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Empty Your Pockets. Carry Your Essentials in a Crossbody Bag Instead

This handy accessory gives you space for your EDC and then some.

By Evan Malachosky Feb 3, 2022

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Crossbody bags, however trendy they may be, are incredibly practical. Our coats and pants (sometimes even hats and sneakers if you’re into streetwear) usually offer plenty of pocket space, but who wants a tangled mess of keys scratching your leg or jangling around as you walk? If you carry anything more than a tiny card holder, you probably wish you had a place to put it other than your back pocket, right? What happens with the oddities you inevitably pick up throughout your day? You need a (safe) place to keep all of it. Cue the crossbody bag.

Not only does the style give you extra room for your EDC (and then some), but it frees up your hands to open doors, text (but not when crossing the street) or checkout at a coffee shop or cafe. In my opinion, the best part about a crossbody bag versus a backpack or even a messenger bag is the proximity of its contents. Removing your wallet from a crossbody is way easier because the bag is right there in front of you, on your front side. When you’re done, you just drop it back in and zip the bag back up — no fussing with throwing it back over your shoulder, slinging it back over your head or questioning whether you really did close it or not (you can just look down and check).

They make a ton of sense for folks that commute (or fly), too. A big backpack doesn’t really fly on a crowded subway; flight attendants will definitely notice you’re ultra-large tote (making it more likely they’ll ask you to stow it above), but they probably won’t bat an eye at your compact crossbody.

What to Look for in a Crossbody Bag

Ideally, your crossbody bag comes with compartmentalized pockets within — even if it’s just a simple nylon or mesh divider. This way you can toss your keys and an iPhone, for example, into the same bag without the latter getting scratched. It’s smart to be sure the bag zips shut, too. Sure, a velcro-closing one might look cool and feel a bit easier to open, but you shouldn’t worry about whether something’s secretly fallen out.

A waterproof exterior is important, too, albeit not necessarily vital. The bag might be big enough to wear under your rainproof shell but that doesn’t make accessing your keys when you arrive at your apartment or office — or your phone when you feel it vibrating — all that easy.

Be wise about the size of the bag as well. Bigger crossbody bags are typically classified as messenger bags and are far bulkier. Crossbody bags, by design, shouldn’t be capable of carrying a small load of groceries home — just your wallet, keys, phone, headphones, camera and maybe a water bottle. That being said, there’s no real set formula for these types of bags. Some are small and hang down near the hip. Others wrap more tightly around your torso. Pick what works best for you. These are all by definition crossbody bags, but there are subtle differences between them nonetheless.

The Best Crossbody Bags for Men

Best Overall Crossbody Bag: Moment Fanny Sling
Best Upgrade Crossbody Bag: C.P. Company Lens Crossbody Utility Pack
Best Affordable Crossbody Bag: Everlane The ReNew Transit Bag
The North Face Field Bag
Bellroy Sling
Sealand Core Pronto Crossbody Bag
Eastpak Springer Powr Waistpack
Gramicci Climbing Chalk Crossbody Bag
Tanner Goods Canyon Crossbody Pack
Napapijri Fleece Crossbody Pack
Topo Designs Mountain Sling Bag
State Bags Lenox Bike Bag
Herschel Supply Co. Heritage Shoulder Bag
Joshu Vela Etna Sling

Advertisement – Continue Reading Below Best Overall Crossbody Bag Fanny Sling

Moment $60 AT SHOPMOMENT.COM

Moment’s Fanny Sling is the ideal crossbody bag. It’s the right size; it has compartmentalized pockets for a phone, your keys, wallet and even a camera within. Plus, it’s contoured to wrap nicely around your chest or shoulder blades, depending on how you wear it. There’s even a 4-inch expander for a packable jacket or some paperwork you’re carrying. Pick from five different colors, each with water-sealed zippers and an adjustable strap. (For reference, it can store three 12 oz cans of beer.)

Compartmentalized pockets
Contoured shape for comfort
Five colors
Water-sealed zippers
Waterproof

No strap for carrying when you take it off

Best Upgrade Crossbody Bag Lens Crossbody Utility Pack

C.P. Company $199 AT END CLOTHING

Rather than bulge out like a backpack, C.P. Company’s Crossbody Utility Pack hangs flush with your torso. That means bulkier items might make the pack uncomfortable to carry, but it doesn’t become deformed with your usual EDC inside. It comes with two separate zip pockets with their own mesh liners and an easy-snap spot for even more essentials. Plus, the entire thing’s made from Nylon B, which makes it completely waterproof.

Waterproof
Hangs flush against your torso
Three colors
Two pockets so you can separate fragile items

Non-flat items make the bag bulky

Best Affordable Crossbody Bag The ReNew Transit Bag

Everlane $35 AT EVERLANE

Available in four sleek, simple colors, Everlane’s The ReNew Transit Bag makes commuting with and carrying your necessities no task at all. (Bye, bulging pockets!)

Available in four colors
Made from recycled polyester
Comfortable to carry on your front or back

No much compartmentalization within
No handle for carrying in hand
Bag isn’t reinforced so it bends with too much weight

Field Bag

The North Face $45 AT THE NORTH FACE

It doesn’t matter whether you carry this out on the trails or on the train: It’ll do the same job. The North Face’s Field Bag is the right shape to wrap tightly around your body or hang near your hip. (The former’s more comfortable, to be fair.) Choose from either vintage white or this plain black, and reap the benefits of a mini backpack. That means a dedicated sleeve on the backside for your phone, a spacious center pocket and an adjustable strap.

Comfortable to carry
Rear pocket to protect your phone
Two colors
Made from recycled materials

Unless tightened, the bag hangs by your hip
No strap for carrying by hand

Sling

Bellroy $99 AT BELLROY

Bellroy tops our guide to backpacks, so it’s only right they fit into our crossbody coverage, too. The Sling is built on the same principles: to be simple yet super convenient. There’s a front pocket for your phone, a soft-lined interior pouch for a pair of sunglasses and a ring to attach your keys to. It’s big enough to store a full-size water bottle but yet comfortable to carry.

Available in seven different colors
Soft-lined interior pouch for a phone or sunglasses
Back is padded for structure
Made from water-resistant recycled nylon
Has an easy access front compartment

Magnetic strap isn’t as foolproof as a buckle
Not the most aesthetically interesting

Core Pronto Water Repellent Crossbody Bag

Sealand $45 AT NORDSTROM

As I mentioned above, crossbody bags come in all shapes and sizes. Ideally, they’re big enough for your EDC and a few extras. Sealand’s is not. The absolute minimum fits in here, but that doesn’t make it a bad bag. For what it is, I love it — a place for your bare necessities: a phone, a few keys, a wallet and AirPods. The exterior’s made from water-repellent, upcycled polyester, and the strap can be adjusted so that the bag hangs like a tote or tightly around your wrist.

Strap be converted to fit around your wrist
Made from upcycled materials
Water-repellent
Available in three colors

Small even for the category
Doesn’t zip shut

Springer Powr Waistpack

Eastpak $25 AT END CLOTHING

Eastpak makes, in my opinion, the best cheap backpack. So, surprise, surprise that the brand’s taken a similarly affordable approach to the crossbody bag. It’s so simple, and that’s quite refreshing in a category rife with hyper-modified bags with pockets and storage capabilities no one really ever uses. No, there isn’t a divider within, meaning your phone might get scratched if you it in there with a ring of keys, but that’s a minor issue. (They make carabiners, you know?) Trust that this option will keep its contents dry, protected from pickpockets and comfortably snug to your person.

Water-resistant
Super simple
Available in several different colors

No internal dividers
Smaller than others
Flimsy, but that makes stuffing it easier

Climbing Chalk Crossbody Bag

Gramicci $78 AT NORDSTROM

Inspired by a simple climbing chalk bag, Gramicci aptly named Climbing Chalk Crossbody Bag emphasizes form over function. That’s not to say it isn’t functional, because it totally is, but it isn’t as comfortable to carry as, say, Everlane’s, for example. The strap is not adjustable so you can’t tighten it to carry the bag across your chest, but the bag itself offers a ton of space for much more than your PKW (phone, keys and wallet).

Cool shape
Has a dedicated front pocket for a phone or keys
Can store a lot
Made from 50-percent recycled materials

While cool, the shape doesn’t lend itself to easy carrying
The strap is not adjustable
No compartmentalization inside

Canyon Crossbody Pack

Tanner Goods $125 AT TANNER GOODS

The Canyon Crossbody Pack is big enough for a water bottle and some snacks but slim enough to be slipped beneath a jacket or an oversized hoodie. Besides its versatility, the naturalness of this option proves most impressive. There are leather accents and the exterior’s cut from 10 oz waxed canvas, an equally waterproof alternative to nylon or polyester.

Compartmentalized interior
Dedicated front pocket for your phone
The strap is adjustable
Can fit a water bottle
Foam padded so it holds its shape
Doubles as a dopp kit

No handle for carrying in hand
Waxed canvas will need cared for

Fleece Cross Body Bag

Napapijri $49 AT END CLOTHING

Considering its fleece construction, you shouldn’t risk ruining this bag by taking it out on rainy days. That is a major drawback, I know, but how often do you see fleece bags? (Answer: rarely, if ever.) As such, that makes Napapijri a nice option at an affordable price. But don’t expect much in terms of pockets. There’s just one zipper pouch, and it doesn’t have dividers.

The fleece exterior is unique
Better matches most outfits
Buckle strap is easy to use

Fleece exterior obviously isn’t waterproof
You’re paying for appearance over performance
Not compartmentalized within
Only has one pocket

Mountain Sling Bag

Topo Designs $59 AT TOPO DESIGNS

I’m a big fan of Colorado-born brand Topo Designs’ Mountain Sling Bag. Why? It’s the right size; it mixes outdoor and city influences; and the inside is just compartmentalized enough. There’s plenty of free space within but also a zipper pouch for fragile items. Plus, there’s a hook to attach your keys to so they don’t jangle as you hike or run. And, best of all, the bag’s 100-percent made from recycled nylon.

Made from 100% recycled nylon
Comes in four colors
Comfortable to carry
Has a handle so you can carry it by hand
Compartmentalized within to protect your phone
Has an easy access exterior pocket

Too big to be layered beneath a jacket

Lenox Bike Bag

State Bags $95 AT STATE BAGS

State Bags turned its most popular Bike Bag into something you can carry, too. It’s the convertible of crossbody bags, if you will. That means when you’re riding to work or just for exercise, the bag easily attaches to your handlebars. When you’re done riding, removing it only requires to clicks and it can go right back across your chest. I will say, though, the bag definitely cuts some corners in favor of versatility, but these are minor complaints. I found that the handlebar straps do dig into your chest if you wear it super tightly.

Can be attached to the front of a bike
Perfect for city commuters
Water-resistant
Has two zipper pockets

Doesn’t hang flush to your torso
Sacrifices specialization in favor of universality
The handlebar straps dig into your chest if it’s tight across it

Heritage Shoulder Bag

Herschel Supply Co. $50 AT NORDSTROM

Herschel makes an endless assortment of backpacks and duffle bags — shoulder bags, too, clearly. This one looks and feels a lot like the aforementioned backpacks, but streamlined. There’s still a roomy, unstructured interior pocket, but it’s balanced out by a zippered front one for your valuables. It’s on the bigger side, by the way, so you couldn’t layer it beneath a coat — or at least I wouldn’t recommend it.

Feels a lot like a backpack
A dedicated front pocket helps you access things you need often

Can’t really be worn across your chest
The roomy interior lets things bang around if you’re in motion
Isn’t top of the line in terms of water resistance

Etna Sling

Joshuvela $138 AT JOSHUVELA

The Etna Sling is an easy-to-carry crossbody made in Joshuvela’s independent San Francisco studio using military-grade materials. The hardware is all brass; the nylon is waterproof and rip-resistant; and the mesh pocket gives you room for larger, less fragile items. Although they show a model carrying their phone in there, I wouldn’t. Think: water damage, dings off poles or other pedestrians, etc, etc. Otherwise, this bag checks all of the boxes. It’s big enough for your essentials and little more, and it compartmentalizes them so they don’t damage eachother.

Made in San Francisco
Super lightweight
Has leather trim
Comes in three colors
Has compartmentalized pockets
Made from military-grade nylon
Waterproof

Front mesh pocket isn’t practical for smaller or easily damaged items

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