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The Rummy is the Bentley of messenger bags. It's large, luxuriously comfortable, and surprisingly nimble. A cavernous 27 Liter main compartment swallows a computer, books, and packages like the champion of a pie-eating contest. One drawback: this is not often available at many major retailers; our top-rated bag that is widely available is the is the Timbuk2 Command.
REASONS TO BUY
Very large
Very durable
Completely waterproof
Comfortable strap can go on either left or right shoulder
Easy to adjust buckle
Comfortable and secure while biking
Versatile roll top closure
Easy access external storage
REASONS TO AVOID
Poor storage for pens
Pencils
And documents; can be difficult to access bottom of main compartment; no grab handle
The Rummy has several awesome features that compliment its capacity: ) the strap, which is the easiest to adjust and most comfortable of all messenger bags reviewed here, can be fixed to either the left or right shoulder. ) The roll top closure can be rolled up to provide easy access to the front pockets or folded down and buckled like most other messengers. This makes the bag more versatile. On the whole, the Rummy provides a great balance between comfort, durability, water resistance, and features. Our main complaint with the bag's design lies with the zippered accessory pockets, which can be difficult to access when the bag is full and store small items, like pens, quite poorly. Although we don't view it as a significant drawback, the Rummy does not have a built-in laptop case: you'll need to slip the computer into the middle zippered compartment or provide your own case.
The Rummy's extreme opposite is the Rickshaw Commuter 2.0 ($160), an equally well made and innovative office style messenger for people who carry books, documents, and computers directly to and from work.
Get a backpack if you don't need near instant access to the contents of your bag. Timbuk2 makes the Swig ($90), an excellent, comfortable, affordable, and versatile backpack that has great storage options and fits a variety of people. Those on the taller side or those who want more storage should opt for the Cilo Gear City Pack ($175), our favorite backpack for biking, grocery shopping, and everyday life on the go. Business types who want great laptop and document storage and the comfort of a backpack can't go wrong with the Arc'teryx Blade 24 ($175).
Our Analysis and Test Results
Likes
The Mission Workshop Rummy is a luxuriously comfortable, versatile, completely waterproof, and nearly indestructible messenger bag. A cavernous 27 Liter main compartment can accommodate everything from photography gear to odd shaped packages; the Rummy is the largest messenger bag we reviewed. It's also the only one with a roll top closure, which can be rolled up (making the bag completely waterproof and providing easy access to the front pockets) or folded over like most other messenger bags (faster to close). Being able to tailor your closure method to your load or to environmental conditions makes the Rummy more versatile than messenger bags we've tested.
In the front, the Rummy has two bellowed pockets that fit medium sized items like a u-lock, power cord, or sunglasses case. Behind those lies a haven of zippered pockets, which you access through a burly watertight zipper on the front face of the bag. In that lie two more zippers that run the width of the compartment. The rear zipper (that faces the front of the bag) houses a medium sized compartment for a small netbook or iPad, and the front zipper encloses three pockets of equal size. Pens, pencils, a phone, and other small accessories go in these pockets.
The best part of the Rummy, agreed our eight testers, is its incredibly comfortable shoulder strap and easy to adjust buckle. The most comfortable messenger bag is either the Rummy or the Chrome Buran, but the Rummy's aluminum buckle is by far the best of any messenger bag we reviewed. Adjusting the bag is nearly effortless. One tester even described it as fun. The result is an easy to use bag that fast to lower down and swing around in front of you. The Rummy's buckle epitomizes the quick access that messenger bags are known for. Furthermore, the chest strap, which holds the bag in place while biking, can be placed on either the left or right the shoulder. This is a unique feature.
The Rummy is available in five color options and the quick adjust buckle can be chosen in either silver (as we reviewed here), black, or bright orange.
Mission Workshop Rummy roll top closure. Note how the central zippered compartment and front pockets remain easily accessible.
Credit: Max Neale
Dislikes
There are dozens of styles of messenger bags. Along their broad spectrum, from bike messenger style to mere laptop cases, the Rummy lies much closer to bike messenger. It has neither a built-in laptop sleeve nor any padding along the back panel. The latter enables the bag to mold to your back while biking and the former is less of a disadvantage than we initially anticipated.
Going into this review the author and our testers assumed that having a built-in laptop sleeve was an advantage. Through testing sixteen bags we found that this is generally not true. A few bags, such as the Osprey Elroy and Timbuk2 Swig, have excellent sleeves, but most do not. We therefore did not penalize the Rummy for not having a built-in case (its rating in this category is the average of all messenger bags). This author's favorite laptop case, incidentally, is the ISIS Memory Foam Laptop Sleeve
The Mission Workshop Rummy's exterior zip pocket houses another large zippered compartment and three divided pockets that are also zippered. This is the best place for pens and pencils, but it's not ideal. The bag would benefit from several slots for pens
Credit: Max Neale
Our testers found the Rummy to be an ideal size for most applications: those who live in a city, those who carry lots of things, those who want quick access to their stuff, and those who want a waterproof and durable bag. Others, however, might find the bag to be too large for their needs. This could be a potential drawback if you don't carry much with you. Separately, most of our testers found the velcro on the front bellowed pockets to be too aggressive. It's very secure, but also very loud. Just don't open it in a meeting.
Finally, since the Rummy has no padding or structure it's relatively bad for storing documents and loose papers. There's also no grab handle. The Rummy is a messenger bag, not a briefcase.
Value
The Rummy is well designed and handmade in the USA of high quality materials. It's well worth the $170 price tag.
