Outdoors & Fitness
The Best Handlebar Bags: 4 Compared (and One to Skip)
These four run from 2.5 to 10 litres, and the ones worth buying tell you how they stop the bag sagging onto your front tyre.
The short version
The North St Handlebar Pack is the pick for day rides: 2.8 litres at a stated 7.2 ounces in EPX 200 sailcloth, with a shape-defining stiffener panel specifically to prevent sagging and two Voile straps to hold it still. The Restrap Bar Pack is the one for carrying real kit, with 10 litres across two fully waterproof roll-top compartments, an internal stiffener, a mounting slot for a clip-on front light and a mini D-lock holster between the compartments. The Swift Kestrel suits a rider building a system rather than buying one bag, at 2.5 litres and 6 ounces with PALS webbing and a design meant to pair with stem pouches. Skip the Two Wheel Gear Alpha for riding, because 6 litres at 1.25 pounds is the heaviest per litre here and its best feature, converting to a messenger bag, is about what happens after you get off. Best for: picking a size and then checking the bag will hold its shape.
Our picks at a glance
- North St. Bags Handlebar Pack - Buy. Under half a pound for 2.8 litres, in sailcloth, with a stiffener panel whose stated job is stopping the bag drooping.
- Restrap Bar Pack, 10 Litres - Buy. Ten litres in two fully waterproof roll-tops with an internal stiffener, a light mount and somewhere to put a D-lock.
- Swift Industries Kestrel Handlebar Bag - It depends. The lightest bag here at a stated 6 ounces, designed as one component of a cockpit system rather than as a standalone bag.
- Two Wheel Gear Alpha Handlebar Bag, 6L - Skip. A thoroughly specified commuter bag whose best trick happens off the bike, at the heaviest weight per litre in this comparison.
The verdict in 30 seconds
What mattered most
- Stated capacity
- Stated weight
- Weight per litre, calculated
- Anti-sag structure
- Stated dimensions
- Waterproofing
A handlebar bag is held up by straps at two points and gravity pulls on everything in between, which is why the cheap ones end up resting on the front tyre or squashing the brake cables. The fix is structure: a stiffener panel or an internal frame that keeps the bag's shape whether it is full or nearly empty. Two of these four say they have one. The other question is size, and the field here spans a factor of four, from a 2.5 litre day pouch to a 10 litre pair of waterproof roll-tops.
Under half a pound for 2.8 litres, in sailcloth, with a stiffener panel whose stated job is stopping the bag drooping.
Best for: Day rides and commutes where you want the essentials in front of you and the bag to keep its shape.
- Fully specified: 2.8 litres, 7.2 ounces or 205 grams, and 9 by 5 by 3.75 inches.
- Includes a shape-defining stiffener panel that North St says is there to prevent sagging.
- EPX 200 sailcloth outer with a bright packcloth interior, so you can actually find things inside it.
- Two Voile Nano straps for attachment, which hold far better than hook-and-loop and are trivially replaceable.
- Sized around real day-ride contents: North St lists a phone, charger, sunglasses, camera, snack and gloves.
- 2.8 litres is a day bag, so it is the wrong tool for an overnight load.
- No waterproof rating published for the sailcloth.
- A single compartment, so organisation is down to you.
- Voile straps are excellent and do leave the bag reliant on two attachment points.
Ten litres in two fully waterproof roll-tops with an internal stiffener, a light mount and somewhere to put a D-lock.
Best for: Loaded day trips, audax rides and urban riding where a D-lock has to go somewhere sensible.
- Two fully waterproof roll-top compartments giving a stated 10 litres, the largest capacity here.
- Restrap states structural rigidity is provided by an internal stiffener, addressing sag directly.
- A hypalon closure on the front compartment doubles as a mounting slot for a clip-on front light.
- A mini D-lock holster sits between the two compartments, and the front closure doubles as a lock strap.
- Side-release tension and buckles keep the pack compact as it empties.
- No weight published, which is a real gap on a 10 litre bag.
- Two compartments plus a lock holster is a lot of bag on narrow bars.
- Premium price.
- At 10 litres, front-end handling changes noticeably when it is full.
The lightest bag here at a stated 6 ounces, designed as one component of a cockpit system rather than as a standalone bag.
Best for: Riders building a modular cockpit with stem pouches, who want the lightest possible core bag.
- Fully specified: 2.5 litres, 6 ounces, and 10 by 5 by 3 inches.
- Lightest weight per litre in this comparison.
- PALS and MOLLE compatible webbing, so pouches and accessories attach directly to it.
- Supplied with two 9 inch TPU Swift straps and a steer tube attachment strap, so it is held at three points rather than two.
- Built from SI600X recycled polyester with a nylon packcloth lining.
- Explicitly designed to pair with Sidekick Stem Pouches, so on its own 2.5 litres is modest.
- No stiffener or anti-sag structure described.
- No waterproof rating published.
- Buying into the system costs considerably more than the bag alone.
A thoroughly specified commuter bag whose best trick happens off the bike, at the heaviest weight per litre in this comparison.
Best for: Commuters who carry the bag into an office every day and value the conversion more than the weight.
- Completely specified: 6 litres, 1.25 pounds or 0.57 kilograms, and 11 inches wide by 7.5 high rolled, 12.5 unrolled, by 6 deep.
- Recycled 600D poly diamond ripstop with a TPU waterproof coating.
- Converts to a 6 litre messenger bag for carrying off the bike.
- A split design with a compressible roll-top compartment and a separate secured valuables pocket.
- 0.57 kilograms for 6 litres is about 95 grams per litre, against roughly 68 for the Swift and 73 for the North St.
- No stiffener or anti-sag structure described, on a bag heavy enough to need one.
- The messenger conversion adds straps and hardware you carry on every ride and use at the end of it.
- Wide at 11 inches, which crowds narrow drop bars and the levers on them.
| Criteria | Handlebar Pack | Bar Pack, 10 Litres | Kestrel Handlebar Bag | Alpha Handlebar Bag, 6L |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Verdict | Buy it | Buy it | It depends | Skip it |
| Best for | Day rides and commutes where you want the essentials in front of you and the bag to keep its shape. | Loaded day trips, audax rides and urban riding where a D-lock has to go somewhere sensible. | Riders building a modular cockpit with stem pouches, who want the lightest possible core bag. | Commuters who carry the bag into an office every day and value the conversion more than the weight. |
| Price tier | $$ · mid-range | $$$ · premium | $$$ · premium | $$$ · premium |
| Stated capacity | 2.8 L | 10 L | 2.5 L | 6 L |
| Stated weight | 7.2 oz (205 g) | Not published | 6 oz | 1.25 lb (0.57 kg) |
| Weight per litre, calculated | About 73 g/L | Not calculable | About 68 g/L | About 95 g/L |
| Anti-sag structure | Shape-defining stiffener panel, stated | Internal stiffener, stated | Not described | Not described |
| Stated dimensions | 9 x 5 x 3.75 in | Not published | 10 x 5 x 3 in | 11 x 7.5 in rolled, 12.5 unrolled, x 6 in |
| Waterproofing | EPX 200 sailcloth, no rating stated | Two fully waterproof roll-top compartments | Not stated | TPU waterproof coating on 600D ripstop |
| Attachment | Two Voile Nano straps | Side-release tension and buckles | Two TPU straps plus a steer tube strap | SMART mount to standard bars |
| Extra features | Bright packcloth interior | Light mounting slot, mini D-lock holster | PALS and MOLLE webbing | Converts to a messenger bag |
Which one is right for you?
- Day rides and commutes where you want the essentials in front of you and the bag to keep its shape. Buy it North St. Bags Handlebar Pack
- Loaded day trips, audax rides and urban riding where a D-lock has to go somewhere sensible. Buy it Restrap Bar Pack, 10 Litres
- Riders building a modular cockpit with stem pouches, who want the lightest possible core bag. It depends Swift Industries Kestrel Handlebar Bag
- Commuters who carry the bag into an office every day and value the conversion more than the weight. Skip it Two Wheel Gear Alpha Handlebar Bag, 6L
How we judged the field
Five things decide a handlebar bag. The first is capacity, and the spread in this comparison is unusually wide: 2.5 litres to 10, a factor of four, which means these bags are not really competing with each other so much as answering different questions. The second is whether the bag holds its shape. A bar bag hangs between two strap points with nothing supporting the middle, so without a stiffener it droops, and a drooping bag can reach the front tyre, press on cables, or simply flop about. The third is weight, which is only meaningful per litre. The fourth is waterproofing, which matters more here than on other luggage because the bag sits in the direct spray off the front wheel. The fifth is how it attaches, and specifically whether the width suits your bars.
The field sorts cleanly on the second point, and it is worth stating plainly: North St and Restrap both describe a stiffener and say what it is for, while Swift and Two Wheel Gear describe neither. That is not proof the other two sag, but it is the difference between a maker who has named the problem and one who has not. On disclosure more broadly this is a well-behaved category. Three of the four publish a capacity, a weight and full dimensions, which makes weight per litre calculable and immediately useful: about 68 grams per litre for the Swift, 73 for the North St and 95 for the Two Wheel Gear. Restrap is the exception, publishing 10 litres and no weight at all.
North St. Bags Handlebar Pack - buy
The North St Handlebar Pack is the one we would put on most bikes, and it wins on a detail most makers leave out. It is fully specified at 2.8 litres, 7.2 ounces and 9 by 5 by 3.75 inches, which is enough for the things North St actually lists: a phone, a charger, sunglasses, a camera, a snack and gloves. That is a realistic day-ride inventory rather than a marketing one. The important feature is the shape-defining stiffener panel, which North St states is there specifically to prevent sagging, and it is the difference between a bag that keeps its form when it is half empty and one that folds onto your cables. The outer is EPX 200 sailcloth with a bright packcloth interior, which sounds cosmetic and is not: a light-coloured lining is how you find a small object in a bag at dusk. Two Voile Nano straps hold it on, and those are both excellent and cheap to replace. The limits are size and a missing waterproof rating.
Restrap Bar Pack, 10 Litres - buy
The Bar Pack is what to buy when a day bag is not enough. Restrap gives you two fully waterproof roll-top compartments totalling 10 litres, which is nearly four times the North St, and states that structural rigidity comes from an internal stiffener, so the sag question is answered on a bag heavy enough to need it. The details around it are unusually well thought through for urban and long-distance riding. The hypalon closure on the front compartment doubles as a mounting slot for a clip-on front light, so the bag does not steal your light position. A mini D-lock holster sits between the two compartments, and the front closure doubles as a strap to secure the lock, which is a genuinely good answer to the perennial question of where a D-lock goes. Side-release tension keeps it compact as it empties. The gap is weight: Restrap publishes none, which on a 10 litre bag is the figure you most want. It is also a lot of bag for narrow bars.
Swift Industries Kestrel Handlebar Bag - it depends
The Kestrel is the lightest thing here and it is sold as a component rather than a product. Swift publishes 2.5 litres, 6 ounces and 10 by 5 by 3 inches, which works out to roughly 68 grams per litre, the best figure in this comparison. It comes with two 9 inch TPU straps plus a steer tube attachment strap, so it is held at three points instead of two, which does some of the work a stiffener would. The defining feature is PALS and MOLLE webbing and an explicit design intent to pair with Swift’s Sidekick Stem Pouches: the Kestrel is the middle of a cockpit, not the whole of it. If that appeals, it is a lovely piece of kit and the modularity is real. If it does not, 2.5 litres is a small bag at a premium price, there is no stiffener described, and no waterproof rating. The honest summary is that the Kestrel is excellent value inside a system and unremarkable outside one.
Two Wheel Gear Alpha Handlebar Bag, 6L - skip
The Alpha is the best documented bag in this comparison and the one we would leave for most riders, on arithmetic and on where its cleverness is aimed. Two Wheel Gear publishes everything: 6 litres, 1.25 pounds, 11 inches wide by 7.5 high rolled and 12.5 unrolled by 6 deep, in recycled 600D poly diamond ripstop with a TPU waterproof coating. Run the numbers and it is about 95 grams per litre, against 73 for the North St and 68 for the Swift, making it roughly 40 percent heavier per litre than the lightest here. Some of that is the messenger conversion, which is the headline feature and which happens after the ride: straps and hardware you carry for every kilometre and use for the walk into the office. There is also no stiffener described on a bag heavy enough to want one, and 11 inches is wide enough to crowd narrow drop bars and their lever hoods. For a daily commuter who values carrying the bag indoors, it makes sense. For riding, it is carrying weight for a feature used off the bike.
North St. Bags Handlebar Pack vs Restrap Bar Pack, 10 Litres: which should you buy?
The North St Handlebar Pack and the Restrap Bar Pack are the two to choose between, and the question is simply how much you carry. At 2.8 litres against 10, they are not alternatives so much as different answers. Both share the thing that makes a bar bag good: a stated stiffener and a maker who has thought about sag.
For day rides the North St is the better bag to live with. It weighs a stated 7.2 ounces, it keeps its shape, the bright lining makes it usable, and Voile straps are the most sensible attachment in this category. For anything where you carry a lock, a jacket and lunch, the Restrap is the one, and its light mount and D-lock holster show it was designed by people who ride in cities. The trade is weight, which Restrap does not publish, and bulk, which at 10 litres changes how the front of the bike feels. Buy the North St first, because most rides are day rides, and add the Restrap when you know you need the capacity rather than guessing that you might.
What to look for
- Look for a stated stiffener: it is what stops the bag drooping onto your tyre or your cables, and only some makers mention one.
- Calculate weight per litre: the spread here is 68 to 95 grams per litre, which is a much bigger difference than the raw weights suggest.
- Check the bag width against your bars: an 11 inch bag crowds narrow drop bars and can foul the lever hoods.
- Decide day bag or load carrier: 2.5 to 3 litres covers a day ride, and anything more is a different category.
- Prefer straps you can replace: Voile-style rubber straps outlast hook-and-loop and cost almost nothing to renew.
- Treat waterproof as unproven without a rating: a bar bag sits in the front wheel’s spray, so a named fabric is not the same as a sealed compartment.
Our final take
Handlebar bags fail in a specific and predictable way: they sag, and then they touch things they should not. That makes a stiffener the feature worth shopping for, and it neatly separates the makers who have thought about the product from the ones who have made a nice bag. North St’s Handlebar Pack states one, weighs a published 7.2 ounces for 2.8 litres and is the right size for the rides most people do. Restrap’s Bar Pack states one too, and adds 10 litres, waterproof roll-tops, a light mount and somewhere to hang a D-lock. Swift’s Kestrel is the lightest per litre and is really the centre of a system. And a bag at 95 grams per litre whose best feature is what it becomes when you get off the bike is carrying weight for the wrong reason.
Questions, answered
Why do handlebar bags sag, and does it matter?
They sag because the bag is supported at two strap points with unsupported fabric between them, and gravity does the rest as soon as there is weight inside. It matters for three reasons: a drooping bag can touch the front tyre, which is dangerous; it presses on brake and gear cables, which affects shifting; and it flops around, which is irritating and wears the fabric. The fix is a stiffener, and it is worth looking for explicitly. North St states a shape-defining stiffener panel to prevent sagging and Restrap states an internal stiffener. Bags that do not mention one usually do not have one.
How much handlebar bag capacity do I actually need?
Less than you think for day rides and more than you think for anything else. Around 2.5 to 3 litres holds a phone, a packable jacket, snacks, a camera and gloves, which is what most rides need and is why several makers converge on that size. Once you are carrying a change of clothes, a lock and lunch you are into 6 to 10 litres, and at that point the bag's weight and its effect on steering start to matter. Note that a big bar bag changes the feel of the front end far more than the same weight carried on the frame or the seat post.
Will a handlebar bag fit drop bars?
It depends on width and on where the levers are. A bag 11 inches wide will crowd a narrow drop bar and can foul the lever hoods, while a 9 or 10 inch bag usually clears. Check your bar width at the tops, where the bag mounts, rather than at the drops. Flared gravel bars generally give more room. If the bag mounts with straps rather than a rigid bracket you also need somewhere to put the cables, which is the other thing that decides whether a bag sits straight.
Do I need a waterproof bar bag?
A bar bag sits at the front of the bike taking direct spray from the front wheel and everything the road throws up, so it gets wetter than luggage further back. Restrap uses two fully waterproof roll-top compartments and Two Wheel Gear uses a TPU coating over ripstop. The others name good fabrics without publishing a rating, which in practice means water resistant. If you carry electronics, either buy fully waterproof or put the electronics in a dry bag inside, which is cheaper and works.
Are modular systems with stem pouches worth it?
They are if you commit to them. A core bag with PALS or MOLLE webbing, like the Swift Kestrel, lets you attach pouches so each item has a home and nothing rattles, and the total capacity grows as you add parts. The catch is that the system costs considerably more than one bag of the same volume, and the webbing adds weight you carry whether or not the pouches are fitted. If you like tinkering with a cockpit layout it is genuinely good. If you want a bag that holds your things, buy a bag.
Deciding between the top two? See our head-to-head: North St. Bags Handlebar Pack vs Restrap Bar Pack, 10 Litres.
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