Customer Reviews Tumi Alpha Bravo - Benning Deluxe Messenger

Outstanding bag - choosing the right one is all about size and design. This is pretty close to being the one I'd come up with if I were imagining the best of both. It's trim and holds close to my body, so I can carry it with nothing but a pen and a pair of sunglasses, or with my laptop and large SLR camera, and it isn't bulky. It feels strong enough for heavy equipment but not weighty itself. The styling is elegantly simple - if you want a good-looking bag that's strong and discreet, push the button.

This is my third Tumi briefcase and it is just as awesome as the other two. I am in hotels and on planes every week, and I have about 8-9 years on my Tumi roller briefcase and it still works great and looks fine. Tons of money for a Tumi...but a great value over time. My newest Tumi bag, Benning Deluxe Messenger, has been on my shoulder since I bought it about 2 months ago. The unstructured design is a relaxed look. The design looks simple but the quality of materials and workmanship are very obvious. I use this Tumi for my laptop, a couple of cables, and a little bit of paperwork. In the pockets I carry a digital camera, umbrella, and a bottle of water. It has organized spaces for keys, flash drives, etc. It could fit a lot more stuff, but I bought this shoulder bag to lighten up my load a bit. If you like high quality products that you will use for a long time, you will like this bag.

This is an excellent bag. I use it for both work as well as running errands, etc. Very well built and lots of pockets.

This is my third Tumi briefcase and the best. My first was the medium ballistic that I used for six years, but ended up becoming too bulky. The second was a slim profile laptop that I bought when I broke my collarbone, but that was too small. The Alpha Bravo fits my lifestyle, I can carry this across my back and my gym bag in my hand. It\'s not at it\'s best hand carrying, but allows you full use of your hands when traveling.

This is a very high quality bag. I got the stone color and it is quit a bit darker than the photos show. It is more of a khaki color which I love as it looks great and will not get nearly as dirty on the subway & train that I ride to work. The bag outer is made of 100% cotton heavy like canvas but much softer to the touch. Inside is a robust blend of cotton/linen, that nice and thick. The details that go into the finish are really fantastic, like the leather lip guards sewn onto the pocket edges, and the leather bumpers on the end of the zippers. The craftsmanship is outstanding. This bag is not structured and has no padding so it drapes over your hip which is very comfortable and the strap is a really wide seatbelt material and also very soft so it has great support with no need for a shoulder pad. I am so glad I got this bag. It is unique and nothing looks like it. The khaki color and brown and blue accents really stand out against all the black bags out there. Great job, Tumi!

Love this bag. It was purchased to match my Tumi luggage, but I use it as my primary "purse." Ordinary purses (even big ones) just don't do it for me; I carry a lot of ____ around. This bag has the Tumi quality I'm willing to pay extra for, and about a zillion pockets. Literally a place for everything. Love Zappos' customer service, too. Free shipping and the bag arrived in 2 days. Can't beat that!

Prior to owning this I tried TimBuk2, Chrome and Victorinox messenger bags, which I abandoned for a variety of reasons. Almost a year in and I have no complaints about this bag. It has held up extremely well, like all my other Tumi luggage. I use it daily and travel about 100 days a year. It holds my 15" laptop, iPad, phone, chargers, and work papers easily. Some complain there is no laptop padding, but that's what a laptop sleeve is for, right? Even with all these items, I still have room for a change of clothes and essential toiletries for quick overnight/day work trips. When on personal travel (no laptop or papers), it can hold a weekend's worth of clothes and a dopp kit. Plenty of pockets, dividers, and slots for pens, flash drives, sunglasses, passports, and the like. One of the side pockets even is rubberized for "wet" items. Hands down this is the best bag I've owned, and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a versatile messenger bag.

The review is for the Anthracite (charcoal) color. Accessory: I've also bought a 'Tenba #638-251 Messenger Removable Photo Insert (Gray)' from Amazon which fits this bag perfectly. It adds functionality & form factor to this messenger bag without adding any weight. The bag will retain its form nicely when it's not full. Size: The size of Benning bag is in between the size of Tumi Andersen (slightly less capacity than my needs) & Tumi Pinckley (too big). Function: I've used it to for my office documents, 15" Laptop, 16oz coffee thermos, lunch, papers...etc. during the summer dress down days (by taking out compartment inserts). During weekend, it serves as my SLR camera carrying bag , it fits Canon 5D2 plus 50, 24-70 & 70-200 lens with spare room for charger & extra battery. One of the side compartment is line with waterproof nylon & ventilation hole which makes it perfect to store wet umbrella or water bottle. Quality: A lot of leather trims inside/outside indicates quality and detail attention being given when they design this bag. The material Tumi uses on this bag (including shoulder strap) are light weight but tough to withstand wear/tear over period of time. Comfort: Even without a shoulder pad, It sits comfortable on my shoulder, the soft bag material lean against body nicely without friction or bumpy feel while walking compared to other leather or nylon material bags. The light weight of the fabric like material & the even weight distribution of this messenger bag is the best part asides from the good looking color combination in my opinion. Dislike: The only flaw in my opinion is the placement of top handle, when holding it, the bag tends to tilt outward since they put it at the back end of top flap. They should either eliminate the top handle for messenger bag entirely or place it at the spot where bag can be held in a more balanced position. Conclusion: Best combination of looks, function & solid built quality. Most importantly it is light weight & very comfortable when carrying it. My shoulder is thanking me at the end of the day!