The 20 Best Crossbody Bags of 2024 For A Hands-Free Experience, Tested & Reviewed

Best Overall

Baggu Nylon Crescent Bag

View On Shopbop.com $52 View On Urban Outfitters $52 View On Baggu.com

If we had to guess what bag Mary Poppins always carried around, we would say it’s this one from Baggu. It’s as though it magically expands internally with how much it can hold. We were able to fit books (yes plural), full-sized water bottles, sunglasses, cameras, phones, and wallets simultaneously in this miracle bag. With all of these goods inside, we worried our shoulders would get sore when carrying it around, but the aching never occurred. Although we appreciate the neutral tones like black and navy, the more colorful options and fun prints make this piece stand out from the rest. It’s truly a carry-all bag for everyday life and we can wholeheartedly say we would pay even more than the $50 for such a quality piece. 

Material: Nylon | Size: 13.75 (W) x 8 (H) x 4 (D) inches | Colors: 13

Best Budget

Athleta All About Crossbody

View On Gap.com

We’ve tested and adored Athleta’s belt bag before, so it only made sense to try a crossbody bag as well. We’ve used this sling while running errands and walking around town and experienced firsthand how durable and comfortable it is. The strap doesn’t dig into the shoulder and gives great access to the contents inside the bag. A bag, which despite its lack of compartments, has tons of space to carry all our essentials. The exterior is also water-repellent and lightweight, making it easy to travel with.  

Material: 69% Polyester/31% Recycled Polyester | Size: 12.25 (W) x 7.5 (H) x 4 (D) inches | Colors: 4

Best Splurge

Seth Milot Day VI Gris

View On Sethmilot.com

Budding handbag brand Seth Milot offers a line of sculptural handbags worth their salt in the luxury market. While Bianca Kratky, co-author of this article, was taken aback by the beauty of all of the bags when she viewed the collection, it’s this Day VI bag that most stood out to her for its practicality and fine stitch work. The nappa leather felt as soft as butter, and the interior featured an Hermès-like suede orange lining, which happens to be her favorite color. The strap is adjustable in length and the closure features a twist clasp that adds a level of security to the piece.

Material: Napa leather | Size: 19 (W) x 14 (H) x 8.25 (D) inches | Colors: 2

Best Patterned

Clare V. Midi Sac

View On Clarev.com View On Shopbop.com $235

Simple, yet stylish, Clare V. offers patterned little sacs to carry all your belongings. The Midi Sac comes in various colors, patterns, and designs, catering to a number of aesthetics. Beyond just its visual appeal, we found the crossbody bag to be an excellent travel companion. It fits a bunch of essentials and zips closed all the way so that nothing can fall out. Although it does come with a simple strap, you can add on different styled straps, from thick to thin to woven to chain, although it will cost extra. 

Material: Leather | Size: 17.5 (W) x 5.5 (H) x 2.5 (D) inches | Colors: 20

Best Organization

Baggallini Everywhere Bagg

View On Amazon $84 View On Baggallini.com $83

The category is compartments and Baggallini takes the crown. It’s because of the many pockets, side zips, and dividers that this bag became our go-to choice for both work and travel. We take it everywhere we go and we never lose any items in it with its excellent organization capabilities. On top of the four main pockets on the exterior of the bag, the interior features a zippered compartment and a few slots to hold pens and little notepads. And while we love using the long crossbody strap, on occasion we would shorten it to use as a shoulder bag. When we wanted to go completely hands-free, however, the little slit on the back allowed us to slip it over the handles of a suitcase. 

Material: Nylon | Size: 11 (W) x 9 (H) x 5 (D) inches | Colors: 10

Best Camera Bag

Madewell Large Transport Camera Bag

View On Madewell.com

Our biggest pet peeve with camera bags is that they tend to look clunky and unstylish, and they leave no space for anything else. Not this Madewell Transport Bag, however. We were able to fit our DSLR camera along with our sunglasses, a small wallet, keys, and chapstick for a fun adventure exploring a new city. It allowed us to look stylish while traveling and not like an obvious tourist. The thicker strap also felt extremely comfortable on our shoulders even after a long day of wear — a huge win for anyone familiar with the quarrels of schlepping heavy camera gear around. The top closes completely, making it safe for cameras as well. After experiencing its style, functionality, and comfort, we think this bag is well worth the price it comes with. 

Material: Leather | Size: 9.5 (W) x 6.5 (H) x 3.25 (D) inches | Colors: 2

Best Clutch

Radley London Sundown Avenue Weave Medium Flapover Clutch

View On Radleylondon.com View On Macy's $268 View On Belk.com

This bag doubles as a clutch and a crossbody bag by either unclipping the chain strap or simply dropping it into the pouch. We’ve used this from day to night, from brunch to a formal event simply by adjusting how we used the strap. Although it wasn’t the most spacious of bags, it did hold all our daily essentials like wallets, keys, phones, and chapsticks. Because it’s so lightweight, it’s been our go-to travel bag as well. It takes up little to no space (and weight) when packing. The fully leather weave design makes it look elevated, adding a touch of elegance to our outfits whenever we put it on. Overall, it’s been a fantastic bag to have in our rotation. 

Material: Leather, metal | Size: 11 (W) x  5.5 (H) x 3.5 (D) inches | Colors: 1

Best Leather

Portland Leather Large Circle Crossbody

View On Portlandleathergoods.com

This bag has been our everyday purse, travel buddy, and road trip essential for the last two years. It’s a decent size with manageable weight, and the leather strap is thick enough to distribute the weight of the bag evenly so that it never digs or feels uncomfortable. It also has seven holes in a belt-like style so you can adjust the length to match your height. The leather impressed us with how durable it has been — we’ve spilled liquids and collected scratches over the years but it never stained or looked beat-up. Although we visually love the circular bag, it may not be the most economical option for anyone traveling with a chunky camera. 

Material: Leather | Size: 9 (W) x 9 (H) x 3 (D) inches | Colors: 16

Best Designer

Bottega Veneta Loop Camera Bag

View On Bottegaveneta.com $2,700 View On Matchesfashion.com $2,900

Choosing an investment piece requires a keen eye. If the ever-popular designer label isn’t enough to convince you, then consider the following factors: The lambskin leather that Bottega Veneta uses is truly next level — Kratky owns one of the bags in a similar style and finds the leather to be superior to many of the other famous designer brands. And, the woven design is not only an eye-catching feature but helps to conceal any scratches that are bound to occur with wear over time.

Even Grimstad deems this bag the perfect investment. “It comes in a neutral color, ensuring you get to wear it over and over again. The size also gives it styling versatility, be it over a coat in the winter or with athleisure to run errands.”

Material: Lambskin leather | Size: 8.7 (W) x 6.1 (H) x 3.5 (D) inches | Colors: 5

Best for Work

Bellroy Tokyo Work Bag

View On Amazon $189 View On Bellroy.com

Much like the Baggallini option, this bag from Bellroy is full of compartments and organization capabilities, making it an excellent choice for work. The main compartment includes a laptop pocket, another thinner pocket layered over the laptop pocket, two stretchy compartments for notebooks and tablets, and a mini zippered mesh pocket for keys. It doesn’t stop there — the outer shell has two zippered pockets and a large snap-closure pocket on the side. There’s even a water bottle slip as well. Needless to say, we found enough space for absolutely all of our office needs. 

A key component that set this bag apart was the cushioned sole, which, when we dropped the bag down a little too aggressively, protected our laptops and valuables from shattering. We also found the shoulder strap to be thickly padded — an important comfort factor. If we wanted to, however, we could switch to carrying it by the handles. Last but not least, we tested its waterproof claims and can confirm that water simply beaded on the bag’s surface, never soiling a single document in the interior. 

Material: Recycled polyester | Size: 17.3 (W) x 14.2 (H) x 6.3 (D) inches | Colors: 3

Best for Travel

Dagne Dover Micah Crossbody

View On Dagnedover.com $110 View On Shopbop.com

There’s no denying that we’re big fans of Dagne Dover. Over and over again, we’ve rated its belt bags, backpacks, and carryalls as some of our favorites, and we’re adding this crossbody bag to the list. One of its winning points was its size — we were able to fit everything we could need in a day, including snacks, cameras, wallets, little notebooks, and hand creams without looking bulky. It’s sneakily larger on the inside than it appears. Dagne Dover’s signature neoprene material was something to adore as well. It’s unique in look and feel and weighs about as much as a bag of feathers. 

Material: Neoprene | Size: 8.75 (W) x 7 (H) x 3 (D) inches | Colors: 10

Best Formal

Ruskin The Camille In Rouge

View On Ruskinengland.com

Crossbody bags aren’t formal by nature, but there are some circumstances where they’re appropriate, like, say a daytime wedding or shower. In cases like these, consider this nappa leather bag from Ruskin, handmade in Italy. The label marries expert craftsmanship with a sleek silhouette for a unique yet versatile bag that oozes quiet luxury. Although there are no zippers to keep your valuables safe, we have confidence in the magnetic flap. We haven’t tested this option to be sure, but if we did, we’d bring it to a work dinner and an impending trip to Italy all the same.

Material: Full grain leather | Size: 10.5 (W) x 8.5 (H) x 4 (D) inches | Colors: 5

Best Pouch

Behno Frida Mini Crossbody Pebble Ruched Bag

View On Behno.com

Generally, we love Behno, a relatively new bag brand on the scene, for its sustainable business model. While we didn’t test this option, the simply elegant pebbled leather bag with a drawstring closure is really appealing to us. There are two interior compartments, which leaves room for some organization capabilities, but mostly the pouch is there for you to drop your essentials in (think phone, wallet, granola bar, keys, etc) and travel simply (both in terms of function and style). Some of the color options have smooth leather if that’s the finish you generally prefer.

Material: Nappa leather, cotton | Size: 7 (W) x 8.5 (H) | Colors: 7

Best Bucket

Longchamp Roseau Essential XS Bucket Bag

View On Longchamp.com

Compared to other designer brands, Longchamp is a little more attainable while delivering the same quality materials and design expertise. A bucket bag such as this is a timeless piece that can be adored through the years. Not to mention, this style of bag tends to be deeper and therefore fits more items than your standard purse. It can be held by the top handle or draped across the body with the long strap — which by the way, is removable but not adjustable in length. The soft suede interior will be excellent for keeping valuable scratch-free, on top of delivering a luxurious feel. 

Material: | Size: 6.7 (W) x 7.5 (H) x 4.7 (D) inches | Colors: 4

Best Clear

Hammitt Stadium-Approved Clear Bag

View On Hammitt.com $195

Clear bags are truly a unique look, and while it may not be the best option for walking around Paris — a city notoriously known for pickpockets — we found it to be ideal for the beach, concerts, and festivals. Although it looks seemingly small, we were able to fit our Kindle inside, along with our phones, AirPods, wallets, and lip glosses. The bag has a soft leather strap, which we much preferred over something plastic, as it could have tugged and pulled at our skin. And although it’s a clear bag, it has some fun colored accents to it, giving it a bit of a visual appeal. 

Material: TPU, leather | Size: 8 (W) x 7.5 (H) x 2 (D) inches | Colors: 19

Best Convertible

Songmont Shearling Luna Bag

View On Songmontofficial.com

This option from Songomont offers the gift of versatility, meaning that it can function as either a crossbody or a shoulder bag. It comes with two types of straps that you can swap in and out — in other words, you can’t keep both straps on simultaneously. With gold finish hardware, a microfiber leather lining, a luxuriously soft shearling, and a calf leather exterior the bag is just so trendy and cool. The crescent moon shape almost hugs and curves around the body when worn as a crossbody, further adding to its comfort factor. Although it wasn’t one of our tested options, it’s so different from anything else on the market that we didn’t want you to miss it. 

Material: Calf leather, leather, shearling | Size: 10.43 (W) x 9.06 (H) x 3.94 (D) inches | Colors: 1

Best Small

Tumi Persia Crossbody

View On Nordstrom $195 View On Tumi.com $195

This has been our go-to bag when traveling because it’s small enough that we can sometimes sneak it under a coat as another personal item. The fact that it’s slim and lies flush against the body makes it all the easier to “hide”. Despite its slim size, it fits a shocking amount of items including our Kindle, lip gloss, snacks, keys, wallet, AirPods, and phones. 

Small size does not mean a lack of compartments, however! There’s a slip pocket at the back for the phone, a key strap in the main compartment, and a few more little slip pockets scattered around. The strap is very comfortable, and we had the option of adding a charm pouch as well. 

Material: Nylon, leather | Size: 5.3 (W) x 7.5 (H) x 2 (D) inches | Colors: 6

Best Sling

Canvelle Sling Bag

View On Canvelle.com

This bag has been a hit amongst us mothers. It has allowed us to be completely hands-free and not have anything bumping against our hips when we already have children on each side of us. The large size of the bag makes it easy to stuff it with loose items that our kids accumulate through the day, while still fitting a full-sized wallet and all our other parental essentials. Thanks to the mesh back panel, the bag feels very breathable and doesn’t get hot and sticky even on warmer days. On the inside, there is a small mesh pocket where we typically keep our keys or chapsticks. Overall, it’s been a very convenient bag that has awarded it our most used personal item. 

Material: Recycled plastic bottles | Size: 11 (W) x 17 (H) x 5 (D) inches | Colors: 6

Best Minimalist

Cuyana Sling Bag

View On Cuyana.com

Calling all minimalists, this sleek and simple bag is to be adored. If excessive amounts of features and pockets only feel overwhelming, you’re going to love the large center compartment on this bag. There is one interior side pocket and one external slip pocket, but aside from that, the middle remains open and ready to swallow a large number of items — even a chunky sweater, we found out. 

Made of recycled materials, the stitched bag is impressively lightweight. Even with it fully packed, it did not weigh us down. Conversely, we were at times bothered by its lack of padding and protection, so be careful not to swing it around if valuables like laptops are in it. Last but certainly not least, it’s machine washable, making maintenance a breeze. 

Material: Recycled standard-certified landfill plastic | Size: 18 (W) x 12.5 (H) x 6 (D) inches | Colors: 2