A bike handlebar bag is a simple thing.It’s a fanny pack for your bike, built with consideration for all of your bike-specific needs, such as being able to open it while you’re riding.Although a good handlebar bag can’t change your life, it can save you from showing up with a sweaty back after pedaling across town to the office, a friend’s party, or the office party. (And maybe showing up less sweaty to that third party will change your life.)After spending more than 40 hours interviewing cycling professionals and researching handlebar bags on the internet, I picked 28 bags, attached them to my bike, and started riding. And now I’m sure that the Ornot Handlebar Bag is the best choice for anyone looking to elevate their ride.Top pickThis recycled nylon bag balances simplicity with thoughtful features. It has space to hold the essentials, plus well-placed pockets to keep essential items accessible while you’re riding. This one is hard to carry by hand, though.The Ornot Handlebar Bag is a simple, tube-shaped handlebar bag that makes accessing your gear quick and easy. This 3.1-liter bag can easily carry three large burritos as well as bike tools, a phone, a light jacket, a wallet, and keys.On the back of the bag, two exterior mesh pockets face you when you’re sitting on the bike; another pocket, on the right side, has an elastic cord to secure a smartphone. A mesh pocket on the front of the bag is a perfect place to stash a light jacket. And an interior zipper pocket can safely hold your wallet and keys. The zipper closure for the main compartment wraps across the top of the bag and onto the side, so the interior is very easy to access.The main drawback: The Ornot bag does not include a shoulder strap to carry the bag when you’re not biking (and there isn’t one sold separately), and there are no obvious places to attach a strap. Also, I probably wouldn’t risk carrying hard, sharp objects in the mesh pockets.Runner-upThis ripstop nylon bag has a magnetic lid, so you can grab essentials mid-ride, and it includes a shoulder strap. However, it has fewer exterior pockets than our top pick, and the Velcro on the mounting system might wear out.Like the Ornot bag, the Almsthre Signature XL Bar Bag is tube-shaped. But this one also has a magnetic lid, which makes it even easier to access the main compartment. Made with ripstop nylon, the 3.5-liter bag feels larger because the lid enables it to open wider.Unlike the Ornot bag, the Signature bag comes with a shoulder strap, which hooks onto elastic straps. But it has fewer exterior pockets than the Ornot bag (and no phone holster). And even though the mounting system is adjustable and simple to use, the closures are Velcro. I’ve found that Velcro often loses its grip over time, especially when it’s opened and closed frequently (as it would be if you were to regularly remove this bag).Also, the lid lacks a lock (a heavy object bouncing around inside the bag might force it open), and the bag costs a couple dollars more than our top pick.Budget pickThis recycled-nylon handlebar bag is sturdy, affordable, and big enough to carry everything you need. However, it’s not as easy to use as our other picks.With 3 liters of capacity, the Chrome Holman Handlebar Bag can hold three 12-ounce cans, with room to spare. But I found that this bag’s small zippered opening and lack of rigidity made it less functional on a bike than our top pick.(Some people might balk at a $55 bag being considered a “budget pick.” Yet I determined that $50 was typically the least one could spend to get a bag that was still sturdy enough not to bounce around on the handlebars or quickly fall apart from that bouncing.)Made with durable recycled nylon and polyester, this bag attaches with a pair of sturdy cam buckle straps (note that it comes only in black). Although the main compartment’s opening is small, you can operate the zipper with one hand, so it’s simple to access items while you’re riding. The Holman bag has two internal mesh pockets but only one external pocket. And while it does not come with a shoulder strap, it does have loops where you could attach one.Upgrade pickBuilt with recycled polyester sailcloth, this high-capacity, solidly constructed bag works just as well on and off a bike. It is quite pricey, however.The Swift Industries Catalyst Pack is the only bag I tested that functions as a handlebar bag yet looks like a messenger bag when it’s not attached to a bike. Its top flap clips down over the front of the pack, and it has an internal cinch closure (similar to a shoulder bag). Strangely, though, it doesn’t come with a shoulder strap, and Swift does not offer one.This is an expensive bag, but it’s unrivaled in its thoughtful features for commuting by bike. The shell is made from a sturdy, waterproof recycled polyester originally designed for sails. It has a 7.5-liter capacity, so it’s just big enough to fit a Yorkshire terrier or another tiny dog breed. In fact, this was the only bag I tested that felt sturdy enough to carry a furry friend. Even though the Catalyst is quite large, it’s small enough to fit on pretty much any set of handlebars, and it’s surprisingly light.Best for…This small, solidly built polyurethane-coated polyester bag keeps things light while carrying the essentials — but only the essentials.The Rapha Bar Bag is a lower-capacity (2-liter) bag that’s remarkably well constructed: Everything about it screams excellent craftsmanship. The rigid, polyurethane-coated polyester material keeps the bag from sagging on handlebars (whereas sagging was common in other small handlebar bags I tested).The main compartment is especially accessible when the bag is on a bike, thanks to its zippers. (These zippers were the easiest to operate of those on any bag I tested.) This bag has two interior mesh pockets (to hold small items), plus a second, zippered exterior pocket. And it comes with a cross-body strap, so you can carry the bag when you’re not riding.This handlebar bag is just big enough to fit the necessities — a light jacket, a multi-tool, a tube, and a protein bar or two. So it’s best suited to recreational riding or fair-weather commuting.
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