Manhattan Portage Europa Messenger Bag Large Expandable With Laptop Sleeve Water Resistant Luggage Attachment 1000D Cordura For Work

I had some misgivings about the material at first- it has a slightly plastic feel and I was hoping for something more cloth-like. But in actual use it falls very naturally, is perfectly comfortable to wear and is not abrasive when quickly reaching in for keys etc. In fact the slight stiffness makes it easy to dig through in a hurry, since it doesn't totally flop when you put it down. Very very well made and thought-out: the zippers are quality, and the buckles for the main flap are exceptionally smooth. I don't like buckles unless they are very easy to deal with with only one hand. These are perfect. As for compartments/pockets/organization, this medium-sized Europa has everything covered. A great open pocket on the back, deep enough to be trustworthy, and a large ZIP-ABLE pocket on the front flap if you don't trust the open one enough. Inside, well this part I think it clear enough from the product description. The fact that the main compartment is expandable is a great feature and very well-implemented. It can make the difference when you want to stuff a jacket and maybe some water bottles into the main. Even without expanding it, I can fit a few medium-size binders in there and still have easy access to all my knick-knacks. The total number of little pockets and organizer details is just enough without creating confusion. The bag is super light-weight, again due to the material, but it has already proven to be very durable. I was very hesitant due to the price, and certainly there are way cheaper options. But I haven't seen anything that has all these features and/or which seem to be of comparable quality in those cheaper bags I've looked at. Having used this bag for both work and personal almost daily for a couple months, I'm totally satisfied with this purchase and feel like the price will be justified by the bag's durability - I really think i can safely expect many years' use. Read more

I bought this bag for my girlfriend who is currently in med school. She's about 5'5" and pretty slim and this bag fits her really well. Looks great with scrubs too. The bag is quite true to the advertised dimensions and fits a 13" computer, water bottle, sweatshirt, a small lunch and a few other miscellaneous items really well. It will get pretty thick though. The zipper along the sides will help it keep it's shape when less full help squish softer items like clothes which would otherwise ball up. I really like that. I would recommend the Shoulder Pad made by Manhattan Portage to add some comfort if you plan to pack it pretty heavy. I also got that as part of the gift. The one pity is that the bag does not have a ton of pockets. I have my own Manhattan Portage that is more designed as a briefcase and it had a ton of little side pockets that were perfect for gum, pens or whatever you needed to access quickly. The large side pocket on the Europa seems like it would be good for a folder or magazine but too large for easy access to smaller items. Anything else requires unclipping the main flap to get access. One or two smaller pockets on the outside of the flap would have made this bag even better. We knew all that going in so it doesn't cost the bag a star. Just letting people know that there aren't any real easy access pockets. One of the things that surprises me is that the water resistant aspect is just a tiny note in the description. These bags can take a decent amount of rain and I've never had anything inside get wet. I'm not saying to take your bag into the shower to test it but it will keep your things pretty safe on a short walk in the rain. Overall, this is the third Manhattan Portage I've bought and that's for good reason. They're just well built. My second one is about 12 years old and still looks great despite my best efforts throughout college, traveling and beyond. My first one (about 15 years old) has a reflective yellow neon strip that has mostly faded but the rest of the bag itself is still in good shape. I'd happily buy another Manhattan Portage if I managed to lose mine. I only say 'lose' because I really don't see mine falling apart any time soon... Read more

Really high quality - Very happy with this purchase - DURABLE Read more

Nicely made with all the pockets I needed. It was made in Taiwan but that's OK they have pretty high quality standards. This bag is just the right for me for traveling this coming summer. It fits in my back pack large compartment and I can take it out to use the bag as a handbag when I don't need to be toting my back pack with me. I recommend this bag for anyone that's going to travel. Read more

This messenger bag is very roomy with a fair amount of pockets but there are problems for me. The biggest is that the inner compartment is not zippered. To be sure my stuff doesn't fall out I am constantly having to click open and closed the front buckles and that is really annoying. Unfortunately this is a major drawback for me, I really like and now know I need the zipper. If there is one thing that makes up for all of this it is the fact that the bag itself looks really great. The overall design and even the red tag logo plus the olive color I chose are all very handsome. You decide... Read more

Manhattan Portage is awesome! My Europa bag is very versatile and super tough. This is my second Manhattan Portage Europa bag and I still have the first one which I bought maybe 15 years ago. The first one is a different color and size. I much prefer the design and comfort of the Europa bag than the ubiquitous backpacks. Read more

Excellent Read more

This is a fine small bag. But the fabric sides are soft and thin, so there is really no protection for items like a camera or larger laptop. I got this hoping I could use it for one camera and lens, but I could not risk the soft sides. For books, papers and small phone this would work really well Read more