Name: Paragon 2.0
Brand: TOM BIHN
Price: 205.0 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.9 (24 reviews)

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Description
Materials & Specs
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USA Sewn

TLDR

The Paragon 2.0 is the second iteration of the Paragon, a modern take on Tom's minimalist bag from years past, the Simplex.

Main compartment opens with #8 Aquaguard® zippers, now featuring pull-tabs for easier zipping by providing a better grip (rain flaps have been removed from the original design for a sleeker look)
New zipper pulls with soft and solid design
Interior pocket with dual zippers, redesigned for easier access and expanded for increased storage capacity
Padded back with a built-in, open-topped padded laptop pocket (spacer mesh added from original design for better breathability)

Full Description

Design Story

The Paragon 2.0 is the second iteration of the updated version of a backpack design made by Tom back in the 1970s, the Simplex. Classic rectilinear shape with radius corners, horizontal zippered front pocket, Aquaguard® zippers, 3D top pocket on the inside, and not a whole lot else going on, which is what some folks love about this design. Folks who love our Daylight Backpack but want some laptop protection, a padded mesh back, and replete-with-comfort shoulder straps will appreciate this pack.

Horizontal Zippered Front Pocket

The horizontal zippered front pocket is spacious enough to store your cellphone, wallet, and/or a small tablet. There's also a Key Strap attached to an O-ring inside this pocket, which is perfect for attaching an organizational pouch like the Clear Organizer Pouch, Double Organizer Pouch, or Ghost Whale Organizer Pouch.

Main Compartment With Built-In Laptop Pocket + Interior Zippered Pocket

Inside the main compartment are 2 O-rings and a minimalist built-in padded laptop compartment. It's a straightforward pouch of the same foam laminate that we use to make our Caches. It's able to fit laptop models like the 16" Macbook Pro and the Dell XPS 17" (see laptop fit guide for more details). Even if you decide not to carry your laptop, the compartment provides additional padding for your back. There's also an interior zippered pocket with some depth in the main compartment that can be accessed from the top or, when the front of the pack is folded over, the underside.

Edgeless Shoulder Straps

Conformity is overrated — except, perhaps, when it comes to shoulder straps. The edgelessness of this new strap allows it to more softly conform to your shoulder — we (and most people who have worn these straps) find that this increases comfort. Yet the straps aren't too soft: the 1/2" thick EVAZOTE® OEKO-TEX® certified foam means the strap is robust enough to carry a heavy load. We have also included integrated strap-keepers so you can manager those straps.

What's Included

Included Removable Sternum Strap + Waist Strap

As with all of our major backpacks, we include adjustable and removable sternum and waist straps: if you don't like or don't use your waist or sternum strap, remove them!

Key Strap

As with most of our bags, we've included a key strap. 8" long from tip-to-tip, a snaphook on either end. Good for attaching your keys to.

New Zipper Pulls

Our new zipper pulls are soft and sturdy and meant to be wrapped through both holes in the zipper pull in order to keep them where they're meant to be.

What's Optional

Vertical Packing Cubelet

You can attach a Vertical Packing Cubelet to the pair of o-rings above the open-top laptop pocket.

Packing Cube Shoulder Bag

The Packing Cube Shoulder Bag is the perfect 2-in-1 packing cube. It's big enough to store rolled up shirts and if you want something a bit smaller when you get to where you're going, attach a shoulder strap and you've got a small everyday bag.

The Paragon 2.0 is the second iteration of the updated version of a backpack design made by Tom back in the 1970s, the Simplex. Classic rectilinear shape with radius corners, horizontal zippered front pocket, Aquaguard® zippers, 3D top pocket on the inside, and not a whole lot else going on, which is what some folks love about this design. Folks who love our Daylight Backpack but want some laptop protection, a padded mesh back, and replete-with-comfort shoulder straps will appreciate this pack.

The horizontal zippered front pocket is spacious enough to store your cellphone, wallet, and/or a small tablet. There's also a Key Strap attached to an O-ring inside this pocket, which is perfect for attaching an organizational pouch like the Clear Organizer Pouch, Double Organizer Pouch, or Ghost Whale Organizer Pouch.

Inside the main compartment are 2 O-rings and a minimalist built-in padded laptop compartment. It's a straightforward pouch of the same foam laminate that we use to make our Caches. It's able to fit laptop models like the 16" Macbook Pro and the Dell XPS 17" (see laptop fit guide for more details). Even if you decide not to carry your laptop, the compartment provides additional padding for your back. There's also an interior zippered pocket with some depth in the main compartment that can be accessed from the top or, when the front of the pack is folded over, the underside.

Conformity is overrated — except, perhaps, when it comes to shoulder straps. The edgelessness of this new strap allows it to more softly conform to your shoulder — we (and most people who have worn these straps) find that this increases comfort. Yet the straps aren't too soft: the 1/2" thick EVAZOTE® OEKO-TEX® certified foam means the strap is robust enough to carry a heavy load. We have also included integrated strap-keepers so you can manager those straps.

Included Removable Sternum Strap + Waist Strap

As with all of our major backpacks, we include adjustable and removable sternum and waist straps: if you don't like or don't use your waist or sternum strap, remove them!

Key Strap

As with most of our bags, we've included a key strap. 8" long from tip-to-tip, a snaphook on either end. Good for attaching your keys to.

New Zipper Pulls

Our new zipper pulls are soft and sturdy and meant to be wrapped through both holes in the zipper pull in order to keep them where they're meant to be.

Vertical Packing Cubelet

You can attach a Vertical Packing Cubelet to the pair of o-rings above the open-top laptop pocket.

Packing Cube Shoulder Bag

The Packing Cube Shoulder Bag is the perfect 2-in-1 packing cube. It's big enough to store rolled up shirts and if you want something a bit smaller when you get to where you're going, attach a shoulder strap and you've got a small everyday bag.

Materials

Exterior

bluesign® certified High-Tenacity 630 denier Ballistic nylon exterior

Interior

bluesign® and OEKO-TEX® certified 200 denier Halcyon/nylon ripstop
— or —
bluesign® certified 210 denier C erylon high tenacity nylon ripstop

Zippers

2x #8 YKK Aquaguard® coil zipper with metal sliders (exterior zippers)
1x #5 YKK coil zipper with plastic slider (interior zipper)
1x #3 YKK coil zipper with plastic slider (interior zipper)

Back

Closed-cell foam

Straps

Edgeless EV50 1/2” / 12mm shoulder straps (EVAZOTE® OEKO-TEX® foam)

Laptop Compartment

.25" / 6 mm thick foam padding laminated between black, heavy-duty polyester knit and brushed tricot

Components

Duraflex®, Nexus, and Woojin buckles and related components

Specs

Dimensions

13.4" (w) x 17.9" (h) x 6.8" (d) / 340 (w) x 455 (h) x 175 (d) mm

Weight

1 lb 7.3 oz / 660 grams

Volume

20 liters / 1200 cu. in. (ASTM Standard Measure)

Laptop Compartment

14.09" x 9.68" x 0.64" / 357.9mm x 245.9mm x 16.2 mm

Total O-Rings

7 (4 in the main compartment, 2 in the interior pocket, 1 in the front pocket)

4.9

Rated 4.9 out of 5 stars

Based on 24 reviews

96%would recommend this product

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24 reviews

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Aurora K.
Verified Reviewer
Bought For Myself
Product Standouts Thoughtful Design, Compact, Good Storage Size, Comfortable
3 weeks ago
Bought For Myself
Product Standouts Thoughtful Design, Compact, Good Storage Size, Comfortable
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Well-planned pockets. Exceeded expectations.
I am so happy with this bag, the storage is designed to utilize the space efficiently and far more convenient than it appears online. As another review stated, it is both compact and roomy all at once. I purchased it expecting a work backpack but it is surprisingly roomy and I will probably use it as my personal item when traveling. I purchased the padded hip belt to use with it and it's extremely comfortable to carry around all day. This is my first Tom Bihn purchase but it won't be my last!
Was this helpful?
Mark B.
Verified Buyer
Bought For Myself
Product Standouts Thoughtful Design, High Quality Craftsmanship, Comfortable, Versatile, Durable
1 month ago
Bought For Myself
Product Standouts Thoughtful Design, High Quality Craftsmanship, Comfortable, Versatile, Durable
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Awesome Everyday Bag!
This bag fits everything I use everyday for work. The large compartment keeps my MacBook Pro16”, iPad Pro 11” and a 1L tech pouch for chargers and accessories. Theres plenty of room still to accommodate a 40oz bottle and a lunch bag or light jacket. The inside small compartment is big enough to help keep items such as my wallet, keys, pill case, pens, multitool and AirPods, out of my pants pockets. The outside zipper compartment keeps my A5 notebook and any other papers collected throughout the day kept flat and neat. With all of these items in the bag, it still has a slim profile and very comfortable to carry.
I am not gentle with handling my bag and it frequently gets tossed onto the floor or sees rough surfaces. The material and craftsmanship is top notch and does not get dirty easily and has no signs of damage. It can be cleaned easily and despite how rough it is treated, it still looks brand new!
I recommend this to anyone looking for a simple and slim looking bag that packs a lot!
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A.L.
Verified Buyer
Bought For Myself
Product Standouts Thoughtful Design, Comfortable, High Quality Craftsmanship, Sewn in USA, Versatile
2 months ago
Bought For Myself
Product Standouts Thoughtful Design, Comfortable, High Quality Craftsmanship, Sewn in USA, Versatile
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Love at first carry
This bag is great for all of us who love TB’s quality but don’t relate to the pocketing system of the Synik and Synapse. I mostly use this everyday work carry or day trips. It even works well as a travel bag for 2-3 days using a Western Flyer packing cube for clothes, tech in the laptop sleeve, toiletries in the internal top pocket, and miscellaneous things in the front pocket. I usually find TB’s backpack straps too narrow to be comfy but they work great for smaller bags like the Paragon 2.0. I also really love the saturated color of the Cerylon fabric. A wonderful bag!
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Cathleen B.
Verified Buyer
Bought For Myself
Product Standouts Comfortable, High Quality Craftsmanship, Compact
3 months ago
Bought For Myself
Product Standouts Comfortable, High Quality Craftsmanship, Compact
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Great EDC!
Exactly what I wanted -- excellent construction with a streamlined design. I had been using the Smart Alec (my usual travel bag) as EDC, and it was really too large for that purpose. The Paragon is the perfect size, lightweight, and really comfortable to wear.
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kathryn w.
Verified Buyer
Bought For Myself
Product Standouts Thoughtful Design, High Quality Craftsmanship, Sewn in USA, Durable, Good Storage Size
3 months ago
Bought For Myself
Product Standouts Thoughtful Design, High Quality Craftsmanship, Sewn in USA, Durable, Good Storage Size
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Great travel companion!
Just got back from a 2+ week trip in France and my Paragon was ideal. It was used as my carry on on my flight, everyday transport and daily all-around grab and go bag. It held up beautifully with its easy access and great additional storage qualities - especially for my Ipad and Kindle. The color stood out and made it easy to find among the other black carry ons on the plane as well. I love it!
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Sewn in Seattle

Our bags are designed and sewn right here in Seattle, Washington, U.S.A.

That allows us to be control freaks in the best way possible; we have direct control and oversight of the quality of our materials, our products, and the jobs and working environment that we help create. It also offers us a unique spontaneity: when we have an idea for a new product or accessory, we can design it, figure out how to build it, add it to our website and be ready to ship it out our front door all within just a few weeks. How cool is that?

Intrigued? You can find out more about the unusual way we do business on our Company Philosophy page.

THE BIHN Guarantee

Everything you buy from us here at TOM BIHN is satisfaction guaranteed. We’ve been in business since 1972 and we stand behind what we make.

If something goes wrong and it's our fault, we'll fix it for free. Repairs due to normal wear and tear or due to other things that are not our fault will be performed, when possible, at a reasonable charge right here in our Seattle factory where your bag was made. Defects in materials or workmanship are uncommon and almost always evident while the product is still new. Keep in mind that bags and packs are often subject to extreme wear in everyday use: do not expect them to last forever. Only true love lasts forever! You can expect a TOM BIHN product to give years and years of hard service.

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Paragon 2.0

TLDR