Gear Review: Looptworks Noll Messenger Bag

So what makes a messenger bag special? It has to offer plenty of storage space for your daily essentials. It has to have plenty of pockets, to keep all of that gear organized. It has to be durable, to stand up to the rigors of everyday use. And it has to look good, or at least not too goofy, doing it all.

Enter the Noll messenger bag from Looptworks.

“With a plethora of pockets and durable waterproof exterior the Noll Messenger bag leaves the commuter only to worry about what else they shall bring on the ride today,” says the manufacturer.

For starters, the Noll is big. Real big. Big enough to hold a laptop, a sweatshirt, a few books, and then some. It almost looks like a garment bag, it’s so big. But that’s not exactly a bad thing. Space is good. The Noll also features a padded interior laptop sleeve to protect your (or your boss’) most valuable commuting possession, along with two exterior and five interior pockets. An exterior zip pocket adds a little extra storage space on the bag’s flap cover, while the big main interior pocket is a great “dump it all here” destination that’s easy to access on the go.

The waterproof exterior is intriguing, especially since it’s made with a “upcycled” fabric that’s created from recycled plastic. Unlike recycling, which just creates more plastic, upcycling like this is a way to repurpose plastic waste into, more usable materials. It’s a nice feature, and a nice use of the fabric. The styling – which makes clear that the Noll isn’t your run of the mill black classic messenger bag – is a little out there but still firmly function before form, although it does make more of a style statement than I personally am used to from my daily commuter bag.

And, hey, the Noll is even hand numbered and sold in a limited edition, for what it’s worth. That’s not exactly something I look for in a messenger bag, but I guess it can’t hurt.

The Looptworks Noll messenger bag is available in two colors – a green/white hex pattern and a borderline-purple gray camo – and retails for $70 MSRP. For more information visit Looptworks.