While maneuvering the city streets on your bike, weaving between the traffic and all the people, you will inevitably face the one issue that every city rider experiences – where to put all your stuff? Introducing the bike messenger bag – your trusty companion that does not just carry your essentials but also safeguards them from the mayhem of city life.
The best biking messenger bags are the Leaper Retro Messenger Bag and the Newhey Men’s Messenger Bag. The Leaper is made from a long-lasting canvas fabric and has gained a great reputation. The NewHey is highly durable and has multiple unique holding segments.
If you want to add functionality and style to your urban ride, take a plunge into my comprehensive guide on top-rated messenger bags. Perfect for daily commuters or casual riders, I’ve found the perfect matches that will blend style with practicality.
Best Bicycle Messenger Bags
- Timbuk2 Commute Messenger Bag (High End)
- Leaper Retro Messenger Bag (Top Pick)
- KALIDI Canvas Messenger Bag
- Newhey Men’s Messenger Bag
- Timbuk2 Classic Messenger Bag
- Sweetbriar Classic Messenger Bag (Budget Buy)
- XINCADA Men’s Messenger Bag
- OIWAS Messenger Bag
Compare Top Messenger Bags For Bikers
| Product | Overall Score | Bottom Line | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
 Timbuk2 Commute Messenger Bag | 81 |  Best for its long-lasting cross-body strap with customizable length | Check Out On Amazon |
 Leaper Retro Messenger Bag | 93 |  Best for its resilient and long-lasting canvas material | Check Out On Amazon |
 KALIDI Canvas Messenger Bag | 83 | Best for multiple holding segments with strong zippers | Check Out On Amazon |
 Newhey Men’s Messenger Bag | 91 | Best for its highly durable cowhide leather | Check Out On Amazon |
 Timbuk2 Classic Messenger Bag | 82 | Best for its water-resistant TPU liner | Check Out On Amazon |
 Sweetbriar Classic Messenger Bag | 84 |  Best for its strong and durable cotton canvas material | Check Out On Amazon |
 XINCADA Men’s Messenger Bag | 88 | Best for its portable and reliable design | Check Out On Amazon |
 OIWAS Messenger Bag | 86 | Best for its straps with a highly-visible reflective coating | Check Out On Amazon |
Detailed Analysis of the Best Bike Messenger Bags
Out of the several products available out there, we have reviewed eight excellent bags for you.
The best cycling messenger bags for bike commuting should be able to satisfy your needs, and also be sold at a fair price.
These are our top picks:
1. Timbuk2 Commute Messenger Bag
Overall Score: 81
The first product in this review is the Timbuk2 Commute Messenger Bag. When it comes to quality and trust, this product is a good choice for you.
Our review would have been incomplete if we skipped out on this bag.
The manufacturers of this unit have made it to satisfy high standards. The bag has a portable size and is also strong enough to hold your stuff.
There are different compartments, and one of them is large enough to hold a laptop. You can also arrange smaller items like pencils and mobile devices in the bag’s organizer.
There’s even a pouch to hold your refillable bottle.
Staying hydrated is not just about comfort; it’s also about performance and safety. Check out my list of the best bike water bottles, so you’ll never have to stay thirsty on a ride.
One very important feature of a great small leather bike messenger bag is its holding strap. This Timbuk2 Commute Messenger Bag is made with a long-lasting cross-body strap that has a customizable length.
Regardless of how intensely you’re riding, the bag remains firmly positioned across your body without ever slipping off.
The bag is made extra secure with the product’s exterior padded pocket. The bag also does well against rainfall; the bag’s content won’t get wet thanks to the waterproof flap corners and TPU liner.
Advantages
- Manufactured using 100% polyethylene fabric
- Bag is sold in three unique sizes
- Straps have customizable length
- It can be easily cleaned – thanks to the TPU liner
- This product is imported
Disadvantages
- Their customer service could be better
2. Leaper Retro Messenger Bag
Overall Score: 93
As a cyclist, the Leaper Retro Messenger Bag is a great companion. The product is well-tested and trusted to meet your needs. This bag has gained a great reputation when it comes to quality and high standards.
Lots of consumers have testified positively about its reliability as a large bike messenger bag.
This bag is a great pick for people who care much about aesthetic features. The bag also dangles nicely behind you as you ride your bike.
The bag is portable enough for ease of transport, and it’s also large enough to hold a significant amount of your things while you cycle.
Getting the bag cleaned isn’t a problem – thanks to the resilient and long-lasting canvas material used to make it. Additionally, there’s a PU leather fabric that increases its beauty.
Although when searching for the best waterproof bike messenger bags, this product is not a top choice – this is because it isn’t waterproof.
Regardless of this, the Leaper Retro Messenger Bag is a versatile product that serves different purposes.
Advantages
- It’s made from a long-lasting canvas fabric
- There are various unique hues to select from
- Retro design rucksack style messenger bag
- A large number of customers gave good reviews online
- Can be used as a great gift
Disadvantages
- It isn’t water-resistant
3. KALIDI Canvas Messenger Bag
Overall Score: 83
The next item in this bike messenger bag review is KALIDI Canvas Messenger Bag. This bag is sold at a budget-friendly rate, and it’s also a recommended product for bikers.
This unit is manufactured with a long-lasting design and good holding strength. Don’t underrate it because of its low price – this bag still provides you with an aesthetic look, quality, and reliability.
The bag also has sufficient holding sections to neatly store your items. The holding segments are equipped with strong zippers for added security.
There’s enough space to hold your laptop, smartphone, refillable bottle, and other necessary items. The interior padding will make sure that your laptop is well-shielded from damaging impacts.
When it comes to a secure means of holding the bag on your body while cycling, the strong shoulder straps are meant for that.
These straps don’t press painfully into your shoulder; instead, they have a nice painless feel on your shoulder. There are also excellent metal strap buckles for added security and easy detachment.
Advantages
- Budget-friendly product
- Shoulder strap has a pleasant feel
- The bag isn’t heavy
- Metal strap buckles for added security
- Sold in four unique hues
- Zipper is resistant to water
Disadvantages
- The side pockets won’t hold a regular-sized water bottle
4. Newhey Men’s Messenger Bag
Overall Score: 91
When searching for the best bike messenger bags for men, this is a great option for you. The bag gives off an aesthetic look – thanks to its classic make and quality production.
Regardless of the clothes you’re wearing, you can be sure that the Newhey Men’s Messenger Bag will match it accordingly. The cowhide leather used in making the bag is highly durable.
This bag is a product that we simply couldn’t skip. The leather used to make the Newhey Men’s Messenger Bag is also resistant to water.
It adequately shields your items from wetness. When compared to other available leather bags, this product is truly outstanding.
There are enough storage compartments in the bag for neatly arranging your belongings. There are up to nine unique holding segments for efficient and secure storage.
You can conveniently keep your laptop, refillable bottle, books, magazines, and other items in the bag.
Advantages
- The bag has an aesthetic vintage design.
- Its cowhide leather is waterproof
- There is sufficient storage room to hold your belongings
- Manufactured with strong and durable fabric
- Available in 4 unique hues
Disadvantages
- Zipper isn’t strong enough
5. Timbuk2 Classic Messenger Bag
Overall Score: 82
This is another excellent bag from Timbuk2. It is a great mention in our review of the best bike messenger bags.
Aside from holding your stuff while cycling, the bag can be effectively deployed for a number of other purposes – even though its design is originally dedicated to biking.
Another thing that should make you add this Timbuk2 Classic Messenger Bag to your shopping list is its strong and waterproof fabric.
Your items are effectively shielded from water – thanks to the water-resistant TPU liner integrated into its design.
Inside this product are enough holding sections and pouches for a wide range of items. You can conveniently store your devices and refillable bottle inside their respective dedicated compartments.
Advantages
- The bag’s buckles are magnetic
- TPU liner for water resistance
- The fabric used to make the bag is long-lasting
- Highly visible reflective panels for added security
Disadvantages
- The bag isn’t light enough
- The strap isn’t well made
6. Sweetbriar Classic Messenger Bag
Overall Score: 84
This small bike messenger bag waterproof is versatile and serves several purposes. It’s manufactured with a quality design to satisfy high standards.
There’s a primary storage segment with a large space for arranging necessary belongings – your laptop would easily fit in. There are also dedicated sections for keeping refillable bottles.
If you don’t want to buy a product that would keep on spoiling, you should go for this long-lasting messenger bag.
The cotton canvas material used to make the bag boosts its overall strength and durability. You can also access the bag’s insides with ease – thanks to the Velcro closure.
If you care much for color, there’s a significant amount of unique hues to pick from. You can choose whichever color you want.
Advantages
- It’s a versatile messenger bag
- The storage compartments are spacious
- It comes in different available colors
- Manufactured with a 100% cotton canvas fabric
- Velcro closure
Disadvantages
- Its interior lacks padding
7. XINCADA Men’s Messenger Bag
Overall Score: 88
Another great selection, the XINCADA Men’s Messenger Bag. This unit has a portable, and yet reliable design. It’s a bag that you can comfortably carry while cycling each day.
Another great feature of this quality bag is its ease of use. You don’t need any previous experience to figure out how to use the bag.
You’ll have enough storage room to neatly and compactly arrange your belongings. If you don’t want to be laden with a heavy burden, this bag is a good choice for you – it has a remarkable 1.21-pound weight.
Carrying it around wouldn’t give you any problems. The manufacturers of this product have ensured that it’s long-lasting and satisfies high standards.
Thanks to the canvas material used to make it, you won’t have to keep buying new messenger bags for biking every time.
The XINCADA Men’s Messenger Bag has enough holding sections for your various items. You can securely arrange your smartphone, pens, books, and the likes inside the bag.
There’s a range of unique hues to also choose from. The bag has an aesthetic design that matches a lot of outfits properly.
Advantages
- Made from quality fabric and also has different available colors
- Customizable strap length
- Works well for people that don’t need a full-sized messenger bag
- It’s portable
- There are enough compartments to keep your items
Disadvantages
- You can’t keep huge stuff inside the bag
8. OIWAS Messenger Bag
Overall Score: 86
When talking about the best messenger bike bags, this product cannot be left out. This bag is more heavy-duty. It has a 15-liter holding volume that can contain a significant number of things.
Your laptop will easily fit into this bag, and still leave enough room for several other items. This product has a strong design and is also manufactured with water resistant polyester that’s made to satisfy high standards.
This bag has a well-padded compartment on its inside for the purpose of holding sensitive items. You can confidently store your mobile device in a secure section that’s dedicated to that purpose.
The bag’s cross-body strap wouldn’t press painfully into your shoulder thanks to the comfortable pads in the strap.
One thing that’s really important for cyclists is visibility (especially in low-visibility conditions). The makers of this bag have addressed this issue by making the straps with a highly-visible reflective coating.
There are sufficient pouches and compartments in the bag to neatly and compactly arrange your various items.
The straps always remain securely held in place, without ever slipping off, as you cycle around town.
Advantages
- The straps have a customizable length
- The straps have a highly-visible reflective coating
- The material used to make it is long-lasting
- Water-resistant design
- Compartment for holding smartphone
Disadvantages
- Feels really bulky when at maximum holding capacity
How to Find the Best Bike Messenger Bags for Men and Women
According to bike messenger bags reviews, if you’re hoping to purchase the best messenger bags for cycling, there are a couple of important factors you must consider.
These factors include:
Size
The size of the bag you want to buy shouldn’t be overlooked when you’re making a purchase. The number of items you want to carry and their relative sizes will determine which bag you should get.
Also, if you care much about portability, it’s advisable to get a small-sized messenger bag like a bike saddle bag for example.
On that topic, feel free to go through my detailed review of the best bike saddle bags if you’re looking for something compact yet effective.
However, you also need to leave some space for unforeseen circumstances. This means that the bag you intend to buy should have some extra space just in case you ever want to carry additional items.
Comfort
The next thing to look out for is comfort. This is a very important factor that will determine if you’ll enjoy carrying the bag when riding your bike or not.
A lot of the bag’s comfort is attributed to its straps. The straps should have a broad design to adequately distribute the pressure on your shoulders – padding also makes it more convenient.
A poorly designed strap will only cause pain in your shoulder especially when your bag is at maximum capacity.
You should also watch out for the relative comfort that can be derived from the bag when it’s hot outside. There should be adequate airflow when the bag is on your body.
Waterproof
This would tell you if you can confidently carry a bike rack trunk bag outside on a rainy day. Purchasing a waterproof messenger bag is a plus.
This is because bags that are resistant to water wouldn’t do well when fully submerged underwater, whereas waterproof bags perform excellently in that condition.
Simply put, when you’re looking to purchase a bag that’s worth the money, get one that’s fully waterproof and not just water-resistant.
That said, if you need a strong bag that can withstand the elements, do check out my guide on the best bike rack trunk bags to find one that would complement your gear.
Versatility
If you can get a versatile model that can double as a biking backpack for groceries as well, you’ll benefit a lot from it.
If you’re looking for bags that can carry your groceries and prevent any spills while riding, check out my article on the best bike grocery bags.
The idea is that the best bike messenger backpack should be able to serve multiple purposes apart from holding your stuff and water bottles in case you don’t have a mountain bike water bottle cage when riding.
Most people would prefer to get a bag that’s fashionable to an extent, instead of having a boring ugly bag.
Aesthetically styled bags will match a great number of outfits, and they can be carried when going to various places.
So when searching for the best bicycle messenger bags, multipurpose bags should be atop your list.
This will save you the extra cash needed to buy more bags for other uses apart from holding items when cycling.
A Biking Messenger Bag Should Provide Both Functionality and Style…
Now you should be able to make a purchase that satisfies your needs and personal preferences.
However, out of all the products that we have reviewed, we chose the Leaper Retro Messenger Bag as the best.
It’s a product that satisfies high standards. It also has a portable size and is strong enough to hold your stuff.
There are different compartments, and one of them is large enough to hold a laptop and other devices. You can also arrange smaller items like pencils in the bag’s organizer.