Standouts Thoughtful Design, High Quality Craftsmanship, Good Storage Size, Versatile, Comfortable
    6 months ago
    Bought For Myself
    Product Standouts Thoughtful Design, High Quality Craftsmanship, Good Storage Size, Versatile, Comfortable
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    Amazing Bag

    I really love this bag. Traditionally, I have purchased the larger Tom Bihn laptop bags and have often felt like I had more space/material than I needed. The Cadet is slim and trim and sleek and still manages to comfortably accommodate my 16” MBP in its Cache as well as all of the accessories and additional items I like to bring with me. Not only is the bag functional and aesthetically pleasing, it’s also a real pleasure to use. I often find myself looking for a reason to go out and do work so that I have occasion to use it.

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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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