The Best Messenger Bags (for Biking, Traveling, and Bringing Over a 6-Pack)

Whether you’re spending the weekend at Lollapalooza, stealing CDs from a Sam Goody at the shopping mall, or just riding your bike around town a lot, messenger bags are an essential accessory for many. For one, bags with cushy, padded straps allow you to transport your gear—be it clothes for a special sleepover or a few dozen chicken wings (or, if you really wanna get laid, both)—with maximum comfort. Second, as anybody who grew up in the 90s knows, the single-shoulder sling is the ultimate signifier of the Cool Guy. Truly, nothing says “I don’t care about anything” like the nonchalance of a dude willing to trust his valuable possessions IPAs to one lone shoulder. But messenger bags aren’t just about signifying that you love Pavement—they have unrivaled usefulness in many situations.

For cyclists, the messenger bag is quickly accessible, since you can swing it around front, meaning you can grab your phone, bike lock, or vape without having to take anything off. Also, if you’re traveling or just carting a bunch of gear somewhere, the messenger bag allows you to have not only both hands free, but one shoulder. As someone who has frequently traveled with his trusty Chrome bag—that’s right, I’m a Chrome lifer, baby—as well as a backpack and multiple totes for wine, snacks, and cookbooks, the messenger bag is the ideal trip buddy. 

There are a lot of different kinds of messenger bags, from Chrome’s Citizen bag in ultra-durable, water-resistant recycled nylon and polyester twill, to the sleek polyester and polyurethane of Lululemon’s commuter bag. Elsewhere, Carhartt’s Cargo Series bag features Cordura ripstop nylon and the brand’s trademark Rain Defender water repellent. (I have the brand’s Rain Defender vest, and feel like I could basically stand outside in a hurricane and stay cozy.) 

Anyway, here are our favorite messenger bags for biking, traveling, and packing for a sleepover (to play Goldeneye and drink Mountain Dew all night, obviously). 

Ah, Chrome—beloved by cyclists far and wide, its bags are durable, timeless, and packed with convenient features. The Citizen is a 24-liter bag that features the brand’s signature quick-release seatbelt, which isn’t just aesthetic, but is also incredibly useful when you’re trying to take off a bag that has 24 beers in it. This one is hardcore waterproof, ultra stylish, and has a bottle opener/clip in front for your keys (or the aforementioned beer). I’ve had one of these for almost a decade and can attest that it’s basically a perfect and extremely durable bag in every way.

Mission Workshop’s bag has the brand’s signature roll-top style, but can be used in the traditional flap way. It has a whopping 27 liters worth of storage space, a bunch of pockets, and a heaping amount of understated elegance. We love the metal buckle on this bad boy. Mustache not included.

If you’re simply a regular person who naturally seeks out the most normcore option available in any situation, the Timbuk2 messenger bag is head of the class. It’s got everything you need for general urban stuff, like biking, going to class, hitting up D&D night with the gang, and swinging through the local IPA-forward watering hole to discuss prog rock. This bag is made from post-consumer plastic and is water-resistant in “light rain”; it’s also hella organized inside, with spaces for everything from your laptop and water bottle to pens and pencils.

If you’re more of a fancy-messenger-bag person, like if you’re going to law school or working as a wine rep or something, you might want something a little ~*elevated*~. Filson’s Tin Cloth Compact Briefcase lies somewhere between a messenger and a briefcase, to be sure, but we think it’s closer to the former. It features the brand’s signature Tin Cloth waxed canvas with an oil finish, giving it the rugged sheen a tough genius like you deserves. As per usual with Filson, saddle-grade leather and heavy-gauge metal zippers take this gorgeous bag to the next level.

A classic beast for the rugged on-the-go homie. Everything you associate with Carhartt is here: It’s durable, water repellant, utilitarian, and pretty dang good-looking, too.

This 14-liter bag from Lululemon (a brand we totally stan) features an exterior zippered pocket and magnetic front flaps, meaning your granola bars and moisturizer or whatever will always be within reach. There’s a padded pocket for your laptop and a pretty comfy shoulder strap. This one will say to everyone, “I am always on my way to the gym, but I also Do Business.” 

Hot tip: Concert security won’t always get all the way to the bottom of a big ol’ messenger bag. Just saying.

The Rec Room staff independently selected all of the stuff featured in this story. Want more reviews, recommendations, and red-hot deals? Sign up for our newsletter.