The Best Bike Panniers of 2023

As of mid-September, the Ortlieb Twin-City Urban pannier is out of stock; we’ll monitor the situation.

If you use two wheels for transport, we suggest carrying your everyday gear not on your body, but on your bike. The best option for most people is usually a pannier, a bag that attaches to your bike's rear rack and won't make your bike hard to steer. After spending three years testing dozens of panniers, we’ve chosen six that’ll be great for daily duty no matter what you’re toting.

You’ll need a rack to hang your pannier on—if your bike doesn't already have one, check out our guide to rear bike racks. And if you’re just learning about panniers and carrying stuff on your bike in general, check out the How we picked and tested section for a brief intro to the topic.

After spending the winter testing dozens of bike handlebar bags, we’ve chosen five that can carry all your riding essentials, no matter where you’re headed.

After considering 38 models and testing eight top contenders, we’re confident the Topeak Explorer is the best rear rack for the average bike commuter.

If you’re a commuter who likes to carry all the things, load up this messenger-style bag in the morning and then park it next to your desk for easy access to your stuff throughout the workday.

*At the time of publishing, the price was $190.

Get this if: You like to carry everything you could possibly need in the day and just dump it all next to your desk. Your laptop, gym clothes, makeup, extra shoes, lunch, thermos, hats, gloves—the Arkel Signature H will hold it all. We like the horizontal shape because it makes this bag easier to dig through than similar but more vertical designs.

Why it's great: This bag is a marriage of two sensibilities—the stylish "tote" of the North St. Bags Route Seven Pannier (a former pick) and the hauling capabilities of an Ortlieb Back-Roller—but with two design tweaks that make it better for carrying a lot of things over your shoulder than either of those bags.

It's simple—this pannier has a much wider padded shoulder strap than the Back-Roller and a much sturdier mounting system than the Route Seven, which make it more suited for carrying lots of stuff both on and off the bike. Arkel sells a similar (but vertically oriented) pannier called the Signature V, but we think the horizontal orientation of this bag makes it easier to find your stuff in because the mouth is wider at the top.

We fit everything we had in this bag with room to spare. It's all just stuffed in, though, as it would be in a duffle bag, so don't get this if you want to be able to find your wallet or phone quickly. There is one external flap pocket; we put our bike lights in it.

Flaws but not dealbreakers: We wish the lining of this bag was lighter in color to make it easy to peer into and find things. However, the two handles on this bag—they’re on either side of the rolltop, on the inside—are a nice way to hold the bag open. (No other bag we looked at has such handles.)

Back to the caveat with all larger bags, which we define as being over 20 L each—if you’re carrying that big a load, you have to know how to handle your bike. It's not rocket science, but you’ll notice that maneuvering changes when heavy bags hang over the back wheel. This bag also sits higher up than a vertically oriented pannier. There isn't even a bottom hook on this bag, just the top attachment system. So the bike's center of gravity will be raised slightly, making it feel more top-heavy.

Also, here's the standard disclaimer about the Arkel mounting system: It uses some fabric attachments to swivel it closed, and sometimes the fabric bits get hung up on things. It's not as elegant as Ortlieb's system, but it's still easy enough to work with.

Dimensions: 15 by 12 by 8 inchesCapacity: 28 litersOther sizes: noneColors: black, olive, copper

This around-town pannier, which you can also carry on your shoulder, provides easy access to your phone and wallet, but it can't hold much more than a decent-sized purse or sling pack.

Get this if: You’re meeting friends for lunch or exploring town by bike. This bag won't hold a full-size laptop, but it would be a good replacement for a purse, fanny pack, or sling.

Why it's great: As panniers get smaller in size, the experience of using them becomes more streamlined, and that's why we love the Ortlieb Twin-City Urban pannier. It handles more easily and attaches more easily than any of its bigger cousins.

That's mostly because it uses Ortlieb's QL2.1 attachment system, widely regarded (and confirmed in our testing) as the best pannier mounting system there is. It latches onto a bike rack with less hassle than anything else, and it doesn't let go—and in the case of the Twin-City, you don't even have to mount the bottom half of the bag.

Because it's a 9 L bag, it won't comfortably carry a laptop (you might be able to jockey a small one in), but it will fit a big pile of commuter stuff—a tablet, a notebook, a water bottle. We like the Twin-City because it has an exterior key pocket that actually zips shut, and interior pockets for your wallet and phone make it simple to get to your phone or wallet if you need it.

Shoulder-bag panniers provide easy access to everyday-carry items better than any other design. A lot of backpack panniers have exterior pockets for small items, but for some reason they often don't zip shut—instead, they’re secured by magnets or covered by a flap. Those of us wound a little tighter know the acute anxiety of having a wallet out of reach, behind you, in an unsealed pocket on a crowded subway.

The Twin-City provides a place to stow its shoulder strap without your having to open the bag, as most well-designed bags of this type do. It's also weatherproof—it will withstand splashing water and dust as long as the top is rolled down and secured. Ortlieb offers a five-year warranty that covers defects in craftsmanship.

Flaws but not dealbreakers: Learning the sequence of moves that converts this bag from pannier to shoulder bag takes some attention, but after a few tries it becomes automatic.

Dimensions: 15.4 by 11.8 by 4.7 inchesCapacity: 9 litersOther sizes: noneColors: pepper (which looks gray)

A fully waterproof, seam-welded touring classic made for rain and snow and lots of gear, this pannier (sold in pairs) is nearly indestructible.

Get this if: You’re often hauling heavy or oddly shaped gear and you ride in near-constant wet weather. These panniers are waterproof, seam-sealed, and so tough that cyclists have found all sorts of uses for them. One long-distance touring rider we met empties his out, fills one with clean water and the other with soapy water, and uses them to do his dishes.

Why they’re great: The Ortlieb Back-Roller Classic panniers, which come in pairs, are considered the gold standard for touring panniers. They feature Ortlieb's QL2.1 mounting system; this design is beloved for its simplicity. During testing, we had no issues with wobbling, shifting, or loose panniers. We also think that this has something to do with the size of the bags. We noticed 20 liters is about as large as you can make a pannier before the handling of the bike changes significantly. In spite of the fact that the components of the mounting system are plastic (we’d prefer metal), we’ve had these bags in long-term testing for two years and they haven't broken or worn out.

This pannier works best as a big bucket you can dump anything into; the bottom sits squarely on the ground, so it's easy to rummage through it. However, it has no exterior pockets, and the rolltop requires attention to open and close, so it's not an easy bag to access on the go—you’ll need to keep your keys and phone on your person. On the inside, there is a narrow sleeve suitable for documents or a laptop (though there's no padding) and a flat mesh zippered pocket, but both are minimal. Ortlieb offers a five-year warranty that covers defects in craftsmanship.

Flaws but not dealbreakers: This aren't bags for your average commute, as Back-Rollers don't make great shoulder bags. It can be done… but the included shoulder straps are thin and uncomfortable. If you take a lot of public transportation or do much of your commute on foot, a backpack pannier or a smaller shoulder-bag pannier might be a better choice.

The specific waterproof rating for the bags is IP64, which means the bags can withstand splashing water in all directions but they’re not as impermeable as dry bags (the sort of thing you’d take on a boat).

Dimensions: 16 by 12 by 6 inches (upper section); 16 by 9 by 6 inches (lower section)Capacity: 20 liters each (40 L total capacity)Other sizes: Back-Roller City, Back-Roller Plus, Back-Roller UrbanOther Styles: Back-Roller Free (PVC-free), Back-Roller Hi-VisColors: black, asphalt/black, red/black, petrol/black, yellow/black

This heavy-duty, fair-weather nylon-covered steel-framed shopper comes with a shoulder strap and carry handles. Despite its low price, it's sturdier than the other grocery panniers we tested.

Get it if: The number one thing you want to do with your bike is make trips to the market. A grocery pannier is cheaper than a specialty commuter bag, can carry twice as much weight as a bike basket, and can even substitute as the grocery bag itself. This pannier is open at the top, though, so it's not good in the rain.

Why it's great: After testing four models of simple grocery panniers, we decided the Banjo Brothers Grocery Pannier is our favorite. Despite being the cheapest we tested, it offers a higher build quality than the competition (including a stable mounting system with a pair of metal hooks on top and a lower hook fixed to an adjustable elastic strap), comes with a removable shoulder strap, and has handles on either side (like a tote) for stable carrying.

You can shop with it in two ways: either place your paper or plastic grocery bags inside it after you go through checkout, or use it as a grocery bag in and of itself. The button closures on the sides of the Banjo Brothers bag allow you to fold it flat against your bike or to stuff it in a backpack when you aren't using it. There's one exterior Velcro-closed pocket for receipts, grocery lists, or keys.

Flaws but not dealbreakers: It has the drawbacks of a basket. It offers no dust or water protection, and you shouldn't expect it to hold much more than a dozen pounds—but that's still enough for an entire bag of food, including a gallon of milk, which weighs 8.6 pounds!

Dimensions: 13 by 11.5 by 8 inchesCapacity: 18 litersOther sizes: noneColors: black

This backpack fits enough gear for an entire day out and even has a place to stow a helmet. If you lock up your bike when you get to work or school but then still have to move around a lot, this bag is for you.

Get it if: Your workday involves walking around a big campus or going up and down a lot of stairs. The Arkel Bug Pannier Backpack's shoulder straps are sturdier and cut more ergonomically than those on any other model we tested, and it has places to stow both your laptop and your helmet.

Why it's great: We don't know how, but even though this bag isn't all that much bigger than the Two Wheel Gear backpack pannier (this one holds 25 L), it seems to hold twice as much. It's also the only pannier we’ve found that has a helmet pocket. We know that sounds basic, but it's baffling that no one else has addressed this problem. No one likes carrying a helmet in their hand or having to let it dangle off a shoulder strap.

There are few attachment systems we’d trust to carry this large of a bag, stuffed to the brim, but Arkel's is one of them. The Bug uses the same Cam-Lock system as all Arkel designs, and the all-metal hooks (plus the stiff backing of the bag) add to the on-bike stability of this bag—one of the specific challenges that bags larger than 20 L need to overcome. It has a clamshell opening, meaning it will unzip fully on both sides to offer up its cargo. In addition to all the office and bike-commute necessities, we were also able to fit some lunch and an extra pair of shoes in this bag.

Built with 1,000-denier Cordura nylon and weatherproof zippers, the Bug promises to be water resistant. We soaked it in the shower for 30 seconds and water crept in through the zipper, so if you live in a place where the water gets aggressive, maybe consider buying a rain cover (though they're currently out of stock). Arkel backs their products with a lifetime guarantee.

Flaws but not dealbreakers: We like the shape of this bag, and we like how it rides, but when the capacity of a pannier exceeds the 20 L mark, it will, when full, begin to affect the handling of the bike. This one is no different. Also, hitching it on and off the bike takes some finesse. But that's a reality of all larger panniers, not something particular to this design.

The Arkel mounting system uses some fabric attachments to swivel it closed, and sometimes the fabric bits get hung up on things. It's not as elegant as Ortlieb's system, but it's still easy enough to work with.

Dimensions: 19 by 12 by 7 inchesCapacity: 25 litersOther sizes: noneColors: red, grey, lime

This pannier, which converts to a shoulder bag, provides maximum laptop protection. Plus it has zippered exterior pockets that can hold your wallet, phone, and transit card.

*At the time of publishing, the price was $210.

Get this if: You regularly carry a laptop and part of your commute is via train, bus, or subway. In that case, the Arkel Commuter Urban Pannier is the best carry option we’ve found. The backplate on the pannier protects the laptop from bumps on all sides, and it's easy to access your wallet or phone or transit pass when you’re wearing the bag on your shoulder.

Why it's great: This bag's accessible flip-top design is what makes it practical. Unlike a roll-top closure, the flap lid lets you quickly reach inside and grab your wallet, so you can buy a cup of coffee or find your public-transit card. Brilliantly, both exterior pockets zip shut. We know that sounds basic, but so many panniers have pockets that don't fully close—they have magnets, or flaps, or Velcro. (Some just gape open.) Storing precious cargo in unsecure pockets can be nerve-wracking on public transit, and the Arkel Commuter solves that problem.

Arkel takes practical, everyday usability into account better than almost all the makers of all the other panniers we’ve tested. If we could slap an Ortlieb mounting system onto an Arkel bag, the resulting pannier would be near-perfect. That said, there's little to complain about regarding Arkel's own Cam-Lock system—it's seriously heavy duty and practical. All the components are metal and supported by stiff connectors and hooks that make dropping the pannier onto a bike's rack simple.

The main compartment holds 23 liters, which is big enough to fit the basic components of a mobile office, plus bike repair gear, a windbreaker, and some snacks. However, the Commuter is longer and narrower than bucket-style panniers—such as the Ortlieb Back-Roller, for example—so it will quickly fill up. If you overfill the bag, it might be hard to find your stuff at the bottom.

But what you give up in sheer gear-hauling capacity, you gain in easier bike handling. The narrow profile helps you avoid hitting the bag with your heel as you pedal and keeps the center of gravity perched as close to the rear wheel as possible. Bikes carrying vertical panniers like this also handle better those carrying horizontal, briefcase-style panniers because their load rides closer to the ground.

Arkel advertises this pannier as "weather resistant"; it's made of 1,000-denier Cordura nylon and Sunbrella acrylic, a fade-resistant, marine-grade outdoor fabric commonly used for weatherproof awnings and boat covers. Arkel does sell a rain cover as an accessory (though it's currently out of stock) and backs its products with a transferable, no-receipt-needed, lifetime guarantee.

Flaws but not dealbreakers: The stiff back of this pannier—which is what's responsible for protecting your laptop, and for making it so simple to get this bag on and off a bike—maintains its shape off-bike, as well. That means this shoulder bag will hold its rectangular-ish shape while you carry it rather than behaving more like a traditional shoulder bag and conforming to your body.

The Arkel mounting system uses some fabric attachments to swivel it closed, and sometimes the fabric bits get hung up on things. It's not as elegant as Ortlieb's system, but it's still easy enough to work with.

Dimensions: 17 by 12 by 6 inchesCapacity: 23 litersOther sizes: noneColors: black/grey, olive/grey

If you want to run small errands around the neighborhood or have a place to put a purse or a wallet, a front basket or a handlebar bag might be all you need. Baskets never have to be removed from the bike or locked up, and they can hold about 10 pounds of stuff. (Handlebar bags can be removed more easily, though they often hold less.) However, going beyond that can make steering hard and could possibly hurt your bike's handling.

If you’re commuting regularly on your bike, though, and especially if you carry a laptop, we recommend getting a pannier to carry the stuff you need each day and a rear rack to hang it on. The racks we recommend can carry up to 55 additional pounds without having much impact on your ride, and you can use your pannier as a replacement for any number of different everyday-carry bags.

What makes a great bag is really personal, even when you’re talking about bags meant to go on bikes. I often find that no matter how many bags I have, I need (okay, want) them all, and I believe it's because each one does a slightly different task perfectly. As much as I wish I had one bag that could do everything, when a bag excels at being unobtrusive as you move through your day, it's because it's performing a monotask and performing it well.

As such, bag testing is a lot about figuring out exactly what any given bag does best and who would want that bag. We do that in every Wirecutter guide—spelling out who the product is for—but with bags, recommending a good one is all about cracking that code.

So to find the best panniers, we researched 82 different models and then chose 26 to test in person. We rode with these bags for nine months on city streets, and asked these questions:

What can it carry? And how? We laid out 28 different items that a bike commuter might carry, and filled each bag with as many as we could.

Everyday-carry items:KeysPhoneWalletTransit cardChapstickPen and pencilNotebookWater bottle

Portable office items:Laptop and caseLaptop chargerEarbudsPhone cableUSB wall chargerExternal mouse and caseLaptop stand

Bike accessories:Patch kitFront and rear bike lightsBike lockWindbreakerWarm hat

Extras:A change of clothingAn extra pair of shoesA small lunchReusable silverware

Will it stay on the bike? Rescuing a laptop from the middle of the street is not how anyone wants to start their day, so a durable mounting system is important. Also, pannier hooks that are mounted against a crossbar are easier to mount. In addition, a stiff back on the pannier and a bottom hook add additional security and make the weight easier to handle when it's on the bike.

Will it come off the bike easily? This is the paradox of pannier mounting systems—it must stay firmly barnacled to your bike rack, except of course when you want to take it off. Then, it must release with hardly any effort. Unlike a touring cyclist, who might leave their panniers on for days or weeks at a time, a commuter removes them every time they park.

Will it hit your heel when you pedal? The best panniers are shaped to avoid heel strike and made to keep the load low on the bike. In general, bags that do this well are slightly tapered at the bottom and tend to be taller than they are wide.

We did not look at bags designed specifically for bicycle touring. We also dismissed saddlebag-style panniers (the kind that are attached in the middle with fabric); they’re meant to be left on the bike and are difficult to carry once you take them off.

The Thule Pack ’n Pedal Commuter Pannier is beautiful, but I struggled with accessibility. I was afraid my keys would fall out of the zipperless exterior pocket, and the rolltop closure makes basic access a chore. You have to remove and stow the shoulder strap every time you put the bag on your bike. Thule has discontinued this model.

The Timbuk2 Lightweight Urban Pannier didn't fit our 15-inch laptop—it only accommodates up to a 13-inch laptop. Also, Timbuk2 appears to have discontinued this model.

The Two Wheel Gear Pannier Backpack Convertible 1.1, a former pick, has been replaced by a newer version, the Backpack Convertible 2.0, but that bag is currently out of stock; we’ll take a look at it when we can.

The North St. Bags Woodward Backpack Pannier was positioned to be a favorite, as it's one of their best sellers, but it's a much bigger bag that the North St. Bags Route Seven (a former pick; see below) yet uses the same minimal mounting system. It didn't fall off, but it didn't inspire confidence, especially when compared to other options. In addition, when we carried it as a backpack, the weight distribution was slightly bottom-heavy.

The Timbuk2 Deploy Convertible Backpack was a comfortable backpack, but not a great pannier. The mounting system forces the bag to perch higher on the rack than others—almost six inches—and it throws off the center of gravity on the bike. (It's also been discontinued since we tested it.)

The Banjo Brothers Commuter Backpack is waterproof, with an easy-access main compartment, but the crunchy interior liner that provides the waterproofing is a turn-off.

The Ortlieb Vario is a fully waterproof backpack pannier, but as Campfire Cycling discovered, removing and stowing the Ortlieb shoulder-strap system is a little more involved than doing so with Arkel's system, and you have to buy a separate bungee to secure the Vario to the bottom of your rack. The Vario has a place to attach a helmet, but it offers a fraction of the exterior storage since its exterior pockets lose capacity when the bag is full—this doesn't happen on the Bug.

The Banjo Brothers Waterproof Pannier has the same crunchy interior liner as the company's backpack, as well as a few reports of stitching and seams coming loose—an issue we haven't witnessed on the Back-Roller Classic.

The Blackburn Barrier Rear Pannier that we tested didn't have a handle to carry it when it was off the bike, and it was expensive. It's since been replaced by the Local Rear Pannier, which is lower priced (currently $70 per bag) and does have a handle. We hope to take a look soon.

We saw two reports of quick-release levers breaking on the Ibera PakRak model—two too many. The mounting system is the number one thing that must work.

Bushwhacker's economical Omaha panniers (they come in pairs) have no shoulder strap and only a single handle on one side of each bag, providing no reliable way for you to carry them with you or off the bike.

Giant makes a Grocery Getter Pannier, but it lacks a shoulder strap and still costs nearly $20 more than the Banjo Brothers Grocery Pannier. (It's also vanished from the Giant website.)

The Ortlieb Downtown Two shoulder bag is the most effective briefcase/pannier hybrid we’ve found, but it's awkward to carry, as the bag and the base are stiff.

The North St. Bags Route Seven Pannier, which converts into a well-designed shoulder bag, would work for any situation when you might ordinarily bring a tote bag—going to the coffee shop or the gym, or running errands. Its smaller capacity (17.5 liters) and minimal attachment system create an ergonomic fit when you sling it over your shoulder, which is not something panniers often do well. Unfortunately, North St. Bags has discontinued the Route Seven, replacing it with the Route 24L pannier. We’ll be testing the new version to see if the larger size makes it less comfortable to carry.

This article was edited by Christine Ryan and Ria Misra.

Eve O'Neill

Eve O'Neill is a former senior staff writer reporting on travel and outdoors at Wirecutter. She can remember the titles on her childhood bookshelf that set her in this direction: Into Thin Air, On The Road, The Call of the Wild. She has always been drawn to ideas about how to relate to, and play in, the wilderness.

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