I've been the proud owner of a Synapse 19 for about 6 years now. It's my most used Tom Bihn bag and there's just one thing that's bothered me about it: no good way to attach it to my roller bag at the airport. I usually will just balance it on top, some days more successfully than others.
I added a Pilot to my collection a few months ago just for the passthrough after seeing a few posts here showing it hold much more than one could imagine. And while that's certainly true, it's not quite to the level of the S19 and I've only been using it for shorter trips.
So, when I read the Synik announcement and saw that it would have the handle passthrough feature, my excitement went way up. But not as much as it did when I received the email a few days later letting me know that Countron had chosen me to be one of the lucky few to receive a bag to review for the forums!
First, a little context:
Unlike many that I see carry the S19/25 as their only piece of luggage, I'm a lifetime member of the 'two bag club' and never one to waste an airline's carry-on limit. My kit consists of a 21" rolling bag exclusively for my clothes and the S19 that holds everything else.
My thought process for choosing the S19 went something like this:
- Airlines are starting to enforce carry-on sizes more strictly so I'm going to need a smaller backpack
- My first TB bag (a now-discontinued Imago) has been awesome and I want to continue supporting a local Seattle business
- The S19 will fit in the personal item sizer, even when you overstuff it
And with that, it has happily travelled with me on hundreds of flights all over the world... and unlike its owner, never complains about legroom.
First impressions:
I chose the Synik 22 in Deep Blue/Coyote. My first thought after opening the box was "oh, it's an S19 with the tag moved." If you aren't paying close attention, the S22 doesn't seem very different. And that's a good thing. The overall layout is the same: a main compartment, two side pockets, two center pockets, and one pocket on the bottom.
The colorway is beautiful! I love how the Guide's Editions look, and I think this follows that spirit while still maintaining a professional look suitable for the workplace. I was a little worried that Coyote inside might not be bright enough, but I didn't find that to be the case except in one of the center pockets (more on that later).
My S19 is Cordura and I'm liking the 525 Ballistic material much better as a travel bag due to the structure it provides. I might feel differently if I was going to use it as an EDC.
Packing it:
This is what I usually carry in my S19.
I was super happy with how familiar the bag felt when packing. Everything fits pretty much the same in the S22 as it did in the S19, except for one place: the rear center pocket. The black liner fabric between the center and side pockets is now one piece instead of two.
Darcy explained to me that this change was made to remove the two construction gaps in the bottom that was often a source of customer questions and that recent Synapses also now feature this design.
It would probably only be a noticeable change for long-time Synapse users then, but I think the new design has two downsides:
- Less flexibility to adjust the capacity between the side and center pockets due to the reduced slack. I put more into the rear center pocket than the sides, plus they're items that are cubical (e.g. travel wallet, iPad mini) vs. cylindrical (such as a water bottle), so the volume loss there is far more noticeable.
- The full black back of the rear center pocket makes it very hard to see all the way down, and it's especially obvious compared to the front center pocket.
I usually end up with an at (or slightly above) capacity S19 and the extra 3L in the S22 makes a notable difference. Extra room to bring more back home with me! The padded bottom also helps the bag almost want to stand upright.
Straps and grab handle:
I can't emphasize this enough -- the new shoulder straps feel heavenly and are a significant improvement over the old style. An apt comparison would be the difference between using the Standard vs Absolute shoulder strap.
I rarely find myself needing to carry my S19 by the handle, but the single webbing design felt like an afterthought. It wasn't conducive for much more than hanging on a hook or pulling out from under the seat/overhead bin. I see that newer Synapses have an incrementally upgraded handle so I can't compare against that, but the S22's padded design is more than comfortable enough to hold on for extended periods of time (like while standing on a bus), plus it looks much more integrated into the bag.
I was also sent the padded hip belt to try out. While it does indeed help lighten the shoulder weight, I don't think it's really needed for a bag of this size, especially with the new shoulder straps. I don't use the webbing one either since I don't like how it dangles when it's not worn.
Laptop compartment:
Love this! So much more streamlined than carrying a separate Cache/sleeve like I had to with the S19, and it's not just a loose pouch that you see in many bags. I had no problems fitting either a Surface Pro or 12" MacBook using the inner and outer zippers. The 'two-point turn' when using the outer zipper should be done carefully -- I kept hitting the metal slider against my laptop removing it. Unfortunately, Darcy confirmed that plastic sliders aren't an option for AquaGuard zippers.
I do wish that the opening was on the right side (like it is on the Luminary) rather than the left. When I wear a backpack on one shoulder, it's usually on my right. With the opening on the opposite side, I can't access the side zipper without taking the backpack off. Someone who would wear it on their left shoulder would argue this is an improvement :)
The black color of the padding does make the main compartment a little darker than I would like, but it's not as big of a problem as in the rear center pocket, especially with being able to open the main zippers down further.
Clamshell:
I feel indifferent about the clamshell opening. The zipper is definitely well designed and there's virtually no chance of it unzipping more than you want to. In fact, it holds in place so well that you have to make an effort to zip it all the way down (i.e. past the bottom corner) for the clamshell to open fully flat. But as mostly carrying tech gear, I've rarely been in a situation where I would need to open it all the way, and the bag is compact enough that the bottom is not that far down. I think I would appreciate it much more on the larger S30, especially if I was to use it for one-bag travel with packing cubes.
Frame and the Handle Passthrough:
One of the problems with overstuffing the S19 was that it would bulge out the back.
The S22 frame solves that problem (and I assume the S19's optional frame would as well).
Ah, the long awaited passthrough! I tried it with two of my bags and it works exactly as I expected -- both are 6 1/3" at the widest part of the handle, but one of the bags has a slightly thicker handle and that just makes it through.
To give an idea of vertical measurements, one of the handles is 17” from the bottom of the Synik to the bottom of the grip and that was barely enough to leave room for my hand. My other handle measured 18.5” which made it much more comfortable.
The shoulder straps do rest in an awkward position with the handle in the way, but I quickly found that flipping the straps forward solves that.
Conclusion: would I recommend the Synik 22?
If you already have an S19: as much as I love the changes on the S22, it doesn't feel game-changing enough to warrant an upgrade. The most significant (and surprising) improvement for me is the new shoulder straps. They are miles better and I could see myself lasting much longer before the weight starts to wear me down. Which ironically makes the handle passthrough that I thought would be the key differentiator less necessary.
If you're a new user thinking about the S19: no question, I would definitely choose the S22 instead. There really doesn't appear to be any big downsides for me over the S19. The clamshell doesn't open any further on its own, you can remove the frame if you don't care for it, and the increased capacity doesn't make the bag feel any bulkier. Plus, you'll get that awesome shoulder strap.
I hope you find this helpful and I'm happy to answer any follow-up questions, so just let me know!
Bonus:
Here are the same items barely fitting into a Pilot.
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Originally Posted by aloha
