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Best Bike Handlebar Bags of 2023

JUMP TO: REVELATE DESIGNS HARNESS & SALTYROLL / APIDURA EXPEDITION HANDLEBAR PACK / ROAD RUNNER BAGS JUMBO JAMMER / ORTLIEB ACCESSORY-PACK / TOPEAK FRONTLOADER / ORTLIEB ULTIMATE SIX PLUS / BUYING ADVICE

Author: Tristan Ridley

The Short Version

The Long Version

Along with saddle bags, handlebar bags are a staple of any good bikepacking setup.

Handlebar bags can be used for a remarkably wide variety of purposes, with options ranging from sleek and compact bags designed for day rides, through to cavernous packs capable of hauling enough camping gear and clothes for the longest of expeditions.

 

The Revelate Designs Harness & Saltyroll with the Egress Pocket overlaid. Photo credit: Tristan Ridley.

 

Whereas most bikepacking saddle bags tend to follow a similar design pattern, handlebar bags can vary dramatically.

There are a variety of different styles available, each with advantages and disadvantages. So it’s worth thinking about what kind of riding you plan on doing to find the best option for your particular application.

The handlebar bags we discuss below should have you covered regardless of the type of riding. We’ve included bags designed for bikepacking and touring, as well as options well suited to road cycling or mountain biking.

If you love reading this review of the best handlebar bags, then you'll likely love reading some of our other gear review pages:

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Need To Know What To Look Out For?

Will it fit? … Will it wobble? … Wheel clearance, pack stability, and more. They are all valid concerns!

If it’s your first time strapping a handlebar bag onto your bike then be sure to check out our buying advice at the bottom of the page.

 

The Road Runner Jumbo Jammer — this thing is mammoth! Photo credit: Tristan Ridley.

 

WEIGHT:
15 oz (425 g) for the Harness
6.5 oz (185 g) for the Saltyroll
21.5 oz (610 g) for the combined total

VOLUME: 15 liters

PRICE: $$

PROS: Tough, stable, and extremely versatile. The Saltyroll is fully waterproof.

CONS: A little heavy.

The Revelate Designs Harness is easily one of the most versatile and effective pieces of bikepacking luggage money can buy. It is our top pick for bikepacking, as well as mountain biking use.

The Harness functions as a ‘soft rack’ for the handlebars and can contain a wide variety of items in its cradle, from cylindrical dry bags to tents, sleeping mats, packrafts, and anything else you might need to carry. It can even hold multiple separate items.

The Harness is first secured to the bars, and then dry bags or other objects can in turn be secured within the Harness. Once mounted and cinched down, the Harness keeps things extremely secure over even the roughest terrain making it the ideal handlebar bag for mountain biking. And similar to other products from Revelate Designs it is exceptionally well made and tough enough to survive anything you might throw at it. 

Although you can certainly use the Harness with other bags, Revelate Designs have specifically designed their Saltyroll dry bag to be used in conjunction, and we found this pairing worked perfectly. Durable and fully waterproof, the Saltyroll has dual roll down openings, making it easier to access gear on the fly. And due to its long, narrow-diameter design, it’s especially well-suited to mountain bikes where handlebar-to-tire clearance could be an issue.

The combined weight of 21.5 oz for the Harness and Saltyroll is relatively heavy, but you can trust that it will last longer and fit more securely than any of the lighter weight options.

Best for Road Cycling: APIDURA EXPEDITION HANDLEBAR PACK

WEIGHT: 8.8 oz (250 g)

VOLUME: 9 liters (also available in 14-liter size)

PRICE: $$

PROS: Very lightweight, fully waterproof.

CONS: Not secure enough for heavy off-road use. 

Finding a decently sized handlebar bag that will fit with road bikes can be tricky. Narrow drop-bars and often minimal clearance between handlebar and tire, mean that most bags will simply be too big.

The Expedition Handlebar Pack from Apidura is a fantastic solution as it is designed with drop bars in mind. And weighing only 8.8 oz for the 9-liter version, it won’t add much heft to your front end either.

It’s fairly easy to add or remove from your bars for packing and accessing gear — a very useful trait, since drop bars inevitably make it awkward to access side-entry dry bags while they’re still mounted to the bike. The bag also has a length of bungee-cord on top for strapping on an extra layer for quick access, a feature we really enjoyed.

The Expedition Handlebar Pack is a very minimal bag, and as a result it isn’t going to be the most secure option. It’s more than stable enough for road or light gravel riding, but we probably wouldn’t recommend it for rougher terrain or mountain biking adventures.

Best for Touring: ORTLIEB ULTIMATE SIX PLUS

WEIGHT: 21.2 oz (600 g)

VOLUME: 7 liters (also available in 5-liter size)

PRICE: £80

PROS: Highly convenient design for quick removal and access. Great quality. 100% waterproof.

CONS: Heavy. Can rattle around when off-road.

For bicycle tourists who prefer panniers to the soft bags adopted by bikepackers, the Ortlieb Ultimate Six Plus would be our choice for a handlebar bag that combines fantastic build quality, waterproofing, and supreme convenience.

Unlike the other bags we reviewed, the Ultimate Six Plus uses a rigid mounting system that screws on and stays semi-permanently attached to the handlebars. The bag can then be clipped in and out in a matter of seconds; we found it to be by far the quickest and easiest bag to attach or detach from the bars.

It’s fully waterproof, so it’s a perfect place to carry your essentials, and with the included shoulder strap and the ease of removal, it’s the ideal way to quickly grab your valuables whenever you need to temporarily leave the bike. The ease of removal, shoulder strap, and complete waterproofing mean that the Ortlieb Ultimate Six Plus would also be a great option for a commuter handlebar bag, so it has versatility on its side.

The 7-liter ‘Plus’ version has some convenient extra side pockets which we found useful. It’s exceptionally sturdy and well-made, so we’d expect it to last for years to come — although one downside of this is that it’s quite a bit heavier than comparatively sized soft bikepacking bags.

Because it’s only secured at one mounting point (which is part of what makes it so convenient to use), the Ultimate Six Plus does tend to rattle around quite a lot when riding on rougher terrain. This can be annoying, so it wouldn’t be our pick for off-road touring. But for the majority of bike tourers who will be sticking to paved routes, this wouldn’t be a problem.

Best Large Handlebar Bag: ROAD RUNNER BAGS JUMBO JAMMER

WEIGHT: 32 oz (907 g)

VOLUME: 26 liters

PRICE: $$$

PROS: Exceptionally tough and stable. Huge capacity. Very convenient to use.

CONS: Expensive. Won’t fit on some bikes. Not 100% waterproof. Heavy.

Totally different from any other bag in this review, the Jumbo Jammer from Los Angeles based Road Runner Bags is an absolute beast of a handlebar bag! It is by far the largest pack we tested.

With an expandable capacity of up to 26 liters, the Jumbo Jammer has enough volume for an enormous amount of gear. Because it has a roll-top closure instead of the side entry that is more common in larger handlebar bags, the Jumbo Jammer is very convenient to use and much easier to access than others we reviewed.

Designed to be packed while still attached to the bike, the Jumbo Jammer can be strapped onto your bars with no fewer than seven attachment points, making it remarkably stable even when heavily loaded, despite its size. It’s also an exceptionally well-made bag, the most durable in our review. We’re confident this bag will last many years to come.

At 2 lbs., this bag is certainly not lightweight, although its weight-to-volume ratio is still reasonable. One downside is that it wasn’t quite 100% waterproof. Although it shrugged off showers without any problems, heavy rain did tend to cause the interior side of the bag to get pretty damp. For most things, we’d consider the waterproofing to be sufficient, but for key items like sleeping bags we’d suggest using a dedicated dry bag.

It’s also worth noting that because this is such a large bag, it needs wide handlebars to work, and you’ll also need a fair amount of tire clearance. We’d suggest getting in touch with Road Runner Bags before purchasing just to make sure it will work with your setup.

Best Small Handlebar Bag: ORTLIEB ACCESSORY-PACK

WEIGHT: 7.2 oz (204 g)

VOLUME: 3.5 liters

PRICE: $$

PROS: Convenient size, easy to access. Waterproof.

CONS: Not the most secure on rougher terrain.

Handlebar bags aren’t simply great for bikepackers carrying lots of equipment for overnight trips; they’re also extremely useful for people on normal day rides as well.

Small handlebar bags can contain a surprising amount of useful items and are therefore a remarkably convenient way to bring along essentials. Jersey pockets have limitations and can become uncomfortable when loaded up, so a small handlebar bag is a perfect way to carry everything you might need for a training ride.

The Accessory-Pack from renowned bagmakers Ortlieb is our favorite small handlebar bag. At 3.5 liters, it’s the perfect size for swallowing up everything you might need for the day – you can easily load it up with an extra bottle of water, a spare tube, a few snacks, an extra layer or rain jacket, and other small items such as a wallet and keys. It carries all of this comfortably, and as it’s 100% waterproof you can be sure it’ll keep everything well protected.

We found it to be relatively secure too, although we probably wouldn’t recommend it for mountain biking. It’s quick to attach and detach from the bike, and at only 7.2 oz the weight is hardly noticeable. It’s extremely easy to access, and because of its small profile, it won’t have too much effect on your aerodynamics either.

Best on a Budget: TOPEAK FRONTLOADER

WEIGHT: 13.6 oz (386 g)

VOLUME: 8 liters

PRICE: $$

PROS: Convenient to use, stable, affordable.

CONS: Not very versatile, needs a full bag to function properly.

The Topeak Frontloader is a great option for those looking to get started in bikepacking, as it ticks many of the right boxes and is available at a great price point.

Based on a similar design to our top pick the Revelate Designs Harness, the Topeak Frontloader uses a two-part harness system to secure a removable 8-liter dry bag to the bars. It’s dual-entry, 100% waterproof, and the harness system works well and keeps things nice and stable. Once the harness is set up, it’s quick and easy to attach or remove the dry bag, so the Frontloader is very convenient to use.

There are no size options, so the 8-liter dry bag is your only choice. And since the Frontloader is designed to work specifically with the included dry bag, it’s not as versatile as it could be. It does include a couple of additional straps for attaching surplus gear on top, but there’s definitely a limit to how much this can carry.

Finally, due to the design of the harness, it won’t work well when very lightly loaded – the dry bag needs to be fairly well stuffed to function properly. Having only a few small items in the bag will tend to make it sag, and the harness won’t hold it effectively. It therefore might not be ideal for day rides where you’re only carrying a few things.

Despite these limitations, however, the Toploader is a great entry-level option for bikepacking.

BUYING ADVICE FOR HANDLEBAR BAGS

Tire Clearance

We would always suggest checking to make sure that your bike has enough tire clearance (the distance from your handlebars to your front tire) for a handlebar bag.

Most handlebar bags are designed to fit on the majority of bikes, so for most people this won’t be a concern.

But if you’re riding a smaller frame, especially with 29er wheels, or a road bike with a very aggressive and low bar position, then it’s certainly worth double-checking to make sure a specific bag will fit.

Handlebar Compatibility

Depending on what type of handlebars you’re using, some bags will work better than others.

Drop bars will limit the width of the bag you can use and will also make it harder to access side-entry bags while mounted. Flat bars can run into issues with cable routing, especially with larger bags.

If in doubt we’d suggest contacting the manufacturer to make sure the bag will be suitable for your setup.

Stability

How stable a bag you’ll need will depend entirely on your intended purpose. A bag needs to be much more solidly built to handle mountain biking, where the bike will be getting bumped around a lot, than for road cycling, where things will be relatively smooth.

Soft bags mounted with many straps will be more secure than those mounted with rigid mounting brackets, though they will also take longer to attach and remove.

Most handlebar bags are versatile, but if you do expect to be doing a lot of rough riding then we’d definitely suggest going for a handlebar bag specifically designed for that kind of terrain.

Waterproofing

Although not essential for everyone, having a waterproof handlebar bag is extremely useful, and it has therefore become the norm for most bags to incorporate this.

All the seat packs reviewed here, with the exception of the Jumbo Jammer, should be 100% waterproof.

Volume

Handlebar bags can vary greatly in size, depending on their intended application.

Smaller bags of around 3-7 liters are great for carrying everyday items for day rides and commuting, whilst larger bags are needed for overnight or multi-day adventures where more equipment or camping gear may be required.

Some bags can be rolled down to give variable capacities, which can extend their utility to multiple purposes.

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