At least for the time being, sling bags are “in.” You’ll find them in pretty much every high street store, and even luxury brands like Louis Vuitton are selling them. We don’t know about you, but we love it when fashion and convenience merge. Other Use-Cases for Sling Bags Include: We find it a good spot for your phone and sunglasses, although a minimalist wallet and tissues also work well here. Depending on the size of your gear, you may even fit in all four. Otherwise, never fear; there’s more room in the main compartment. By the time you finish reading this guide, you’ll be a sling expert with all the knowledge necessary to find the best sling bag for you—or your mom, your friend, your dog, etc. The Short Answer: The 17 Best Sling Bags for Travel, EDC, and Beyond You’re probably familiar with nylon since it’s a common synthetic fabric that manages to be soft, durable, and lightweight (go science!). These qualities make it suitable for a variety of products, and slings are no exception. That said, it’s more of a blank canvas these days and is often infused with weaves, sewing patterns, or extra fibers that make the fabric more durable, tear, or weather-resistant. Crossbody sling bags are the reason some people say sling bags are purses for men who are embarrassed to say they own a purse. It has a similar aesthetic to a purse, but with a longer strap and smaller body. They tend to have a more vertical orientation as well. We think crossbody slings work well for travel, although since they don’t sit as close to the body as other sling bags, may not feel as secure in a bustling metropolis or busy market.

While there are some sling bags out there that are seriously tactical (think Apocalypse ready), others just look tactical. While the former is probably better suited for outdoorsy things, the latter can be great for travel. Usually made of high-quality stuff, these bags are ready for whatever you throw at them. Most sling bags fall into the travel/outdoors/EDC realm, but some have dared to be different. These specialist sling bags to work for very specific use cases (hence the whole “specialist” thing). We’ll briefly run through these sling bags here, so you’re not caught off-guard if you ever encounter one in the wild. Secure Sling BagsThese lefty-inclusive sling bags have straps that can be anchored on either side of the bag, allowing you to wear it across whichever shoulder you’d like. That way, if you’re left-handed, you can wear it on your left shoulder, so when you “sling” the bag forward, your left hand is ready to work the zippers.

Osprey advertises the Daylite Sling as ideal for most occasions—school, grocery shopping, farmers’ markets, festivals, beaches, hikes, and so on. In our years of testing gear, we’ve come to realize that organization is one of those things that’s very personal. Some people like bags with large, empty compartments while others are offended when there’s not a spot for each one of their fancy pens. Keep your essentials within reach. Stay lightweight and handsfree while going about your day with Osprey Daylite Shoulder Sling. For further protection, there are water-repellent zippers—like the YKK AquaGuard zipper—which have a thin polyurethane coating to, you know, repel water. If you’re planning on going to an unusually wet area with your sling bag, then you may want to look for this style of zipper. Otherwise, you’ll likely be fine without that extra water resistance. Hardware Earplugs (every plane has at least one crying baby, even if it’s your own; it’s like a law of physics or something)Because every fabric has its individual strengths (nylon is inherently stronger than polyester) the denier won’t help you much when comparing two different types of fabrics, or even two types of weaves within one fabric family. Instead, it helps you compare two fabrics of the same type. 500D Ballistic nylon is less durable than 1000D Ballistic nylon, for example. But the 500D Ballistic nylon will also be much lighter (about half as light, in fact!). This version of Daylite only works when worn from the right shoulder. It’s a bit of a hassle if you’re right-handed. But! Osprey now has an ambidextrous upgrade, which would be more convenient. While Louis Vuitton and Prada sling bags fall under the fashion category, you don’t have to break the bank here (unless you want to, of course). Fashion sling bags are designed to impress with sleek zippers, unique straps, or other sophisticated design elements. Sometimes, although not always, this trendiness comes at a price—and that price is lower durability. That’s fine if your use-case is pretty low-impact, but if you’re planning to use your sling bag time and again while traveling the world, you may want to opt for another style. In this guide, we’re going to walk you through how to choose the best sling bag for your situation, which means diving into all of the different aspects and explaining what works best for a variety of situations. We’re also going to provide some specific sling bag recommendations based on months of testing. The Osprey name is also printed on the ubiquitous molded plastic loop zipper pulls. They attach with thin cords to the YKK zippers, which are slightly stiff yet work well. And when faced with the choice between a zipper that comes undone too easily and one that requires a little effort to open, we’ll choose the stiffer zipper every time to keep our gear safe. Osprey Daylite Sling | Molded plastic zipper pulls are easy to grasp.