This is my first Tom Bihn bag, and I'm impressed by how solid and thoughtfully made it feels. Definitely something that you need to feel in your hand, instead of just looking at pictures. The straps are silky smooth and cushy. The grab handle is a basic piece of webbing, but the thickness and softness makes it feel premium and elegant. The bag holds its shape well and stands up even when lightly loaded. The aubergine is a great colour, which pops in sunlight, but is understated enough for everyday use--I wish more manufacturers would offer interesting colours like this.

Love the fact that there are just two spacious, easily accessible compartments--elegant, without going overboard on simplicity and necessitating obnoxious organisational cubes/pouches. In the front compartment, dividers create three large pockets and two small sleeves, which are perfect for organisation, while still being able to quickly see and grab everything. No extraneous zips, velcro, or flaps to get in the way. The main compartment easily swallows up everything else I might need to carry. Unobtrusive o-rings throughout provide significant flexibility for further organisation.

A few minor complaints:

- The DWR does not seem particularly effective--water doesn't bead and roll off the bag as I'd expect, but at least it dries quickly.

- The zippers sometimes get a bit kinked, particular near the corners or in the middle, requiring a bit of coaxing to work around.

- There is no lining on most of the…

I use this every day as my work bag, and it's perfect. The water bottle pouch with the drain hole is a nice touch and fits a larger Hydroflask. The laptop compartment is solid, and I trust it'll protect my computer even without another case. The bag is completely customizable and has o-rings in all the right places. On other bags I have to figure out how I'm going to use all of the compartments I don't need. This bag comes with tons of space and minimal sewn-in pockets which allows you to organize it exactly how you need it. Finally, I love the anachronistic design. It's a bit vintage looking, but can still pass for modern. It's super durable, and I imagine that even in ten or so years when our toddler starts high school it'll still be fashionable and holding up just fine.

Ordered this during the first pre-order phase, and have had it about 3 weeks now. It has worked great for daily outings where I need to carry more than typical purse items. In the front pocket I fit a large wallet, phone, keys, travel tissue pack, and a snack bar on the 2 sides with a 21 ounce water bottle in the middle, and it zipped easily. That leaves the entire main section for tech, a sweatshirt, and whatever else needs to be brought along. With the front pocket full of stuff, the backpack will stand up on a flat surface, which is a vital feature for my life and is one that's surprisingly hard to find in backpacks, so YAY for that, TB!! The straps are insanely comfortable, and the back has nice padding, although while wearing I felt it was making me sweatier than a backpack from a different brand with airflow vents that I've used previously. I do wish the main compartment offered just a bit more in the way of organization -- perhaps a zippered inner pocket or some mesh slip-in pockets to hold cords, or something like that. I bought the black so that I could use it for work, but I look forward to using it as a travel carry-on, too. Seems like it's quite versatile and will hold what I need for a day away from home.