Top 5 Best Bike Saddle Bags In 2022 – Reviews & Buying Guide

Bike saddlebags are a great way to carry those items that are specifically needed when you’re going out for a ride. They’re also handy for having our smaller everyday things, like keys and mobile phones, close to hand.

There’s no doubt that the best bike saddle bags can help you to get more organized and make your rides a better experience. These days, the good news is that the choice for saddlebags has never been better. Plus, even the best quality bags needn’t cost a fortune.

We’ve compiled a list featuring five of the top bike saddle bags currently on sale. So, let’s go through them and find one that’s suitable for you, your bike, and your pocket…

Why should you invest in a good bike saddle bag?

When you go out on your bikes, and you ride any more than a couple of kilometers from your home, you’ll need to take a few essentials with you. If you choose not to, and you have a puncture or a small mechanical problem, it will mean either walking home or making a rather embarrassing phone call for someone to pick you up.

For shorter rides, you only need to take a few items. These might include a spare inner tube, puncture repair kit, mini pump, a multi-tool, a spare chain link, and your mobile phone. This isn’t a lot to carry, but you still have the problem of where to keep it all.

And don’t forget the convenience factor…

You could opt to put it in your pockets or into the rear of your cycling jersey. However, going down this route means you have to remember to pack them on every journey. Additionally, even this small amount of kit can be cumbersome to carry. Plus, it adds extra time to your trip each time you prepare to go out.

Having everything already packed and attached to your bike alleviates these issues and leaves you only having to remember your phone. It also means you can transport all your things safely and securely. This makes having a seat post saddle bag make perfect sense.

Top 5 Best Bike Saddle Bags On The Market In 2022 Reviews

1 BV Bicycle Strap-On Bike Saddle Bag – Best Value Bike Saddle Bag

BV makes a wide selection of sporting goods. Their prime focus is on entry-level and budget products. Their cycling range includes handlebar tape, bicycle pumps, and gloves, as well as saddlebags.

Fair value saddlebags…

We have to say that for a low-priced saddlebag, this is not bad at all. There’s no doubt that BV has upped their game recently. The result is a well-made and durable bag that offers very fair value.

The bag is designed to attach to your seat post and is large enough to fit in a spare inner-tube, some essential tools, and a mini-pump, with enough room left over for a small to medium-sized phone. One of the prominent features is that it also has an expandable bottom that adds around an extra 40% of space.

Another thing we like is that it also comes in three different sizes. They start with a small size that can store 0.4 liters and go up to a large size that can hold between 1.1 liters and 1.5 liters. The range should be enough to meet most cyclists’ needs.

Relatively well-designed…

Getting into the bag is also made easy as the zip has a wide opening that folds right down. It’s a refreshing change when compared to a lot of narrow opening alternatives.

The outside is made from a strong weatherproof material. It has good quality Velcro mounting straps and comes with a bright reflective strip on the rear. It also has a useful loop to attach your rear light. The interior has a mesh pocket, which is very useful for keeping loose change and those fiddly few bits and pieces we otherwise can never seem to find a place for.

2 BV Bicycle Y-Series Strap-On Bike Saddle Bag/Bicycle Seat Pack Bag, Cycling Wedge – Best Value Wedge Shaped Bike Saddle Bag

This is another good-quality seat post saddle bag from BV. The price is very much the same, and the quality looks and feels very similar to the BV bag we’ve just reviewed. However, on balance with the inclusion of some extra 3M reflective strip on the sides, this might be marginally better.

What else is different?

There are four size options available. The smallest gives you a capacity of just 0.3 liters, and the largest will provide you with a capacity of 1.2 liters. Unlike the previous BV saddlebag, none have an expandable bottom. On the one hand, it potentially reduces your carrying load, but on the other hand, it does improve the strength and durability over the longer term.

If you opt for the larger size, it will be sufficient to carry a spare inner tube, tools, a mini pump, and a phone that measures no more than 5.5 inches. It has a mesh on the inside for your bits and pieces. All in all, for a wedge-shaped seat post saddle bag, it offers plenty of room.

One-handed access…

When the zip is undone, the rear of the bag folds down with three sides of the bag, creating a barrier to prevent your things from falling out. It provides easy one-handed access without the worry of your phone or tools dropping to the floor.

Unfortunately, the design has one slight flaw. This is that the consequential sloping rear of the bag means that when you attach your rear light to the integrated loop strap, it tilts downwards. It’s, therefore, not in the ideal position for visibility.

3 Ibera Bicycle Water Resistant Bike Saddle Bag – Best Narrow Weatherproof Bike Saddle Bag

Next up in our best bike saddle bags review is an option for those looking for a narrower design.

One of the Ibera Bicycle Saddle Bag’s most significant features is that it’s durable and has a high-quality weatherproof outer. Although it’s not entirely waterproof, this is as likely to keep out the rain as saddlebags at a much higher price point and of a similar design. For any water to get into this, you’d have to ride through a monsoon for a decent amount of time.

Sleek…

Another thing we like is the attention to aesthetics and design. Although this is quite a large bag, it has one liter of capacity; it doesn’t look like your typical wedge seat post bike bag. It’s sleek and nice to look at. Additionally, it also comes in a choice of six colors that, therefore, better enables you to match it to your bike’s paintwork.

The saddlebag has more than enough room to house all those essentials we need to take with us on our rides And; yes, that includes a small to medium smartphone, along with a tube, tools, mini-pump, key, and wallet.

Narrower access…

Access to your things is acceptable, though not quite as easy when compared to either of the BV saddlebags. This is because the bag is narrower. It’s not a deal-breaker, but it would have been nice if the bag was an extra half-inch to an inch larger.

Another thing we would have liked to see is a reflective strip on the rear. For safety reasons, it’s undoubtedly desirable. However, you still get a strap loop for your bike, which, if you run a daytime rear light, is always far preferable anyway.

4 ROCKBROS Bike Seat Bag Waterproof, Bicycle Saddle Bag Under Seat 3D Shell Cycling Seat Pack – Best Fully Waterproof Rugged Bike Saddle Bag

We like ROCKBROS as a company. In our experience, they make excellent quality accessories and bike components at very affordable prices. They are an excellent alternative to a lot of much more expensive brands.

The ROCKBROS saddlebag is a significant step-up from the other bags we’ve reviewed in terms of quality. However, thankfully there isn’t a significant step-up in price to accompany it. The fact is that the price differential is quite small.

So, what do you get for not a lot extra?

The first thing is that the saddlebag is waterproof rather than weatherproof. This means that no matter where you go, and in whatever conditions, your belongings will stay dry.

The second thing is you get a highly rugged and well-built outer shell. It looks strong and rugged. But moreover, it actually is strong and rugged. This is a bag you can use on a mountain bike across rough and muddy trails in the knowledge that it won’t let you down.

Additionally, the bag has strong and sturdy zips and zip tags to go with the thick outer shell. It also has some of the best Velcro straps we’ve seen. The main reinforced strap can bear as much as four kilograms of weight.

Weight is one thing, but what about space?

The bag also has a large capacity as it’s a generous nine inches long. Plus, it has a lot of useable space thanks to the two, rather than one, internal mesh pockets.

Finally, the rear of the saddlebag has a reflective strip all around and an excellent hook for your rear light.

This is a solid overall package and one of the top bike saddlebags we’ve seen, regardless of price.

5 TOURBON Canvas and Leather Strap-On Bike Saddle Bag – Best Looking Retro Bike Saddle Bag

TOURBON’s Canvas and Leather Strap-On Bike Saddle Bag is very much left-field in comparison to most seat post saddlebags. The styling is very retro. It looks like something that would fit best on an older vintage steel bike or maybe on something like a town bike or a cruiser.

What is it made out of?

It’s made from canvas and has two genuine leather straps for attaching to your seat post and seat post rails. It looks like something that Brooks could have made. Actually, it seems straight out of the 1950s.

Although it looks great, here’s the thing, it’s not waterproof. Additionally, the real leather on the straps may look amazing, but they’re not going to stand up to the elements in the same way nylon straps will.

For fair-weather rides…

Realistically, if you opt for this kind of saddlebag, then you’re unlikely to be doing much riding in the rain anyway. This being the case, and if this is destined for a fair-weather bike, then all is good. You won’t have a problem.

Inside there’s enough room for all the things you’re likely to need to take with you on a short ride. Importantly, as well as having room for a tube, tools and such like, there’s also room for a phone. However, unfortunately, it doesn’t have a mesh pocket for your bits and pieces.

Form over function…

Access to the rear is via a solid brass rotating buckle. Like the rest of the saddlebag, it looks great, but we have to question exactly how secure it is over an extended period and rough terrain.

Another issue is that once the rear flap is opened, it lends itself to your contents falling out onto the floor. There’s almost no lower flap to help retain your gear. Plus, and possibly worse, there’s no place to attach your rear light.

In short, it looks great, but it’s maybe not the most practical saddle bag for the money.

Best Bike Saddle Bags Buying Guide

Size

The size of the saddlebag you choose will very much depend on the kind of cycling you’re doing and how far away from home you’re likely to stray. If you only do short rides and stay close to home, you’re likely only to need a small amount of kit. The longer the ride and the further you are from your car or home, the more likely it is that you need to be better equipped.

Choosing your capacity…

Bags with a capacity of around 0.4 liters are ideal for shorter rides. Bags with about 0.7 liters are an excellent choice for mixed riding. And finally, for longer rides that don’t involve overnight stays, a saddle bag with 1.0 liters of capacity, or over, is the better option.

We feel BV has the ideal bike saddlebags to meet all of these needs. They have products that come in three and four sizes to cover most eventualities. This makes them a great first choice for an affordable saddlebag.

Ease of Access

Getting into your bag quickly and without all of the contents spilling out is essential. Also essential is being able to get to the thing you want without having to pull everything out or endlessly fiddle and poke around.

Therefore, a big saddle bag should have a wide opening and a flap that can retain your gear once the bag has been fully opened. These criteria make the BV Bicycle Y-Series Strap-On Bike Saddle Bag a clear winner. This is because it has a wide opening and an excellent retaining rear flap.

What else?

Another handy feature to help access the smaller items you might need to carry, such as loose change, keys, patches, chain links, and such, is an inner mesh pocket. Most of the saddlebags have at least one of these, but the ROCKBROS Bike Seat Bag equips itself well by having two.

Waterproof and Weatherproofing

Most of us ride our bikes in mixed conditions. Consequently, we need equipment that can stand up to the worst the weather can throw at us. This need will, of course, also extend to our seat post saddlebag.

All of the bags our review are water-resistant and weatherproof, and in most circumstances, this will be sufficient. This is because, in extremely heavy or persistent rain, we’re unlikely to continue our rides if it can be reasonably avoided. However, there’s no doubt that the best option is to cover all bases and have a fully waterproof bag.

This is where the ROCKBROS Bike Seat Bag scores well, as it has an entirely weatherproof outer shell.

Safety

Riding a bike can be potentially dangerous and can leave us more vulnerable than we’d like to others’ behavior. Consequently, safety is always essential, and every little bit can genuinely help.

We like to see a reflective strip on the rear of the bag and also a mounting point for a rear light. Although a rear light can be placed elsewhere, such as on your fork stays or lower down on your seat post, the rear of a saddlebag lends itself to having a rear light attached.

In this regard…

The ROCKBROS Bike Seat Bag once more comes out on top. It has the best reflective strip of all the bags and, even better, has the most robust and secure mounting point for your rear light.

Brilliant Bike Accessories

For more brilliant cycling gear recommendations, read our reviews of the Best Bicycle Tool Kit, the Best Bike Helmets, our Best Bike Chains Review, the Best Bike Lights, the Best Bike Mirrors, the Best Bike Racks, the Best 2 Bike Car Racks, the Best Trunk Mount Bike Racks, and the Best Bike Travel Cases currently on the market!

If you have a little one, do also check out our reviews of the Best Balance Bikes, the Best Child Bike Seats, and the Best Tricycles for 2 Year Olds you can buy in 2022!

Back to the best saddlebags for cycling…

So, which of these Best Bike Saddle Bags should you go for?

There you have it. The five best saddlebags for bikes we’ve included on our list all do a great job. We’d be happy to use any of them on our bikes. However, if we had to choose just one to take home with us, it would be the…

ROCKBROS Bike Seat Bag

This is our top pick because it’s fully waterproof, it has an excellent reflective strip that runs around all of the sides, and it has a high-quality rear light mounting bracket. What’s more, it also has loads of space inside and includes a couple of internal mesh pockets.

It’s a great bike saddlebag!

Enjoy your bike and enjoy your rides.