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April 2024 by Eddie S.
Bought a backpack from them in 2019. Recently, one of the straps got frayed at the seams. Emailed them about it, and they said they'd fix it under warranty, no charge; just mail it in. But since I'm local, figured I'd drop it off in person. I walk in, and the shop is awesome. I mean this in the best way, but if you have even an inkling of interest in purpose-built bags & gear, then you better go in here with a game plan and stick to it because man is their stuff is enticing and you'll come up with scenarios for why you need their stuff and just get it because you'll use it, right? It's practical, right? I mean it is. And it's beautiful. And they're really friendly. And the store is like a metaphor for their bags - functional & kinda industrial but chic & clean with economy of space and thoughtful layout.
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February 2024 by Ha A.
Excellent quality, locally made items. You can buy a bag off the shelf or you can have one custom made. These are high end items that will make people envious.
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August 2023 by Trent McCormick
Great company and easy to work with. They responded very fast when my backpacks zipper broke and offered to fix it for free. And then when I bought another backpack from them and wanted to exchange it for another they did that no questions asked. Love my flaptop mini!
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August 2023 by Joseph Henry
Amazing and knowledge staff/production team .... long wearing rider proof and repairable bags , literally 10 stars if possible
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May 2022 by Phil M
A few years ago I bought my original bag from them so I could use it for hiking and a travel and it's worked wonders. It's large enough to hold a week's worth of clothes for me and is made of waxed canvas with a waterproof liner so I don't have to worry about anything getting drenched.Today I returned because I wanted to get the mini messenger for an upcoming trip. I just wanted something small that I could use for extra storage space like a battery back for my phone and toss my Kindle or other things inside. They had a great selection of colors and different materials so the biggest issue is deciding which one I wanted to leave with.I also have to add that their customer service is top notch as well. After I purchased my original bag one of my zippers broke on the side of it and I was able to bring it in and get it repaired. The turn around time was just a couple weeks and the communication with them was great. Their products are really solid and I haven't had any other problems with them.
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May 2022 by Victor Wei
This store is great. Quality craftsmanship and if you have ideas for modifications they will try to accommodate! I recently purchased an aero bike bag and asked if they could help me turn it into a hip pack, Eric and his team fashioned a custom hip strap with buckles for me in just a few minutes. That’s pretty awesome customer service if you ask me
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April 2022 by Joel L.
This review is not all bad, but the bad part is pretty bad, so I'll start with that. About 7 years ago, I bought a ILE Default through a bike shop where I was working. From the moment I put it on, it was clear that the straps were sewn on at two very different angles. The pack sat crooked on my back, and I needed to tighten one strap about twice as much as the other one in order to balance the weight. But, it looked really cool and I needed a waterproof pack to replace one that had just failed, so I used it pretty heavily for several years anyway. A mistake, in hindsight. This week, I was visiting Berkeley and finally had the opportunity to drop in and ask them to take a look at it with me. I was expecting them to immediately be embarrassed by the magnitude of the defect and offer to repair or replace it. Instead, they mostly shrugged. Since the straps are apparently not repairable, the only remedy would have been to replace the pack. But their offer was for me to buy a new pack at 20% off -- $224. (I didn't ask for anything more.) If I'd have told them about the defect immediately, I can only imagine that they would have replaced the pack. But, apparently my using the pack first rendered the defect a non-issue to them. I'm not sure what to make of the place. They claim a "lifetime warranty on all materials and craftsmanship", but it seems to apply only selectively. Eric said that their new bags are made using more repeatable processes than were in place when mine was made, and I'd bet that you're not likely to get a bag like mine these days. But be advised that their warranty shouldn't be taken literally and that their commitment to their products isn't up to the standards of many other small manufacturers. On the plus side, the bag was thoroughly waterproof while I owned it, and the design is very thoughtful. They also replaced some worn out velcro on the pack for me at no cost, even though it was not their fault that it wore out. I checked out some of their new bags when I was there, and they're all really nice.
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March 2022 by Valkyrie Hunter
Super friendly staff and high quality, sturdy, well made products (we got a backpack and duffle bag). The products are made right there in the store in Berkeley. I love that I have the opportunity to not only purchase such excellent products but to also support a local independent business while I'm at it. Bonus!
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March 2022 by ty nickel
Visited the store and ended up buying three packs. Best of the best on the market. Amazing staff and the quality of work on each pack blows away any other backpack competitor. Plan on buying more for friends and family.
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February 2022 by Kenny N.
We have been loyal customers of ILE for about eight years ever since picking up the first pack. Prior to this we always carried around a variety of Arc'teryx or Mammut packs everyday. The quality of the craftsmanship and materials such as XPAC make the ILE's easily our favorites. We have multiple versions of the Radius and Apex packs and just added a perfect Travel Pack that Eric custom made for me. I cannot say enough great things about Eric and the team at ILE. They are always extremely welcoming and nice to us and our dogs when we visit their showroom/factory. Plus they hand make some of the best designed and most durable packs you will find anywhere. As for price, they are more than fair for the quality of their excellent products.
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December 2021 by Chris Duncan
I bought a bag two years ago from them the bag itself is relatively well made, the only major issue is one of the pockets has a flap that is closed with Velcro. The Velcro they used never worked which makes the pocket useless. I brought the bag in to be fixed two and a half weeks ago they said it would take three days to add new Velcro and a buckle. Two and a half weeks later they had done nothing. The whole reason I bought the bag from them was so that I could get it fixed when it inevitably fails. But turns out they don’t every really get around to fixing bags.
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November 2021 by Kuma Nishimura
We love coming into ILE’s shop in Berkeley and purchasing packs and apparel! We have several of their Radius packs and the quality of material and craftsmanship is excellent. Prices are very fair for a on-premise made seam sealed product using XPAC material. Plus our Shiba Inus are always very welcome to come in and shop. One of these days I will have them craft a mini pack for them.
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September 2021 by Bailey W.
Great bag for an overnight camping trip and truly waterproof. I wasn't expecting to test it out as hard as I did but when a sudden rain storm soaked my campsite I was worried about the bag keeping everything dry but not a drop got past the heavy duty zipper or through the sealed bottom. The size was perfect to hold everything I needed and it took some abuse riding around the back of a truck no problem. I'll definitely be back for another.
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April 2021 by Michael I.
Great workshop/retail space! I was interested in the porteur rackbag, but the smaller size didn't quite fit my bike's front rack, so on the spot they altered the strap for me. Really excellent service as well as a quality product.
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February 2021 by Mike Prebil
Great products—really like their bike bags. Nice staff and it’s cool to see the workshop right inside.
