They’ll Be Calling You Superman When You Fly Around Town With The Metropolis Messenger Bag!
Written: Jan 03 '04
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Nice size, can carry almost anything, Chrome lifetime warranty against defects.
Cons: Some might consider it expensive or too large for their needs.
The Bottom Line: Kryptonite might be the only thing that will kill this bag! [get it, Metropolis, Superman … kryptonite…]
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| Freak369's Full Review: Chrome Metropolis Messenger Urban Gear |
I’m a backpack and knapsack junkie.
There, I said it. Most women indulge in shoes, perfume or make up – for me it’s backpacks. I haven’t used a “purse” in at least ten years, they just aren’t functional for me and most of them are just too small for my needs. I have a real addiction for Clive, Soul and Gravis bags but when it comes to hauling around a lot of stuff, Chrome is the name I turn to. A few years ago I fell in love with messenger bags and resisted the urge to pick up the first one I saw, I knew that if I looked long enough and hard enough I’d find the perfect one. Someone suggested checking out the Chrome Bags website and I was in awe of the different styles and sized that they offered. I came across the Metropolis bag and decided to splurge on it. I was a little leery about spending upwards of $100.00 on a bag but once I received it I knew that this would be something that would last a long, long time. Like I said, some women go for shoes, make up and clothing – but give me a nice bag with tons of pockets and I’m in heaven.
Chrome Metropolis Messenger
This is one of the largest messenger bags on the market so make sure that this is something that you will be able to use. But in case this just isn’t big enough for you, Chrome sells one that’s even bigger – the Kremlin. This isn’t something that you’ll use to run to the grocery store [unless you have a hell of a lot of coupons] or short trips around town. No, this is the bag to end all bags … the kind of bag that scares you when you start cleaning it out and find those bizarre things you don’t ever remember putting in to it. Half eaten rolls of Life Savers, scraps of paper, more pens and markers than a small stationery store, kids meal toys, disposable cameras and more have all been fished out of my bag at one time or another. This thing seems to gobble up change too – digging through the bottom layer of sediment always yields me at least four or five dollars in change, perfect when I leave the house without cash and need that venti at Starbucks.
The size is the best and worst thing about this bag. For me, personally, a bag can never be “too” big. This one is a massive twenty six inches long and fourteen inches high with an width of seven and a half inches – but those are just numbers. The true test of this bag is what you can carry, how well it holds up to a lot of use and how comfortable it is. Some people might cling to the old saying ‘beauty knows no pain’ but there’s simply no reason to wear a backpack or messenger bag if it cuts into your shoulder or gives you back pain. The shoulder strap is partially padded but you have to wear it the way it is designed, over the shoulder and across the chest, to get the most from the padding. This means you have to pick if you want this to be a right or let hanging bag – essentially picking out which shoulder you want to fling it over. If you’ve never worn or owned one of these bags you might want to shop around at local stores to try them on to see if this is for you or not. The seatbelt buckle style quick release on the shoulder makes getting heavy loads off your shoulder a breeze but you’ll be in for a real eye opener if you smack the buckle off your knee. Trust me on that one, I’ve done it at least fifteen times.
As far as pockets go, there’s a large [and I do mean large] inner pocket that will hold almost anything. The font pockets are handy to hold pens, markers, a pager or cellular phone, mints etc. They are deep so there’s not much of a chance of things working their way out but not so deep that things get lost. Since this is designed to be carried over the shoulder and across the chest this isn’t practical for things that are prone to bending so if you are going to use this as an art sack to carry around a mid sized portfolio, you may want to invest in a hard shell case. You’ll also find two smaller pockets inside the main compartment along with a small “hidden” one that can be sure to store a few dollars, address book or personal items you’d rather keep out of plain sight.
Other things to know about this bag … the stitching is perfect all the way around as well as inside. It’s touted as being waterproof but since there is no complete closure around the flap, there is still a chance that water can get in, the best way to solve is to make sure there there’s no slack on the front two plastic slips. If you remove the slack you might not be able to fit as many things into the main compartment but you will get a snug closure and a little more protection against the elements. If you are a short or small framed person, you might want to go with the Citizen [$85.00 - $95.00] or Mini Metro [$80.00 - $90.00] versions of the messenger bag, these are both just as functional as the Metropolis but smaller and easier to carry.
Extras
There are a few extra pieces that you can pick up for this particular messenger bag but I am sure that you can use these with most other Chrome bags if you are determined enough. When I picked up this one I also ordered a cellular phone holster [$15.00 but well worth it] and the larger radio holster [$12.00]. In addition to these two items you can also pick up a laptop sleeve for $15.00 or a cellular phone pouch [different from the holster] for $9.00. While these are designed for use with Chrome messenger Metropolis bags, I really think that they can be adapted for use with any bag but clipping or locking them in to place might be an issue – but for free standing use these are great accessories.
Colors
The most common colors of this bag are red, blue and black but there are a lot more choices if you shop through the Chrome website. If you are someone that needs to have everything color coordinated then this is the bag for you. It comes in no less than thirteen color combinations or my personal favorite pick – all black. Some of them come reversed – meaning for use on the right shoulder instead of the left. If you are ordering this from a website instead of picking this up at a retail store make sure you check to see which version you are getting – the left or the right. I looked at all the different colors they had available and didn’t really like any except the “all black” version. This bag goes with anything but does show a little more lint and surface dirt than other color combinations.
Warranty
With a suggested retail price of $120.00 you better get one hell of an impressive warranty with your bag. Chrome stands behind all their products with a lifetime warranty against manufacturer defects. If the seams start to split, any part of it starts to pull apart or the strap snaps, rest assured they’ll make good on it and swap it out for a new one. If it’s something minor there’s a chance they’ll repair it and send it back but everyone that I’ve talked to that has had to send one back due to a defect [few and far between I might add] have said they received new bags shortly after they made their return.
The Bottom Line
So far this bag has held up to everything that’s come in its path. The size makes it a great pick for students, urban professionals, weekend trips, photography junkies and those who wish to carry their laptop in something other than a basic bag. This might be a little too big for some people, especially if you are used to smaller bags or things that are a little more streamlined. For me this bag has been a real godsend when doing day trips with the boys or when we go to Los Angeles for a few days. I can carry almost everything in the bag without having to worry about forgetting something or having to carry around multiple bags.
As always, thanks for the read!
~^V^~ Freak ~^V^~
© 2004 Freak369
Recommended:
Yes
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