Messenger/shoulder bag recommendations for men? (Amazon if possible)

April 21, 2024 1:36 PM

I tend to go out quite often, and bring necessities such as 1-2 water bottles, small snacks, meds, and eyeglasses cleaning cloths with me. I also want room for my iPad (9th gen, 10.2 inches, thicker with a protective case). What's a good messenger bag for me that's reasonably priced ($20-40) and good-sized while not being awkward or too large to comfortably carry around?

I purchased this, and while it's super nice with all the compartments, it's pretty small—I didn't have room for much more once my iPad was inside. I want something a bit bigger, but not too big. I also want something that doesn't break the bank, and comfortable shoulder straps are a must.

I'm eyeing this, and it looks pretty good, but am open to other recommendations. Compartments are also important to help keep me better organized. I've been using a combo of grocery bags and my backpack, but want to pivot to messenger-style bags.

Thanks!

posted by dubious_dude to Shopping (6 answers total)

I have the GeckoBrands sling bag:

https://geckobrands.com/products/sling-bag

It fits that nice middle size for me. I usually have in it: a folded blind cane, two flashlights, an umbrella, small scarf, gloves, hand sanitizer, Altoids, paperwork, a reusable grocery bag, and a small duffel bag. And often times a light jacket also.

When I get some groceries or something on the way home, I put the sling bag in the duffel bag. If I know I'm buying more I'll swap out the smaller duffel for a Patagonia reversible 60L duffel.

Everything seems to fit just fine, with room for a couple 16oz water bottles when it's warmer out.

It also swings around to the front pretty easily, so when i sit down on the bus or something, i just slide it around and sit without having to futz about.

Looks like they have it on sale for $24 while supplies last. Usually $40.
https://geckobrands.com/products/sling-bag-while-supplies-last?variant=47969062650137
(I got mine through Target.com, but it's out of stock on their site.)
posted by JustAnotherPerson at 3:31 PM on April 21

For what it's worth - I prefer the sling bag format rather than the shoulder or messenger bag. It fits more closely against my back and doesn't flop around if I'm running. It also isn't as likely to get caught on something or bump into things.

Not sure if those terms really mean anything specific, but when I was searching, "sling bag" seemed to turn up results closer to what I wanted.
posted by JustAnotherPerson at 3:35 PM on April 21

I recently purchased a new messenger bag from courier ware and really like it. I owned one probably 20 years ago and the quality is exactly the same. They have a lot of options for messenger bags, including custome builds.
posted by phil at 4:46 PM on April 21

It's $10 over your budget, but this sling looks promising.
posted by oceano at 4:19 PM on April 22

This ultra-light, ultra-inexpensive sling from Chicobags is currently my favorite. It doesn't have compartments so it might not suit your needs exactly, but it might be worth considering for its other virtues. It's big and it's much, much tougher than it looks. I've used two of them to carry heavy loads of groceries, one across each shoulder. And it packs down to a tiny, pocket-sized lump with a carabiner clip.
posted by tangerine at 12:17 PM on April 23

My husband and I *love* our Eno Sling Bags. Also $10 over your preferred range but very high quality and comfortable while easily accommodating a large ipad, water bottle, socks, etc. They're no longer being made but plenty of companies still have them for sale.
posted by nenequesadilla at 5:52 PM on April 23