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Best Messenger Bag
Waterfield Designs Executive Messenger
For 9-to-5 Commuters
Chrome Mini Metro
Best Camera Bag
Peak Design Everyday Sling 10L
Sleek and Small
Peak Design Field Pouch V2
If I’m out and about and I don’t have a bag slung across my body, I feel naked and unprepared. It’s like venturing into a dungeon without any health potions. What if I need ChapStick? Did I bring ChapStick? How can I fit my phone, keys, and face mask all in the truncated pockets of my jeans? Where do I put the cool rock I just found? Extra storage capacity is essential to my everyday carry, and being able to swing the bag around to the front and grab anything I need is crucial.
Backpacks are better for heavy loads or all-day trekking, but for lightweight everyday needs, nothing beats messenger bags, sling packs, and convertible hip packs. I’ve tested dozens over the years, and these are my favorites.
Be sure to check out our many other buying guides, including the Best Backpacks for Work, the Best Totes and Purses, and the Best Camera Bags.
Updated December 2022: We updated pricing and added the Peak Design Field Pouch V2.
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Photograph: Waterfield Designs
Best Messenger Bag
Waterfield Designs Executive Messenger
I’ve gone through my fair share of messenger bags, even before writing about them was part of my job. But Waterfield Designs’ Executive Messenger is hands-down the best messenger bag I’ve ever laid my hands on.
Messenger bags are often very bulky, even when they’re not full. The leather Executive Messenger addresses this problem by being very slim, but flexible. There’s just enough internal structure to keep my gadgets safe but enough flexibility that after a few uses it will start to contour to your body a bit. Plus, it has ample interior pockets and pouches to store small things, like lip balm and charging cables. The interior lining is a bright orange, which helps with visibility.
It’s a very stylish bag (very dark academia and scholar-chic), and it’s built to last, with a leather outer that has so far weathered nicely. They’re handmade to order, and that attention to detail really shines through. It feels sturdy, the seams are thick and robust, and the pockets and front latch seem like they’re made to last a lifetime.
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Photograph: Chrome
For 9-to-5 Commuters
Chrome Mini Metro
Waterproof and also built to last a lifetime, Chrome’s Mini Metro messenger bag is a classic. From its signature seatbelt-buckle strap to its double-clasp closure mechanism, this is a true messenger bag designed with the life of a bike messenger in mind. You load it up and swing it around your back, keeping all the essentials safely packed away.
The waterproof finish and liner are heavy-duty too. I carried one of these for years through storms and snow. Each time, it was fully loaded with a MacBook and an assortment of notebooks, and everything managed to stay dry. The Metro is also a great choice if you need a little more storage space, as it will carry everything you need to and from the office.
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Photograph: Peak Design
Best Camera Bag
Peak Design Everyday Sling 10L
The Everyday Sling comes in a variety of sizes, but my favorite is the 10-liter version. With ample pockets for organization and optional flexible dividers, this bag fits a 13-inch MacBook Pro, a charger, and plenty of other accessories. Even fully loaded, the Everyday Sling maintains a slim profile that makes it easy to keep it close to your body. The strap is made from a seatbelt-like material, designed to slide easily over clothes, and it doesn’t bunch up on your shoulder as some straps do.
It’s spacious enough to carry makeup, my 11-inch iPad Pro, a power bank, and loads of other random supplies. And it’s comfortable carried either slung at the side or cinched up like a backpack.
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Photograph: Peak Design
Sleek and Small
Peak Design Field Pouch V2
The Peak Design Field Pouch V2 excels in its role as a small everyday-carry bag for a couple of reasons. First of all, it’s weatherproof and doesn’t soak up water even when you’re out in a rainstorm. And second, the horizontal orientation and slim profile make it a surprisingly spacious but ultra-low-profile bag to carry around. It’s big enough for a smartphone, wallet, mask, and small camera, plus it comes with Peak Design’s signature seatbelt-fabric-style strap, making it easy to sling around your body.
