Hey everyone,
I recently bought the Transit Briefcase 20 and overall I’m pretty happy with it.
For context, I had been using a Mountain Panel Loader 22 for my commute between home and the office. I still really like the MPL22, but with the heat and summer coming up, I was arriving at work with my whole back soaked in sweat. I sweat quite a lot, so I wanted to try a briefcase format instead.
So far, the TB20 has been working well for that use case. I think some of the contradictory reviews around this bag may come from different expectations of what a briefcase should be. Some briefcase fans may expect something more traditional: slim, clean, and mostly designed to move papers, documents, and a laptop. The TB20 feels different to me. It feels more like a compact mobile office setup in briefcase form, designed to carry a laptop, tech, food, coffee, and daily essentials without having a backpack against your back in hot weather.
My usual office loadout is: a CAP2 as a tech pouch, a CAP1 with my daily essentials, a CAP0.5 as a mini dopp kit, the laptop riser, a 0.5L Klean Kanteen that I use to bring coffee from home to the office or hydroflask 1L, my work laptop, a Wacom table, and a lunch box with my food.
With that setup, the size feels just right to me. It handles not just the laptop, but the whole office setup around it.
The front pocket also works better for me than I expected. It has just enough organization for my personal phone and work phone, keys, sunglasses in a soft case, a pack of Smints, a whiteboard marker and a pen and a tobacco pouch.
My main criticism is the original shoulder strap. I have some neck/cervical issues, and when the bag is loaded with my usual work carry, the strap can make the pain worse, especially over longer walks. For me, the issue is not only the padding itself, but also the fact that a loaded 20L briefcase puts a lot of asymmetric weight on one shoulder.
As a workaround, I bought a padded car seatbelt cover. It has quite a bit of cushioning, measures around 33 x 8 cm, and surprisingly it has been working pretty well. It makes the bag much more comfortable both crossbody and over one shoulder. It’s not the prettiest solution, but functionally it has made a noticeable difference and now it's pretty comfortable.
That said, padding only solves part of the problem. The real issue is still the asymmetric load. I know there are solutions in other contexts, like the Gruv Gear DuoStrap for guitars and basses, where a second support strap crosses the other shoulder to distribute the weight more evenly. I’m a curious guy, so I might eventually try to prototype something similar using a car seatbelt strap and another padded seatbelt cover. It probably won’t be the most aesthetic solution, but in theory it could spread the weight more equally across both shoulders.
Capacity-wise, I think the bag works very well. Comfort-wise, I think the usable limit depends a lot on how long you walk and how heavy your laptop, lunch, coffee, and tech setup are.
If I had to add one thing to the briefcase, it would be at least one external pocket similar to the ones on the CTB or MPL. In my use case it would be perfect for an umbrella or true quick access without having to open the main compartment.
For those using the TB20 as a daily office commute bag, do you feel the same? Great capacity, but comfort depends heavily on strap/padding, walking distance, and how the weight sits on one shoulder?