Chrome Industries Citizen Messenger Bag Review

PRICE $223 USD

FIND IT AT chromeindustries.com

Chrome Industries’ Reflective Camo 2nd Issue Citizen Messenger Bag combines three things – an iconic buckle belt messenger bag, camouflage, and reflectivity. Exclusively developed by Chrome, a Swedish M90 geometric camo is combined with a rain camo pattern that has a special glass-bead print, which reflects light from a distance up to 100 feet. The Reflective Camo 2nd Issue Citizen is made with military-grade materials including an abrasion-resistant CORDURA Brand fabric outer shell and a floating bucket liner made with 1000 denier truck tarpaulin. The Citizen Messenger bag is available in a array of constantly updating prints and colors.

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The coolest part of this bag is the seat belt buckle on the strap. The buckle makes it super easy to take the bag off. The easily adjustable strap means the length is always perfect whether the bag is packed full or almost empty.

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The inside pocket is great for a laptop or documents but the Velcro used to close the pocket can be difficult to open. While I think the seat belt buckle strap is the coolest feature, it does make a lot of noise when you set the bag down on anything metal.

SUMMARY

I was very impressed with the quality of the Chrome Industries Citizen Messenger Bag. I had it packed with heavy groceries on several occasions and I was never worried about the durability of the bag. The waterproof liner is great for keeping your stuff dry in all kinds of weather, which is a must for the everyday rider. I was surprised by how comfortable the bag is even when it is full and heavy. The shoulder strap has ample padding and the easy adjustability means the strap is always the perfect length for what’s inside. You can even adjust it while riding. I never felt like bag was slipping off my shoulder while riding, even while cycling over bumpy roads.

The bag is certainly stylish, though the camo design may not be suitable for a formal workplace environment. It was also comforting knowing that the entire bag was reflective when biking at night.

Before using the bag I thought that the price tag sounded a little steep. However, after using the bag and immediately noticing the quality and durability, I now consider it a good investment for an everyday rider that needs to carry around a lot of stuff.

Mark Dietner is a software developer in Toronto. He’s an all-weather bicycle commuter whose current bike isn’t suitable for a front basket so he’s always looking for bags that can hold a lot of stuff but still be comfortable and easy to clean after rainy/ snowy commutes.