Before ever hearing of Moshi, the west coast maker of premium backpacks, shoulder bags, headphones, protective cases, and other digital lifestyle products, an event took place in San Francisco where a new laptop messenger bag (and more) was introduced. Fast forward to mid-2017, and Moshi has what some consider one of the best messenger bags for men or women since. When I finally got my hands on one, I was immediately impressed with its look and feel. So without any further delay, let’s take a closer look in this Moshi Aerio messenger bag review.
• Modern look, lightweight design
• Three handsome color schemes
• Durable fabrics and materials
• Ample padding where needed
• $150 price may be deemed high by some
• No water bottle holder
Moshi Aerio Messenger Bag Review
Per the press release: “The newest addition to Moshi’s line of stylish, tech-savvy bags, Aerio is an ergonomic messenger bag featuring premium materials and modern design.”
One Stylish Modern Design
When I state that his laptop messenger bag looks great, it’s not an overstatement.
From the outside, you may have noticed that Aerio is made from the same high-resilience polyester materials with the same weather-resistant surface treatment that appear on the Arcus backpack. (See the inline post of our backpack review below.) The similarities don’t end there. Aerio’s two original color patterns and its lining were transferred to the Arcus as well.
On the front and rear, you’ll notice two left-to-right brown zippers with tan-colored vegan leather trim. You can’t help but notice the front and top rear zippered areas stand out, and each zipper handle is unique. The front metal handle is rounded with a stamped or engraved ‘moshi’ logo. The rear metal handle has an embossed surface for better grip.
Inside the full-length rear compartment is a pocket for business cards, larger documents, and files, as well as a strap w/carabiner for your keys. I’ve seen this carabiner feature on other bags and found it most useful. Just above/below this rear zipper is padded top handle and the rear trolley strap for transport on rolling luggage, respectively.
As stated in the Arcus review, “the color combination of this titanium gray backpack is gorgeous. The zippers and straps are of high-quality, and the stitching is put together well.” The charcoal black and the harder-to-find herringbone gray versions are equally attractive.
Regarding this herringbone gray variant release, Michael Leonhard, President of Moshi said the following: “Our 2016 Fall/Winter Bag Collection takes you from boardroom to happy hour with effortless, elegant style. Reminiscent of a high-end, tailored business suit, our limited edition seasonal collection uses a sharkskin color to complement Fall/Winter color palettes while its intricate herringbone pattern adds body and texture to the bags.”
How I would have loved to see the latter.
Flipping the messenger flap over, you’ll notice another zippered compartment as well as a hidden one. Are two pockets needed here? In my opinion ‘No,’ but the addition of the hidden pocket adds to the character of the bag, and an overall better look. Still, these compartments aren’t what’s best here. This is reserved for the discrete locking hardware. Without the hidden locks, the Aerio messenger bag would be more ordinary and less modern looking.
On the underside, there’s a thicker, more durable padded surface to protect contents against drops.
Closing out the exterior, there’s a lengthy, durable, and adjustable shoulder strap with a well-padded, sliding, and removable shoulder cushion. What you may not notice and I probably wouldn’t have had I not read everything is the proprietary ViscoStrap™. This viscoelastic strap was designed to mitigate shoulder strain. As someone who uses shoulder and messenger bags regularly, I’ll try anything which can alleviate that strain.
It’s What’s On The Inside That Counts
I always liked this phrase.
The inside of the Aerio is broken down into two compartments. One is a thickly padded laptop compartment which protects your 15″ laptop in case of drops. Should the bag get upside down, you need not worry about the laptop sliding out. A Velcro strap holds it in place.
The second has an expandable padded pocket that supports (encased) headphones like Moshi’s Avanti, a padded 10″ tablet sleeve, and three thinner pockets for items like toothbrushes, pens, or a battery charger like the Moshi IonBank. This second and spacious main compartment is no less than 4″ wide at the bottom. You can fit an entire change set of clothes, plus have room to spare for a large sandwich.
If you haven’t noticed by now, the lining of this Aerio bag is luxurious, and it’s throughout. It’s what you would see on similar, stylish bags 2-3x the price, for example, from the likes of Tumi. Bags within Moshi’s 2017 lineup also contain this lining.
This messenger bag weighs 32.8 oz and has dimensions of 16.93″ x 5.91″ x 11.02″. For you Metric System users, the Aerio’s weight is 930 grams, and its dimensions are 43 x 15 x 28 cm.
Conclusion
For what it offers, this Aerio messenger bag delivers on its promises. It protects your digital lifestyle products in a stylish, modern design. When compared against bags from other premium brands, I believe the $150 price tag is fair.
All three colors (patterns) of the Aerio bag are available for purchase on either Amazon (see link below), B&H, or the Moshi website. I recommend you read the Amazon reviews.
Whether you’re an urban professional, male or female, it doesn’t matter, or someone who likes to accessorize with a good-looking product, I believe you’ll be most happy with the Aerio messenger bag. Don’t be surprised when this bag lasts a decade or more. It’s made that well.
Based on everything I’ve stated above, Moshi’s Aerio messenger bag is one handsome accessory. For those of you who already have an Aerio, you know what I mean. And I bet you love yours.
What do you think of this Moshi Aerio messenger bag review? Do you agree or disagree that this is one of the best messengers bags for men or women since its introduction at the end of 2015? Let us know in the comment section below or via social media. We’re eager to hear your thoughts.
Don’t hesitate to head over to the Moshi press page to see their latest product announcements. To learn more about service and support, click here for their Support page. There’s a one-year limited warranty on all Moshi products. There’s also an extended warranty via product registration. We highly advise you take advantage of this.
FTC Disclosure: Moshi provided Beantown LLC with one (1) Aerio messenger bag sample for review purposes. This writer’s opinion is 100% his own and not a paid product ambassador.
All photographs are the copyrighted property of Moshi or Beantown LLC © 2015-2017.
