I love when a company has a really good product but looks for ways to make it even better, and that’s exactly what Tom Bihn did with their Ristretto bag. We’ve reviewed the bag in a number of different sizes. You can read our review of the Ristretto, the Ristretto for iPad, and the review of the Ristretto for MacBook Air. The new Ristretto has a number of key improvements.
We have a review sample on the way, but I wanted to run down the key changes in advance of that.
First there is the material from which the bag is made. The Ristretto is now made from 1050d high tenacity ballistic nylon on the outside and ultralight Dyneema/nylon rip-stop fabric on the inside. Both fabrics are made specifically for the company. When asked “Why the switch in fabrics?” They replied,
Our 1050d ballistic nylon has a stiffer hand and a rich weave and we like the way it reflects light. We work with our fabric mills to get this fabric just the way we want it. Our Japanese ultralight Dyneema/nylon fabric saves weight and is as tough as nails. And it’s quite handsome to boot.
The next change is the actual design of the bag. It now has a large front compartment that sits under the flap. Inside is an organizer with pockets for pens, iPhone and passport or wallet as well as room for a power supply, phone charger, and sunglasses.
Finally, the bag now has a grab handle made of 1050d ballistic nylon and Poron foam. As the company explains, “Poron® is our foam of choice for handles because it simply doesn’t break down, even after decades of use.”
There are also new color combinations.
The vertical messenger bag is still available in three sizes. One fits the iPad or iPad 2, another first the 11? MacBook Air and the third fits the 13? MacBook Air or 13? MacBook Pro. The Ristretto isn’t for someone who wants to carry a huge amount of stuff but if you are going lean and mean and want a great bag it is definitely worth a look. Check them all out on the Tom Bihn website. And here is the full Press Release.