Best bike bar bags: Nine of the best options for packing your snacks and layers

Best bar bags
(Image credit: Will Jones)

No longer the preserve of fashionable gravelleurs, the humble bar bag has in many ways usurped the best saddle bags in recent years. You can fit more in them, they're easier to access and are a better way to add a splash of colour to your bike. They come in many guises nowadays, but the barrel shape is usually the most popular. Depending on the size you can usually fit in all your spares like a multi-tool, mini pump, tyre levers, plus an extra layer and some snacks. There's a slight aero penalty over a saddlebag, but in my eyes, the added utility is worth it.

In this guide, I've kept it to the smaller day-ride style options, rather than the giant ones you'd find in our guide to the best bikepacking bags guide. While there is a huge array of options on the market, the differences between a really good option and an average one aren't enormous, a bit like with the best cycling socks, so you can very easily just pick an option that suits your style. The key factors to consider for me are the construction, the mounting, capacity, and aesthetics.

Will Jones
Senior Tech Writer

Will joined the Cyclingnews team as a reviews writer in 2022, having previously written for Cyclist, BikeRadar and Advntr. He’s tried his hand at most cycling disciplines, from the standard mix of road, gravel, and mountain bike, to the more unusual like bike polo and tracklocross. He’s made his own bike frames, covered tech news from the biggest races on the planet, and published countless premium galleries thanks to his excellent photographic eye. Also, given he doesn’t ever ride indoors he’s become a real expert on foul-weather riding gear. His collection of bikes is a real smorgasbord, with everything from vintage-style steel tourers through to superlight flat bar hill climb machines.