Chrome Industries

Had an ultimate bag boner. The shop is awesome. It’s like Willy Wonka’s factory of messenger bags with everything there to customize the perfect bag for you, and ones you can buy right off the shelves.
These guys are no joke.

I was in the downtown area today and thought I would finally check out the Chrome store that my coworkers tell me about all the time. I already have a backpack, but what’s life without some impulsive shopping, eh?
I walked in and was greeted by Ryan. He was a real friendly dude, and was REALLY knowledgeable about the products. You know when you go to a store, and ask the employee something about their product, and they say they aren’t sure and go ask a coworker? Ryan knew everything about all the stuff. I was impressed. All the people working there were really friendly, and were very no-​pressure about it. This is another thing I liked, cause the bags can get pricey.
I would ¹⁰⁄₁₀ recommend anyone who is in the market for a bag, shoes, or some cool clothes to check it out. Super cool store. I’m lookin’ forward to getting some good use out of my bag!

Chrome makes great bags. I use a backpack for commuting and one of the shoulder straps was coming apart at the seam. I thought I would have to ship it to California for repair and go without a backpack for weeks. I called the Chrome Hub in Portland and they said they could fix it right there on site. And they gave me a loaner bag, same style as the one I was having repaired. Great service. You pay a premium for a quality American made product, but it’s worth it when they back it up like this. Thanks

Was initially introduced to chrome industries after walking in by chance and was really impressed by their products. Looking for a new bag (and a purchase to splurge on something cool: p) I decided to use their custom bag service. I was able to pick the color of each compartment of the bag, and they even had Pendelton fabric to choose from. Staff was very helpful and patient as I chose what colors to include in the bag. Overall a great experience.
The above experience was worth four stars. So what gives them the fifth star you must say? So I ordered this bag on Thursday afternoon, and I live in Seattle. They told me that they could ship the bag free to my house at no charge. Cool! But what made the experience better? I came home yesterday night (the following Tuesday) with my new custom bag! Amazing!
I highly recommend this store if you are considering buying a quality bag. Great product, great staff, great service!

«WHOA! Where’d you get your bag?!»
A lanky hipster’s admiration of my pack today prompted me to finally review this location: P
I had been eyeing a certain messenger bag in the SF store for quite some time but couldn’t get myself to splurge 150+ for it. I couldn’t resist checking out the selection here during my last road trip.
The staff took the time to compare the pros and cons of every bag I showed interest in and I ended picking out a premade teal/​purple Citizen style bag that they marked down significantly. It took me quite some time to choose. Normal color combo at normal price? Or whacky colors so I can treat myself to Screen Door later? Of course I like to save as much money as possible to further my gluttony so I went with the latter.
So far I’ve gotten a multitude of compliments on the unique color combination and I couldn’t be happier with my choice!
If you cycle at all, check out Chrome bags. They’re very light yet sturdy and much better than Timbuk2. The weight distribution is excellent, won’t hurt your back even if you have shitty posture like me, and the lateral support strap does a fantastic job at keeping your belongings in place even during the most tumultuous rides. I’ve been able to cram my Macbook, water bottles, snacks, shoes, extra change of clothing, and other miscellaneous belongings with no problem into it.
After so many years of abuse, my Chrome bag still looks like new. I’m glad that I waited to make my purchase here since it saved me the sales tax too. Ride on :)

Awesome shop. I have been looking for a messenger bag for a long time. This shop was perfect. Had exactly what I wanted for a great price. Staff were very cool and informative. They knew their stuff. Shop was clean and easy to shop. Very cool store.

Awesome store. Love the materials that they use. I bought my first bag here and love it. Having the everyday materials and devices helped too!

Customer Service is the mos important thing to me in a retail setting– most goods like bags and shoes can be purchased for less online. I go into a store because I expect the people working to guide me to the right products with sincerity and respect. I work in retail and strive to do this; I expect the same of others.
That being said, I was a little disappointed back in May when I was given repetitive hard sales tactics dished out by a tactless bro. The guy kept pushing me on the very stiff «pedal» series despite my protest– I was after a shoe that wasn’t very stiff so I could realize comfort on my feet all day at work equally as well as when I go out dancing. But he didn’t object when I made my choice with the 415 work boot– a very beautiful and not very stiff durable urban sneaker. Very happy to spend $ 120, that’s just what shoes cost these days, or at least good ones.
The reason I give 5 stars is because, when my shoes were completely destroyed 4 months later and the uppers were separating from the soles, the very kind gentleman replaced them with no fuss and had me in a brand new pair of my beloved 415s in 5 minutes for free.
Love you guys, can’t wait to pick up another pair of shoes and some rain pants later. Cheers.

I have owned a Chrome Bag for 3 years now. A plain black Citizen (their standard bag) and have been very pleased with it. I’m a WA native so I was excited to be visiting Portland and have the opportunity to visit the store and possibly purchase a new bag.
Upon arrival I was expecting a bustling store with helpful happy employees. The store was pretty much empty which is alright, I understand that some days are slow but while checking out bags and asking question to what seemed to be the only staff member there I was always met with a frowning face, a bored voice, and body language that acted like he just didn’t want to be there.
Sure he was helpful but employees are suppose to help set the Atmosphere and Travis (the employees name) was not making me feel all that welcome. I was expecting to spend some time in there hanging out but I felt very unwelcome so I left after 10 minutes.
Sure he answered my questions but overall my Chrome Industries Hub experience was not all that fun :(

I love CHROME ! I got my messanger bag about 6 months ago, still in great condition and that STUDENT DISCOUNT. The saff are very friendly. Every cyclist needt to check-​em out.

Dear Chrome Industries,
i will forever be flirting with the idea of buying things from you…
Sincerely,
Conflicted Potential Bag Purchaser
i’ve always liked Chrome Industries stuff — their bags, accessories, practically everything.
the only thing i didn’t like were the sizes of the bags… if they had one just a tinylittebitsmallkine smaller (not by much, but slightly smaller) then i would probably buy one. their durability is well known, and all their bags are constructed very well.
of course they probably will never make bags in a size i would like (for everyday use anyways…) b/​c they’re more geared towards the bike messenger scene, or college students. sometimes i feel like breaking down and buying a bag i like, but i know i’ll only use it occasionally b/​c of their size: P
this particular shop has their own repair area, so if your bag does suffer any damage, there is someone in-​house that can patch it up.
the workers there are friendly and helpful too, so don’t be shy! ask questions about the products!

I needed a bag for commuting to work on my bike. Found an excellent durable and comfortable bag at Chrome called the Sentinel, along with phone case that attaches to strap. At first I worried it might be uncomfortable without a waist strap but found out it sits perfectly on my back and doesn’t budge. It has a waterproof liner inside along with a couple of pockets and one zippered pouch. I also use it for weekend getaways and it is amazing how much stuff I can cram in it. Highly recommend these quality bags. Personnel in Portland were super helpful and nice.

My husband made a point to come back to Chrome Industries on this trip. They have really cool well made bags, cycle shoes, & regular sneakers. They also do custom bags, which interests my husband. They are not cheap though. After looking through the bags, my husband spies some sneakers on sale. Lucky for him, they have his size. Score! Funny note, my husband is a shoe whore. He has more shoes than I do! I’m no help here, I really liked them too & bought them for his birthday that’s only a few days away. The shop girls were really friendly & helpful. Maybe next time he’ll get his custom bag. The other great thing about buying here in Portland is that there’s no sales tax! Oh, almost forgot… they had a wallet at the counter. When I opened it, there inside, was a cool credit card size bottle opener with the Chrome logo. My husband didn’t care for the wallet but loved the bottle opener. Unfortunately, the bottle opener was not sold separately. Chrome, I’m sure you would sell a bunch of bottle openers if you sold them separately!

Desperately needed a duffle bag. Didn’t know if Chrome had one, but super glad they did. I ended up with the SOTNIK in camo print. This duffle is super durable, waterproof, LOVE the huge space and wide opening. Also love the fact that it is not compressed with a zipper closure — it pretty much allows me to fill the bag to the top and the velcro closure makes it more flexible in that sense.
Also love the idea of turning it into a cooler — fill it up with ice and beer.
The should/​hand straps are soft & durable… love being able to strap this onto my back. There is everything to love about this bag. Can’t complain about the 365-​warranty either.

Great products (many of which are made in the USA) and staff at this Portland shop.
I recently stopped in to have a small repair done on my 4+ year old Citizen bag. The kind women working at the time fit me in without any sort of appointment and called me the very next day to say that it was ready.
What really impressed me? They gave me a loaner bag to use in the meantime! And, the general attitude and atmosphere of the place. I felt like family.
Highly recommended.
Thank you Chrome PDX.

MAN BAG… OR HOW ABOUT A MURSE
Between the smart phone, camera, laptop plus hat, gloves, scarf, my husband needed something other than a backpack. We looked at all those fancy Italian and French stores for a saddle bag, but the idea of spending big bucks for essentially a vinyl bag didn’t cut it.
After several visits to the Chrome Store… he settled for one of their all black messenger bags with plenty of compartments along with their iconic chrome buckle.

If you are a fan of the Chrome products or if you are looking for a solid industrial-​style messenger bag then you should stop and visit. There’s a great selection and you can even try out the various bags with weights to get a feel for them. They have great customer service. I had an issue with a bag that I bought and they were more than happy to exchange it for one that worked.

We were looking for a waterproof cycling backpack that could store a laptop. This bag needed to hold up to daily rides, sometimes in major rainstorms. On a recent Saturday, we went to every bike gear shop in downtown Portland on this quest.
Chrome was the only one that came through. They had a huge inventory compared to other stores, quality materials, range of products within my search range. But while the product was great, the knowledgable, helpful staff made this a five star review. Even though I don’t think that I fall into their typical demographic, they made me feel welcomed. I echo Taylor H’s sentiments.
Their bags are durable and hand-​stitched for long-​term wear and tear. (There were staffers stitching the bags together on in-​store sewing machines when I visited.) I think that the seat belt buckle feature can be polarizing. Now that I get the functionality of that choice, I dig it. But you can certainly order a bag without that option.
Whether you’re a seasoned bike rider or someone who needs a bag that stands up to the elements, Chrome has options in all sizes and all colors. You can call to talk through their options or visit a store.

I’ve been in the market for a new messenger bag since forever. okay, so maybe my mom bought me my last one like one million years ago. hence why i ambled into Chrome. the store/​brand obviously caters to the bike messenger crowd, but I’m just someone who just uses my bike to get from point a to point b, ideally without my things getting soaked in the process. that said, Chrome seemed kind of intimidating before i went in, but it wasn’t «sceney» once i was in there… the staff was super friendly, and they put up with my 8,000 questions about the fit of different bags, which ones were waterproof, etc.
last time i was there, i tried on a few bags, and they told me about custom orders, which is super cool because i had no idea you could just give them whatever material and they’d make a bag out of it. i’m not that creative, so i’m keeping things simple, you know, colors and stuff… but it sounds cool if you are. planning on going back soon and sealing the deal with the mini-​metro (a lot of their bags seem kinda intense/​big for a smallish girl, but they seem to distribute weight well).
rad (new) space, informed, approachable sales folk — and did i mention that they’re all super cute? because, yeah. just sayin’.

Chrome is a bike bag company based in San Francisco. They have several solid bag designs, a few cycle shirts, jackets in black and hats. They also have wallets and small seat bags. The most unique aspect of their physical stores is that several of their bags can be custom sewn in the store with your choice of panel colors and features. Sewn by an actual person. They also have their own line of shoes. Some are standard casual street shoes. But they have Chuck Taylor-​style shoes with a nylon shank that stiffens them for cycling. They have shoes with an insert for SPD «clipless» pedal clips. So a good choice over a pro racing shoe for urban wear and slightly more walkable, slightly.
Everything in the store is Chrome branded, though not ridiculously so, me, I would just rip off the tags.
A quality bike bag store with some travel luggage items. And they can customize some things!