The Synapse 25 in Black X-Pac with a colorful label The Synapse 25 in Black X-Pac with a Zest (orange with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior The Synapse 25 in Black X-Pac with a grey label The Synapse 25 in Black X-Pac with a Northwest Sky (grey with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. A Synapse 25 in Cloud (light grey) 525 Ballistic. A Synapse 25 in Cloud (light grey) 525 Ballistic with Seafoam (pale green with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. The Synapse 25 in Cloud Ballistic with an Island 200 Halcyon interior. A Synapse 25 in Deep Blue (dark blue) Ballistic. A Synapse 25 in Deep Blue (dark blue) 525 Ballistic with Sakura (pale pink with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. A Synapse 25 in Deep Blue (dark blue) 525 Ballistic with Zest (orange with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. A Synapse 25 in Deep Blue (dark blue) 525 Ballistic with Cerise (pink with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. A Synapse 25 in Deep Blue (dark blue) 525 Ballistic with Moss (green with light green grid) 210 Cerylon interior. A Synapse 25 in Deep Blue (dark blue) 525 Ballistic with Acai (dark purple with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. A Synapse 25 in Aubergine (dark purple) 525 Ballistic. A Synapse 25 in Aubergine Ballistic with Wisteria (pale purple with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. A Synapse 25 in Aubergine (dark purple) Ballistic with Dusk (light blue-grey with blue-grey grid) 210 Cerylon interior. A Synapse 25 in Aubergine (purple) 525 Ballistic with Mountain Grey 210 Cerylon interior. A Synapse 25 in Aubergine (dark purple) 525 Ballistic with Island (blue with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. A Synapse 25 in Aubergine (dark purple) Ballistic with Tidal (pale blue with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. A Synapse 25 in Aubergine (dark purple) 525 Ballistic with Northwest Sky (light grey with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. A Synapse 25 in Taiga (olive green with grey grid) 400 Halcyon. A Synapse 25 in Aubergine (dark purple) Ballistic with Kiwi (green with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. A Synapse 25 in Taiga (olive green with grey grid) 400 Halcyon with Northwest Sky (light grey with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. A Synapse 25 in Constellation (light blue) 525 Ballistic. A Synapse 25 in Constellation (light blue) 525 Ballistic with Mountain Grey (grey with light grey grid) 210 Cerylon interior. A Synapse 25 in Constellation (light blue) 525 Ballistic with Northwest Sky (light grey with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. A Synapse 25 in Constellation (light blue) 525 Ballistic with Solaris (yellow with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. A Synapse 25 in Wilderness (forest green) Ballistic. A Synapse 25 in Wilderness (forest green) 525 Ballistic with Mountain Grey (grey with light grey grid) 200 Halcyon interior. A Synapse 25 in Wilderness (forest green) 525 Ballistic with Northwest Sky (light grey with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. A Synapse 25 in Wilderness (forest green) Ballistic with Taiga (olive green with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. A Synapse 25 in Wilderness (forest green) 525 Ballistic with Seafoam (pale green with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. A Synapse 25 in Wilderness (forest green) 525 Ballistic with Coyote (brown with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. A Synapse 25 in Black Ballistic. A Synapse 25 in Black Ballistic with Island (blue with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. A Synapse 25 in Black Ballistic with Wisteria (pale purple with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. A Synapse 25 in Black Ballistic with Cerise (pink with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. A Synapse 25 in Black Ballistic with Zest (orange with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. A Synapse 25 in Black Ballistic with Kiwi (green with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. A Synapse 25 in Black 525 Ballistic with Seafoam (pale green with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. A Black Ballistic Synapse 25 with the side pocket open showing the Moss Cerylon lining color. A Synapse 25 in Black 630 Ballistic with Northwest Sky (light grey with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. A Synapse 25 in Black 630 Ballistic. A profile shot of Synapse 25 in Black 525 Ballistic. A Synapse 25 in Mars Red Ballistic. Synapse 25 in Mars Red with Zest 200 Halcyon Synapse 25 in Mars Red Ballistic with Northwest Sky Halcyon interior. Synapse 25 in Burnt Orange Ballistic A Synapse 25 in Burnt Orange 525 Ballistic with Northwest Sky (grey with light grey grid) 210 Cerylon interior. A Synapse 25 in Burnt Orange 525 Ballistic with Northwest Sky (light grey with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. A Synapse 25 in Burnt Orange 630 Ballistic with Sangria (red with light red grid) 210 Cerylon interior. A Synapse 25 in Nebulous Grey (medium grey) 630 Ballistic. A Nebulous Grey Ballistic Synapse 25 with the side pocket open showing the Northwest Sky Halcyon lining color. A Nebulous Grey Ballistic Synapse 25 with the side pocket open showing the Island Halcyon lining color. A Nebulous Grey Ballistic Synapse 25 with the side pocket open showing the Marigold Cerylon lining color. A Nebulous Grey Ballistic Synapse 25 with the side pocket open showing the Sangria Cerylon lining color. A Synapse 25 in Nebulous Grey (medium grey) 525 Ballistic with Island (blue) 210 Ballistic interior. A Synapse 25 in Nebulous Grey (medium grey) 525 Ballistic with Solaris (yellow with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. A Synapse 25 in Nebulous Grey (medium grey) 630 Ballistic with Zest (orange with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. A Synapse 25 in Ursa (brown-grey) 630 Ballistic. Synapse 25 in Ursa Ballistic with a Tidal 200 Halcyon interior. A Synapse 25 in Ursa (brown-grey) Ballistic with Seafoam (pale green with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. A Synapse 25 in Ursa (grey brown) 525 Ballistic with Northwest Sky (grey with light grey grid) 210 Cerylon interior. A Synapse 25 in Ursa (brown-grey) 525 Ballistic with Dawn (purple grey) 210 Ballistic interior. A Synapse 25 in Ursa (brown-grey) 525 Ballistic with Island (blue with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. Synapse 25 in Ursa Ballistic with a Moss 210 Cerylon interior. A Synapse 25 in Ursa (brown-grey) 525 Ballistic with Northwest Sky (light grey with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. A Synapse 25 in Coyote (brown) 525 Ballistic. A Synapse 25 in Coyote (brown) 525 Ballistic with Northwest Sky (grey with light grey grid) 210 Cerylon interior. A Synapse 25 in Coyote (brown) 525 Ballistic with Northwest Sky (light grey with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. A Synapse 25 in Coyote (brown) 525 Ballistic with Island (blue with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. A Synapse 25 in Saguaro (olive green) 630 Ballistic. A Synapse 25 in Saguaro (olive green) 630 Ballistic with Moss 210 Cerylon. A Synapse 25 in Saguaro (olive green) 630 Ballistic. Synapse 25 in Raspberry 630 Ballistic with Kiwi 200 Halcyon interior. The Synapse 25 in Marine X-Pac The Synapse 25 in Marine (blue) X-Pac with a Northwest Sky (grey with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior
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One backpack for: Ultralight travel. Day hikes. EDC.

25 liters / 1526 cu.in.

Looking for the Synapse 19, Synik 22, or Synik 30?
Add a Cache
$51.00 - 10A (10.5" 2021 iPad/ iPad Air/Pro)
visible variant TB03310A TB03310B TB03311A TB03312A TB03313A TB03313B TB03313C TB03313D TB03313E TB03315A TB03315B TB03315C TB03315D TB03316A TB03317B^^A Cache on the Horizontal side.

TLDR

With 30% more volume than the Synapse 19, the Synapse 25 is an everyday backpack designed with ultimate utility in mind. 

  • Main compartment with 2 O-rings
  • Interior, banded open-top pocket
  • 5 exterior front pockets with independent volume
  • Comfortable, durable, edgeless shoulder straps
  • Breathable back panel
  • Removable sternum strap and waist strap
  • Webbing loop on exterior bottom of bag to hook items on the outside
  • Meets the personal item size requirement on most airlines
  • Generally fits folks between 5'6" and 6'6" comfortably

Full Description

 

Main Compartment

The main compartment closes with #10 YKK® Racquet-Coil zipper and is designed to fit large, flat items like notebooks. On the front interior side of the main compartment, there is a banded open-top pocket. It's spacious enough to fit a wide range of items, such as books, tablet, pair of sandals or our Clear 3D Organizer Cube. Above this open-top pocket is a set of Cache lops where you can secure a device as large as the 16" Macbook Pro in a Cache

On the back interior side of the main compartment are an additional set of Cache loops and two O-rings for tethering additional pouches.

5 Front Exterior Organizational Pockets

The Synapse 25 has an abundant amount of organization for your everyday essentials, big and small. The exterior of the bag has five pockets with independent volume, meaning that the pockets are designed and patterned in such a way that they don't steal space from each other and they look good (not too caved in, not too bulgy) whether full or empty.

The water bottle pocket is intentionally centered in the bag, allowing one of the heavier objects in your bag to be balanced in the middle, resulting in a more comfortable carrying experience while maintaining a clean, straight-forward exterior aesthetic. We've found that most standard 32 oz / 1 liter water bottles can comfortably fit in the water bottle pocket.

Below the opening for the water bottle pocket is another small zippered pocket that is just deep enough for keys, a wallet, glove liners, or a small camera.

The side pockets are generously sized for sunglasses (in a case or alone), a first aid kit, or even a light Windbreaker-type jacket or down vest compressed in a Travel Stuff Sack. The right side pocket has a small organizational pocket; the left pocket has one pen slot and two wider slots for tools or more pens. 

The bottom pocket is a great spot for extra clothing or snacks and will easily accommodate a thin sweater, light down jacket, or Windbreaker-type jacket. If you care to add organization, we recommend storing a Size 2 Handy Little Thing here. 

Each of the top four pockets has its own O-ring, and the bottom pocket has three O-rings. You can use them to attach our mini or small Ghost Whale Organizer Pouches or Mystery Organizer Pouches.

Edgeless EV50 1/2" Shoulder Strap

Conformity is overrated — except, perhaps, when it comes to shoulder straps. The edgelessness of this strap allows it to more softly conform to your shoulder; we find that this increases comfort. Yet the straps aren't too soft: the 1/2" thick foam means the strap is robust enough to carry a heavy load.

There's enough length on the shoulder straps to accommodate a wide range of body types. If you need to tighten the straps to the maximum amount, don't worry about having dangling ends — we've included sewn-in strap keepers to help keep those at bay. 

Breathable Back Panel

The back panel of the Synapse 25 is padded with 1/4", high quality, closed cell-foam with an exterior of Spacer mesh and 210 denier nylon. This combination of mesh and smooth nylon is designed to provide maximum breathability while still being gentle on your clothing.

Webbing Loop on Exterior Bottom

On the exterior bottom of the bag is a 1.5" / 38mm webbing loop. Originally, the Synapse was designed for hiking, so the intended use of the webbing loop was for hooking on a flashlight (highly recommended if you ride a bicycle or walk in the dark). If you're planning on using the Synapse for travel, we've found the webbing loop serves as an extra grab handle, allowing you to easily pull the Synapse from under the seat or the overhead compartment no matter which direction you stowed it on your flight.

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!

8" Snaphook/Snaphook 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.

A Set of Black Zipper Pulls

A set of pulls to extend or replace your metal pulls.

What's Optional

Size 2 Handy Little Thing (HLT)

You can attach a Size 2 Handy Little Thing (HLT) to the pair of cache loops above the open-top pocket, or you can store the HLT in the bottom front pocket of the Synapse 25. It is the perfect clamshell organizer pouch for those looking for a lot of organization.

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. Once you reach your destination, attach a shoulder strap and use it as a crossbody. 

Freudian Slip

Love organizing and want even more pockets? The Synapse 25/Synik 30 Freudian Slip adds an additional fifteen organizational pockets to your bag. One side of the Freudian Slip has two folder pockets that can fit folders/papers horizontally or vertically, as well as four open-top pockets for a small tablet in a Cache or a notebook. The other side has two mesh pockets for bulky items, two large zippered pockets, four pen slots, and a business card slot.

Cache

The Synapse 25 can accommodate a wide range of devices. If you plan on putting a laptop or smaller tablet in the interior banded open-top pocket, we recommend adding a Cache.

The main compartment closes with #10 YKK® Racquet-Coil zipper and is designed to fit large, flat items like notebooks. On the front interior side of the main compartment, there is a banded open-top pocket. It's spacious enough to fit a wide range of items, such as books, tablet, pair of sandals or our Clear 3D Organizer Cube. Above this open-top pocket is a set of Cache lops where you can secure a device as large as the 16" Macbook Pro in a Cache

On the back interior side of the main compartment are an additional set of Cache loops and two O-rings for tethering additional pouches.

The Synapse 25 has an abundant amount of organization for your everyday essentials, big and small. The exterior of the bag has five pockets with independent volume, meaning that the pockets are designed and patterned in such a way that they don't steal space from each other and they look good (not too caved in, not too bulgy) whether full or empty.

The water bottle pocket is intentionally centered in the bag, allowing one of the heavier objects in your bag to be balanced in the middle, resulting in a more comfortable carrying experience while maintaining a clean, straight-forward exterior aesthetic. We've found that most standard 32 oz / 1 liter water bottles can comfortably fit in the water bottle pocket.

Below the opening for the water bottle pocket is another small zippered pocket that is just deep enough for keys, a wallet, glove liners, or a small camera.

The side pockets are generously sized for sunglasses (in a case or alone), a first aid kit, or even a light Windbreaker-type jacket or down vest compressed in a Travel Stuff Sack. The right side pocket has a small organizational pocket; the left pocket has one pen slot and two wider slots for tools or more pens. 

The bottom pocket is a great spot for extra clothing or snacks and will easily accommodate a thin sweater, light down jacket, or Windbreaker-type jacket. If you care to add organization, we recommend storing a Size 2 Handy Little Thing here. 

Each of the top four pockets has its own O-ring, and the bottom pocket has three O-rings. You can use them to attach our mini or small Ghost Whale Organizer Pouches or Mystery Organizer Pouches.

Conformity is overrated — except, perhaps, when it comes to shoulder straps. The edgelessness of this strap allows it to more softly conform to your shoulder; we find that this increases comfort. Yet the straps aren't too soft: the 1/2" thick foam means the strap is robust enough to carry a heavy load.

There's enough length on the shoulder straps to accommodate a wide range of body types. If you need to tighten the straps to the maximum amount, don't worry about having dangling ends — we've included sewn-in strap keepers to help keep those at bay. 

The back panel of the Synapse 25 is padded with 1/4", high quality, closed cell-foam with an exterior of Spacer mesh and 210 denier nylon. This combination of mesh and smooth nylon is designed to provide maximum breathability while still being gentle on your clothing.

On the exterior bottom of the bag is a 1.5" / 38mm webbing loop. Originally, the Synapse was designed for hiking, so the intended use of the webbing loop was for hooking on a flashlight (highly recommended if you ride a bicycle or walk in the dark). If you're planning on using the Synapse for travel, we've found the webbing loop serves as an extra grab handle, allowing you to easily pull the Synapse from under the seat or the overhead compartment no matter which direction you stowed it on your flight.

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!

8" Snaphook/Snaphook 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.

A Set of Black Zipper Pulls

A set of pulls to extend or replace your metal pulls.

Size 2 Handy Little Thing (HLT)

You can attach a Size 2 Handy Little Thing (HLT) to the pair of cache loops above the open-top pocket, or you can store the HLT in the bottom front pocket of the Synapse 25. It is the perfect clamshell organizer pouch for those looking for a lot of organization.

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. Once you reach your destination, attach a shoulder strap and use it as a crossbody. 

Freudian Slip

Love organizing and want even more pockets? The Synapse 25/Synik 30 Freudian Slip adds an additional fifteen organizational pockets to your bag. One side of the Freudian Slip has two folder pockets that can fit folders/papers horizontally or vertically, as well as four open-top pockets for a small tablet in a Cache or a notebook. The other side has two mesh pockets for bulky items, two large zippered pockets, four pen slots, and a business card slot.

Cache

The Synapse 25 can accommodate a wide range of devices. If you plan on putting a laptop or smaller tablet in the interior banded open-top pocket, we recommend adding a Cache.

Materials

Upper Back

Spacer Mesh

Back Pad

Closed-cell foam

Shoulder Straps

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

Zippers

1x #10 YKK Racquet-Coil water-repellent zipper with metal slider (main compartment)
5 #8 YKK Racquet-Coil water-repellent zippers with metal sliders (all other exterior zippers)

Specs

Dimensions

13.4" (w) x 20" (h) x 9.1" (d) / 340 (w) x 508 (h) x 230 (d) mm

Weight

400d Halcyon/420d nylon ripstop: 1 lb 13 oz / 822 grams
X-Pac®: 1 lb 13.1 oz / 825 grams
630d Ballistic: 1 lb 15.8 oz / 900 grams

Volume

25 liters / 1526 cubic inches (ASTM Standard Measure)

Straps

.375" / 10 mm padded and contoured backpack straps with .75" / 20 mm removable sternum strap

Total O-Rings

9

(2 in the main compartment
1 in the top center pocket
1 in the small center pocket
3 in the bottom front pocket
1 in the left side pocket
1 in the right side pocket)

4.9
Rated 4.9 out of 5 stars
Based on 330 reviews
97%would recommend this product
330 reviews
  • William D.
    Verified Buyer
    Bought For Myself
    Product Standouts Thoughtful Design, Comfortable, High Quality Craftsmanship, High Quality Finishings, Durable
    1 week ago
    Bought For Myself
    Product Standouts Thoughtful Design, Comfortable, High Quality Craftsmanship, High Quality Finishings, Durable
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    Excellent

    Great backpack with lots of pockets for storage. Zippers are smooth and large enough not to get stuck when the bag is fully packed. My only recommendation is to add some sort of rubber or tack to the straps so it grips should better when only wearing one strap.

  • Sanjib Bashir A.
    Verified Buyer
    Bought For Myself
    Product Standouts Thoughtful Design, Comfortable, High Quality Craftsmanship, Sewn in USA
    1 week ago
    Bought For Myself
    Product Standouts Thoughtful Design, Comfortable, High Quality Craftsmanship, Sewn in USA
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    A true classic

    Love the Tom Bihn Synapse 25. Was especially inspired seeing @highonmike YouTube review where he uses a Synapse 25 for 5 years traveling all over the world. The bag fits my ThinkPad P52 (15 inch laptop) perfectly with room to spare. The bag also fits nicely under the seat of airplanes that I traveled recently (Airbus 330-300 and 320).

  • Mary R.
    Verified Buyer
    Bought For Myself
    Product Standouts Thoughtful Design, High Quality Craftsmanship, Versatile, Durable, Sewn in USA
    1 week ago
    Bought For Myself
    Product Standouts Thoughtful Design, High Quality Craftsmanship, Versatile, Durable, Sewn in USA
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    EDC + travel all in one

    I got this because I needed to switch from a tote to backpack to save my back and my overall balance. It’s a little big for every day, but then there are days when I bring my breakfast, coffee and lunch, and the size is great. The lower zip area fits food containers, which is great because if they do happen to leak, it’s all waterproof in there. When traveling it fits an extra pair of shoes (I’m female, size 7.5). Side pockets work for all kinds of small things — which I don’t carry around much, but which I’m a trip are perfect for first aid, meds I have to have with me,etc. the central pocket for my coffee thermos is brilliant — somehow it always fits in there no matter how full the bag is. Love this bag.

  • Neil R.
    Verified Buyer
    Bought For Myself
    1 week ago
    Bought For Myself
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    Synapse 25

    Plenty of room for everything. Much bigger than I thought . Great quality!

  • Andrew Y.
    Verified Buyer
    Bought For Myself
    Product Standouts Thoughtful Design, Comfortable, High Quality Craftsmanship, Sewn in USA, High Quality Finishings
    2 weeks ago
    Bought For Myself
    Product Standouts Thoughtful Design, Comfortable, High Quality Craftsmanship, Sewn in USA, High Quality Finishings
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    Great bag

    A lot of organization, durable, and comfortable. My favorite bag that I own for bike commuting.

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Lifetime guarantee image

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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