Chrome Metropolis Review
Around a half a year ago, I purchased a Chrome Metropolis messenger bag. Since items like these are not only judged on looks, function, and feel, but endurance, I figured I’d wait a bit before posting a review.
Logo and buckle
I have to admit, the thing that really caught my eye about the Chrome bag was the buckle and the overall sense of style. After doing more research, I found that they had a lot more than a shiny clasp to offer. The buckle setup is very functional; that triangle shaped piece on the end lets you adjust the tightness of the shoulder strap one handed. Pull it up to loosen the bag, and pull the loose remainder of the strap to tighten. Very convenient. It’s an improvement on the old d-ring setup some of the older Chrome bags have.
The bag
According to the Chrome website all Chrome bags have 18 oz. weatherproof truck liner, 1000d Cordura shell, and nylon 69 thread. What this adds up to is an incredibly sturdy bag that water will never seep through. I’ve worn my bag through a few rain showers, and nothing inside ever gets wet.
The shoulder strap has “anatomically correct EVA foam” in it too, which means that it’s incredibly comfortable to carry. It seems like the weight of the bag is distributed more evenly than with most messengers, so it takes longer to cause strain and fatigue. I’ve carried my bag with the below load around campus for hours at a time with no discomfort. The foam is showing no sign of wearing out, either.
Fully loaded
This bag holds a lot of stuff. My standard loadout is my Macbook Pro in its Axio Hardcase, Macbook charger, my iAudio X5 with its charger, my Sennheiser PX200s, standard and small sized Moleskines, pens and pencils, and a large sharpie. I’ve also got a few shirts in there that I just picked up.
The chargers and headphones go in side pouches to the sides of the zippered compartment, and the laptop and other large items go in the huge main compartment. It’s big enough to fit a 14″ by 17″ Graphics 360 pad, in addition to my laptop and large sketchbook. When fully loaded, the main compartment will hold about 2-3 gallon jugs of milk, or at least a couple six packs.
Overall, it feels like the bag was meant to hold a few odds and ends consistently, but to have a large, flexible compartment for carrying various items. Since it was designed with bike messengers in mind, this makes perfect sense.
Front compartments
The front zippered pouch has a huge zipper and pull on it, and has a satisfyingly solid feel to it. Doesn’t feel like it will go off track with any reasonable amount of use. All the other stitching on the front pouches feels solid and hasn’t shown wear after all the months I’ve used it. If I had one complaint about the bag, however, it would be that this is a relatively spartan setup for gadget freaks. In comparison, Timbuk2 bags easily have twice as many compartments and pouches for various items.
Attachments
You have a couple options when it comes to securing it shut. You can either use the generous rows of Velcro on the front to hold the flap down, or use the plastic buckles to really lock it in place. I’ve never had the Velcro fail me, but the buckles are always reassuring to have locked in. The redundancy here is impressively dependable.
Clasps
If you go the Velcro route, there’s an extra buckle next to the adjustable straps you can use to strap other things to your bag, like a poster tube or an umbrella. I’ve found this to be extremely handy, like when I lugged 3 tubes of posters back from SIGGRAPH through LAX with all my other luggage.
Interior view
This gives you an idea of what this bag can carry, and the size of the compartments on the sides.
Sealed up, fully loaded
Here’s the bag with the huge load of books, closed up with clasps fastened. The straps adjust to keep the bag closed even when it’s too full to use the Velcro effectively, which isn’t often.
What’s inside
Here are all the books that were in the bag. All the paperbacks in the top row were in the side pockets.
Frayed buckle
The only wear and tear I can find on the entire bag after half a year of use is a small fray in the seat belt fabric attached to the buckle. It looks as if I could take a lighter to it and seal it off, but I think I’ll just leave it alone. I’m not sure if it will continue to wear at this rate. If this is the only damage its taken so far, I’m sure it will last for years to come. All over the rest of the bag, the Cordura hasn’t frayed, and the truck liner only shows minor scuffs.
I should also note that the way you wear this bag isn’t quite the same as other messengers. It hangs diagonally across your back, which could be awkward for some. Check out the Chrome website for some examples of this. I thought this was strange at first, then I realized that, unlike other messengers, it effectively puts the weight of the bag on your back, not your shoulder. It’s not quite as convenient if you want to grab something out of your bag while you’re wearing it, but with some practice it gets easier.
Overall, I’ve been extremely satisfied with this bag. After considering Timbuk2, North Face, and a lot of other bag brands, this one fits me extremely well. I can carry all my daily college supplies and books with me comfortably. If I need to head somewhere for the weekend, I can throw my overnight junk and some clothes in there no problem. This bag will take anything you throw at it.
However, if you’re looking to carry a lot of gadgets and are looking for a dozen small compartments, this bag isn’t for you. It has its share of spaces to stow things, but the focus is really on sheer volume for the larger items you carry.
Also, if you’re looking to carry a laptop in it, consider that the bag has no hard support in it whatsoever. While this extends its flexibility and makes it very thin when it’s empty, it also means that nothing you carry is protected from bending against your back.
This bag suits me well, and I’d buy it again in a heartbeat. I’d give it a 9/10.
Note:
I looked up a couple reviews before I bought my bag, and if you’re considering it, you should take a look at them as well. They touch on a couple features I breezed over. They get a little more in depth, while I’m giving you the opinion from a long time user.