Why The TOM BIHN Aeronaut 45 is Still My Favorite Luggage 10 Years Later

In 2014, I got a TOM BIHN Aeronaut 45. As a petite woman over 40, I have found many luggage and travel backpacks to be either too small for what I need to pack or too big for my body. However, the TOM BIHN Aeronaut 45 is so perfect that ten years later, it is still the piece of luggage I choose first for most any kind of trip.

My TOM BIHN Aeronaut 45 has been checked on airplanes, comfortably fit into overhead compartments, shoved into rooftop carriers for road trips, worn as a backpack for miles through cities, cobblestone roads, and up and down hills, easily carried with the hand and crossbody straps, and still looks stylish enough to feel confident checking into high-end hotels.

I've fit two weeks of clothing and toiletries into my TOM BIHN Aeronaut 45, but it's also great for shorter trips. It has multiple compartments to separate shoes and toiletries and still has space to pack souvenirs. This is the perfect bag if you wish to travel carry-on only and when traveling overseas.

A revolutionary US-based company that makes high-quality and smartly designed luggage for men and women, I believe when you hear about TOM BIHN, you too may become a fan.

I originally wrote this TOM BIHN review in 2020 but updated it for 2024 as I am celebrating my 10th anniversary traveling with TOM BIHN, and also because the post had dated information focusing on 2020 products and projects. I always want to ensure Wardrobe Oxygen offers up-to-date information, especially when it comes to my favorite things!

Tell Me About TOM BIHN Bags

A Seattle-based Certified B Corporation, TOM BIHN designs, manufactures, ships, services customers, photographs, designs fabric, and has its web team all in the same 16,000-square-foot location in Seattle, Washington. This is a company that cares for its employees, its customers, and the world around it. All that, and TOM BIHN makes some impressive bags.

When Tom (yes, Tom Bihn is a real person) was 10, he asked his parents for camping and hiking gear. They told him to either get a job or figure out how to make it himself. He chose the latter and, with his grandmother’s sewing machine and his family’s support, started a 50+ year design journey. Tom designed his first bag in 1972 and started TOM BIHN in 1982.

All TOM BIHN products are made in the USA, and each piece they create has a lifetime guarantee. While TOM BIHN has grown in popularity, regularly recommended on travel sites and message boards, the company still has a small business vibe, knowing and caring for its customers and even sharing photos and bios of every single employee on staff.

Why The TOM BIHN Aeronaut 45 is Still My Favorite Luggage 10 Years Later

In 2014, a reader emailed me asking for a business casual capsule wardrobe that would fit in her TOM BIHN Aeronaut bag. I had never heard of this bag brand and did some research. Made in America, highly rated, ethical company, happy employees, does good for the community, I became a fan and crafted the capsule wardrobe around the bag.

TOM BIHN found my blog post and loved it and, in thanks, sent me and my husband TOM BIHN Aeronaut 45 bags for our own use. My husband and I have continued to use our bags for trip after trip.

I've had friends and family members borrow our TOM BIHN Aeronaut 45 bags because they are so good for international travel. They fit even in international overhead bins on planes and buses. The bags are well designed as backpacks, so you can hike up hills and stairs, navigate cobblestones, and fit into small elevators without dragging your wheeled suitcase behind you.

Durability and Reliability

Our Aeronaut 45s were the sole luggage used for our cross-country road trip. We've worn them on our backs, hiking from train stations to hotels. They have been thrown into canoes, golf carts, and off planes to baggage claim. Our daughter often uses one for her Girl Scout camping trips, knowing the fabric and zippers are durable enough to withstand being overstuffed, and the contents won't get soaked if it rains.

I have given my Aeronaut 45 a beating—far more travel and banging around than my husband's bag—yet the two both look like new. The zippers still slide beautifully, the lining isn't snagged or torn, and all the stitching is intact. It is so incredibly reliable.

Versatility

It's a duffle; it's a backpack. With optional add-ons, it can be a shoulder bag, a crossbody, a more supportive backpack, and a more organized bag. I highly recommend getting the shoulder strap. What's cool is this strap can be used on other bags that may not have durable enough or cushy enough straps for comfort.

I found that the back pocket that stores the backpack straps when not in use makes for an excellent protective sleeve for a laptop. The water-resistant interior makes it excellent for using one compartment for dirty laundry, muddy boots, damp swimwear, or just keeping toiletries and footwear separate from apparel.

The interior straps can either replace packing cubes or compress your cubes for more space. The slim pocket on the “lid” of the bag is perfect for storing jewelry and small items. The interior and exterior loops make it easy to hang the bag closed or open. And speaking of which, unlike a traditional suitcase, this bag is easy to open and access without taking up the entire hotel room.

Comfort on Tall and Short Bodies, Lean and Curvy

My husband is 6'4″, athletic, and lean, while I am 5'3″ with soft curves. Both of us find the TOM BIHN Aeronaut 45 comfortable to both carry and wear. While it is not a small bag and hangs halfway on my bum as a backpack, because it is flexible, it doesn't impede my movement. The weight is well distributed, so I can walk miles with it even though I don't lift at the gym regularly.

While I find the bag too big for my petite frame to wear as a crossbody comfortably, I often use that strap as a shoulder bag. When on public transportation, I'll shorten the strap and wear it like a sling, crossed over my chest, to keep it secure and prevent slamming someone from behind with it.

The grab handles on the top and side are great, making it super easy to yank it out of an overhead compartment even if you're too short to fully see the bag. And speaking of planes, even when stuffed to the gills, the Aeronaut 45 is so well designed that as a backpack, I can get through a plane or crowded bus aisle without banging into anyone.

Style

When I went on a trip to Europe, knowing I would be traveling from destination to destination, I bought a large hiking backpack. Not only did it get completely decimated as checked luggage (I cried when it came around the baggage carousel), it just screamed tourist wherever I went.

On the other hand, I have been foolish, traveling overseas with fancy rolled luggage and a cute matching carry-on bag slid over the handle. I dragged those bags up stairs and up hills, trying to fit them and myself and another person in a European elevator—never again.

Whether you're spending the weekend camping or in a five-star hotel, taking a multi-stop tour through Europe, or cruising the Caribbean, the TOM BIHN Aeronaut 45 will be practical and look perfectly at home. The Aeronaut comes in over a dozen color combinations; there is likely one that fits your personal style.

The TOM BIHN Aeronaut 45 is subtle and expensive while also looking serious and sturdy. It's the Subaru of luggage. Like a Subaru Forrester, you can't tell if the owner bought it for outdoor adventures or because it's reliable and a classic. Either way, you know the owner believes in quality without being ostentatious.

I know it's hard to believe reviews when the individual received the product for free. But for us to continue to use our TOM BIHN bags a decade later is proof of quality, durability, and true love for the product.