Here’s a spoiler. This is the best sling bag that I’ve ever had. I wear a sling bag daily by default unless I need to carry more than just my daily essentials. I have a shelf full of meticulously chosen sling bags of different brands, shapes, and sizes. Although they may range from being rugged to minimalistic, all of them still share a more compact, subtle, and functional design sans the chasm of pockets and zippers. My newest addition, the TUMI McLaren Torque Sling Bag, however, may very well be the best that I’ve ever had – and no, I don’t think that there’s recency bias here.
The TUMI McLaren line sports a combination of their highly durable and lightweight HTLS (High Tenacity with Low Shrinkage) Polyester® and CX6® carbon fiber materials enclosing a molded interior. The front boasts the TUMI McLaren emblem, while the side has the luggage tag and the monogram piece. There is just the right amount of the McLaren Papaya accents all around the piece and along the strap. There are 3 points of entry – the main zippered compartment, rear side-loading zippered pocket, and an open pocket with a magnetic snap in the rear. The strap can be worn on either shoulder; there are strap hooks at the bottom corners of the piece. However, with the rear side-loading pocket being positioned on the right, it’s safe to assume that this TUMI sling is more conducive to be worn on the left shoulder – making the side pocket face upwards when slung.
In the main compartment, there is a sleeve that can snuggly fit a bare 10” tablet or smaller. For my own personal use, I just wished that this was a tad bigger to accommodate my 11″ iPad Pro, which now sits in the main compartment comfortably. A leather key tether and a leather card pocket are sewn onto the tablet sleeve. A pair of large pen loops and the TUMI Tracer® are sewn onto the opposite side. The rest of the interior is left maximized to the shape of the piece.
Weighing slightly over 2lbs, this is at least half a pound heavier than my TUMI Alpha Bravo and Harrison slings that I rotate through the most. However, it noticeably feels a lot lighter in actual usage with exactly the same content. I am guessing that it’s due to it being slimmer making the front of the piece be in a much shorter radius from my back.
Overall, the TUMI McLaren line combines its aerodynamic look and touch with functionality. I wear a solid-colored shirt matched with a solid-colored pair of shorts/pants on most days. This piece maintains that understated look while still sporting a modern yet not too-over-the-top techy look. With such a small form factor, TUMI did a great job in keeping the bag’s sectioning simple leaving the user to maximize the space rather than being forced to use compartments that may not be useful to some. Lastly, I truly appreciate the maybe subjectively perceived lighter weight due to its shape without having to leave any of my essentials behind.
I thought it would be nice to share the varying list of items that I carry to help you visualize.
- Standard size bi-fold wallet
- 2 car keys
- Apple Airpods Pro with Case
- Apple iPad Pro 11″ with Smart Keyboard Case, Apple Pencil 2, and back case (yes, every millimeter counts here)
- Cocoon Grid-it with the bulkiest item being an Anker charger
Check it out on