Thank you for a very thorough comparison, Spencer. While I am a Tom Bihn fan and have many TB bags in my closet, my everyday backpack has been an Aer Travel Pack for about the last year. I use the Travel Pack 3 Small for general work trips, and I have a Travel Pack 3 (35L) that I use on longer trips where I need to cram more gear into my primary carry-on bag. That said, I pre-ordered a Bixi because, well, it's a Tom Bihn bag. :-) As you said, if I don't like it, I'm sure I can sell it unused for what I paid for it. There are a few additional pros and cons of the Aer pack I'd like to add for anyone else watching (and reading): PROS - There is a handy little side pocket on the side opposite the water bottle pocket. It's a great place for ear buds, mints, etc. - Inside the main compartment is a hidden pocket that is a great place to stash some extra cash, emergency contact info, or even a passport (if you don't need easy access during your travel). - Behind that "flap" in the main compartment that you don't like is a hidden pocket for a tracking tag (Tile, AirTag, etc.). - That top pocket that you said doesn't make any sense is where I toss my wallet, phone, keys, etc. while going through airport security. It is usually empty otherwise, but on other bags I've carried I really missed this convenient "dump" pocket. - Aer's shoulder straps have load lifters. When I'm packed out fully, my pack weighs about 35 lbs. (around 16 kilos), so those load lifters are very helpful when I start to feel that pull fro ma heavy pack. - There are handles on all four sides of the pack (you may have missed the little one on the bottom). Is this overkill? Maybe. But I dragged this pack on planes, trains, busses, "tuk-tuks", etc. and always had a place to grab the pack. CONS - That signature lower-front pocket on the Aer pack is so tight that it's a bit impractical. I'm really excited about the added "dimension" of the Bixi's front pocket making that part of the pack much more useful. - The one mesh pocket inside the Aer sometimes gets overloaded, which makes bulge and also unbalances the weight of the front flap when you fully open the main compartment. I wish it had two mesh pockets like the Bixi. - That random ring above the water bottle pocket is where I put a mini Hero Clip - which I often use to clip onto my water bottle so it doesn't slide out. As you noticed, the water bottle pocket is not very tight and my trusty 24 oz. Hydroflask would slip out in the overhead without a clip. I am hoping the Bixi's elastic mesh pocket will do better. - NO o-rings, of course...which makes me sad. ;-) - It is HEAVY when empty. I'm hoping the lighter material of the Bixi will be nice. Thanks again for the review and I'm excited to compare them myself when my Bixi arrives.
Appreciate the honesty! I think doing a loaded out wear comparison would be interesting. I think the Aers are generally well thought out but not as into the o-rings, halcyon, and color options. Aers handle their weight pretty well, too. Interested to see how the Bixi handles weight on the shoulders. Thanks for doing this comparison!
I just compared a bunch of bags for travel. I decided on the ULA Dragonfly 36L based on weight and comfort and also how much it could carry. I love AER bags and their designs. I have several. However, I returned the AER Travel Pack 3 in Ultra because: 1) the many pockets and organizational features take up space that i would rather use for packing clothes. For me, the bag gets me to the place I am staying and I carry another small bag for EDC. The 35L bag has a large main compartment, but I decided I could bring more with a simpler bag. 2) the weight. The TP3 carries well with all the adjustments, including lifters. However, it is not the only bag that has these. I saved well over a pound by picking the ULA bag and it was just as comfortable. Again, I love Aer bags and have a few, including the City Pack Pro Ultra, City Pack Pro Xpac, Pro pack, pouches, two brief cases... However, the TP3 is a beautiful concept and it was hard to let it go. For travel, it came down to weight and capacity for me. Just my 2 cents. Now, I am looking at the Bixi which no way, for me, in the same design/materials class as the TP3. But, it has good organization and still seems to hold more. It is also lighter. I think I will give it a try. But, if Aer could redce the weight of the TP3 by a pound, I'll be first in line to get one. Again, respectfully submitted.
The AER also has two optional materials, both waterproof. X-Pac sailcloth is very strong and does collect dust. The side buckles are compression pulls. Another Windows user sends you greetings.
I appreciate the walk though - I personally strongly see the value of a quick access pocket on the top - so many bag makers make those, goruck and evergoods yoke pocket most notably. It's a very common pocket (except for TB) and absolutely doesn't invade in the space of the bag if you don't use it, but very often, that area is wasted space in a bag where everything sinks to the bottom. I didn't pre-order the Bixi because it LACKED compression straps, interior lining (which I mentioned on your live unpacking), and I think it needs, haha, a quick access pocket somewhere, either on the front panel like the Aer, or on the top. Keep up the good work.
Can you please explain why you prefer the Bixi over the T30? I am trying to decide between them. I really want it to fit under the seat of a plane. The laptop compartment on T30 does not lock an therefore I would have to lock computer in main compartment--seems like a pain--when checking bag with hotel etc. Any overall comparison/thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks!
The comparison is not close. The Aer TP3 is better in quality and it costs a lot less. This AER bag is famous for including pretty much every possible feature. The only downside to the Aer TP3 is the weight. Sorry, in my opinion you misjudged the top fuzzy pocket - it is great for quick access items - sunglasses, airpods, etc.
Aer TP3/S is nice for organization if you're new to one bag travel, but even as a tall man, it is so unnecessarily heavy and unwieldy. I just sold mine, working on finding my next. I cannot recommend Aer for any sort of length of travel, it's so heavy.
For it to be a $350 bag and not even have halcyon lining on the front inside panel makes it look cheap. I love my TB bags but the Bixi is a miss. I think the company continues to stray further away from the design philosophy that made the company so special to begin with.
I don't own any TB bags and am not overly familiar with the brand but given what I do know about the brand and products, I think you're onto something here. I think all carry fans hope for the best of continued success for the TB brand and that they allow the designers (and not the accountants) to lead the charge. Definitely a challenge - how to expand the reach of a premium brand with premium pricing and in such a niche market it's not easy. The Cadillac transformation might be a positive story like this but the car market is so different than the bag / backpack market. Fingers crossed they chart the right path.
The Aer has the load lifters on the straps. That alone makes the Aer a better buy. I think TB missed the boat on this particular bag. I love most of their bags but this one is a miss. There are so many excellent travel bags out there and to not include a basic like load lifters is just short sighted and an easy miss.
Thank you for a very thorough comparison, Spencer. While I am a Tom Bihn fan and have many TB bags in my closet, my everyday backpack has been an Aer Travel Pack for about the last year. I use the Travel Pack 3 Small for general work trips, and I have a Travel Pack 3 (35L) that I use on longer trips where I need to cram more gear into my primary carry-on bag. That said, I pre-ordered a Bixi because, well, it's a Tom Bihn bag. :-) As you said, if I don't like it, I'm sure I can sell it unused for what I paid for it.
There are a few additional pros and cons of the Aer pack I'd like to add for anyone else watching (and reading):
PROS
- There is a handy little side pocket on the side opposite the water bottle pocket. It's a great place for ear buds, mints, etc.
- Inside the main compartment is a hidden pocket that is a great place to stash some extra cash, emergency contact info, or even a passport (if you don't need easy access during your travel).
- Behind that "flap" in the main compartment that you don't like is a hidden pocket for a tracking tag (Tile, AirTag, etc.).
- That top pocket that you said doesn't make any sense is where I toss my wallet, phone, keys, etc. while going through airport security. It is usually empty otherwise, but on other bags I've carried I really missed this convenient "dump" pocket.
- Aer's shoulder straps have load lifters. When I'm packed out fully, my pack weighs about 35 lbs. (around 16 kilos), so those load lifters are very helpful when I start to feel that pull fro ma heavy pack.
- There are handles on all four sides of the pack (you may have missed the little one on the bottom). Is this overkill? Maybe. But I dragged this pack on planes, trains, busses, "tuk-tuks", etc. and always had a place to grab the pack.
CONS
- That signature lower-front pocket on the Aer pack is so tight that it's a bit impractical. I'm really excited about the added "dimension" of the Bixi's front pocket making that part of the pack much more useful.
- The one mesh pocket inside the Aer sometimes gets overloaded, which makes bulge and also unbalances the weight of the front flap when you fully open the main compartment. I wish it had two mesh pockets like the Bixi.
- That random ring above the water bottle pocket is where I put a mini Hero Clip - which I often use to clip onto my water bottle so it doesn't slide out. As you noticed, the water bottle pocket is not very tight and my trusty 24 oz. Hydroflask would slip out in the overhead without a clip. I am hoping the Bixi's elastic mesh pocket will do better.
- NO o-rings, of course...which makes me sad. ;-)
- It is HEAVY when empty. I'm hoping the lighter material of the Bixi will be nice.
Thanks again for the review and I'm excited to compare them myself when my Bixi arrives.
These addition insights are awesome. Thank you so much for sharing!
Appreciate the honesty! I think doing a loaded out wear comparison would be interesting. I think the Aers are generally well thought out but not as into the o-rings, halcyon, and color options. Aers handle their weight pretty well, too. Interested to see how the Bixi handles weight on the shoulders. Thanks for doing this comparison!
nice job and I think everyone appreciates your honest and thoughtful comparison.
I just compared a bunch of bags for travel. I decided on the ULA Dragonfly 36L based on weight and comfort and also how much it could carry. I love AER bags and their designs. I have several. However, I returned the AER Travel Pack 3 in Ultra because: 1) the many pockets and organizational features take up space that i would rather use for packing clothes. For me, the bag gets me to the place I am staying and I carry another small bag for EDC. The 35L bag has a large main compartment, but I decided I could bring more with a simpler bag. 2) the weight. The TP3 carries well with all the adjustments, including lifters. However, it is not the only bag that has these. I saved well over a pound by picking the ULA bag and it was just as comfortable. Again, I love Aer bags and have a few, including the City Pack Pro Ultra, City Pack Pro Xpac, Pro pack, pouches, two brief cases... However, the TP3 is a beautiful concept and it was hard to let it go. For travel, it came down to weight and capacity for me. Just my 2 cents. Now, I am looking at the Bixi which no way, for me, in the same design/materials class as the TP3. But, it has good organization and still seems to hold more. It is also lighter. I think I will give it a try. But, if Aer could redce the weight of the TP3 by a pound, I'll be first in line to get one. Again, respectfully submitted.
Aer TP3 small is an easy win. No brainer. Agree with you that the small version is the better one compared to the 33L version.
The bixi has less material \ features and cost more too
The AER also has two optional materials, both waterproof. X-Pac sailcloth is very strong and does collect dust. The side buckles are compression pulls.
Another Windows user sends you greetings.
“Travel without a pen”…. What a monster! :) Great review/comparison.
@@enriquediaz7547 😂
I appreciate the walk though - I personally strongly see the value of a quick access pocket on the top - so many bag makers make those, goruck and evergoods yoke pocket most notably. It's a very common pocket (except for TB) and absolutely doesn't invade in the space of the bag if you don't use it, but very often, that area is wasted space in a bag where everything sinks to the bottom. I didn't pre-order the Bixi because it LACKED compression straps, interior lining (which I mentioned on your live unpacking), and I think it needs, haha, a quick access pocket somewhere, either on the front panel like the Aer, or on the top. Keep up the good work.
Great side by side review. Very thorough. 👍
Can’t wait for your experience review on Aer TP3s
There’s so many videos on the AER TP3. I recommend watching a few to get more of the gist of the bag. TB is new so thank you for your review.
I love Aer bags but they're always so heavy! The Bixi looks really appealing because it's much lighter
It really should be lined for the price ijs.
@@jasonsbrain9822 I think that’s valid.
I might have gotten it if was lined ... that bend is just gonna delaminate
Can you please explain why you prefer the Bixi over the T30? I am trying to decide between them. I really want it to fit under the seat of a plane. The laptop compartment on T30 does not lock an therefore I would have to lock computer in main compartment--seems like a pain--when checking bag with hotel etc. Any overall comparison/thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks!
The comparison is not close. The Aer TP3 is better in quality and it costs a lot less. This AER bag is famous for including pretty much every possible feature. The only downside to the Aer TP3 is the weight. Sorry, in my opinion you misjudged the top fuzzy pocket - it is great for quick access items - sunglasses, airpods, etc.
Thanks for the review! Not sure if I caught it: what size HLT was that? Thinking about one!
Aer TP3/S is nice for organization if you're new to one bag travel, but even as a tall man, it is so unnecessarily heavy and unwieldy. I just sold mine, working on finding my next. I cannot recommend Aer for any sort of length of travel, it's so heavy.
It’s a travel pack. Really 4 pounds is too heavy 🤦♂️
I think the Aer is a lot heavier. I wonder if it affects comfort with the same load.
The Bixi is made in America. The Aer is made overseas. That has a lot to do with the Bixi's higher price tag.
For it to be a $350 bag and not even have halcyon lining on the front inside panel makes it look cheap. I love my TB bags but the Bixi is a miss. I think the company continues to stray further away from the design philosophy that made the company so special to begin with.
I don't own any TB bags and am not overly familiar with the brand but given what I do know about the brand and products, I think you're onto something here. I think all carry fans hope for the best of continued success for the TB brand and that they allow the designers (and not the accountants) to lead the charge. Definitely a challenge - how to expand the reach of a premium brand with premium pricing and in such a niche market it's not easy. The Cadillac transformation might be a positive story like this but the car market is so different than the bag / backpack market. Fingers crossed they chart the right path.
The Aer has the load lifters on the straps. That alone makes the Aer a better buy. I think TB missed the boat on this particular bag. I love most of their bags but this one is a miss. There are so many excellent travel bags out there and to not include a basic like load lifters is just short sighted and an easy miss.
AFAIK TB doesn't do load lifters at all. In fact they wrote a blog post about it.