What Goes Into A Tom Bihn Backpack?
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The Zip-Top Shop Bag is utilitarian genius. Like you, I've tried a dozen shop totes that either cost me a couple bucks or were handed out free at some event/magazine subscription, and while I advocate using a "bring your own bag" for shopping of any kind, the bag itself has to be good to be usable. And most tote bags are complete garbage. The Zip-Top Shop Bag is not -- In fact, it is the best tote bag ever made.
The biggest issue most generic tote bags face is the handle. This critical feature of the bag is often the most overlooked design. Oftentimes you're loading things into this bag, and then commuting with it a short distance back to your car, or a longer distance on a bus or bike, and it's imperative that the handle should be comfortable at all times. It shouldn't dig into your palms, and it shouldn't feel flimsy. It should work like a dream. And the Tom Bihn Zip-Top Shop Bag works like a dream.
I can't advocate enough for using this bag. Buy one. Buy two. Buy three! They will last. And those handles will become your favorite thing about them.
I have two large zip top shopping totes which are tremendous for daily shopping and for travel. This is my first small zip top shopping tote, and it’s great. Extremely light, stands up when empty, handles just long enough to throw over your shoulder and it stays in place there against your arm, and nothing in the bag world beats the poron handles. Great size for daily needs and quick grocery shopping - couple quarts of milk or juice or wine, plus baseball cap and windbreaker, plus iPad and phone and various doo-dads, plus notebooks, and more. Zip top is a tremendous improvement over the original that had no zip. Does not swing wildly in the breeze as I found the large version to do. Get some zip-pulls, they make the bag even more convenient. If you don’t pack anything heavy in it (e.g. liquids) you won’t even know you’re carrying it. Great fabric too, tough and not too crinkly. Between the large and small zip totes, I haven’t used a plastic shopping bag in years, and these seem like they will last pretty much forever.
This is my second small zip tote and I use both all the time. The quality is top notch and I get compliments on this bag all the time. I have traveled all over the world with my bags. They hold everything, fit under an airline seat, and last forever. This really is the perfect bag for all occasions.
The Small Zip Top Shop Bag turned out to be a fantastic travel bag for me. I ended up changing my packing configuration at the last minute and decided to carry my small café bag and I wanted a tote bag that I could take on the plane. I grabbed the Small Zip Top Shop Bag - what a fantastic bag for a small carry on bag on the plane. It slid upright under the seat in front of me - no need to lay it flat- it held water bottles in the inside pockets, my iPad in a padded sleeve along the longer end, and various other things I needed at hand on the flight. I had a three hour layover in Atlanta and according to my Fitbit I walked 2 miles . The Small Zip Top Shop Bag was packed full but carrying it in my hand did not bother me, and once in a while I slung it over my shoulder when I wanted both hands free. At my destination, it then became a shop bag, able to carry a good amount of purchased items.
I have been using this as an EDC for work, since the LCB turned out to be slightly too small for all my work stuff, and it's working out great. Initially I wasn't excited about using a tote, as I thought it would put too much pressure on my shoulder due to the weight. These straps are great, though. They don't dig into my shoulder and they stay put so I don't have to constantly keep pulling them up. The two pockets on either side work great for my water bottle and/or coffee thermos. I have used this as an actual tote for a farmers market, also, and it fit more than I thought it would. I always seem to go to the farmers market thinking I'm going to get way less than I end up walking out with and this bag had me covered. I do wish it had more O-rings, but since this isn't meant to be an EDC, I can understand having fewer. At the moment, I am biding my time until my Synapse 19 arrives and I can dedicate this shop bag to actual shop bag duties. Oh, can't' forget about the zip-top - great quality and I prefer a zip-top over just letting it all hang out.
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.
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.
