Henty was founded in Tasmania, Australia and they have been shipping clever, high quality bags around the globe since 2013. I’ve been using the heck out of their Wingman messenger-style bag for several months on business and family trips. I’ll also grab it for my mixed mode office commute on days where I need to be more presentable. The Wingman is designed to carry your clothing to the office or events and arrive ready to wear. It’s been a true wingman for me, keeping me looking sharp on interviews and a new job. It’s been perfect for 2-4 day work trips via planes, trains, cars, and bikes. So far I’ve fooled every one into thinking I’m a professional and responsible adult. Thanks Henty!
Real adults like my wife know how to pack, rolling all their clothing to reduce space and limit wrinkles and folds. Henty takes that concept to the brilliant next step of rolling the whole darn bag. Very clever. Two bendy strips run inside the length of the garment bag and allow it to roll without folding. A mini gym bag clips into the center, helping keep the shape, like a pig in blanket. This patented rolling feature minimizes creasing. I’ve taken the bag as carry-on for all my flights which saved time not waiting to check and retrieve bags.
The large external pocket is segmented to hold a small laptop, pads, and pens. Contents are secured with Velcro and zippers, and there was a handy accessory sleeve that I somehow lost despite its bright fluorescent green color. The detachable Inner Tube gym bag fits 1 pair of shoes, socks, undies, and toiletries, enough for likely 1-2 days for most people, but I could get 4 days in there. This inner bag is waterproof, and comes with a separate strap, which is handy as long as you are good with carrying a cylindrical purse. There’s also a little pocket with a rain shell to keep the Cordura outer pack dry. Some other clever features include the detachable coat/pant hanger, reflective strips and attachment points for blinky lights, and the adjustable chest strap unclips so you don’t have to lift the strap over your head to unload.
Overall the quality appears top notch. The Cordura should last forever, and the stitching looks excellent. Generally the buckles and webbing are substantial but not overkill. Henty provides a 5-year warranty, and I trust the bag will long outlive that time frame even under heavy use. I was a bike messenger back in the day, so the one shoulder strap is my preference, but Henty also sells a similarly clever backpack too, and several size options of both formats are available. I have an early 1990’s Cordura bag that has thousands of hours of use, but the Henty has taken its place for any trips where I can’t dress like a bike messenger.
Loaded it measures around 22 x 12 inches, which slides nicely into the typical airplane overhead compartment. Unrolled the bag measures 22 x 39 inches and hangs a suit or sports coat and enough shirts and pants for me to play dress up for a day or two. For business casual, I can stretch that to almost a full week, depending on weather, sweat, and hygiene tolerances. For the least creases, I found it best to lie the empty bag on the bed and lay the hanged garments in carefully. It’s a garbage in, garbage out, scenario. If you overload or toss the clothes in half-assed, you’ll get wrinkles. But even when I didn’t pack very carefully, a quick spot-hit with a hotel iron solved the few small creases in my shirt sleeves. And the jackets were always passable.
My only gripe was the quick-release cam for adjusting the chest strap length, which had a bit of hair-trigger, and could release when accidentally bumped. Fully loaded that was about 25lbs taking a jarring 8” drop. To resolve I initially looped an overhand knot in the strap. But nothing looks more googan than an overhand knot in webbing, so I was glad for my eureka moment which solved the issue with a rubber band. I’m sure Henty has or will resolve this minor issue, or I can start selling rubber bands.
If you travel for work, and want to mix in a bike ride, the Henty Wingman is a big winner. Weddings and other events, you bet. And even for the daily commute, if you have to wear a suit, you should look into Henty. The Wingman has helped me squeeze some extra fun out of trips to NYC and London, where cruising on bike shares is much more fun than schlepping a wheeled bag on the subway. Henty offers smaller and larger messenger bags and backpacks, and they are compatible so you can use larger or smaller Inner Tubes depending on your needs. $229 retail is pricey, but they had me at not ironing.
