There are many reasons that riding your bike to work is a great idea. Bike commuting is a great way to get some exercise first thing in the morning as well as a great way to do your part for the environment. But many people have to wear a suit or at the very least cannot wear their spandex and jerseys around at the office. The Henty Wingman is the perfect solution to get your suit or clothes from home to work without looking like you just pulled them out of a stuff sack.
The first time I saw this bag I was intrigued. For a couple months before I saw the Wingman, I had been trying to figure out a great way to take a suit to work without ending up with a wrinkled mess by the time I arrived. I am lucky enough to have an office that has a place to change and shower, but I needed a way to get my clothes to work. The Wingman has been that product. Over the past few months I have had the opportunity to test this bag and would recommend it to anyone who rides their bike to work and needs to keep their clothes looking good.
When you first see this bag it might remind you of a garment bag that you use for traveling. At least that is what it reminded me of, but it has some key features that make it so much more. First of all this bag wasn’t designed to hold a weeks’ worth of clothing. It is designed to hold a suit jacket, a pair of pants and a shirt, or it can hold up to three shirts. My experience with the Wingman is that it easily fits a full suit and a shirt. I haven’t tried, but I am sure you could fit more clothes in it but they might be a little crammed and wrinkled when pulling them out.
The second thing that I noticed was how the bag rolls instead of folding in half like traditional garment bags. This eliminates creases in the garments at the folds. The Wingman has two plastic like stays or supports that help keep the bag a little more rigid when rolling. This also helps the bag keep its form which in turn keeps the clothes looking good. The Wingman also comes with a second bag that is perfect for shoes, socks, undergarments, toiletries and a towel. When I first looked at this utility bag, I didn’t think that I was going to be able to fit in everything that I would need when getting to work to change my clothes, but to my surprise it all fit. I even added a full size cotton towel in the bag.
Once you add the clothes inside the main garment bag you zip it closed and you are now ready to roll it over the utility bag. The utility bag is shaped like a cylinder and has two buckles that clip it to the garment bag. Once you have rolled the garment bag over the utility bag, two large buckets and a velcro piece secure the bag closed.
There is a great pocket on the outside of the bag that will fit a tablet or a 13 inch laptop. You can also shove your keys, wallets and other small items in that pocket that you need for the day. The padded shoulder strap is adjustable, wide and comfortable to wear. It has a stabilization strap to keep the bag close to the body while riding. There is a reflective stripe on the back of the bag so cars can see you in low light, and a loop where you could add a light for extra visibility. It also comes with a waterproof rain cover which is bright for even higher visibility.
For me, the only downside of this bag is the size. It would be nice if it could be a little smaller, but I understand why it is as big as it is. When I didn’t’ have to wear a suit I would just shove my clothes into panniers and never have anything on my back. Now that I wear a suit that is not really an option. But even with that said, without the Henty Wingman, I might not have started to commute to work again on my bike.
If you used to ride to work but stopped because you now wear a suit or would like to start but haven’t come across any great solutions for getting your clothes to work looking good, the Henty Wingman is definitely worth looking into. I was impressed the first time I saw it, and I haven’t been disappointed yet. I have a 12 mile ride to work and the Wingman is comfortable and definitely part of my bike commuting quiver. To learn more check out a quick video by Henty or head on over to their site. You can also see features and pricing off their site below.
Henty Wingman Features from Henty on Vimeo.
Features:
- Heavy duty tarpaulin gym / utility bag with shoulder strap
- Large external pocket for keys, documents/folders and accessories
- Removable 13 inch laptop pouch
- Padded adjustable shoulder strap
- High visibility waterproof rain jacket with taped seams
- Stabilisation strap for cycling or walking
- Reflective piping for flare attention at night
- Webbing loop for bicycle light
- Foldable hook coat hanger
- Quick release buckle
- Weight: 1.7kgs
- Rolled – 56 x 22 x 25cm
- Unrolled – 56 x 101cm
- Gym/Utility Bag 0.4Kgs
- 50 x 19cm cylinder; 14 litres
- MSRP: $199.00
- http://henty.cc/us/shop/wingman/