Peak Design Everyday Messenger

Conclusion

The Everyday Messenger from Peak Design is a Kickstarter runaway success, which spearheaded a renewed interest from various bag makers to offer high-quality products with innovative elements, different approaches, and a willingness to use modern materials and fabrics.

After using the Everyday Messenger it is easy to see why it had such an influence. Beyond the catchy marketing, this messenger bag really makes a lot of things differently. The fabrics, the straps, the adaptability, the craftsmanship all set new reference points. This comes at a price: the Everyday Messenger is far from being cheap. We would not be surprised if the designers created the bag without considering how much it would actually cost: there are no cut corners, nothing feels cheap, everything has a purpose and is deliberate.

It is good to see other manufacturers follow suit. While there is a market for inexpensive, functional camera bags, there is also, by all accounts, a demand for more refined products.

The Everyday Messenger is a pleasure to use. It is comfortable, well balanced, offers a good capacity and varied storage options. The level of integration with other Peak Design products is to be commended and makes the bag even more pleasant in use.

Our main gripe is, surprisingly, one of the bag’s principal features. Indeed, while we really like the idea of the Flexfold dividers, they are not perfect. In particular, they are less than ideally suited for smaller lenses such as most Pentax primes. This could be solved easily by making the dividers’ surface (or at least the bottom) compatible with Velcro in order to create smaller subdivisions to better protect the equipment. Using lens cases or pouches (either original or, for instance, Peak Design’s Range Pouches) helps with this but slows down the process of swapping gear.

We could also wish for a wider strap, although the padding is generous and it is always possible to add a third-party sleeve if needed. Also, while we understand and appreciate the way the strap is designed, it does mean that the padding’s position cannot be easily adjusted.

These elements notwithstanding, the Everyday Messenger is an impressive product, well-deserving of its reputation.

Pros

• Superb craftsmanship, choice of material and attention to details
• Weatherproof with sealed zippers and reinforced bottom
• Innovative straps system, modular, with included storage
• Integration with other Peak Design products
• Numerous original elements: side and passport storage, tripod carry system, sliding strap
• Flexfold dividers offer new ways to store and carry equipment
• Adaptable main compartment, can easily carry extra items in addition to photographic gear

Cons

• Dividers cannot be attached to each other, limiting possible configurations
• Smallest divisions too large for compact primes (workarounds possible)
• Some constraints to the strap’s padding positioning
• Tripod carry system imperfect with compact tripods

Who is it for

The Everyday Messenger from Peak Design is among the best in the crowded messenger bag market. It will appeal to photographers interested in adaptability and those who want to carry larger lenses. Anyone who believes that form and function are both important will appreciate this product. Users of other Peak Design products will benefit from the high level of integration.

Pentax photographers used to pancake lenses can use the bag but should remember that the compartments created by the Flexfold dividers are large in comparison with the small Pentax primes.

At $249.95 for the 15 version and $219.95 for the 13 version, the Everyday Messenger is certainly not a budget product. The price is in line with comparable bags from other manufacturers. It remains a purchase that requires some consideration.