Review: ChicoBag Messenger Bag

The ChicoBag Messenger Bag is a fairly good, lightweight bag for casual trips, and its sustainable cred is solid green. Unfortunately, it's just not built to last and is unlikely to replace any true messenger bag solidly made from strong, water-resistant material.

Bike messengers are an unruly lot -- after all, it takes more than a little chutzpah to zip around city traffic during rush hour on a bicycle. Their fashion sense can be uncanny as well, and the messenger bags they tote have become a fashion icon.

So how does the new new Messenger bag from ChicoBag stand up to the competition? Not terribly well, I'm afraid. ChicoBag makes a number of different styles of reusable shopping bags, many of which are smartly designed and made from recycled plastic bags (the kind you see caught in tree branches). While the company's sustainability credentials are bulletproof, the same can't be said for their messenger bag.

The recycled PET fabric is lightweight -- too lightweight. It doesn't feel strong enough to last, especially if it falls off a bike, and wouldn't be water-resistant for more than 2 minutes in a rain shower. The closure flap is secured with small magnets, which also doesn't seem sturdy. The bag is big enough for a few lunch items, a book and a water bottle, but my 14" laptop computer overwhelmed it. And the shoulder strap adjustment is a small piece of plastic -- again, not built to last as long as a metal cinch or heavy-duty plastic.

The company also insists on incorporating a stuff pouch into each product they sell. It's not a lot of extra material, but why anyone needs to stuff a bag into a smaller bag is beyond me. (Can't people just fold them up?) Perhaps it's a fascination with Russian dolls that makes this feature attractive.

If all you're looking for is a lightweight, inexpensive, reusable bag with an adjustable shoulder strap, this might be fine for you, as would many of ChicoBag's other styles. But if you need a true messenger bag or bike bag, keep looking.