The Best Bike Saddle Bags for Commute and Tours (2023)

Best for Mountain Bikes and Minimalists

1. SpeedSleev Ranger

Our Rating

9.5 /10

$30

KEY SPECS

SpeedSleev is a popular brand of bike saddlebags, at least among my cycling friends. I see this bag often on the road (and off-road, too, since it works so well with dropper posts). Seeing several cyclists on a ride with the same bag isn’t unusual! It’s popular because it works.

The Ranger is designed to attach to your saddle rails, so it works great for bikes with a dropper post or any road or gravel bike. It features a wide hook and loop strap, which feeds through your rails and around the bag. The bag hugs your saddle tightly and won’t bounce around. It adjusts easily to fit a variety of saddle shapes and sizes, so you don’t have to worry about how well it fit your bike.

The speedsleev is available in multiple sizes, so you can pick the one you need, and they are all roughly the same price point. The minimalist design fits tightly under the saddle, making it aerodynamic and snug. But it doesn’t hold a lot, so if you’re someone who brings everything and the kitchen sink along, this might not be the right one for you.

However, it fits a tube, CO2 cartridges, a patch kit, and small tools. So you’ll be good to go for some minor repairs.

OUR VERDICT

I give SpeedSleev an average rating of 9.5 out of 10 possible points. It’s a very minimalist design, which makes it tidy and aerodynamic on just about every bike. It’s tucked up out of your way, too, so it won’t bother your legs. Really, the only drawbacks are that there aren’t a ton of different matching bags or crazy colors. Just a simple, sleek design that will keep you from weighing down your bike.

Best Saddle Bag for Steep Climbs

2. Ortlieb Micro 2 Saddlebag

Our Rating

9.4/10 

$45

KEY SPECS

If you’re a weight weenie like me, you may be curious about the Ortlieb Micro Two saddlebag. I like to keep my bike as lightweight as possible, so this is a bag I would seriously consider. If you’re a climber or a weight weenie, you’ll want to look into this.

This bag is about as minimalist as you can get. It’s tiny, at 0.8 liters, and holds just the necessities, such as a tube, repair kit, or a snack. But it won’t let you down since it’s so light.

One really cool aspect of this bag that makes it different from others is that it uses a snap-on system. You mount the system to the rails; then, you can remove the bag one-handed (which is terrific if you hold the bike with your other hand!). It also means fewer straps are flying around. You won’t need to worry about loose ends banging into your legs. And since it sits up so close to your saddle, it’s very aerodynamic.

The bag rolls down and uses a drawstring so you can compress the bag to the size of your contents.

The Micro 2 is waterproof, so you can keep your ID, key fob, or whatever in there and know it will be safe from the elements. Just remember that it’s a pretty small bag, so you won’t fit a lot. But most of the time, we carry way more items than we need anyway, so minimalist bags aren’t all that bad.

OUR VERDICT

The Ortlieb Micro bag gets a 9.4/10. This is a great little bag for the minimalist. Because it attaches to your saddle rails, you can use it on just about any bike, from mountain, road, or gravel bikes.

The click-on mounted system is really easy to use when you’re on a ride and need access to your bag, so this is an excellent choice if you want to save weight and don’t need a ton of stuff on your ride.

Best for Budget-Conscious Cyclists

3. Lezyne Micro Caddie Saddle Bag

Our Rating

9.3/10

$22.99

KEY SPECS

More expensive isn’t always better; Lezyne proves that with their Micro Caddie Saddle Bag. This tiny little bag safely stows away your essentials. It has internal pockets to keep all your items organized, with a simple nylon strap to attach it to the rails of your saddle.

There’s an external sleeve to keep your multi-tool handy and a water-resistant zipper to protect against weather.

I wish I had known about this bag when I first started cycling. I used to bring enough stuff for an entire weekend – even when I was just going to be riding for an hour or two.

The Micro Caddie is very affordable (which is great for newbies or people on a tight budget). So you can try it out without it being a huge investment. And you can play around with what you need to put in it. Its small size will limit what you can bring, which might be a good thing, like in my case.

And it’s available in two sizes, so if the tiny size isn’t big enough, you can opt for a slightly larger one.  It’s water resistant and will keep most of the rain and moisture at bay if caught in a storm. And it connects right to your saddle rails to be out of your way. Since it has a neoprene sleeve to dampen vibration, you won’t even know it’s there. This means you won’t have to worry about your saddle bag until you actually need it.

OUR VERDICT

I love that the Micro Caddy is so small, lightweight, and inexpensive. But I really love that it dampens vibration, so your items aren’t banging together and driving you nuts on rough trails. I love that you can purchase a lightweight bag without breaking the bank.

Best Entry-level saddlebag

4. ROCKBROS Bike Saddle Bag Seat

Our Rating

 9.3/10

$16.99

KEY SPECS

Rockbros consistently offers sturdy, quality cycling products at affordable prices. Their products are easy to find, always in stock, and they do the job. And you can purchase additional items from their lineup to match your saddlebags – such as handlebar bags, frame bags, and even top tube bags. They have plenty of products to choose from. 

This Bike Saddle Bag is tiny, fits snugly into the underside of your saddle, and attaches via two sets of hook-and-loop tape. First, the main part of the bag attaches to your seat rails with a velcro strap. Then, another strap goes around your seat post to keep it from swinging into your legs.

A reflective logo and a small loop are on the back of the bag. You can use the loop to attach your taillight, making it easy to spot – which makes you easy to see, too.

The bag’s shape is long and skinny, so that it will fit your tools easily. The bag zippers are wide open, so you have easy access, too. If you bring a tube, you may need to reroll it to fit the shape correctly.

While you can’t expect extremely high-end quality for these prices, you will get sturdy, practical bags and gear that get the job done. I never shy away from Rockbros items – they’re consistently good.

I would not hesitate to purchase this inexpensive bag for my bike. It will stay in place, hold my essentials, and finish the job.

OUR VERDICT

I’m a big fan of Rockbros for their consistent quality and affordable prices. If you’re just starting out and can’t afford fancy bags, you won’t go wrong with this tiny bag. It absolutely does the job! And the price and weight are very low on this bag, so it’s worth a try. I give it a 9.3/10.

Best Saddle Bag for Gravel Adventures

5. Revelate Designs Shrew Seat Bag

Our Rating

9.1/10

$69

KEY SPECS

Long gravel rides demand some extra gear, and you’ll be able to fit it all with the Shrew Seat Bag. This bag is highly adjustable, so you can fit a little – or a lot – depending on your need for any trip. Need a rain jacket? Just squish it in. An extra tube? No problem. It will fit. Tools, snacks, or an extra pair of shorts? This bag has got you covered.

The Shrew Seat Bag has special features to keep the extra gear stable. It includes a rail attachment system with straps and a fiberglass stay to keep your bag from flopping around. The fiberglass stay gives the bag extra support, so it isn’t sagging down onto your wheel. The straps attach to the rails of your bike to keep it back and away from your legs.

The bag has a special roll and clip feature so that you can carry just a few or many things with you on your ride. You can roll it down tightly so that it conforms to the amount of gear you carry and compress your items a little, so they don’t take up as much room.

The bag also includes a rear strap for extra stability and works with just about any seat, including mountain bikes with a dropper post. And it comes in some flashy blue or green to help you be seen when you’re out on your bike.

OUR VERDICT

I give the Shrew Saddlebag a 9.1/10. This is a great bag, available in two eye-catching colors. It’s a larger bag, so it isn’t as lightweight or aerodynamic as the smaller bags, but sometimes that’s a necessary trade-off for longer trips. You can squish a lot into this 2.25-liter bag, such as a spare jacket, arm warmers, or extra snacks.

I’ve seen this bag in action, and it does just what it should. It fits your extra gear and stays put right where you need it, whether riding a mountain, gravel, or endurance bike.

Best Bag for the Bare Necessities

6. Lezyne Roll Caddie Saddle Bag

Our Rating

9/10

$22.99

KEY SPECS

For the extreme minimalist, the Lezyne is an excellent combination of price and minimalism. This no-frills roll bag attaches to your seat rails with a hook-and-loop strap. There is an extra internal pocket to keep your cash or phone safe for your ride.

Slide your tools or tube into the little slots to use the bag. Stash your phone or ID in the internal pocket. Then, roll up the bag. Tuck it up underneath your saddle and use the hook and loop strap to secure it to the rails of your seat.

Since it’s small, it isn’t going to bounce around. It won’t sag or drop. You may want to check your tools each ride, though. The vibrations may cause them to move around in the straps if they aren’t secured well.

If you carry a couple of tools and a repair kit, this is a great choice. It gives you quick and easy access to your stuff if you need to do a quick fix. No more fumbling around, unpacking, and repacking your entire saddle bag just to get to your multi-tool. It’s all laid out for you with very easy access.

When you’re done fixing your bike, you can roll it back up and reattach it, quickly and easily. This is a nice bag because it prevents you from carrying too much stuff!

OUR VERDICT

The roll bag is so simple to use that it gets a 9 out of 10. You just roll it up and Velcro it to the rails of your bike. However, there isn’t really anything keeping those items from falling out except for how tight you can roll it up. But it is very inexpensive and lightweight, so if you don’t need a lot of gear, this is a sleek solution to how to carry it.

Best Bike Bag for Multiple Bikes

7. Swift Industries Everyday Caddy

Our Rating

8.6/10

$90

KEY SPECS

The Swift Industries Every Day Caddy is deceptively small but fits 1 liter’s worth of bike essentials. Swift devised a creative solution to a common problem: reinstalling your bike bag whenever you want to access it.

First, the outside shell mounts with a bucket strap to the rails of your saddle, making it good for a wide range of bikes. This outer shell keeps the bag up and out of the way and supports it, so it isn’t loose and floppy. You don’t have to worry about it sagging down onto your wheel or banging into the backs of your legs.

After you have the sleeve mounted to the rails of your bike, you can slide the inner bag into it and clip it in place.

The go bag rolls down to fit whatever size of cargo you stow inside. This gives you easy access when needed; you can even carry it inside to restock without remounting the entire bag.

This gives you easy access to your bag when you need it – no more fumbling around trying to get your bag mounted ‘just right’ when standing on the roadside.

I like that you can purchase multiple sets and use the same go bag, no matter your bike. Just keep a shell mounted to each bike and bring the go bag along with you.

OUR VERDICT

This clever bag fits tightly under your seat, so I give it an 8.6 out of 10. I love how the inner bag clips in and out easily, so you can grab it and go if needed. However, it’s a bit pricey and doesn’t come in fun and exciting colors. However, you could easily switch the inner bag between bikes if you had more than one set. Also, it’s easy to attach.