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Manhattan Portage NY Review

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Manhattan Portage NY Review
Credit: Manhattan Portage
Price:  $105 List
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Manufacturer:   Manhattan Portage
By Jeremy Bauman ⋅ Review Editor  ⋅  Apr 3, 2015
49
OVERALL
SCORE
  • Comfort - 20% 4.0
  • Organizing - 20% 6.0
  • Laptop Protection - 15% 3.0
  • Style - 15% 7.0
  • Water resistance - 15% 4.0
  • Features - 15% 5.0

Our Verdict

The Manhattan Portage NY messenger bag is a stylish bag that's ready to tote your stuff around for years on end. It may be the lowest scoring bag that we tested, but that doesn't mean it isn't a worthwhile purchase. It isn't a bad bag at all when taken as a whole, it just scores slightly lower in nearly every category. It certainly has quite a bit of urban appeal and might be exactly the bag to match your style. However, it doesn't have a laptop compartment, isn't very waterproof, and lacks a good way to compress if you're only carrying a few things. We tested the large 26 liter version of this bag, but it also comes in a medium 17 liter model.
REASONS TO BUY
Urban style can be very appealing
Lightweight
REASONS TO AVOID
Not waterproof
Shoulder strap lacks padding
No laptop compartment
For a great bike commuting alternative, check out our Top Pick for Bike Commuting, the Chrome Buran. If you are looking for a great bag at a great price, the Timbuk2 Classic won our Best Buy award.

Our Analysis and Test Results

Strut around Broadway with urban appeal with this durable and simple messenger bag. While it wasn't our favorite, the Manhattan Portage NY has the space you need to bring your stuff with you wherever you go. It was the lightest bag in the review, but the durable fabrics should still be highly durable.

Performance Comparison


manhattan portage ny - made with durable fabrics, this bag has urban appeal ready for your...
Made with durable fabrics, this bag has urban appeal ready for your bike commute. The inside is spacious and simple.
Credit: Jeremy Bauman

Comfort


If you plan on carrying heavy school books for a short distance, or a moderate amount of stuff for a long distance, you will probably be displeased with this pack. It was the least comfortable bag in the review because it does not come with any padding on the 2" wide shoulder strap. Manhattan Portage sells shoulder pads separately for around $15. The bag also does not include a stabilizing T-strap. If you plan on using this pack on your bike, you'll probably miss this feature. Fortunately, you can also purchase a strap separately for $20.

manhattan portage ny - without purchasing additional padding, the 2" wide strap is minimal...
Without purchasing additional padding, the 2" wide strap is minimal and not very comfortable. Also notice the simple slide adjustment. It is secure, but impossible to use while wearing the bag.
Credit: Jeremy Bauman

The Manhattan Portage NY is very simple and is the lightest that we tested. The downside to this, however, is that it lacks any padding. When worn high while bike commuting, you are sure to feel everything you put in your bag. When we put our laptop against the back, it was very uncomfortable to wear for long distances. If you don't plan on riding your bike frequently, you might not notice the lack of padding and may actually prefer the simple design of this bag. Also, it does not compress as well as many of the others tested. When carrying only a few items, the bag collapses on itself as it lacks any rigidity.

Storage & Organization


Sometimes, simplicity is king. Sometimes, it's nice to have a few extra pockets. This bag has one large compartment and some small zippered pockets. However, it lacks any good place for medium sized items like tablets, laptops, or power supplies. There also isn't a dedicated place to put a water bottle or travel mug. In the large size that we tested, it was difficult to stay organized, because anything you put in the main compartment fell to the bottom. Since there wasn't a good way to compress the bag, vertically inclined things like books and computers fell onto of each other obscuring small items at the bottom of the bag. If you're the type of person who always likes to bring an extra jacket along, you can use your jacket to keep your stuff vertical.

manhattan portage ny - the main compartment is cavernous. when carrying just a few items...
The main compartment is cavernous. When carrying just a few items (like some boxes of snacks and an iced tea), there is no good way to compress the bag to keep them up right. They will invariably fall and make the bag feel awkward.
Credit: Jeremy Bauman

The front flap has one small zippered pocket big enough for a wallet, keys, or other items that should be kept handy. There is an open pouch against the back for magazines and papers. Under the flap, some organization options include twin zipped pockets that are 12 inches tall. A small, open pouch is a great place for pens and pencils. To the right lives a small key clip that enjoys dangling unrestrained. We're sure that keys clipped here are very happy as they can rattle around and see the world as they peek beneath the flap. However, we believe the key to keeping our keys safe is to keep them hidden in a pocket and thus prefer internal key lanyards. This key clip though is probably better suited to RFID key cards as it would be very easy to use without even taking the bag off your shoulder.

manhattan portage ny - an open zipped pouch on below the flap is a great place for spare...
An open zipped pouch on below the flap is a great place for spare change or loyalty cards.
Credit: Jeremy Bauman

Laptop Protection


There is no laptop sleeve nor any padding. Without a dedicated laptop pouch, this bag scored just a 3/10 for laptop protection. Many people, however, like to keep their laptops in separate sleeves and won't miss the lack of protection.

Style


The large size that we tested wasn't particularly flattering when carrying only a few items; it doesn't look very streamlined unless fully loaded. The bag comes in seven colors from a flashy orange to subtle black. We tested the bag in navy. The contrasting and bold black webbing in the straps and seams give the bag a very urban look. The red Manhattan Portage logo is striking and as bold as the look of the durable fabric. We award this model a 7/10 for style.

manhattan portage ny - with seven color options, you can pick the urban style that matches...
With seven color options, you can pick the urban style that matches your look.
Credit: Manhattan Portage

Water Resistance


This was the least waterproof bag that we tested. Granted, we tested it in a raging waterfall rather than rain, but it was still the lowest performing bag of any that we tested. In order for this bag to become more water resistant, the bag will have to improve in two areas: strap attachment and material choice. Waterproof fabrics don't help at all if water can find an opening and the corner wings under the flap are small and don't fold under very far.

manhattan portage ny - testing by waterfall. this bag proved to be the least waterproof due...
Testing by waterfall. This bag proved to be the least waterproof due to the materials used and a flap design that lets water enter the bag.
Credit: Jeremy Bauman

Features


One great feature about the Manhattan Portage NY is that it is made with a super durable 1000 denier Cordura fabric. This should be more than durable enough to handle day-to-day operations with ease. If you don't want to hear the screech of Velcro when you lift the flap, they included two Velcro strips to cover them so that you can rely on the flap clips instead.

manhattan portage ny - notice the extra velcro strip on the flap (right) and the bare...
Notice the extra velcro strip on the flap (right) and the bare velcro (left). These extra strips keep the bag from being noisy in professional environments.
Credit: Jeremy Bauman

Best Applications


This bag works the best for carrying your stuff short distances while walking. Its urban style makes it a great pick for your daily commute to work. If you live in temperamental climate and find yourself always carrying an extra jacket just in case, this bag will easily swallow it up, but don't trust it to keep your belongings dry if the sky opens up.

Value


For the price, we prefer the Timbuk2 Classic because it is just a bit better in nearly every category. If you need to carry bulky items, however, you'll probably appreciate the Portage's simplicity and high volume main compartment.

Conclusion


We found this bag poorly suited to biking, but decent for walking. The lack of padding on the shoulder strap limits the distance one can travel comfortably. For this reason, we found the Manhattan Portage NY to be less versatile than others that we tested. The lack of compression straps combined with the lack of rigidity caused the large model that we tested to feel clunky and awkward when only carrying a few items.

manhattan portage ny - they key clip is completely external. this keeps your keys...
They key clip is completely external. This keeps your keys accessible, but they jingle around too much for our liking.
Credit: Jeremy Bauman

Other Versions


If you are looking for something a little smaller check out the Manhattan Portage NY medium; the 17 liter version.

Jeremy Bauman