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Novara Buzz Messenger Bag
Item # 780463For your reference, this page contains historical product information.
The distinct design of the Novara Buzz Messenger Bag affords great comfort, stability and weather resistance. Plus, it looks great!
- Shoulder strap design blends the sculpted shoulder strap of a sling bag into the messenger bag
- Designed to be worn on the right shoulder, this novel strap allows the bag to handle heavy loads comfortably as it resists shifting
- Adjustable cross-body strap can be hidden away when you don't need the extra stability
- Side compression straps let you keep big loads in check and cinch down smaller loads
- Fully padded back panel protects your back from bulky items
- Top flap is built to seal over the bag's opening; pocket on top flap has welded zipper
- Organizer pocket under the flap has plenty of room for your daily needs and includes an exterior zippered mesh pocket
- Internal slot pocket helps keep files and papers separated from other items, keeping them clean and wrinkle free
- Quick-access pocket on waist wing and mesh sleeve on shoulder strap provide a home for electronics
- Reflective tabs detach via easy-to-use split rings, allowing you to tone down for trips around town; clip loop provides spot for LED blinker light, sold separately
Imported.
Item 780463
Related Items:
Novara Buzz Messenger Bag Specs
Specification | Description |
| Weight | 2 pounds |
| Dimensions | 15 x 12.5 x 6 inches |
| Volume | 1,125 cubic inches |
| Material | Ballistic nylon |
Novara Buzz Messenger Bag Customer Reviews
REVIEW SNAPSHOT®
by PowerReviewsPros
- Adjustable (7)
- Comfortable (7)
- Lots of storage (7)
- Lightweight (6)
- Rugged (6)
Cons
- Unstable (3)
Best Uses
- Commuting (8)
- City bikes (6)
- Road bikes (3)
- Reviewer Profile:
- Commuter (4), Office professional (3), Student (3)
- Primary use:
- Personal (10)
Reviewed by 11 customers
Sort by
Pros
- Lots of Storage
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Novara Buzz Messenger Bag:
Groan, this would be the perfect bag BUT it's built for a huge dude. I can appreciate that big guys need sling messenger bags, but so do small women. I'm 5'5 with narrow shoulders and a 32 inch ribcage. Why isn't there a single company making a sling-style messenger bag, designed specifically for women, with waterproof zippers, fully padded straps and enough room for a Macbook? Is that so hard? They'd make a killing if they'd do it.
The Brentwood Sling I, REI Singular, and Novara Buzz are all good bags and are so close to what I need, but the straps on all these bags are just way too long for my small frame and the load would shift while I'm cycling which is unacceptable.
The closest thing I've found to what I need is probably the REI Mini Sling but it's not big enough for a laptop and the shoulder strap doesn't have nice padding. Lame.
Overall, I'd recommend this bag to a friend who was over 6 feet tall and broad shouldered but not to anyone else.
- Gift:
- No
- Primary use:
- Personal
Pros
- Adjustable
- Comfortable
- Lightweight
- Lots of Storage
- Rugged
Cons
Best Uses
- City Bikes
- Commuting
Comments about Novara Buzz Messenger Bag:
I purchased this bag over a year ago and I find myself going back to this bag over and over. One review said the bag is "bulky." I have 3 messenger bags- Timbuk2, Chrome, and this REI bag. If you want "Bulky" you need to look no further than my Chrome Metropolis bag which, though not their biggest, held 50lbs worth of groceries from the store.( I had to weigh it after I lugged it home up hill). My Timbuk2 Bag is their medium and a custom design I created and I love it though the cordura is a big saggy so it doesnt hold its shape well when you set it down empty or nearly empty. This REI bag is a great "tweener" bag. It is not too big, yet will hold cloths for a change at work, books, files and magazines and it keeps things dry when its wet.
I use this bag every day and love that it has a handle at the top(both my Timbuk2 and Chrome bags do NOT have this feature). While this seems minor it is a simple yet useful feature. There is plenty of storage and straps to adjust it to fit well. To address the complaint of the gal that wrote earlier that this bag was too bulky and ill fitting due to her smaller size, I am not large at 5'8" and approx 147lbs. This bag seems to fit me well and it adjusts in enough ways that I find it to be plenty stable when I ride and am sprinting for lights, keeping up with traffic. I hope this helps and I would definately recommend this bag for the around town commuter with a few things to carry and a change of clothes. If you have more items, you will want a bigger bag but this will meet nearly all of your needs I am sure. Good luck and happy riding!!
Service and delivery comments:
Service at the store was great and the sales person was very knowledgeable, as I always find at REI.
- Gift:
- No
- Primary use:
- Personal
Pros
- Adjustable
- Comfortable
- Lightweight
- Lots of Storage
- Rugged
Cons
- Bulky
Best Uses
- City Bikes
- Commuting
- Not Just Biking
- Road Bikes
Comments about Novara Buzz Messenger Bag:
I usually don't like messenger bags, because most of the messenger bags I've seen don't have enough padding so when you need to carry an occasional load of books and a laptop or whatever else you may have, the shoulder strap just about kills you on that shoulder. Not the case with this messenger bag, it's got the fully padded strap built-in. I also like how Novara chose to put padding near the back area of the bag, so that sharp corners from the contents of the bag don't poke you.
Man, this thing has so many pockets! There's a pocket behind the padded back, one on the shoulder strap, and many more inside the actual bag. Even has a mess pocket, perfect for storing stuff that needs to dry... although, I haven't had a serious sweat issue with this yet.
Now, the drawbacks. This thing can get fairly bulky... it handles the loads well, if you adjust the straps, even when you're not on the bike, which is more than I can say of other messenger bags. However, that bulkiness also makes this more unstable during bike commutes, as over a long period of time this bag will tend to slide toward the left side of your back. Also, the strap is molded to the right shoulder only, so those who like to sling bags over either shoulder will be disappointed.
I use this bag for my 10 mile commute to UC Irvine, and I haven't had a problem of things slipping out. Like the other messenger bags, this has velcro on the bag, so the cover just sticks to the bag and if you need even more security, then you can attach the clips and cinch the bag contents down with the side straps.
An improvement to the next version (if there is a next version) of this bag would be having a cross-stabilizing strap (this bag has a strap that literally goes across the body, rather than diagonally, like the rest, which is great for load balancing when you're off the bike, but not so great for stability when you're on the bike). Other than that, I'm reasonably happy with the bag, as long as you can live with some of its drawbacks.
- Gift:
- No
- Primary use:
- Personal
Pros
Cons
- Too big
- Unstable
Best Uses
- NONE
Comments about Novara Buzz Messenger Bag:
I am a pretty tall guy (6'3") with an athletic frame, so I thought there would be no problem with this bag fitting. I was wrong. As soon as I tried it on, I realized I would have to cinch the straps all the way down to keep the thing even close to where I wanted it. Even then it shifted so often that I just gave up.
It's clear by its design that this bag is intended to sit on the wearer's back, but for me it kept sliding down between my left arm and my body. Then it would get in the way of my left knee since it was dangling down. The amount of storage in the bag was nice, but even being able to carry a hippopotamus is pointless if the bag is going to shift all the time like this one does.
- Gift:
- No
- Primary use:
- Personal
Pros
- Adjustable
- Comfortable
- Lightweight
- Lots of Storage
Cons
- Unstable
Best Uses
- Commuting
- Not Just Biking
Comments about Novara Buzz Messenger Bag:
I bike to work, it's not a long commute, but it's still a sweaty one. This bag holds my professional work clothes, makeup, hair products etc. without being too bulky. It's really comfortable but boarders on being too big to fit around my body without sliding around. Luckily it has that second strap around my waist to keep it in place. But to give you an idea I am 5'7" 145lbs, anyone smaller might have a hard time with this bag.
Service and delivery comments:
Delivery was prompt, arrived in good condition and everything went well.
- Gift:
- No
- Primary use:
- Personal
Pros
- Adjustable
- Comfortable
- Lightweight
- Lots of Storage
- Rugged
Cons
- Needs some adjustment
- One sided only
Best Uses
- City Bikes
- Commuting
Comments about Novara Buzz Messenger Bag:
I purchased this bag for commuting to work. After looking at the Timbuk2 bag I decided to go with these one because of the price and features. It has a ton of storage pockets and fits all my stuff for work. It just needs some adjusting for a comfortable fit. The quality of the bag is top notch.
- Gift:
- No
- Primary use:
- Personal
Pros
- Waterproof
Cons
- Unstable
Best Uses
- Commuting
Comments about Novara Buzz Messenger Bag:
I was happy with this bag at first, but over time it's falling out of favor with me.
The bag is easily big enough to carry everything I need to work and back -- pump, lock, tools, lunch, change of clothes, laptop -- and it has a decent number of pockets and compartments.
I was very surprised at how waterproof it was. It doesn't look like it would be, but the day after I got it, I rode home in a heavy downpour. I put paper towels in each compartment to see how it would do. When I got home, they were all dry. Very nice!
The main problem I have is with the straps. First, it can only go over your right shoulder. That's not terrible, and I knew that in advance. It has a stabilizer strap, which sounds good, but the stabilizer strap and the main strap both connect at the same point, which means the bag can rotate freely unless the straps are really tight. If you're riding over bumpy terrain even tight straps don't help -- the bag is going to move.
The other problem I've had is that the buckle for the main strap clicks as tension on it is applied and released. It hasn't come unbuckled, but the sound isn't comforting.
- Gift:
- No
- Primary use:
- Personal
Pros
- Adjustable
- Comfortable
- Lightweight
- Rugged
Cons
Best Uses
- City Bikes
- Commuting
Comments about Novara Buzz Messenger Bag:
This is a great bag for the price. I just gave up on a [$]crumpler bag for this one. The buzz bag has a great adjustable on-the-go strap as well as a stabilizer strap. Plenty of pockets and it's roomy enough for my laptop a hoodie and more. The only down side for me is that it can only be worn over the right shoulder.
- Gift:
- No
- Primary use:
- Personal
Pros
- Adjustable
- Comfortable
- Lightweight
- Rugged
Cons
- Too Small
Best Uses
- City Bikes
- Commuting
- Mountain Bikes
- Road Bikes
Comments about Novara Buzz Messenger Bag:
I like this bag a lot; its only shortcoming is the storage space. I use 8.5x14 inch documents at work so a few files, my lunch, a rainsuit and a change of clothes stretches the limits of the bag.
- Gift:
- No
- Primary use:
- Personal
Pros
- Comfortable
- Lots of Storage
- Rugged
Cons
Best Uses
- City Bikes
- Commuting
- Road Bikes
Comments about Novara Buzz Messenger Bag:
Perfect for commuting. It fits my 15 inch MacBook Pro in it with no issue (It doesn't fit in the "folder section" but it fits fine in the main body) plus 3 or 4 stupidly-thick programming tech manuals. I tried it with groceries too, including a gallon of milk, and half gallon of ice cream, and it was still comfortable and well distributed.
If you use the secondary strap, it is *solid*. No sliding whatsoever.
Lot of storage and organization pockets, but well designed so you don't divide up your main space.
My only complaint is that there really is no way to just wear it as a regular over-the-shoulder bag, which can make it awkward for non-cycling use.
Over all? It's Novara! I mean, the guys know cycling.
- Gift:
- No
- Primary use:
- Personal
Novara Buzz Messenger Bag Related Items
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