Bellroy Cinch Messenger (12 liter lightweight shoulder bag, water-resistant fabric, effortless organization) - SandDune

"I love the 9l sling, it's almost my unicorn bag, if only it were a few inches taller and wider, and made from a less stiff fabric, and had an outside phone or bottle pocket! And since I'm wishing, cute colors."Bellroy can read minds. The 9L venture sling in gray has been my daily carry since I bought it, but it's just a little too small to carry both my pen case and my ipad air (a mini would be fine). This meets every need (except can I get more colors please?) and is significantly lighter. It swallows the stuff I had in the stiffer sling without issue. Plenty of room for a steamdeck in a jsaux case and an ipad air (dedicated pocket!!!).It does not auto-cinch itself like the sling, but it doesn't look bulky because it has great gussets, and the extra width/height means my stuff can be packed flatter. No internal small pocket for a wallet; the big mesh outer zip is the size of the full front, just too big. I tried a Lihit bag-in-bag (the 10x13) and it was just a bit too tall, would still work but I bought the smaller version (7x9) to have a bit more space. I was worried the softer fabric would slump, but with my things packed in it, it's already structured more than enough and sits up really well. The key fob has a small external loop you can pull to get your keys out of the other stuff you've shoved in that pocket quickly. The excess front straps don't dangle awkwardly long by default (Timbuktu cough cough) and don't flop down when you unbuckle them. I am praying it holds up to my daily carry weight because I am so happy with it.Carrying: phone, keys, sunblock tin, first aid tin, lihit lab large pen case (not the bag in bag) in orange, a field notes sketch, a folding bluetooth keyboard, kindle, wallet, powerbank/fan. Can easily also fit a steamdeck with jsaux case and an ipad air. Still room for a raincoat on top or a water bottle. Starting to worry at this point how much weight I'm putting in it, because the straps are straight sewn on the flaps, but it's Bellroy and I have a lot of trust there. Besides, I'm not carrying all that stuff daily, just on longer trips.

This bag has become a quick favorite. It is the perfect size to safely and comfortably carry my tablet and daily essentials when on the move. Bag fits comfortably cross body and over one shoulder. Bellroy did not disappoint. Only thing keeping it from being a five star for me is the lack of an easy access pocket for metro card, smartphone, or important documents when traveling. The snap buckles are hard to close quickly and leave the contents unsecured if left open for easy access. Material is easy clean but attracts some lint.

The buckle is difficult to open. The bag has limited space. The strap doesn't have a cushion pad for the shoulder.