Top pick

This nylon handlebar bag balances simplicity with thoughtful features. It has the space to hold the essentials with well-placed pockets for keeping everything organized and accessible while you ride. It’s hard to carry off the bike, though.

The Ornot Handlebar Bag is a simple tube-shaped handlebar bag, made of recycled nylon, that makes accessing your gear quick and easy. This 3.1-liter handlebar bag can carry three large burritos as well as bike tools, a phone, a light jacket, a wallet, and keys.

This bag improves on our former top pick (and now our runner-up), the Road Runner Bags California Burrito, by adding four accessible and secure exterior pockets made of stretch mesh, as well as an interior zipper pocket to safely hold your wallet and keys.

Two of the exterior pockets reside on the rear of the bag, facing you when you’re on your bike; a third sits on the right side and has an elastic cord to secure a smartphone in place, and a final pocket crosses the front of the bag. That front pocket is the perfect place to stash a light jacket for quick access as the weather changes, while you’re at a stoplight, for instance.

The zipper closure for the main compartment wraps across the top of the bag and onto the side, making the main compartment easier to access than that of our runner-up. This design choice makes a big difference when you’re stuffing the bag full, and as a result the bag seems bigger than it is.

The main drawback we’ve found is that Ornot doesn’t include (or sell separately) a strap for converting it to a shoulder bag for when you’re off the bike, so you’ll have to rig up your own. In addition, the bag comes in only three colors, and the stretchy mesh exterior pockets might eventually rip if you tend to carry hard, sharp objects in them.

Runner-up

Spacious without taking up too much real estate on your handlebars, this Cordura-nylon bag is simple, easy to use, and capable of holding all the essentials. It’s more expensive than our top pick, though, and has fewer exterior pockets.

The Road Runner Bags California Burrito is simply designed in a way that’s effective, elegant, and durable all at once. This 3.3-liter, tube-shaped bag, which is about the size of a six-pack, holds as much as our top pick, though it lacks the exterior pockets that we like on the Ornot bag.

This bag has a single zipper that’s easy to operate while you’re on your bike and side pockets for small items you might want to access quickly, though it doesn’t wrap around the bag like the zipper on the Ornot bag. Made of durable Cordura nylon, it comes in seven or eight colors, more than our top pick. The California Burrito also readily converts into a shoulder bag with Road Runner’s universal shoulder strap (sold separately for $17).

Budget pick

Sleek and low-profile, this polyurethane-coated polyester handlebar bag is just the right size to go with you all day long. Its handlebar-mounting system could be better, though.

The Chrome Helix Handlebar Bag is sleek enough to bring with you anywhere, but in our tests we found that its Velcro harness attachment system wasn’t quite as functional on our bike as the buckles on our top pick and runner-up. Though some people might balk at a $40 bag being considered a “budget pick,” we determined that the $40 to $60 range was the least that one could expect to spend on a bag and still have it be sturdy enough not to bounce around on the handlebars.

This 3-liter rectangular bag is the size of two takeout containers (the classic white folding-box kind). Accessing items while you’re on your bike is easy since the lid opens toward you; while that feature isn’t unique, it isn’t common to all handlebar bags. The Helix doesn’t have any exterior pockets but does have two interior mesh pockets. It’s made of a durable and very water-resistant polyurethane-coated polyester material that’s stiff enough to keep its shape even when empty. This bag’s stowable sling belt makes it carry well off a bike, too.

Upgrade pick

Built with recycled laminate nylon sailcloth material, the Catalyst is a high-capacity and solidly constructed bag that works just as well on and off a bike. It is quite pricey, though.

The Swift Industries Catalyst Pack is the only bag that looks like a messenger bag off a bike yet still functions as a handlebar bag on a bike. Rectangular in shape, it has a top flap that clips down over the front of the pack, as well as an internal cinch closure, much like a shoulder bag you might see someone wearing. This is an expensive bag, but it’s unrivaled in thoughtful features for commuting by bike. It’s made of the sturdy and waterproof Ecopak EPLX400 fabric, a recycled nylon material originally designed for sailcloths.

This bag has a 7.5-liter capacity, just big enough to fit a Yorkshire terrier or other small dog breed—in fact, this is the only bag we tested that felt sturdy enough to confidently carry a furry friend on a bike’s handlebars. We managed to stuff an entire 3-liter box of wine into this bag, along with a warm jacket, snacks, tools, and a book. Even though the Catalyst is quite large, it’s just small enough to fit on pretty much any set of handlebars and is surprisingly lightweight. The expandable lid works great for quickly stuffing a jacket underneath while you’re riding, too.

Also great

This high-tech quick-release mounted bag is made of a fully waterproof, polyurethane-coated Cordura nylon and offers easy access on a bike. It doesn’t come with a handlebar mount, though—that’ll cost you at least another $30.

The Ortlieb Ultimate Urban handlebar bag looks like a surprisingly fashionable lunch box, but this lunch box is easy to use while you’re on your bike, and the 5-liter capacity can hold a lot. We easily fit a six-pack of cans in this bag, with room for a few sandwiches to complete the picnic.

The lid uses a magnetic closure and flips open away from the rider, so it doesn’t sit between you and the bag’s opening, which faces the rider; as a result, you can open the lid with one hand while you’re on your bike and dig around inside. (This was the only bag we felt confident enough to do that with.)

It also has a clear touchscreen-compatible pocket on the top of the lid so you can have your phone viewable at all times—handy if you’re using your phone for maps. Note that you have to purchase this bag’s mounting system separately (starting at $30), but it offers multiple mount options for different rider needs and for various types of bikes.

Also great

This small, solidly built polyurethane-coated polyester bag can keep you light while carrying the essentials.

The Rapha Bar Bag is a lower-capacity bag that’s remarkably well constructed. Everything about this bag screams excellent craftsmanship—from the immaculate construction obvious upon close inspection of the interior lining to the way the straps are tacked onto the outside of the bag. The rigid polyurethane-coated nylon material keeps it from sagging on your bars, which is uncommon in smaller handlebar bags.

The main compartment remains especially accessible while the bag is on a bike, thanks to zippers that are the easiest to operate of any bag we tested. The bag has two interior mesh pockets for small items plus a second, zippered exterior pocket for anything you want to keep separate during a ride. This bag is only just big enough to fit the necessities—a light jacket, a multitool, a tube, and a bar or two—so it’s better suited for recreational riding or fair-weather commuting.

Top pick

This nylon handlebar bag balances simplicity with thoughtful features. It has the space to hold the essentials with well-placed pockets for keeping everything organized and accessible while you ride. It’s hard to carry off the bike, though.

The Ornot Handlebar Bag is a simple tube-shaped handlebar bag, made of recycled nylon, that makes accessing your gear quick and easy. This 3.1-liter handlebar bag can carry three large burritos as well as bike tools, a phone, a light jacket, a wallet, and keys.

This bag improves on our former top pick (and now our runner-up), the Road Runner Bags California Burrito, by adding four accessible and secure exterior pockets made of stretch mesh, as well as an interior zipper pocket to safely hold your wallet and keys.

Two of the exterior pockets reside on the rear of the bag, facing you when you’re on your bike; a third sits on the right side and has an elastic cord to secure a smartphone in place, and a final pocket crosses the front of the bag. That front pocket is the perfect place to stash a light jacket for quick access as the weather changes, while you’re at a stoplight, for instance.

The zipper closure for the main compartment wraps across the top of the bag and onto the side, making the main compartment easier to access than that of our runner-up. This design choice makes a big difference when you’re stuffing the bag full, and as a result the bag seems bigger than it is.

The main drawback we’ve found is that Ornot doesn’t include (or sell separately) a strap for converting it to a shoulder bag for when you’re off the bike, so you’ll have to rig up your own. In addition, the bag comes in only three colors, and the stretchy mesh exterior pockets might eventually rip if you tend to carry hard, sharp objects in them.

Runner-up

Spacious without taking up too much real estate on your handlebars, this Cordura-nylon bag is simple, easy to use, and capable of holding all the essentials. It’s more expensive than our top pick, though, and has fewer exterior pockets.

The Road Runner Bags California Burrito is simply designed in a way that’s effective, elegant, and durable all at once. This 3.3-liter, tube-shaped bag, which is about the size of a six-pack, holds as much as our top pick, though it lacks the exterior pockets that we like on the Ornot bag.

This bag has a single zipper that’s easy to operate while you’re on your bike and side pockets for small items you might want to access quickly, though it doesn’t wrap around the bag like the zipper on the Ornot bag. Made of durable Cordura nylon, it comes in seven or eight colors, more than our top pick. The California Burrito also readily converts into a shoulder bag with Road Runner’s universal shoulder strap (sold separately for $17).

Budget pick

Sleek and low-profile, this polyurethane-coated polyester handlebar bag is just the right size to go with you all day long. Its handlebar-mounting system could be better, though.

The Chrome Helix Handlebar Bag is sleek enough to bring with you anywhere, but in our tests we found that its Velcro harness attachment system wasn’t quite as functional on our bike as the buckles on our top pick and runner-up. Though some people might balk at a $40 bag being considered a “budget pick,” we determined that the $40 to $60 range was the least that one could expect to spend on a bag and still have it be sturdy enough not to bounce around on the handlebars.

This 3-liter rectangular bag is the size of two takeout containers (the classic white folding-box kind). Accessing items while you’re on your bike is easy since the lid opens toward you; while that feature isn’t unique, it isn’t common to all handlebar bags. The Helix doesn’t have any exterior pockets but does have two interior mesh pockets. It’s made of a durable and very water-resistant polyurethane-coated polyester material that’s stiff enough to keep its shape even when empty. This bag’s stowable sling belt makes it carry well off a bike, too.

Upgrade pick

Built with recycled laminate nylon sailcloth material, the Catalyst is a high-capacity and solidly constructed bag that works just as well on and off a bike. It is quite pricey, though.

The Swift Industries Catalyst Pack is the only bag that looks like a messenger bag off a bike yet still functions as a handlebar bag on a bike. Rectangular in shape, it has a top flap that clips down over the front of the pack, as well as an internal cinch closure, much like a shoulder bag you might see someone wearing. This is an expensive bag, but it’s unrivaled in thoughtful features for commuting by bike. It’s made of the sturdy and waterproof Ecopak EPLX400 fabric, a recycled nylon material originally designed for sailcloths.

This bag has a 7.5-liter capacity, just big enough to fit a Yorkshire terrier or other small dog breed—in fact, this is the only bag we tested that felt sturdy enough to confidently carry a furry friend on a bike’s handlebars. We managed to stuff an entire 3-liter box of wine into this bag, along with a warm jacket, snacks, tools, and a book. Even though the Catalyst is quite large, it’s just small enough to fit on pretty much any set of handlebars and is surprisingly lightweight. The expandable lid works great for quickly stuffing a jacket underneath while you’re riding, too.

Also great

This high-tech quick-release mounted bag is made of a fully waterproof, polyurethane-coated Cordura nylon and offers easy access on a bike. It doesn’t come with a handlebar mount, though—that’ll cost you at least another $30.

The Ortlieb Ultimate Urban handlebar bag looks like a surprisingly fashionable lunch box, but this lunch box is easy to use while you’re on your bike, and the 5-liter capacity can hold a lot. We easily fit a six-pack of cans in this bag, with room for a few sandwiches to complete the picnic.

The lid uses a magnetic closure and flips open away from the rider, so it doesn’t sit between you and the bag’s opening, which faces the rider; as a result, you can open the lid with one hand while you’re on your bike and dig around inside. (This was the only bag we felt confident enough to do that with.)

It also has a clear touchscreen-compatible pocket on the top of the lid so you can have your phone viewable at all times—handy if you’re using your phone for maps. Note that you have to purchase this bag’s mounting system separately (starting at $30), but it offers multiple mount options for different rider needs and for various types of bikes.

Also great

This small, solidly built polyurethane-coated polyester bag can keep you light while carrying the essentials.

The Rapha Bar Bag is a lower-capacity bag that’s remarkably well constructed. Everything about this bag screams excellent craftsmanship—from the immaculate construction obvious upon close inspection of the interior lining to the way the straps are tacked onto the outside of the bag. The rigid polyurethane-coated nylon material keeps it from sagging on your bars, which is uncommon in smaller handlebar bags.

The main compartment remains especially accessible while the bag is on a bike, thanks to zippers that are the easiest to operate of any bag we tested. The bag has two interior mesh pockets for small items plus a second, zippered exterior pocket for anything you want to keep separate during a ride. This bag is only just big enough to fit the necessities—a light jacket, a multitool, a tube, and a bar or two—so it’s better suited for recreational riding or fair-weather commuting.