One of the biggest issues travelers face is how to conveniently carry everything you need so you can find it easily and it’s not too heavy or disorganized. Finding the right travel purse was the best thing to happen to my travel satisfaction in a long time.
Over the years, I’ve bought many variations of travel purses for international travel that have all failed in one way or another. It’s not easy finding the perfect purse for travel when you don’t know how they’ll perform before buying it. Thus I went on a mission to find the best travel purse for international travel that I could find.
The good news is there are some really great choices out there. I’ve tried many purses to find the 5 best options, then I put together a guide to my top picks for best travel handbags.
Yes, we’re talking about travel handbags for ladies today, but we’ve also covered a few other travel issues you might be trying to solve, like how to find the best travel pants (which I now wear practically every day!) and our top carry on luggage choices. Also check out our guide on finding the best travel backpack.
See all of our travel gear reviews.
How to Choose the Best Travel Purse
There are definitely important criteria to look for in the best purse for travel. You’re going to be out and about most of the day carrying this bag, so you need it to be comfortable and effortless. The best travel purse holds everything you need to have with you in an organized fashion. It has a sturdy and comfortable strap that can’t easily be cut or snapped by a thief. And it’s weather proof.
Here are some questions to ask yourself when choosing the right travel purse for you:
- Comfortable to carry. If you load it up, is it too heavy to comfortably carry around all day? Does the strap dig into your shoulder? Is the weight distributed well?
- Holds everything you need. Is it too small or too big for the typical items you want to carry? Do you find yourself stuffing things in because there’s never enough space?
- Provides good organization. Are there enough dividers and pockets to organize items? Are they proportioned well and are they functional in the way you want them to be?
- Sturdy, theft-proof strap. Is the strap flimsy or thin? Could the strap easily be cut by a thief walking by? Is the strap the right length to enable you to protect the bag against your body or does it allow the purse to dangle at your side?
- Weather proof. If you were caught in a sudden rain storm, would the bag become drenched on the outside and inside? Are there adequate zippers and flaps to protect the contents?
Types of Travel Purses
To make this quest a little more difficult, there’s not just one type of purse out there. There are many. Here is a breakdown of the most typical types of travel purses.
» Crossbody Bag
If I were to choose one type of bag that’s best for travel, it’s a crossbody bag. These bags have straps that are long enough to be worn across your body, so you have the added protection of the bag not dangling off your arm. While it can still be cut and taken by a thief, it can’t be snatched off your arm. Wearing the bag this way also allows you to protect the bag against your body. (Read more about cross body bags.)
» Messenger Bag
These bags tend to be larger than I would typically take on a trip, but they hold a lot more. They are also usually worn cross body and have sturdier straps. The benefit of a messenger bag is that it has a flap that comes over the top of the bag, which gives added protection against pick pockets.
» Shoulder Bag
Shoulder bags have longer straps that are intended to hang from one shoulder. These are the least-best type of bag to carry for travel because they leave you vulnerable to thieves who are really good at zipping by and snatching or cut the bag right off your shoulder. Because they’re just hanging from your shoulder, there’s pretty much no way you’ll be able to defend against it.
Top Travel Purse Brands
I’m always tempted to check out the travel purses in bag stores in touristy areas, mostly because you can pick up the bag and look inside it before you decide to buy, and because there’s always so many of them (they know how to tempt us travelers!).
However, I would highly recommend buying a trusted brand instead. I’m not saying you can’t find a good bag in a touristy bag shop in Tokyo. I’m sure you can. But you might also be getting ripped off, or be getting an inferior product. I like to stick with the brands I know can deliver.
Here are a few of the top travel purse brands that you’ll find on Amazon and in major retail luggage stores. I like to stick with these brands, but I do have a few bags from other companies, like Rosetti, Samsonite, and Kenneth Cole. I would not suggest taking a major designer purse with you while traveling, so those brands are out.
- Baggallini
- eBags
- Travelon
- Pacsafe
Travel Purse Reviews 2020
Travel Purse Reviews 2020
Our Choices for Best Travel Purse 2020
There are two charts below, for each category of travel purse. I’ve evaluated smaller, mini-type shoulder bags, and larger day bags. If you’re like me, you don’t like to carry a lot of things and have a heavy bag to lug around, so the smaller sizes will be best for you.
If you do want to carry a lot of things, be able to stuff a laptop, water bottle, rain jacket, etc into the bag, then the larger size is for you. More on the choices after the charts…
I like Amazon because they often allow free returns if an item doesn’t meet your qualifications, which can be a huge benefit when there are so many choices. Lucky for you, it’s easy to get your hands on an of the travel bags I chose through the links below (note: they are affiliate links so we receive a small bonus when you use our links).
Large Travel Purse Reviews
Large Travel Purse Reviews
Large travel purses typically measure somewhere around 9 in. tall, 11 in. wide x 5 in. thick. They can easily carry all manner of small items, a Kindle, a tablet, a water bottle, jacket, snacks, etc. They tend to have a lot of pockets and sections to keep things organized.
Here are four large travel purses we recommend. See below for full reviews of each bag.
Baggallini Everywhere Travel Crossbody Bag
This is one of the best crossover bags for travel, in my opinion. There are two prevalent styles of purses, one that is tall and one that is wide. Depending on what you need to carry, one might be better than another.
This Baggallini Everywhere bag is one of the few wide bags. It’s is 12 inches wide, versus the typical 9 inches. There are multiple pockets in this bag, including two front pouches, one zips and one snaps.
There’s a secondary front pocket, as well as the main compartment, which can easily fit an iPad and lots of other things. On the back of the purse, there is a thin pocket that spans the length of the bag that can be unzipped at the bottom that can slide on to the handle of luggage to hold it on in transport.
Pros: Wider than most bags, back pocket over a luggage handle,
Cons: Two side pockets aren’t very useful
» Shop other styles of Baggallini Bags on their website.
See on AmazonTravelon Anti-Theft Classic Messenger Bag
This bag has more protection against theft that includes an RFID blocker so your electronic cards can’t be read through the bag. It also has a slash-proof strap and material. The outside pockets have locking zippers.
The strap is also hooked to the bag with a sturdy caribiner, so you can unclip it and secure it to something, like the table at a restaurant. For these reasons Travelon is one of the best bags to guard against theft.
The main inner pocket has a lot of space with pockets for organization. The back pocket has credit card slots and room for travel documents, including a dedicated passport pocket.
There are also two side pockets. One can carry a small umbrella or water bottle, the other is good for sunglasses or a camera. I put my keys in there to keep them out of the way.
Pros: Strap can be shortened into regular shoulder-bag length, comes in tons of colors, has a passport slot, great theft-prevention.
Cons: Strap may not come with the caribiner. Sizing seems inconsistent.
eBags Piazza Day Bag 2.0
Another great bag that includes RFID blocker, the eBags Piazza Day Bag 2.0 holds so much that it’s one of my favorite bags to have along on a trip when I need to have everything handy.
The entire bag is lined with protective material, so everything inside the bag is RFID protected. I also really love the soft material this bag is made of. It’s a soft nylon material that won’t get snagged or ripped easily.
As I mentioned, there is a ton of space in this bag. It’s very well laid out with three exterior flat zip pockets, and two side pockets that are perfect for storing bottles of water or sunglasses. One of my typical gripes about purses is that the either the zipper or the pull tag on the zipper gets weak and breaks.
The Piazza day bag has a well-made self-repairing YKK RC coil zippers, that promises not to break, and I’ve not had a problem with it yet, after many years of use.
Pros: Great RFID protection. Huge amount of space, with good organization. Convenient, slip in back pocket for easy access to mobile.
Cons: Too big for some uses. Front flap can be annoying. Not available in the UK or Canada (substitution is given when you click our links).
Plambag Canvas Messenger Bag Crossbody
They call this bag “small” but to me it’s anything but small. In fact, this is one of the biggest bags on this list. It’s a messenger bag and I think it’s a good bag for men and women, because it’s not at all flashy or feminine.
The best thing about this bag is the organization it offers. There are 9 pockets (7 zipped pockets and 2 external side pockets without zipper). You can stuff a lot of things inside this bag, including a 10″ tablet and a water bottle.
There are 8 credit card slots on the inside, along with a place to tuck pens, keys, etc. There’s even a little hole that you can thread your headphones through. The flap is held shut with velcro. The bag itself is made with sturdy canvas.
Pros: Amazing amount of space inside, great organization, sturdy, gender neutral
Cons: If you only pack a few things, it feels enormous. The front zipper flap is a bit floppy and can be annoying.
I’m always on the lookout for a good travel purse. Baggalini had been a good to for me for years
They are reliable, aren’t they, Brianna!
Some really good choices and tips here, but the one I really like is the Baggallini Everywhere Travel Crossbody Bag. It’s just up my street, the kind of thing I can imagine myself getting a lot of use of and very practical too. Might just buy it! Thanks
It’s a really great bag, Sarah. I would carry it all the time if I needed that much space at home.
Ah the travel bag. So many to chose from. These are all solid.
This is such an informative post and just what I need. To be honest, I’m not a purse person in everyday life, but for travel, it’s really necessary to have a bag to hold the things you need. Right now, I tend to use a small daypack or just my camera bag. Not very stylish options, I know. I’d be interested in a few of those small travel purses to hold the basics.
I’m not either really, Jackie. I have the smallest possible purse for everyday use. But for traveling – well that’s different.
A good bag is really really important while traveling! It can save so much stress if you know that your stuff is safe in it. This is such an in-depth and helpful post! I’m definitely gonna refer to this when I’m looking for a new bag 🙂
Great, Lauren! I hope it’s helpful. I went through so much trying to find the right one myself.
I’ll make sure to pass this along to my wife. I know she’s quite happy about her current purse and small backpack solution but maybe she’ll find these are worth a change. Great details and reviews!
Hey, when you find what works, you gotta stick with it!
Not much of a purse guy (go figure), but usually carry either a back-pack or a messenger bag when I travel. Something that is perfect for holding the multiple cameras, laptops, chargers, etc. The Baggallini Triple Zip looks a lot like the bag I carry now. The perfect size to take on a plane and store under a seat, but still fits everything I need!
I like cross body bags. Keep nothing in my hands, but it has to be big enough to hold everything.
Exactly. It’s a balance between finding something big enough that doesn’t kill your shoulder to carry.
Great selection of bags. My preference when traveling is to be hands-free. I like the cross body bags. Close to my body, yet large enough for all my stuff 🙂
I completely agree!
Obviously this post is gaired towards women but I was looking for some of the same features when I was looking for my satchel. Which i eventually found in Istanbul’s grand bazaar.
Men carry bags too, right! Some of these “purses” make great man bags.
Nice article. I would recommend the small G-1000 from fjällräven. My companion on all my travels. Great site. All the best from DK
Great recommendation, Anne. Thanks for adding it to the options!
I have the Travelon Anti-theft crossbody bag and I love it! Bought it at the container store! You should totally check it out! 🙂
Great, Eunice. Glad to hear you like it as well.
My husband and I are heading for Europe next month for a 6 week extended tour. Your article was exactly what i was looking for in finding a travel bag. Thank you for saving me from hours of comparison shopping and saving the sanity of my hubby while I shopped. 🙂
I went with the Trevalon Classic Messenger , I will let you know how it works out, but I think it will be awesome!
Fantastic Christina! Believe me, I’ve been there. The hours of shopping is excrutiating. I’m sure you’ll love the Travelon bag.
I love what you said about the strap on the purse, and making sure that it isn’t too flimsy or long enough to let the bag dangle. I, obviously, hope that it isn’t going to be an issue, and I luckily haven’t ever had to deal with my bag being stolen before. Being prepared is a lot better than losing all of the important things you may be keeping in your purse, though, especially if you’re on a vacation.
Sounds like the Anti-theft bags have really good quality straps.I also prefer genuine cow leather straps cause they look nature and manly on the basis that I’m pretty confident with the protection of my carry-on bag by constant attention to it.I keep wondering what kind of material can keep the bag from snapping?and what about the locker?will it make inconvenient access to my own bag?Give me answers to my Email,please. Thanks a lot!
The anti-theft bags today, like the Travelon Anti-Theft Classic Messenger Bag, have a slash-proof chain-link construction that makes it nearly impossible to cut through on the go. If you keep your bag locked at all times, then of course there is a little more inconvenience to your being able to get into it easily. I personally don’t keep mine locked when I’m using it frequently. You have to weigh the risk and decide if it’s necessary for you or not.
Thank you for your reply .I’m pretty impressed.
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