What Goes Into A TOM BIHN Backpack?
Description
This is a carousel with slides that contain product key features. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate.
Smart Alec 2.0 Key Features
Secure More, Carry Smarter
Front webbing loops and a removable elastic cord let you secure pouches or stash bulky items like jackets or racquets — all without opening your bag.
Pack Smart, Weather Ready
Top-loading, weather-resistant main compartment offers open, customizable space with secure laptop storage and versatile attachment points — ready for whatever your day demands.
Expandable Pockets, Streamlined Carry
Two sleek side pockets expand to hold pens, water bottles, or other essentials — keeping your gear organized without bulk.
Laptop Access, Dual Ways
A padded laptop pocket offers quick top or side access, secures laptops up to 16", and protects with a cushioned bottom — designed for on-the-go convenience.
Built for Comfort and Travel
Ventilated, padded back panel offers all-day comfort, luggage passthrough, and optional frame sheet compatibility — built for on-the-go ease.
Secure More, Carry Smarter
Front webbing loops and a removable elastic cord let you secure pouches or stash bulky items like jackets or racquets — all without opening your bag.
Pack Smart, Weather Ready
Top-loading, weather-resistant main compartment offers open, customizable space with secure laptop storage and versatile attachment points — ready for whatever your day demands.
Expandable Pockets, Streamlined Carry
Two sleek side pockets expand to hold pens, water bottles, or other essentials — keeping your gear organized without bulk.
Laptop Access, Dual Ways
A padded laptop pocket offers quick top or side access, secures laptops up to 16", and protects with a cushioned bottom — designed for on-the-go convenience.
Built for Comfort and Travel
Ventilated, padded back panel offers all-day comfort, luggage passthrough, and optional frame sheet compatibility — built for on-the-go ease.
Secure More, Carry Smarter
Front webbing loops and a removable elastic cord let you secure pouches or stash bulky items like jackets or racquets — all without opening your bag.
Pack Smart, Weather Ready
Top-loading, weather-resistant main compartment offers open, customizable space with secure laptop storage and versatile attachment points — ready for whatever your day demands.
Expandable Pockets, Streamlined Carry
Two sleek side pockets expand to hold pens, water bottles, or other essentials — keeping your gear organized without bulk.
Laptop Access, Dual Ways
A padded laptop pocket offers quick top or side access, secures laptops up to 16", and protects with a cushioned bottom — designed for on-the-go convenience.
Built for Comfort and Travel
Ventilated, padded back panel offers all-day comfort, luggage passthrough, and optional frame sheet compatibility — built for on-the-go ease.
Reviews
Total 5 star reviews: 34 Total 4 star reviews: 2 Total 3 star reviews: 0 Total 2 star reviews: 0 Total 1 star reviews: 0
36 reviews
- RRickVerified BuyerBought For MyselfProduct Standouts Thoughtful Design, Comfortable, High Quality Craftsmanship, Sewn in USA, High Quality Finishings2 months agoBought For MyselfProduct Standouts Thoughtful Design, Comfortable, High Quality Craftsmanship, Sewn in USA, High Quality FinishingsReviewingSmart Alec 2.0Rated 5 out of 5 starsSmart ALEC 2.0
Best bag hands down for every day carry .I had version one , sold it big mistake. Thank you for bringing it back version 2.0. I probably have 20 backpacks , sling bag . Messenger bags , combined. from almost every manufacturer out there . smart Alec best bag in the world. I don’t like fussing around with a bunch of pockets and zippers. It’s very simple open up and throw in all my pouches good to go . I also have the addax 31 love that bag little too big for EDC . Absolutely a fan of top loading. Both of these bags stand up on their own. That’s the most important feature for me. winner all the way around .
- JKJulie K.Verified BuyerBought For MyselfProduct Standouts Thoughtful Design, Good Storage Size, Versatile, High Quality Finishings, High Quality Craftsmanship2 months agoBought For MyselfProduct Standouts Thoughtful Design, Good Storage Size, Versatile, High Quality Finishings, High Quality CraftsmanshipReviewingSmart Alec 2.0Rated 5 out of 5 starsOne bag to rule them all
For me, this is the perfect bag. I have had a Synapse 19 for year before getting the SA 2.0 as a preorder. I love my Synapse but it’s a bit too small for some travels and sometimes feels over-engineered.
Now in the 8 days I’ve had the SA, it has travelled as my one-bag trans-atlantic to a 6-day conference, and functioned as my day-to-day carry on said conference as well as a typical day at the office. The bag feels like a big, black hole that you can just keep adding stuff into, but elastic cord makes it possible to adjust the size of the bag considerably when using it for daily carry.
It stands on its own and the way it opens from the top with a good overview without spilling its contents means it’s a joy as a companion.
Only regret I have is that I can no longer argue that I need more backpacks! And I would have loved to try the spectron one too.
Side kick for size (fits great inside the SA too). I carried 9 kgs in the bag as I had lots of devices and chargers, and I’d say that is the limit for comfortable carry, even for small distances (<30 mins consecutively).
- VCVanessa C.Verified BuyerBought For MyselfProduct Standouts Comfortable, Durable, Good Storage Size1 month agoBought For MyselfProduct Standouts Comfortable, Durable, Good Storage SizeReviewingSmart Alec 2.0Rated 5 out of 5 starsReplaced an old favorite!
My intro to TB was a bag like this from 2005. I used it until 2021 when the inside lining finally started peeling too much to use and a strap broke. That’s a good long life for a daily use bag.
This new one has the cushier straps, lighter zippers, and side pockets that make it even easier to use. I don’t need the elastic strap on the outside but otherwise it’s awesome. I’ve been waiting for this bucket-style backpack to come back around!
- LJLes J.Verified BuyerBought For MyselfProduct Standouts Thoughtful Design, High Quality Craftsmanship, Comfortable, Good Storage Size, Versatile1 month agoBought For MyselfProduct Standouts Thoughtful Design, High Quality Craftsmanship, Comfortable, Good Storage Size, VersatileReviewingSmart Alec 2.0Rated 5 out of 5 starsThe Smartest Alec Yet
I’ve been a member of the Tom Bihn family for years, and my 2022 Smart Alec was a constant, trusted companion. It was nearly perfect, but I always carried a small longing for a dedicated, externally accessible laptop compartment. When the Smart Alec 2 was announced, it felt like the design team had read my mind. I ordered it immediately, and I can say without a shred of hyperbole: this is it. This is the one.
The new laptop compartment is awesome and the side-zip entry is a dream come true. For anyone who has tried to maneuver a 16-inch laptop into the side of a Synik then you know the "three-point turn" I'm talking about. With the Smart Alec 2, my laptop glides in and out in one smooth, direct motion. It’s a small detail that makes a world of difference in daily use.
What continues to astound me is the bag’s posture. It stands up. Always. You set it down, and it sits there, perfectly upright, waiting patiently. No need to lean it against a chair leg only to have it slump to the floor. I don't know how the new Spectron fabric provides structure without feeling rigid but it does.
Inside, the Tahoma Halcyon lining is everything I love about TB. It’s silky smooth and so bright it practically illuminates the contents of the cavernous main compartment. The organization is classic Alec: intelligent, but not prescriptive. Unlike the Synik’s more "forced" organization, the Smart Alec 2 gives you just enough pockets to keep your essentials sorted, leaving the main space open and…
- CMCharmaine M.Verified BuyerBought For MyselfProduct Standouts Thoughtful Design, Unique, High Quality Craftsmanship, Durable1 month agoBought For MyselfProduct Standouts Thoughtful Design, Unique, High Quality Craftsmanship, DurableReviewingSmart Alec 2.0Rated 4 out of 5 starsI Really Like It
I had a brain bag that I absolutely loved (front center pocket and the shape of the exterior pockets). It was a very hard decision to give it away (to a great and appreciative person). It was just too big and no luggage strap. I was excited to see the smart Alec make a comeback, as it has a similar cool look and updated material. It’s a well laid out bag that actually looks great as well. The specs stated were: Filled Dimensions
15.7" (h) x 12.2" (w) x 9.4" (d) / My only issue upon opening the box is that I needed it for it to be the dimensions state on the website for international travel as a personal item however, instead of being 15 inches it’s actually about 17 inches tall, which proved to be a problem for three of my international flights, forcing me to check my small carry-on, which I have never, and do not like to do at all. So now this bag is relegated to domestic travel only (for me) which is a bummer. Maybe over time the frame may give a little to reduce the height of the bag. I know the size is probably perfect for most but for me I purchased it per the size and for the size listed.I am super sad that I spent so much on this bag , which I know will last a long time, but now I was forced to also purchase another bag, thankfully at a fraction of the cost that I will end up using more- which was the issue with me beloved brain bag (sigh).
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.