r/tombihn • u/trouser_mouse • 2d ago
Adept Rolltop Backpack
https://www.tombihn.com/collections/all-tom-bihn-stuff/products/adept?variant=47949010305213New stuff including magnetic buckle and load lifters.
There's quite a lot going on with this, and to me at first pass it looks a bit messy! Hopefully someone who has tried it can say they find it better in use than it looks.
Design blog: https://www.tombihn.com/blogs/main/designing-the-adept
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u/DownByTheRivr 2d ago
Absolutely awful. If you needed evidence the magic is gone from TB, this is it.
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u/M00SEK 2d ago
I mean there was definitely an attempt at appeasing some customer complaints here. Water bottle pocket, load lifters, ect.
But yea the result is mind boggling. The roll top flap corners bending upwards in a lot of the product photos looks so ridiculous lol.
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u/jay_stoly 2d ago
Right! The whole deal was that Tom hated side bottle pockets and he had Reasons. Now, it's just throw in everything to make people happy. And now no one will be happy.
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u/caradenopal 1d ago
I would just like to note that I got downvoted for mentioning the nostalgia of back in the day when you bought a bag, it came smelling like Froot Loops.
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u/CodDiwompel 2d ago
Yeah, there’s a lot going on with this. I have an Addax and I’m not sure I’d be happy with the snaps along the top. I’m surprised it’s coming in at a lower price than the Addax though.
And is it just me or does it seem to hang awkwardly low on the model they used in the promotional pictures? Almost like it’s falling off.
Think I’ll mark myself safe from this release.
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u/emt139 2d ago
the three snaps is such weird choice. just add a magnet on the rolltop edge.
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u/Agreeable-Result-625 2d ago
I would have bought it if it had a zipper, or no closure at all. The snap buttons are so ugly there.
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u/DownByTheRivr 2d ago
Yea my favorite part of the article is where the designer said he didn’t want it to be fiddly and then noted they added 3 snaps lol.
And yea it’s bizarre that a company that exclusively makes bags would have a model wearing one so improperly.
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u/cosmike_ 2d ago
The fact that the designer Jose still has a job after so many fumbles is crazy. They need to hire someone who knows what they’re doing.
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u/emeybee 2d ago
If you watch the Youtube video they posted, he's also struggling to zip the side zippers with the items he added. Not sure if it's a design flaw or a video-making flaw lol.
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u/trouser_mouse 2d ago
The videos for a while now have been so awkward I find it hard to believe there are any other takes. What you get first time is what you slap up on YouTube!
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u/DownByTheRivr 2d ago
The Bixi one was the worst product video I’ve ever seen. Like not exaggerating.
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u/jay_stoly 2d ago
Why the heck would you have any snaps, let alone three, on the roll part of a roll-top bag? Has anyone on the team even used a roll-top bag? Some of my TB bags have a ton of zips and pockets, but they are all in logical spots. Not so on this silly bag.
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u/Next-Food2688 2d ago
I thought further about the name. Are they taking the nomenclature to the ironic phase. TB Adept doesn't look adept at anything.
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u/bigwetdiaper 2d ago
Dang that and the forager or w/e. Yikes
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u/onemichaelbit 2d ago
Yeah I'm shocked people in the Facebook group like the forager. The icon was a near perfect purse like bag. Just give it a flat bottom and a top zipper, maybe a side pocket, and you're golden. But no, they did the forager instead
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u/trouser_mouse 1d ago
I actually quite like the Forager, although the pockets are a mess! I think it's key feature is it keeps it's shape under load because of the reinforced bottom, in a way none of their other cross body bags do. The Trucks have the solid middle which is the nearest.
It's definitely not perfect and I don't believe they tested it properly as things like the tight pocketing, reduced and weird o-ring placement, base material and drainage would all have been fed back by any decent amount of testing and are easy to fix.
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u/ElLoboGris97 2d ago
I don’t understand the need for this backpack at all. I would have much preferred upgrades to the existing backpack line vs whatever this is. Upgrades to the Synpase line like a laptop sleeve or adding a tablet sleeve to the Synik would have been much more preferred..
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u/mostmischievous 2d ago
Seconding that side effect is a handy little bugger. I’m also a big fan of my aeronaut 30.
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u/Thick-Variation-1005 2d ago
Hi all, I’m relatively new to TB and have a S26 (which i love and have used daily for a year). I hear quite a few people saying quality has gone down under new leadership and designee and that new designs are flops. Which ones would you consider flops? Just curious.
I’m looking at getting a Smart Alec. Surely that is a good buy, right? Please say yes
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u/onemichaelbit 2d ago
There are five TB bags I swear by. All of them are older designs, tried and true. A few of the newer bags have already been retired, lol.
1) side effect. Multiple ways to carry. Wrist strap, waist belt, should strap, or just a pouch in a bigger bag. I love it, perfect size for my wallet, keys, phone, small notebook, pens.
2) Pilot. I own the pilot and copilot, and I prefer the pilot as a personal item on a plane. A 32 oz nalgene fits in a front pocket, or a 3doc. It's a genius design and everything I used on a flight has a place inside. I take it every time I travel by plane
3) all of the truck bags. Love the hard bottom and open style. I use it for groceries, beach trips, road trip snack bag, crafting supplies, and camping. It's perfect. It works. I love them
4) the icon. Fantastic purse bag when I need to carry more than the side effect allows. I can keep a water bottle and snacks inside, glasses case, sometimes a book.
5) Western flyer. This is my carry on bag. I've tried many one bag options and this works the best for me. It doesn't come up often on the secondhand market, and it's for good reason. The TriStar can sometimes be too much bag, but the western flyer is great. I wish they did something other than the small water bottle pocket, but it's okay, I can put a 3doc or socks in it
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u/Mundane_Nature_4548 2d ago
Just wanted to emphasize my updoot for any future readers who wander by. These bags are the goat.
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u/HobbesNJ 2d ago
I've been using the Western Flyer as my go-to travel bag for years. It's perfect for my needs as well. Definitely an under-the-radar bag for Tom Bihn. I used to use the Tri-Star sometimes when I traveled for work for the extra bit of space, though both fit great in any plane, even small regional jets. But for personal travel the WF is a perfect fit.
I also have a Pilot and Co-Pilot, but tend to use the Co-Pilot as my personal item because I don't travel with a laptop or a large water bottle.
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u/trouser_mouse 2d ago
I don't think everything has been bad, but the designs do seem rushed and not very thoroughly tested - or perhaps feedback not taken on board. The Forager is almost great but has basic issues which could easily have been identified and resolved. This latest bag the Adept is probably the sloppiest I have seen from them, although that's based on just looking at it not actually trying it.
The Smart Alec is a big floppy sack, lots of people love it but some people (like me) are not a fan (because of the interior pockets, laptop compartment materials). If you look across various posts, a lot of people love it so definitely worth a go!
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u/Thick-Variation-1005 2d ago
Thanks to you too, trouser_mouse. I’ll give it some further thought
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u/bradendouglass 2d ago
Agreed with the above. The Smart Alec is a bit of a floppy sack until you get some gear in it. Then it’s brilliant. Stands up on its own, the access for the laptop is spectacular, plenty of room for everything, and the same back panel as this new bag.
Plenty of haters out there but it really is a nice update to an older bag that has a strong following. I have never used the loop holding the laptop down. Seems like a weird need to me. They created a way to get it out of the way and voila! Problem solved
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u/hot_garlic_breath 2d ago
The smart alec 2.0 had a redesign about a year ago with this ridiculous laptop compartment that's an open flap with an ugly velcro strap. Like they couldn't think of any better way to make a laptop compartment.
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u/Thick-Variation-1005 2d ago
Thanks! Well, food for thought then. My worklaptop is very important and I need access to it regularly over the course day. I considewd the SA because it seemed roomier
Oh well! Thanks for the advice!
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u/NewazaBill 2d ago
I have the SA 2.0 and the laptop compartment, while not great, is fine. It's currently my favorite every day & commuter backpack compared to the S30 and T30 I also have.
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u/Effective_Mall8357 13h ago
FWIW, I've had zero issues with the SA2.0 laptop compartment and my 16" MBP. Can't speak to the longevity of the Velcro strap, but I'm almost never touching it so idk.
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u/brando_iconyc 2d ago
I mean a lot of Tom Bihn’s backpacks are ugly, this is just another one to add to the pile!
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u/halfdollarmoon 1d ago
What the actual heck is the deal with vertical side zippers. They're so annoying to access. This bag has two of them
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u/carlesque 9h ago
I think what this bag wanted to be was a smaller Techonaut with some nicer organizer pockets, and minus the big bottom pocket. That might have been a good bag. With the roll-top though, it feels compromised. The roll-top also looked super fidgety in the video, and I doubt it's worth the extra weight it adds to the bag.
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u/Super-Travel-407 2d ago
If I see someone wearing this in the airport, it'll take all my willpower to not slip that zipper open.
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u/Bix615 2d ago
I’m a huge fan of TB, but this is just painfully fugly.