CORDURA® is a brand, not a fabric, but it’s still worth mentioning since you’ll likely run into it more than a few times. CORDURA® nylon and polyester is the exact same as traditional nylon and polyester, the only difference being that the fabric has come from a CORDURA®-approved mill and production line. The CORDURA® label is basically a stamp of quality assurance—it’s pretty much a guarantee that anything CORDURA® will have excellent abrasion resistance and an impressive strength-to-weight ratio. That’s not the only hardware on the new Daylite Sling, though. There’s now also a large swivel hook with a gatekeeper clip, allowing you to change the side where you connect the strap. There’s no visible branding on this clip, but we don’t care—it works well, and, unlike the original Daylite Sling, it allows us to switch which shoulder carries the bag.

While Louis Vuitton and Prada sling bags fall under the fashion category, you don’t have to break the bank here (unless you want to, of course). Fashion sling bags are designed to impress with sleek zippers, unique straps, or other sophisticated design elements. Sometimes, although not always, this trendiness comes at a price—and that price is lower durability. That’s fine if your use-case is pretty low-impact, but if you’re planning to use your sling bag time and again while traveling the world, you may want to opt for another style. Besides keeping you trendy, sling bags are awesome because they’re convenient. That convenience becomes obsolete if it’s uncomfortable, hard to access, or doesn’t properly fit your use-case. Here are some things to keep in mind when you’re considering investing in your soon-to-be favorite new accessory. Straps The Osprey name is also printed on the ubiquitous molded plastic loop zipper pulls. They attach with thin cords to the YKK zippers, which are slightly stiff yet work well. And when faced with the choice between a zipper that comes undone too easily and one that requires a little effort to open, we’ll choose the stiffer zipper every time to keep our gear safe. Osprey Daylite Sling | Molded plastic zipper pulls are easy to grasp.Most sling bags fall into the travel/outdoors/EDC realm, but some have dared to be different. These specialist sling bags to work for very specific use cases (hence the whole “specialist” thing). We’ll briefly run through these sling bags here, so you’re not caught off-guard if you ever encounter one in the wild. Secure Sling Bags Before I tell you what I thought about those features here are the rest of the specs from Osprey. Spec Sheet* Cost Being the thorough gear testers that we are, we decided to test as many of those claims as possible. We’ve taken the Daylite Sling to beaches, trails, shopping districts, and grocery stores (one of which was similar enough to a farmers’ market) and would’ve taken it to school if we were students. We plan to hit even more locales as we continue testing, perhaps an amusement park or two. Osprey Daylite Sling | It’s a nice size for carrying your daily essentials.

In our years of testing gear, we’ve come to realize that organization is one of those things that’s very personal. Some people like bags with large, empty compartments while others are offended when there’s not a spot for each one of their fancy pens. Now that you know what a sling bag is, let’s talk about why one will change your life (or, at the very least, make carrying stuff easier). Sling Bags Are Perfect for Your In-Flight EssentialsThere’s also a loop near the top of the shoulder strap, which you can hang on a hook or use for attaching accessories. We’ve had success attaching a travel water bottle with a carabiner. While you can fit a water bottle inside the sling, it’ll take up a lot of space, so it’s nice to carry it externally. Earplugs (every plane has at least one crying baby, even if it’s your own; it’s like a law of physics or something) Beyond the brand, it’s important to consider size, which is measured on a scale of one (small) to ten (large). While the main zippers on sling bags fall all over this spectrum, the most common sizes are #5 or #8—seriously, out of the 50 + slings we’ve tested, a very, very high majority have either #5 or #8 zippers. Anything less than a five and you’ll likely run into durability issues.

This shoulder sling model from Osprey is a minimalistic functional option for anyone searching for a quality bag. It’s another statement of the brand’s dedication to the great outdoors, jamming it with robust construction and dependable performance. Crossbody sling bags are the reason some people say sling bags are purses for men who are embarrassed to say they own a purse. It has a similar aesthetic to a purse, but with a longer strap and smaller body. They tend to have a more vertical orientation as well. We think crossbody slings work well for travel, although since they don’t sit as close to the body as other sling bags, may not feel as secure in a bustling metropolis or busy market.While it shined on a trip to Acadia National Park—no surprise as Osprey made its name in the outdoor realm—it’s been pretty good everywhere else, too. Being able to conveniently “sling” the bag forward for easy access has been particularly handy, especially when shopping. Overall, you can load up your essentials for your hike or commute to work using Osprey Daylite Shoulder Sling with six liters. The internal organization and construction were the primary selling points for us. And we also love how the main compartment is spacious and can fit more than we expected.

Lefties make up only 10% of the population and thus can be ignored by companies who’d rather reach the majority of consumers (sorry, lefties. The truth hurts). We would’ve loved to end this guide with “all that said, the best sling bag for travel is…” because, let’s be real, that would save us all a lot of time and effort. Unfortunately, there is no such thing as the best sling bag for travel. There is only the best sling bag for you. So, let’s review how you can choose a sling bag you’ll fall in love with. To make things extra easy, we’ve broken it up into three steps: 1. Decide Why You Want a Sling Bag

It seemed to sail through our tests well and still reigns as one of the most helpful shoulder slings for daily use.