There was a time when smaller was better in the cell phone world. Less was more. But, those days are gone. Now, bigger is better, and more is more. Nearly seven-inch smartphones have become the norm, alongside wireless headphones, portable battery packs, and a growing list of accessories. How are you supposed to carry all this gear every day? In your pockets? Along with your keys, wallet, and other essentials? Not a chance. The only practical way to carry it all is in a bag.
I’m talking about an EDC (everyday-carry) bag. It’s a catch-all term for a bag that’s lightweight enough for daily use yet spacious enough to hold all your gear. These range from compact pouches to full-sized backpacks, depending on your needs, and there are thousands of styles. Shopping for the right one can feel overwhelming, so as a self-proclaimed bag nerd and EDC enthusiast, I put together a list of EDC bags for Android users, offering a range of styles and prices.
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Be prepared for everything, anywhere you go
5
Tom Bihn Medium Cafe Bag
The sweet spot between a sling and messenger
Tom Bihn Medium Cafe Bag
Tom Bihn makes a lot of great bags, one of them being the Medium Cafe Bag. It’s well-made, it’s a great size, and it’s not exceedingly expensive.
I could make this entire list out of Tom Bihn bags. They are well-respected in the bag community for their use of durable materials like ballistic and ripstop nylon and YKK zippers, and they come with a lifetime guarantee. They are on the pricier side, but the Medium Cafe Bag isn’t too bad at $86. It’s part cross-body sling and part messenger bag. If it’s too big for your needs, there’s a smaller Small Cafe Bag (and also a Large one), and they make tons of pouches, like the Everyday Cubelet.
Tom Bihn
This particular Cafe Bag is for those who want to carry more than a phone and a slim battery pack. It’s equipped to handle your favorite Android tablet, college-ruled notebooks, smaller water bottles, and other pocket-friendly items. It has a main compartment with four organizer pockets and three O-rings, a front zippered pocket, and a slanted open-top pocket in the back for quick-access items. You carry the bag via the included shoulder strap, and it has webbing loops to add an optional waist strap for bike rides.
4
Alpaka Metro Sling Max
It don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that sling
Alpaka Metro Sling Max
The Metro Sling Max is a nice option for folks looking for a well-designed, shoulder or cross-body bag, with a lot of organizational features. It offers 3L of storage space with pen sleeves and slip pockets, and it has a quick-access front compartment with zippered mesh pocket.
Alpaka is another well-respected brand in the bag space for its use of premium materials and sharp designs. The Metro Sling Max is the perfect size for those who don’t need a full-sized shoulder bag but want something larger than a handheld pouch. It’s effectively a 10-inch bag that offers 3L of volume, and it comes in two colors: black and olive green.
Credit: Alpaka
Despite its smaller stature, the Metro Sling can hold a surprising amount of gear. According to Alpaka, it can fit devices as large as the iPad Mini or Nintendo Switch and a pair of over-ear wireless headphones. It has a large main compartment with pen sleeves and slip pockets, a quick-access front compartment with a mesh zip pocket, two internal device sleeves, and it features an integrated HUB Key Tether and HUB Carabiner-compatible accessory attachment loops.
The real kicker is the detachable shoulder strap with Maglockz clips and webbing grab handle. I’m a handle-carrier myself, but it’s nice to know the strap is there if you need it.
3
Bellroy Venture Pouch
For those that like to travel light
Bellroy Venture Pouch
Bellroy’s Venture Pouch resembles a small toiletry kit bag and is one of the smaller bags on this list. It is fit for carrying your smartphone, a pair of wireless earbuds, some cables, and a handful of other pocketable items.
If you don’t daily carry larger devices like tablets or handheld gaming systems, you may prefer a smaller bag, like the Bellroy Venture Pouch. The Venture strikes a great balance between design and portability. It looks sharp in all four of its available colorways, it offers 1.5L of storage capacity, and it’s made from recycled nylon and polyester (with a small amount of non-recycled materials). It also comes with a 3-year warranty and hits a nice middle ground for pricing at $55.
Credit: Bellroy
The Venture features a main compartment with a soft-lined phone sleeve and a front pocket with an internal divider. It’s also water-resistant with coated zippers, and it has external gear loops for attaching the pouch to a belt or carabiner. Again, this is for smaller EDC items like your phone, wireless earbuds in a charging case, a flash drive, cables, and adapters. If you’re concerned about the size, it’s worth moving to a slightly larger bag, but if it fits your needs, the Bellroy has a lot going for it.
2
Waterfield 6×9 Gear Case
Portable and affordable
Waterfield 6×9 Gear Case
The Waterfield 6×9 Gear Case comes in three different sizes and several color options, allowing you to carry everything from pens to laptop accessories in style. The zipper is water-resistant and the Forza material is tough, meaning whatever you end up carrying will be well-protected.
In a space full of over-designed bags filled with pockets, dividers, and more, the Waterfield Gear Case stands out for its simplicity. It’s a single large pocket with one zipper and a loop handle for carrying. It reminds me of a pencil bag I used to carry for school, which I would often, on lighter class days, carry alongside a single book or notebook rather than lug a full-sized backpack around. The Gear Case comes in four colorways and three sizes. We are pointing to the 6×9 model, as it’s the middle option for both size and price, but you can go a little smaller or a little larger if needed.
Just because it’s inexpensive doesn’t mean Waterfield cheaped out on the materials. The bag is made of high-performance Forza textile and has a waterproof TPU backing and a water-resistant zipper to protect against spills and other elements. Like the Bellroy, the 6×9 Gear Case is meant for light travelers, capable of carrying a smaller battery pack, shorter USB cables and adapters, and other pocketable items.
1
Evergoods Mountain Hip Pack 3.5L
Because who doesn’t love a good fanny pack?
Evergoods Mountain Hip Pack
$70 $119 Save
$49
The Evergoods MHP is very popular among EDC and outdoor enthusiasts alike. It’s breathable, it’s durable, and it offers 3.5L of storage volume. It can also be warn as both a cross-body sling, and a hip/fanny pack.
Evergoods is another brand that gets frequent praise in the bag community. I had a hard time deciding which one to include in this list: the Civic Access Pouch or the Mountain Hip Pack. I landed on the MHP because, how could we not talk about at least one fanny pack? It’s more of a dual-use pack: a hip pack and a cross-body sling. Evergoods advertises it as such, and I have read reviews that confirm it’s comfortable to wear in either setup.
Credit: Evergoods
The MHP is billed as an all-terrain bag. It’s made out of a durable waterproof fabric made from 100% recycled polyester film and fiber, and as with other bags on this list, it utilizes water-resistant YKK zippers. On the inside, you get a voluminous 3.5L of carrying space. It has a main cavity with a zippered security pocket, drop-in pockets for organizing essential items, and a key leash. You get the best of both worlds: dividers and small pockets for organization and a large pocket for storing larger items.
A bag for every occasion
I forget what forum or subreddit I was on when I first saw it, but someone said something to the effect of: “if I can just find the right bag, I can be my best self.” I don’t know if they were serious or not, but the quote stuck with me as a sort of silly mantra, especially since there are many essential accessories that will unlock your phone’s potential and make your mobile life a breeze.
