The Bellroy Lite Sling bag offers an investment in your active, no nonsense travel adventures. Don’t be fooled by its sleek, urban Australian minimalist design. It hides a deck of nifty features to match outbound trailblazers.
If you’re looking for an unobtrusive, minimal day bag with a luxury feel for day-hiking, day-tripping, or even commuting, you’ve found The One.
While it can be compressed against your body with the sling for hands-free adventures, it holds a surprising amount of gear. Available in two sizes – Lite Sling Mini and Lite Sling – the larger can hold a water bottle along with your wallet, phone, and other daily essentials. The sling is available in several muted autumnal tones: black, grey, ash, kiwi (green), and clay (rust – the one shown in these images).
My favourite feature of the The Bellroy Lite Sling bag is its ease of use. Opening, closing, wearing – everything is frictionless from the two-way zips and sturdy magnetic clasp to the adjustable straps.
My Requirements
This was my fairly modest shortlist:
- Lightweight
- Flat profile
- Adjustable strap
- Additional pocket for keys or phone
Does the Belroy Lite Sling Bag Match Up to the Hype?
This sling does not come cheap. Since I was gifted an Amazon voucher and splashed out, this was of little consequence to me. But, if you’re in buying mode, it costs £85 on Amazon, with other models ranging from £49 to a whopping £165 – an investment rather than an impulse purchase. (It is not lost on me that I was able to buy my much larger Arcido backpack for just £100. Incidentally, this backpack it is now only £40, since Arcido is closing down.)
Let’s examine further to see if it’s worth the spend.
The Belroy Lite Sling Bag Offers Stylish Durability
If you’ve read my Arcido Backpack Equipment Review, you’ll know I love a bag that’s unobtrusive, sleek, and hard-wearing. The material, straps, zips, zip tags, and other hardware on the Bellroy Lite Sling Bag give a similar overall feel of long-lasting strength, important for anyone with cost considerations.
And, if your research includes environment concerns, the rip-stop polyester material is made from woven PET plastic water bottles.
Hands-Free Padded Convenience for the Daily Adventure
I love a well put together messenger bag as much as the next person. But, depending on the strength of the strap, and your day’s activities, it can end up flapping against your leg or side. This sling bag, on the other hand, can be worn across your front for urban adventures, or swung around the back and completely out of your way if your activities are a little more physical.
If you’re shopping in town, you may prefer to carry it by its shorter end straps when moving from shop to shop. In my case, these straps are handier for clipping on a smaller sunglasses or case.
The sling’s main strap also has a very strong magnetic clasp that – I’m pleasantly surprised to say – has never come loose of its own accord. Though most will tend to swing a sling bag over their heads , this feature means it’s accessible for anyone with back, neck, or shoulder mobility issues. (You need only throw one end of the strap over your one should and clip the other end together under the opposite arm.)
Hidden and Unobtrusive Compartments
The outside of the sling has one full-length, zipped comparment with a handy built-in key clip. Inside, there is one main, large open compartment; one zipped compartment; and two, lightly padded, unzipped compartments. The only negative I’d point out is that the main zip on the bag does not close the main compartment entirely (there is a small gap at eiher end similar to most handbags). So far on multiple trips, nothing has fallen out, however. But it’s worth noting in the interests of an honest review.
The exterior contains some light padding overall, meaning you can safely carry a phone, small camera or even glasses. Accidental falls are unlikely to result in much damage.
Belroy Lite Sling Bag Top Three Features
- Soft, rip-stop material and robust hardware
- Sleek, minimal design
- A larger than obvious, padded interior for securing everyday essentials
Where Can Buy It?
Bellroy is an Austrialian brand from Bells Beach and Fitzroy, now based in Melbourne – and a certified B corp with a focus on the planet that makes use of either sustainable, recycled, or plant-based materials for some of their products.
You can purchase the Bellroy Lite Sling Bag on the Bellroy website.
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