Greenroom136 Metromonger Prime Review

There are behemoths out there. Brands that don’t need an introduction and are known even outside of the carry community due to the sheer amount of marketing, product placement, powerful stories or simply for being around as long as we can remember. For instance, Samsonite is over a century old and has long become synonymous with large suitcases. It makes billions in revenue and employs over 14k people. There are smaller brands such as Mystery Ranch, JanSport, Tom Bihn, and Timbuk2 that have been around for decades and have less headcount but still make millions of dollars each year.

And then there are tiny companies that fight their way into the oversaturated market. Trying to make a difference, innovate and reach the hearts of us, regular consumers. One such brand is Greenroom136. This small Malaysia-based bag maker has been making waves in the carry world since its inception in 2011. GR136 was founded by Patrick Lim, a carry geek who quit his job at Apple and pursued the dream of making Malaysia a country famous for awesome bags.

As a result, a small, tight lineup was created spearheaded by the Metromonger. This oversized sling took the market by storm, quickly becoming one of the most successful products released by GR136.

I had the pleasure of testing an updated version of the Metromonger (dubbed Metromonger Prime or Metromonger01) over the course of six weeks, exploring new locations in Turkey, taking it as my carry-on luggage on the plane, and repurposing it as my main drone carry.

Does the bag make meaningful improvements over the previous version? Can it hold its own in a very crowded sling market? Should you consider the Greenroom136 Metromonger Prime as your bag?

Read on to find out.

Who It Doesn’t

If you need the bag immediately you should keep in mind that these are built to order with production leads often exceeding three weeks (“thanks” to COVID), so if waiting is not an option you might need to look elsewhere.

Despite the price of the actual bag being more than reasonable, be prepared to add extra for shipping from Malaysia.

To some degree, owners of the larger thicker laptops might still fit their computers in the main compartment but it would eat away most of the available space (especially if the laptop is in a case). If you have a larger laptop there is a high chance that it simply won’t fit.

Design

Looks

The Greenroom136 Metromonger Prime is a rectangular 10L sling but I would argue that it is a mini messenger rather than a sling. Compared to the original version of the bag, the Prime looks more refined and mature. Gone are the rain flaps from the top and front compartment. The logo is now a more subtle blacked-out version that does not stick out too much. A Velcro strip has replaced the row of MOLLE to allow customization of the bag.

The Metromonger is a simple bag but it’s built with purpose and function in mind.

Construction

Burly and built like a tank. These were my initial thoughts upon unpacking the bag. They were only reinforced after six weeks of regular use. I like when I don’t have to be gentle with my bags and the Metromonger was definitely not asking for careful treatment. Even after my travels and regular use, I have not seen any signs of use. It looks practically brand new and I expect it to hold its look for a long time.

Materials & Hardware

Greenroom136 did not skimp on the materials here.

Dimension Polyant X50 MultiCam is a high-performance fabric that is extremely durable, abrasion-resistant, water-resistant, and just badass-looking. The matte Cordura face looks and performs brilliantly.

Based on the overwhelming feedback received from the community, Greenroom136 introduced a new inner liner made from 420D Gold Oxford Nylon ripstop. It looks incredible and adds visibility to the main compartment that was lacking previously.

The main buckle on the shoulder strap is a plastic Cobra GT. It’s fun and easy to operate, while adding to the badassery of the bag.

The shoulder strap uses an industrial-grade safety belt capable of withstanding up to a 1000kg load while being silky smooth to the touch.

The YKK zippers throughout are smooth and burly. One infamous thing about these specific zippers on GR136 products – they are extremely loud. Unless you are looking for a constant jiggle and clanging of your zippers, be prepared to install the paracord zipper pulls (or add them at GR136 when ordering the bag). Some owners even went for the extreme solution of clipping those loud metal pullers off. I personally wouldn’t go that far but do strongly recommend silencing the zippers as soon as you can.

The magnetic Fidlock buckle to secure the stabilizer strap is secure and effortless in daily use. More bag makers should take note and start introducing such buckles instead of the standard plastic Duraflex ones seen on the majority of bags.

All in all, the Metromonger has an outstanding build and the choice of materials is excellent but does come with a tradeoff – the Metromonger is not the lightest 10L bag out there.

Features

The Greenroom136 Metromonger Prime looks simple but it packs in a number of cool, useful features such as:

Quick-release shoulder strap with Cobra GT buckle

Magnetically secured stabilizer strap (Fidlock, baby!)

Dedicated padded laptop compartment lined with signature corduroy fabric – I have not seen corduroy used on any other bag.

Simple yet efficient internal organization with multiple flat pockets to keep your things neat and organized

Front pocket with its own volume and even included key ring

Durable and comfortable top grab handle – a godsend for any bag larger than 3L 

Bottom compression straps allow securing a jacket, tripod, umbrella, or yoga mat if you really want to push the bag’s limit

The front Velcro panel is subtle yet grants a degree of personalization with morale patches

Performance 

Space and Access

At 10L the Metromonger offers a surprising amount of space. Mainly thanks to the generous main compartment as well as a front pocket with its independent volume. Even when the main compartment is full you can still comfortably use the front pocket. Not something many bags can claim.

The top compartment and laptop compartment offer two zippers each which allow you to configure on which side you wish to open/close the compartment. Convenient, especially considering that the shoulder strap is interchangeable and compatible for both right and left-handed users. The front compartment closes with a single zip.

Pockets and Organizing

There are essentially three compartments in the Greenroom136 Metromonger Prime:

1. Laptop compartment with just a space for your trusty computer, no additional organization
2. The main compartment has a large document pocket and two gadget-size pockets. (These pockets were great for storing my DJI Mini 2.)
3. The front compartment features a plastic key loop, two pen slots, and two more pockets for small bits and pieces.

Comfort

The bag features an incredibly comfortable, generously padded mesh back panel and wide ambidextrous shoulder strap that has a stabilizer strap out of the box. This harness is by far superior to any sling I have tried and is more comfortable than many messengers I’ve had so far.

Weatherability

Made out of Dimension Polyant X50 MultiCam fabric, not only is the Metromonger a stunning bag to look at, but it is also extremely weather-resistant. The #10 YKK zippers are not AquaGuard but still weather-resistant, just make sure they are zipped shut. The zipper heads are quite chunky and can leave a noticeable gap if not carefully closed.

Alternatives to Consider

Life Behind Bars Slingshot 9L: another offering from South East Asia, this ultra-minimal and affordable bag fits a 13-inch laptop and some extras. It has a Fidlock slide closure, durable materials, included stabilizer strap, and a sleek look. Made in Jakarta, Indonesia, by a small passionate team, it is a more affordable alternative to the Metromonger but does not fit as much stuff inside and can’t beat the Metromonger’s harness and overall carry comfort.

Peak Design Everyday Sling 10L: a compact offering that fits a 13-inch laptop. Peak Design’s bread and butter is creating solutions to safely carry camera gear and this sling is no exception. Similarly priced to the Metromonger, this sling has a stealthy look but does not come with a stabilizer strap.

Dakine WRKSHP Kellett Bag 10L Bag Vx21: part of the experimental WRKSHP collection, the Kellett has multiple carry modes (briefcase, shoulder bag, sling, hip bag) and incredible materials but does not fit a laptop, instead geared towards carrying a tablet. 

Verdict

GR136 products have firmly established themselves as an incredible value proposition and the revised Metromonger is no exception. The idea was simple – take the most popular bag in the lineup and make it better. With a streamlined design, improved inner liner, and generally superb materials used, the Greenroom136 Metromonger Prime is noticeably better than the original Metromonger. Together with the excellent harness system, spacious main compartment, high-visibility inner liner, and useful internal organization the Metromonger Prime stands tall even in the crowded sling/messenger market.

It is important to note that the improvements made to the Metromonger that resulted in the Prime edition were mostly taken from community feedback and wishes shared with Patrick Lim. It is valuable and appreciated to have the bag maker listen to the community and take the product to the next level.

If you are fine with the production lead time of three weeks and waiting for the bag to be shipped from Malaysia to your current location (total wait time might be over one month), the Greenroom136 Metromonger Prime is an outstanding, comfortable, and badass bag to accompany you on many adventures.

This article was written by new contributor, and self-proclaimed bag whisperer, Alexander Dotsenko. You can check out his work here and here.