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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$250.00


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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 (2021 iPad/ iPad Air/Pro 10.5")
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 340 reviews
97%would recommend this product
340 reviews
  • Jason M S.
    Verified Buyer
    Bought For Myself
    Product Standouts High Quality Craftsmanship
    18 minutes ago
    Bought For Myself
    Product Standouts High Quality Craftsmanship
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    It's great !

    I use this to carry daily to and from the office. It's just the right size and has the nicest straps.

  • Mildred R L.
    Verified Buyer
    Bought For Gift
    Product Standouts High Quality Craftsmanship, Durable, Easily Adjustable, Versatile, Great Gift
    5 days ago
    Bought For Gift
    Product Standouts High Quality Craftsmanship, Durable, Easily Adjustable, Versatile, Great Gift
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    great bag!

    gifted as a christmas present, love it!

  • Samantha G.
    Verified Buyer
    Bought For Myself
    Product Standouts Thoughtful Design, High Quality Craftsmanship, Good Storage Size, Versatile, Great Gift
    6 days ago
    Bought For Myself
    Product Standouts Thoughtful Design, High Quality Craftsmanship, Good Storage Size, Versatile, Great Gift
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    On my wishlist for over a year and totally worth it!

    This backpack was on my wishlist for over a year after I saw a friend with a Synik 22 and got interested in the backpack series. I decided that the Synapse was a better fit for me, but held off due to the price and kept it on my wishlist. I made the purchase after almost a year when I got a new job and knew it was time to upgrade to this backpack. I was not disappointed, the front pocket system in particular makes this backpack stand apart, it's so easy to grab things out without digging through your bag and it allows for easy organization with 4 compartments on the front, not include the "water bottle" compartment which can easily be used for other stuff, I often use mine to hold my kindle. The bottom compartment on the front carries quite a bit more than it looks like it can as well. I love this bag and am so happy that I made sure it was right for me before purchase as I was not disappointed! It can fit quite a lot, so my only thought is that maybe I should have sized down for everyday, but the extra space proved extremely useful when I traveled with it over Christmas break, as I could fit my jacket, some extra clothes, my laptop, and my craft bag all into the backpack without it feeling too heavy or overflowed. 10 out of 10 would recommend!

  • Karen F.
    Verified Buyer
    Bought For Myself
    Product Standouts Versatile, Thoughtful Design, High Quality Craftsmanship
    2 weeks ago
    Bought For Myself
    Product Standouts Versatile, Thoughtful Design, High Quality Craftsmanship
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    The Synapse 25

    I love this backpack. It has all of the features I was looking for. It's the perfect size for everyday use and the external pockets make all those small items easy to find.

  • Lindsay O.
    Verified Buyer
    Bought For Myself
    Product Standouts Thoughtful Design, Comfortable, High Quality Craftsmanship, Good Storage Size, Versatile
    2 weeks ago
    Bought For Myself
    Product Standouts Thoughtful Design, Comfortable, High Quality Craftsmanship, Good Storage Size, Versatile
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    Love this Bag!

    I love everything about this bag! The green is absolutely beautiful and I love the feel of the fabric. One of the things I was most excited about was all the pockets having separate volumes so they don’t steal from each other or smush together making things hard to pack. I got it for my new EDC and it works so much better than my old bag. My tech case fits perfectly in the bottom front pocket and I love that I can attach it in there with key straps. I’ve got wallet, keys, badges, headphones, and occasionally craft supplies in the front side pockets. One of them often become the junk drawer of the bag where you can find random things. The water bottle pocket fits my 32 oz hydro flask though it is snug. And then in the main compartment I fit a 16” laptop in a case, another smaller case with an iPad and kindle, a Nintendo Switch in a case, and the laptop charger. The backpack straps are extremely comfortable and one of the main reasons I went with Tom Bihn. I’ve been made into a fan with this bag and hope to use it for decades to come!

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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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