Bellroy Via Work Bag (14L laptop messenger bag) - Navy

I picked this up for an under-seat bag on an international trip. It turned out to be a great buy for not only that trip, but everyday commuting to work. I love the zipper design, being able to open it in either direction works really well and the zipper is always smooth. The two compartments are just right for what each provides. I can fit a 16" MacBook Pro (newer M1 model) just fine in the laptop spot, with room to spare, but not too much.I'd say carrying both a laptop and an iPad pro felt too heavy though in terms of comfort, with even just a 14" MacBook Pro + a 13" iPad Pro. The padding is pretty good for how slim the strap is, but it bothered me to carry too much through the airport and I'll choose one of the two devices on future trips. I felt like the strap would fall off one shoulder a little easily but I got used to either wearing it across my body (opposite shoulder) or using my arm to steady it. The handles are just right for picking it up and even carrying it without a laptop inside.I like the inner pocket with a zipper in the main compartment, it was good for stashing my passport or sunglasses. I sometimes wished there was a similar, stealth pocket like that accessible from the exterior.The fabric feels really nice to the touch, looks great, and didn't take any damage with casual use during my travels. I think even with some dirt and damage it will age well and I'm not too worried about keeping it pristine. Choosing this bag was really difficult but it turned out to be a great decision. It's my first Bellroy bag and I'll be looking at their backpacks in the future.UPDATE @ 5 months: I still love it. I use it two days/week when going to the office and I don't feel like it's falling off the shoulder anymore. I'm not sure if I got used to it or if the strap has better grip after some use. Zippers are solid and I continue to appreciate this little bag. I can also clip my work badge to a similar latch on the strap connected to the bag, so I never forget my badge anymore.

Perfect.

After having seen multiple reviews of this bag - I finally picked one up and have been delightfully impressed for the past month or so. The bag feels very rugged while still looking simple, subtle and chic. Keeps my 15” laptop safe as well as a few documents/ files.

This is a great bag. It looks professional and is reasonably priced. Materials and organization are great. The only negative would be the straps, which are too thin and poorly padded. Even worse, the straps utilize the g locking mechanism which makes it difficult to use many aftermarket straps. Do yourself a favor - search for "VILLCASE Backpack Strap Buckles Trapezoidal", get it and then use any aftermarket strap you want. I have the Tom Bihn Absolute Shoulder Strap and it makes a night and day difference in the comfort level.

I was looking forward to use this bag BUT unfortunately the front has wrinkles that cannot be removed, this gives a VERY unprofessional look to this bag. I felt I was going to use a beach bag. Definitely not for work. Not worth it for the price. I ended up returning this Bellroy bag and looking somewhere else and bought a J&M Hudson briefcase which is $20 more than this ugly bag, totally worth it, now I am happy with my new bag.

The design, size, weight, everything about this bag is so perfect, but there I ended up returning it for one reason: this bag would not stay on my shoulder. As quickly as I put the strap on my shoulder, the bag fell off. It was too bulky to wear in a cross over fashion. I think the issue is the placement of the shoulder strap; it's on one side and not edge-to-edge forcing the bag to lean way over. I tried everything, but could not get this to stay put. One other thing of note, the zippers on the main bag don't meet in the middle, they go from side-to-side, a little odd, but nowhere near as bad as the shoulder strap fail.