Best Bags and Storage

Carry your day without a backpack. Panniers, frame bags, and cargo picks that mount clean and keep gear dry.

EDITOR’S PICK

Best Overall ORTLIEB
Ortlieb Back-Roller Classic Panniers (Pair)
4.7 (362) $199.00 onamazon as of Aug 7
The Back-Roller Classic is the reference pannier. Welded seams and a roll-top closure keep gear dry in sustained rain, the QL2.1 hooks click on and off a rack in about a second, and Ortlieb backs it with a five year warranty plus an OutdoorGearLab Editors' Choice. This ASIN is the black pair; the corpus ASIN B00T6IR7B2 in yellow-black is live at the same price.
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RHINOWALK
Rhinowalk Waterproof Pannier Bag 27L
4.5 (636) $49.99 onamazon as of Aug 7
Rhinowalk sells waterproof pannier capacity at about a quarter of the big-name price, which is why it keeps surfacing on touring forums. PVC-coated fabric with covered seams and a roll top handles real weather, and the shoulder strap turns it into a carry bag off the bike. One 27L bag covers grocery runs and commute loads on an ebike rack.
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ROCKBROS
ROCKBROS Waterproof Bike Panniers 30L (2 Pack)
4.3 (445) $99.99 onamazon as of Aug 7
This ROCKBROS set holds rank 11 in Amazon's pannier category, and it is the cheapest route to a matched pair on both sides of the rack. About 30L of roll-top waterproof storage mounts to a standard rear rack for $99.99. It is the middle step between cheap single bags and Ortlieb money.
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Editor's Kit Pick TOPEAK
Topeak MTX 2.0 TrunkBag DXP
4.8 (47) $138.60 onamazon as of Aug 7
The MTX slides onto rack rails, so parking never involves strap fiddling. The DXP version unzips into drop-down side panniers for about 19L of room on the way home. Ebike forum users rate the QuickTrack lock as far more solid than the knockoffs; it needs a Topeak MTX rack, which is why the Explorer rack below is paired with it.
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HIBOY
Hiboy 4L Scooter Storage Bag
4.4 (1,142) $23.64 onamazon as of Aug 7
The Hiboy is the classic hard-shell front bag that hangs off a scooter stem and swallows a charger, lock, and phone. The cold-pressed EVA shell keeps its shape, and the waterproof zippers block road spray. It sits at rank 7 in scooter accessories, appears in most scooter bag roundups, and straps to ebike handlebars as well.
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Best Budget RHINOWALK
Rhinowalk Handlebar Bag with Shoulder Strap
4.6 (2,170) $19.99 onamazon as of Aug 7
Twenty dollars buys the number 3 best seller in handlebar bags. It straps to bike bars or a scooter stem and holds the stuff you grab constantly: phone, keys, wallet, snacks. The included shoulder strap means the bag leaves with you when you park instead of tempting thieves.
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CHROME
Chrome Industries Barrage 22L Roll-Top Backpack
4.8 (30) $170.00 onamazon as of Aug 7
For riders who would rather wear their cargo, the Barrage is the commuter backpack the cycling press keeps recommending. A truck-tarp liner with welded seams and a roll top seals out rain, and the front cargo net holds a helmet or a wet jacket. It is heavy and $170, but Chrome covers it with a lifetime guarantee.
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Cargo racks

Panniers and trunk bags need a rack to mount to, so start here if your ride shipped without one.

TOPEAK
Topeak Explorer MTX Disc Rack 2.0
4.4 (94) $66.59 onamazon as of Aug 7
Ask an ebike forum which rear rack to buy and the Explorer is the standard answer. Tubular aluminum construction clears disc brakes, and the QuickTrack rails accept the MTX TrunkBag above with a straight slide. It fits standard frames with rack eyelets on 26 inch through 700c wheels.
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TOPEAK
Topeak Uni Super Tourist Fat MTX 2.0 Rack
4.8 (10) $104.00 onamazon as of Aug 7
Most cheap racks cannot clear fat ebike tires and oversized frame tubes; this one is built for exactly that job. It adjusts vertically to fit 24 and 26 inch fat bike wheels, carries up to 57 pounds, and takes the same MTX QuickTrack bags. Fat ebike owners on the EBR forums and the bikepacking.com fat rack guide both land on it.
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WALD
Wald 137 Front Bicycle Basket
4.4 (558) $37.52 onamazon as of Aug 7
The Wald 137 is a steel front basket, made in the USA for decades, and the default way to carry a backpack or grocery bag up front. It bolts to the handlebars and fork, so a rack is not required. The bike community treats it as a classic because it is one.
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