The Best Fanny Packs

The Dagne Dover Ace Fanny Pack is just right for people who want an accessory that’s as much a fashion flex as it is a useful carry pack. We were won over by its charming, bulbous style—though it’s not everyone’s taste—and roominess. It’s the priciest fanny pack of any of our picks, but—for less than $100—it’s a decent value, especially compared with the price of traditional handbags.

It’s as stylish as it is practical. “It’s kind of cartoony, in a fun way,” said staff writer Dorie Chevlen of the fanny pack’s distinctive, padded look. The neoprene (think: wetsuit) material helps prevent any water from getting inside and adds to the pack’s snazzy, modern vibe.

It has oversize hardware. The Dagne Dover fanny pack has a chunky, large-tooth zipper that runs across the top. It can be visually jarring at first, but it keeps the bag secure and works without much fuss. The buckle on the Dagne Dover fanny pack is also oversize, which is an odd choice in terms of form and function; it’s distractingly large and a bit clunky to operate, though it does emit a satisfying click when fastened.

It’s spacious. Without looking or feeling overly big or bulky, the Dagne Dover fanny pack has enough storage to carry a big phone, an overstuffed wallet, a travel pack of tissues, and even a spare sippy cup for the little one. (Note: This pack is wider at the top and tapers towards the bottom.) Plus, it has a few extras to help keep your belongings organized: a cardholder-size pocket up front, a slot to hold a pen inside, and a handy little clip for house keys.

It’s comfy to carry. The Dagne Dover fanny pack is sturdy and well constructed; it doesn’t start bulging when it’s stuffed full, and it keeps its contents nicely cushioned and protected. The strap is unusually thick for a fanny pack, which our panel of testers liked—they said it felt more pleasant and secure. The bag rests comfortably on your waist when you’re standing and moves a little higher when you sit, but it doesn’t shift enough to be painful or ill fitting. The strap isn’t as long as some of our other picks, such as the Herschel Seventeen Hip Pack, but it still fits a wide range of waist and chest sizes.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

• It’s the priciest fanny pack of our picks.
• The cartoonish design can be polarizing.
• The buckle on the strap is overly large and bold, making it distracting and hard to operate.

Specs

• Warranty: one-year limited warranty
• Dimensions and capacity: 9.25 by 2.75 by 5.5 inches; around 2.3 liters
• Strap length: 29 to 48 inches long
• Weight: 8.3 ounces
• Colors: around seven, change seasonally

Commuter on a budget? Just looking to dip your toe into the world of fanny packs? Both are solid reasons to consider the JanSport Fifth Avenue Fanny Pack. But this midsize polyester bag could be for anyone, really, who doesn’t want to sacrifice quality for price: It’s a simple, functional, and well-constructed pack.

It’s a nice in-between size. With its 2.5-liter capacity, the JanSport fanny pack falls in the middle of the range, dimensions-wise, among our picks. It’s smaller than the Road Runner Bags Lil Guy Fanny Pack and Herschel Seventeen Hip Pack, similar in size to the (shorter but fatter) Dagne Dover Ace Fanny Pack, and larger than the Patagonia Ultralight Black Hole Mini Hip Pack 1L. The main compartment of the bag lacks any internal pockets or organization, which is a bummer. The outside pocket is unusually large; it can accommodate a small notebook, a phone, and other loose items like pens and lip balm.

It’s well made. In our testing, the JanSport fanny pack’s sturdy polyester fabric was able to easily fend off water, even after 10 seconds under a running faucet. The pack’s strap is sturdy and stays put even when it’s carrying a heavy load. We also liked that the strap is highly adjustable—from 14 to 51 inches long—enabling this pack to fit a wide range of body types. (A fabric ring helps keep any excess strap material from flapping about.) But the strap is a bit on the narrow side, and it dug into the waists of some of our panelists.

It’s wearable. Our panelists appreciated the JanSport fanny pack’s mixture of simplicity and style. This is a pack that can be easily thrown on with all kinds of casual outfits—it blends in with an outfit rather than upstaging it. And it comes in over a dozen colors and prints to suit a wide range of tastes.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

• We’d prefer if this bag had some internal organization in its main compartment.
• The strap is a bit too narrow and dug into the waists of some of our panelists.

Specs

• Warranty: limited lifetime warranty
• Dimensions and capacity: 6 by 12.5 by 4 inches; 2.5 liters
• Strap length: 14 to 51 inches long
• Weight: 4 ounces
• Colors: over a dozen colors and prints

For active types in search of a lightweight, compact pack to bring along on hikes, dog walks, or bike rides, the Patagonia Ultralight Black Hole Mini Hip Pack 1L—made from recycled ripstop nylon—fits the bill. It’s also well suited for travelers, since it packs down to practically nothing and leaves your hands unencumbered while sightseeing. Wherever you find yourself, the Patagonia Ultralight is a pleasure to wear: It has a soft, padded back that makes it feel cozy around the waist, and the pack sits comfortably against your body.

It’s made to withstand the elements. The Patagonia Ultralight Black Hole Mini Hip Pack 1L is a slight redesign of one of the original picks in this guide, the Patagonia Lightweight Travel Mini Hip Pack. Unlike the previous model, this newer one is, per Patagonia, “highly water resistant,” and its body fabric, lining, and webbing are made of recycled materials. (We have not retested this pack since the redesign.)

It’s pint size. The Patagonia fanny pack is the smallest pack we recommend, with a capacity of just 1 liter. The main compartment has room for a smartphone and a few additional items, like a bottle of sunscreen or a small makeup kit; it doesn’t have organization, but given the capacity, you won’t have many contents to organize anyway. This pack has a front pocket with a key clip that can house a few more small items. Our panelists gave this pack the thumbs-up for dog walks or short bike rides, but you’ll probably need something larger for more serious treks. This pack also has the shortest strap of any of our picks (by far), with a maximum length of 36 inches, so it may not fit people with larger waists—a complaint that users mention multiple times over on the Patagonia website.

It’s packable. This oval-shape Patagonia fanny pack can be folded up into its own front pocket and easily tossed into a suitcase for getaways. But if you’re planning to use this as your primary day bag once you reach your destination, just keep in mind the limited capacity—beyond the essentials, you won’t have much room for toting things like guidebooks and souvenirs.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

• This pack’s petite size allows room for only the true essentials.
• The unusually short strap (with a 36-inch maximum length) may not fit many people’s waists.
• The strap of this pack must be adjusted from both sides (unlike with most other packs), which is a nuisance.

Specs

• Warranty: Patagonia gear is covered by an open-ended guarantee that covers defects, returns (for any reason) and repairs; damage caused by usual wear and tear is subject to a repair charge
• Dimensions and capacity: 4.75 by 8 by 2 inches; 1 liter
• Strap length: 8 to 36 inches long
• Weight: 3.5 ounces
• Colors: seven, including color block and solid

Don’t let the name fool you: The Road Runner Bags Lil Guy Fanny Pack is a surprisingly roomy—if decidedly no-frills—nylon fanny pack. And since it was originally designed with city cyclists in mind, it’s extremely durable, as well.

It’s built tough. The Road Runner Bags fanny pack is made from 1,000-denier Cordura fabric, which is scuff resistant and water resistant; in our tests, no water leaked in. Its zipper is covered by a layer of waterproof fabric to prevent moisture from seeping in through the crevices; the extra material did not get in the way of operating the zipper. This is a pack that was made to last, which is only appropriate, given its eye-raising price tag.

It packs a lot in. In terms of its specs, the Road Runner Bags fanny pack isn’t all that big: 10 by 5 by 2 inches, with a capacity of 1.6 liters. But because of its rectangular shape, thin material, and basic main compartment, which has just one internal flap pocket, it can hold about the same amount of stuff as the physically larger and trapezoidal Herschel Seventeen Hip Pack (13 by 6.5 by 3.5 inches). During testing, the Road Runner Bags fanny pack had enough space for a small paperback, a wallet, a smartphone, keys, and a snack-size bag of chips. Some testers found it bulky to wear, especially when seated. And since the heavy-duty Cordura material isn’t very pliable, it can feel uncomfortable when the pack is full.

It has some cyclist-centric features. The exterior of the Road Runner Bags fanny pack is wrapped in a strap of nylon webbing, which has four MOLLE (modular lightweight load-carrying equipment) loops built into the webbing for attaching things such as key rings, carabiner clips, or lights. On the back of the pack, you’ll find a 5-inch-wide U-lock holster that holds most bike locks, including Wirecutter’s top pick, the Kryptonite New-U Evolution Mini-7.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

• For such a simple bag, the price is surprisingly steep.
• We wish the main compartment, which has a solitary internal pocket, had more dividers.
• Some testers found the pack bulky to wear, especially when seated.
• The bag’s Cordura material can feel stiff and uncomfortable when full.
• The waist strap requires adjusting on both sides, like a backpack, which can be bothersome.

Specs

• Warranty: “30 days to life warranty,” meaning that 30 days after purchase, the customer is responsible for shipping costs and some repair fees
• Dimensions and capacity: 10 by 5 by 2 inches; 1.6 liters
• Strap length: 33 to 47 inches long
• Weight: 4 ounces
• Colors: seven

Understandably, not everyone is willing to make the transition from a regular handbag to a fanny pack if it means leaving some of their beloved gear behind in the process. (Hello, all five lip balms!) But with the Herschel Seventeen Hip Pack, you don’t need to make that sacrifice: At 3.5 liters, it’s the roomiest of any of our picks. It also has the longest, most accommodating strap—it can be adjusted from 21 to 52 inches long—so it fits a wider range of waist and chest sizes than our other picks.

It lives large. This is the bag to get if you don’t travel light. “I could easily leave another bag at home in some scenarios and pack everything in it,” said Makula Dunbar, associate manager of commerce partnerships. The main compartment fits a small paperback, a clutch wallet, a smartphone, a phone charger, and car keys. This model also has a front zip pocket (with a key hook) that’s large enough for a smartphone, travel tissues, a work badge, and a pack of gum. But that spaciousness can be a blessing and a curse: When it’s full of gear, the Herschel fanny pack feels heavy if carried centered at the waist; sliding the bag around to the hip helps ease the load.

It’s durable. This Herschel fanny pack is made of thick, scuff-resistant 600-denier polyester. The buckle on the waist strap is sturdy and unusually large; people with limited hand strength may need two hands to unbuckle it. The front pocket’s zipper teeth are cloaked in a waterproof seam, which keeps spills or a surprise rainstorm from damaging the contents within (and also, annoyingly, makes the pack harder to open and close). Water didn’t penetrate the bag during our tests, although it did take hours for the exterior fabric to dry.

Note: A fully weather-resistant version of this bag is also available, which we have not tested. It has a matte, weatherproof coating and only one main zippered compartment. But at 1.8 liters, it’s quite a bit smaller than the standard 3.5 liter Herschel Seventeen Hip Pack.

It doesn’t try too hard. The Herschel Seventeen Hip Pack gives off classic (if basic) fanny pack vibes. “It’s not particularly cute, but it’s somehow lovable in its unabashed dorkiness,” said staff writer Dorie Chevlen. It’s structured and trapezoidal; some fanny packs are oblong-shaped and can press against your midsection, like the Tinyat Small Fanny Pack, featured in the Competition section.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

• The waterproof material around the front-pocket zipper teeth makes this pack harder to open and close than most bags we tested.
• The buckle on the strap is large, and people with limited hand strength may need two hands to unbuckle it.
• When it’s packed full of gear, the Herschel fanny pack feels heavy to carry centrally at the waist. (Shift the bag around to your hip to ease the burden.)

Specs

• Warranty: limited lifetime warranty
• Dimensions and capacity: 6.5 by 13 by 3.5 inches; 3.5 liters
• Strap length: 21 to 52 inches long
• Weight: 7 ounces
• Colors: over 30 colors and prints

We started out with a list of 47 fanny packs in a variety of sizes and designs. By narrowing in on the key criteria of aesthetics, strap length and adjustability, and price, we were able to whittle that list down to 22 models for in-person testing. The finalists were broken down by small, medium, large, budget, and leather.

We checked each pack for defects and evaluated the quality of the buckles, seams, and zippers. Then we supplied a testing panel with items such as a wallet, keys, tampons, lotion, a smartphone, lip balm, and wet wipes, and we filled each fanny pack with our essential gear to assess the storage capacity. With the bags loaded up, we paid attention to how comfortable they were to wear at the waist and across the shoulder, and how secure the buckles and straps were while worn.

We also ran the bags under a kitchen faucet to test their water resistance.

Finally, we had 10 Wirecutter staffers, with heights ranging from 5-foot-2 to 6-foot-2 and weights ranging from 105 to 200 pounds (and with differing preferences for wearing the packs crossbody or around the waist), take the packs home for continued testing. They used them for daily commutes and weekend excursions, then shared their feedback on the bags’ overall fit, quality, and style.

We tried the small Fila Fanny Pack, the Herschel Fifteen Hip Pack, and the KAVU Spectator, but they weren’t as stylish and comfortable as our picks. The Tom Bihn Side Effect has a detachable strap; unfortunately, that strap detached itself constantly.

The medium Adidas Originals National Waist Pack didn’t expand, and the Big Bud Press Fanny Pack had a wonky strap. The Patagonia Black Hole Waist Pack 5L was the largest pack we tested, and it was too big to feel comfortable.

We tested multiple budget packs, including the Everest Signature Waist Pack, the Tinyat Small Fanny Pack, the Waterfly Fanny Pack With One Water Bottle Holder, and the Waterfly Lightweight Water-Resistant Fanny Pack 1L. None of them matched our low-cost JanSport pick’s style and utility.

This article was edited by Ingela Ratledge Amundson and Jennifer Hunter.