The Best Crossbody Bags for Men

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

Crossbody bags, however trendy they may be, are incredibly practical. Our coats and pants 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 your 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.

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.

"I use crossbody bags in situations where I'm being active; like hiking, biking or travel. So I like a stable, secure fit. Either high and tight across the back or chest, or on my hips where the load is closest to my center of gravity," says 1733 founder Phil Schade. As for what he keeps inside, it's mostly essentials. "I like to put my phone/wallet/keys in the bag so my pants pockets can be empty. An extra light layer, hat or gloves if it's going to be cold. Chapstick. A snack."

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.)

Read our full review here.

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.

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!)

A viral darling at an incredible price, this sling bag is all over social media and, frankly people are obsessed with the value proposition of a $20 bag with this much style and substance. Find out what all the hype is about for yourself by picking up your own — it certainly won't break the bank.

Lululemon's Everywhere Belt Bag is, well, nowhere to be found. It's always sold out — but for good reason. It's a super solid crossbody bag: It's simple, carries quite a big and it usually comes in a sleek colorway, like all-black. The new Everywhere Bag Large is a little bit bigger (barely), and it comes in an equally cool color called Grey Sage. It's currently sold out now, but when it restocks you should most certainly jump on it. Two alternatives: The original Everywhere Belt Bag is currently in stock right now though, along with the brand's Easy Access Crossbody Bag.

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.

Janji's compartmentalized Multipass Sling Bag wraps securely around the body, which means it's perfect for runners, bikers or simply brisk walkers (or subway commuters). It's big enough to carry a few cards, your keys and phone, but little more — probably AirPods but maybe not a notebook.

The security, though, is enough reason to wear Janji's bag, especially since there's a second strap that secures it across your chest.

Aer's Day Sling 3 Max Belt Bag comes with a ton of internal organizational elements, including three pockets with plenty of dividers within. There is a large zippered sleeve, mesh and nylon dividers, plus mesh pockets, too. It's all waterproof, too, and it was big enough to fit a full-size bike lock, my phone, wallet and keys, a water bottle and headphones.

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.

Made from hummus-colored 330D Robic fabric, Mystery Ranch's Full Moon Hip Pack has plenty of straps to keep the bag close to your body, but enough room to be serviceable on a day trip, too. Think: a camera, a small water bottle and all your EDC.

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.

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.

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.

"We offer 3.5Liter and 7Liter versions of our Side Pack," 1733 founder Phil Schade says. "7L is about the max in my opinion as anything larger, fully-loaded will start to get heavy on a single strap worn asymmetrically. Don't carry a pair of shoes in your cross body bag. If you need any extra pair of boots, you're either packing wrong or you need a different type of bag."

The 1733 Side Pack 7L Sling should instead be used for your essentials: your keys, phone, wallet, water and so on and so forth. And you easily can with this durable bag, which has separated pockets and a padded back panel for pressing evenly against your body.

Billykirk's new canvas crossbody bag doesn't have the most advanced strap, but that's okay, because you couldn't make it too heavy if you tried. It's a compact carry-all, just big enough for a point and shoot (or phone), wallet and keys.

The durable waxed canvas exterior matches a more mature wardrobe, too — one that doesn't mesh well with, well, mesh or polyester.

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.

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.