The 17 Best Travel Purses of 2024 For The Stylish Jetsetter, Tested & Reviewed
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Including crossbody bags, shoulder bags, and RFID-protected options.
InStyle / Alli Waataja
Your favorite shoulder purse might be perfect for brunch or wearing out for drinks with friends — but would you take it on a plane? The answer might be “no,” because while aesthetically pleasing, not all purses have enough useful features to work well in transit.
“For me, a great travel purse has a balance of organization, durability, and design,” says travel creator and digital storyteller, Alexa Moore, who has traveled to 49 countries. “Travel takes you often through different environments, from sightseeing in a quaint city to rushing through an airport, and everything in between,” which is why having something that can withstand it all is important. And this is not to be mistaken with a travel bag, which is slightly bigger and can hold a few outfits. It’s all about purses here, namely ones vetted by editors and travel experts. Find the best in show here and add one to your cart ahead of your summer holiday.
Best Overall: Dagne Dover Landon Neoprene Carryall Bag
What We Love: It’s durable, organized, and sold in five sizes, so if you want to match your purse to your duffel, you can.
What We Don’t Love: The neoprene needs to be reshaped if you wash it.
We’re big fans of Dagne Dover at InStyle, having written about the backpacks and weekend bags many times over. So, it shouldn’t be a surprise that the brand tops this list, too. Even though the viral Landon bag comes in five sizes (and eight colors), for a purse, we recommend going for the XS or S sizes because it will hold all your essentials — and work as a personal item on the plane — without being too cumbersome. It can be carried by its top handles or adjustable, detachable crossbody strap, giving you that much-needed versatility while on the go. Both sizes offer plenty of space with organization capabilities and an exterior pocket for storing your phone; however, the small size might be a touch more useful because it specifically features an added tablet sleeve, a large interior zip pocket, a mesh pocket on each end of the interior, and a detachable key leash connected to an included Air Mesh Pouch — all of which proved necessary when traveling.
Like all of the Dagne Dover products, the neoprene, while durable, still needs to be reshaped if you plan to wash it, and if not stored properly, it can gain permanent wrinkles in the fabric. And if you need a little less room, say, for a quick weekend flight or a road trip, New York City-based fashion stylist Audree Kate López, also recommends The Dagne Dover Micah Crossbody, which is a more traditional purse silhouette and more slender.
Materials: Neoprene | Dimensions: 14 (W) x 9 (H) x 4.5 (D) inches | Colors: 4
Best Budget: Lands' End All Purpose Messenger Bag
What We Love: There’s a padded laptop sleeve in the interior.
What We Don’t Love: The material felt a little thin.
Traveling is already expensive as is, so we completely understand if you want to save where you can. We originally tested this bag for our crossbody bags story and quickly learned it doubles as a great traveling companion. The main compartment closes completely with a zip but opens up wide so it’s easy to pack. Inside there was a padded laptop pocket with a velcro security strap. On the exterior two pockets, we kept some of our essentials, but the simple snap-button closure made us worry sometimes for their security. The bag was lightweight and easy to carry around, particularly due to its cushioned shoulder strap. It’s not the most stylish option of them all, but it has plenty of features and comes with an affordable price tag.
Materials: Polyester | Dimensions: 14.75 (W) x 11 (H) x 5.5 (D) inches | Colors: 1
Best Large: Cuyana Sling Bag
What We Love: It’s made of recycled plastic bottles.
What We Don’t Love: There isn’t a ton of structure to the bag.
If you’re only allowed two personal items on the plane, you may as well get something large enough to fit a few vacation outfits. We tested this sling bag by stuffing it with a bunch of essentials, and it kept giving way to more space and consuming whatever we placed into it. A jacket was easily folded into the pouch alongside our laptop and the bag was still able to fully zip. Because the canvas material was so lightweight (not to be mistaken with flimsy, quite to the contrary it was very strong), no matter how much we stuffed into the bag it didn’t weigh us down. We love that it’s knitted from recycled landfill plastic as well.
Materials: Global recycle standard-certifies landfill plastic | Dimensions: 12.5 (W) x 18 (H) x 6 (D) inches | Colors: 2
Best Water-Resistant: The North Face Base Camp Voyager Messenger Bag
What We Love: The exterior is abrasion-resistant, on top of water-resistant.
What We Don’t Love: It’s not particularly stylish.
Rain or shine, you want to go sightseeing in your new town. If you’re carrying around some valuables, it’s important to keep them dry and safe while on the move. Enter this Base Camp messenger bag. It has a water and abrasion-resistant exterior that protects not just what’s inside, but the outside from looking worn down. We found the strap to be very wide and distributed the weight equally on our shoulders. It had just the right amount of compartments that allowed us to organize without feeling overwhelmed by the pocket options. We especially loved the key strap!
Materials: Recycled polyester tarpaulin | Dimensions: 16.5 (W) x 10.8 (H) x 4.5 (D) inches | Colors: 4
Best for Organization: Bellroy Tokyo Work Bag
What We Love: There’s even a little water bottle holder on the side.
What We Don’t Love: It’s not water-resistant.
Anyone privy to losing all their stuff in the black hole that is their purse will benefit from this work bag. While not technically a purse, the Tokyo Work Bag was too good of a travel bag that we had to include it here. There was a compartment for absolutely all our needs, including a padded laptop sleeve, tablet slip, pockets for notepads and sunglasses, and a water bottle holder on the exterior. If we needed to find something, it never took more than three seconds to do so. We continued to be impressed with the capacity and comfort of this bag, making it an excellent travel companion.
Materials: Recycled polyester | Dimensions: 17.3 (W) x 14.2 (H) x 6.3 (D) inches | Colors: 3
Best Splurge: Milaner Classic Elena Woven Handbag
What We Love: It has the design and quality of a designer bag but for a fraction of the price.
What We Don’t Love: The snap closure feels a little less safe during travels.
If you want the quality of a designer leather bag but don’t want to spend thousands of dollars, we found this option to be equal in style and luxury but for a fourth of the price. The woven bag (which is both chic and trending right now) is handcrafted in Italy using genuine leather. The interior features a deliciously soft suede which not only looks opulent but protects our belongings from scratches as well. We’ve used this bag as a personal item to Palm Springs and got an incredible amount of use out of it. Because it carried just about anything including laptops, books, cameras, change of clothes, and all our other essentials, it functioned both as a carry-on bag and a sight-seeing purse. Unfortunately, it has a snap closure instead of a zippered closure, which makes things feel slightly less secure during trips. But if you’re confident in your ability to keep everything safe, the bag is well worth the splurge.
Materials: Leather | Dimensions: 20 (W) x 14 (H) x 3 (D) inches | Colors: 9
Best for International Travel: Athleta All About Crossbody Bag
What We Love: The crescent shape is spacious and comfortable to carry under your arm for safe-keeping while traveling abroad.
What We Don’t Love: It has no outside pockets.
When we traveled internationally, we turned to this Athleta crossbody bag. Its lightweight nature made it easy to move through busy airports and unfamiliar cities without weighing us down. “This is a fanny pack meets crossbody — it’s spacious, close to your body (so it’s no-fuss while walking around) and lightweight, so you can roll or fold it into luggage,” López says. The bag, which is made in part with recycled water bottles and comes in three versatile neutrals, features a wide adjustable strap, a key leash, and a spacious interior to easily store a phone, wallet, passport, hotel key, and more.
Materials: Polyester | Dimensions: 12.25 (W) x 7.5 (H) x 4 (D) inches | Colors: 3
Best Backpack: Paravel Mini Fold-Up Backpack
What We Love: The lightweight backpack is made sustainably using water-resistant nylon.
What We Don’t Love: It costs extra to get it customized.
You would think just any backpack would do for travel, and then you try this option from Paravel and realize you’ve been mistaken all along. This backpack is made of ultra-lightweight durable nylon that not only feels as light as a feather but has a water-resistant finish to it. So even if you’re schlepping your way through the rain to your Airbnb, you don’t have to worry about your essentials getting soiled. On top of that, it comes with a convenient little pouch that you can fold the backpack into, making it extremely easy to transport when not in use. It hardly takes up any space, so you could even keep the pouch in your purse if you know you’ll need an extra bag (say for groceries) while out and about. It fits an impressive amount of items into the bag, including a change of clothes, water bottles, passports, and more. The fact that you can customize it to include your initials is just the icing on the cake, although it will cost you an extra few dollars.
Materials: Recycled plastic bottled nylon | Dimensions: 10 (W) x 12 (H) x 6 (D) inches | Colors: 6
Best Anti-Theft: Arden Cove Crissy Full Crossbody With Faux Leather Strap
What We Love: The waterproof bag not only has a lot of room for essentials, but an RFID-blocking wallet built-in and locking zippers for additional security.
What We Don’t Love: The straps feel flimsy and thin.
If you’re super worried about being pick-pocketed (or losing anything), we recommend the Arden Cove Crissy Full Crossbody. The waterproof, slash-proof bag is designed with a large main zip compartment with a smaller front zip compartment. The main compartment contains two additional slip pockets and a key ring for easy organization, while the smaller one offers a built-in wallet made of RFID-blocking material, which accommodates eight cards and a few bills. Additionally, the zippers on this bag lock together, so nobody will be able to slyly steal your belongings. It comes in eight different colors, including neutrals and some punchy jewel tones.
Materials: Waterproof nylon | Dimensions: 8.5 (W) x 6.5 (H) x 3.5 (D) inches | Colors: 8
Best Sling: Nomatic Navigator Sling 6L
What We Love: There is anti-theft protection on it with ample amounts of organizational capabilities.
What We Don’t Love: The hard shell makes it less flexible and hard to pack when not in use.
We were incredibly impressed with this thoughtfully designed sling bag. This was truly made with the traveler in mind, with anti-theft protection, organizational features, and a water-repellent exterior. There was ample space, pockets, and hidden slits to carry just about everything we could need on a day out, including our 17-inch tablet, makeup, sanitizers, wallets, passports, and keys (in the keyholder). There’s even a water bottle holder on the exterior of the bag, which turned out to be an appreciated feature that allowed us to maximize the space inside the bag. There’s an RFID front card pocket which, although unlikely, is designed to protect our contactless credit cards from being accessed. And thanks to the charging cable hole, we could charge our electronics while on the go and still use our devices.
Materials: Nylon | Dimensions: 9 (W) x 13.5 (H) x 4 (D) inches | Colors: 2
Best Belt Bag: Calpak Luka Belt Bag
What We Love: It’s spacious, organized, and sold in a bunch of colors.
What We Don’t Love: The lighter colors stain easily.
InStyle contributor Rebecca Norris owns this belt bag in six colors — that’s how much she loves and uses it. Most recently, it accompanied her on a 12-day trip through Europe, allowing her to zip through the airport and explore new cities without any trouble. But at home, she still uses it for casual errands, shopping trips, and gym seshes, so trust us, it’ll be useful even when not in transit.
We appreciate how roomy it is compared to other belt bags. The spacious bag features a trendy puffy exterior with a back zip pocket that can sit on our chest or waist. Inside, there’s a front mesh zip pocket and a back opaque zip pocket, which makes grouping items a cinch. The bag is sold in 15 colors, as well as a new miniature size if you prefer something a bit smaller (and something more in line with the often sold-out Lululemon Everywhere Belt Bag.) Both sizes, though, work with the Luka key pouch, an additional accessory that clips onto the band for a smidge more storage — we recommend it for items that get easily lost in a purse or you wouldn’t want to be mixed with other items (i.e. dog treats). Just be careful with the lighter colors as they tend to stain easily.
Materials: Polyester | Dimensions: 11 (W) x 5.5 (H) x 3.5 (D) inches | Colors: 15
Best Tote: Béis The East To West Tote
What We Love: There are ample amounts of compartments for perfect organization.
What We Don’t Love: The top zip doesn’t close all the way.
The Beis East to West Tote was our favorite travel tote in our tote bag roundup, so it only makes sense to reiterate all the reasons why we loved it here. This bag was intentionally designed for the aesthetically inclined traveler. We were met with every compartment we could want without it being overwhelming — a laptop sleeve, passport slot, water bottle socket, and even a key strap helped to keep everything organized. And still, there was enough space in the middle for spare clothes, snacks, books, and more.
We could carry it on the top handle or the detachable shoulder strap, but even more impressive was the sleeve intended for suitcase handles. We simply plopped the bag on top of our suitcase and it remained flush against the handle without falling off.
Materials: Nylon, recycled polyester | Dimensions: 17.13 (W) x 14.17 (H) x 9.06 (D) inches | Colors: 2
Best Shoulder Bag: Polène Numéro Dix
What We Love: You can wear it as a shoulder or crossbody bag.
What We Don’t Love: The hard cover makes it more difficult to pack in suitcases.
We’re going to take a wild guess here and assume you’d like to travel in style, in which case we recommend this gorgeous shoulder bag from Polène. The Parisian label has become somewhat of a superstar on social media, thanks to its luxurious materials (in this case, Italian textured calf leather) and designs. Author of this roundup Bianca Kratky owns this bag and has been using it non-stop for adventures where she needs to carry her essentials, keep her hands free, and look chic. Despite its crescent shape and smaller size, the bag fits an impressive number of items in it. Valuables like phones, wallets, AirPods, keys, chapstick, and hand cream fit in like a dream. She can wear it over the shoulder, or extend the strap to become a crossbody bag. While its hard cover makes it a little more difficult to pack, Kratky’s tip is to stuff it with socks and underwear before placing it in the suitcase.
Materials: Italian pebbled calf leather | Dimensions: 9.4 (W) x 7.9 (H) x 3 (D) inches | Colors: 17
Best for Work: Everlane Luxe Italian Leather Tote
What We Love: The sleek Italian leather still looks luxurious after three years of use.
What We Don’t Love: The top can’t be closed.
We’ve used this tote for the office as well as on business trips because its sleek exterior and spacious interior make it ideal for such occasions. And of course, knowing that style icon Meghan Markle is out there somewhere carrying the same bag makes us feel pretty cool. It’s made of smooth Italian leather and features one slip pocket on the interior. It’s big enough to fit our 15-inch laptop, a sweater, books, snacks, a toiletry bag, and more, which is why it’s been so useful during our long hauls across the country. It’s weathered the last three years pretty well, despite our not-so-gentle handling.
Materials: Italian leather | Dimensions: 20.8 (W) x 12.8 (H) x 7 (D) inches | Colors: 3
Best Crossbody: Fossil Carlie Leather Satchel Bag
What We Love: It zips completely closed and fits an impressive amount of items in.
What We Don’t Love: When the bag isn’t full, the shape isn’t as rectangular and folds in softly.
Kratky’s first big-girl purchase was this bag from Fossil (or at least an earlier version of it from six years ago). She intended it as her travel bag while she rucksacked her way around the world. For 365 days, this was the bag she used to carry her passport, camera, snacks, tickets, phone, and notepad. It was ideal because it came with both a top handle and a crossbody strap, making it cute for strolls into cities and practical when her hands needed to be free.
It closes completely with a zip, making it safe from any theft. The bag opens up impressively wide as well — Kratky never had to leave anything behind as everything always miraculously fit. When it’s half empty, however, the bag looks less rectangular, collapsing into itself a little. Because the leather weathered all the hustle and bustle so well, it's still in great condition. She’s keeping it to hand down to her children one day, when they’re ready to go off and explore the world, too.
Materials: Leather, polyurethane | Dimensions: 10 (W) x 8 (H) x 5.5 (D) inches | Colors: 2
Best Convertible: We The Free Soho Convertible Sling
What We Love: It has various compartments and can be worn as a sling or backpack.
What We Don’t Love: The non-traditional shape might be a bit oblong for larger items.
While many bags these days are convertible from crossbody to shoulder iterations, fewer can be worn as a sling and a backpack. But that’s exactly what this rugged leather convertible sling from Free People can do. “I love the zippered details and all the color options,” says travel content creator Alli Talley. But aside from looks, the bag has three compartments, so you can easily keep your items organized. The vaguely triangular shape might make storing larger items inside a bit more challenging, but we promise it is still a roomy bag — and it allows you to easily go hands-free.
Materials: Leather | Dimensions: 10 (W) x 14 (H) x 5.5 (D) inches | Colors: 7
Best Lightweight: Baggu Fanny Pack
What We Love: Despite how lightweight it is, it’s extremely durable.
What We Don’t Love: The strap is a little slim, and a bigger version would have felt more secure on the body.
We’ve tested a bunch of bags from Baggu thus far, and their materials always impress us with how durable yet lightweight they are. This one has the bonus of being extremely spacious, despite its compact size. Not unlike a Mary Poppins bag, you can keep placing items in it and it always seems to be able to take in more, be it books, notepads, wallets, snacks, makeup, chapstick, and more. The fanny pack can be worn across the hips, chest, and over your shoulders, all of which leave your hands free for exploration.
Materials: Nylon, recycled nylon | Dimensions: 8 (W) x 6.5 (H) x 2 (D) inches | Colors: 16
Our Testing Process
Our editors evaluated their go-to bags on ease of use, transportability, safety, compartmentalization, and quality of material. To cover all of our bases, our team also called in a variety of internet-popular bags for testing. Bags with thoughtful design features, like a waterproof exterior or a packing pouch, received high remarks.
What to Keep in Mind
Size: Purses come in all shapes and sizes, and if you need to carry a lot of items while traveling, a clutch isn't going to work. With this in mind, it’s important to consider your essentials while traveling to determine what size works best for you. If you plan on carrying no more than your phone, wallet, and keys, a smaller bag works great. Anything more, like a laptop or water bottle, a larger silhouette makes more sense. No matter what your needs, López says to avoid micro bags, as they’re just not realistic while traveling.
Material: The material of your travel purse can determine two things: how durable it is and how formal it looks. Generally speaking, Moore says that leather is the most durable — and it’s arguably the most professional in appearance, too, hence why we love the Everlane The Luxe Italian Leather Tote and the Polène Numero Dix bags. She also recommends nylon, which is renowned for its weather-resistant finish. “Leather or nylon will always fare best,” she assures us. That’s because in addition to being strong materials, they’re harder to scuff or stain, and they’re easy to wipe down.
Functionality: We love a pretty purse but when traveling, function is of the utmost importance. “As far as design, a good travel purse is something crossbody — it allows you to keep the bag close to your body and makes it far more difficult to be taken off,” Moore says. But that’s not all it takes to be a travel-friendly bag in her book. “A great travel bag has organization, specifically a great pocket system,” she says. “One of my big travel tips is to never have all of your important or high-value items in the same bag, or even in the same pocket. I like to keep my phone in one compartment of my bag, and money and IDs in different pockets.” Re-touching on the crossbody feature, it’s not just great for security’s sake. “A crossbody will help with weight distribution on your shoulders during long travel days,” López says. This makes for more comfortable wear and a smoother, more positive travel experience overall. For Talley, comfort and pockets, in addition to a low-maintenance material, are important factors. “Those long-haul travel days can be brutal — the last thing you want is an uncomfortable purse that's always falling off your shoulders or giving you back pain," she says. As a mom of two active toddlers, she uses her bag's pockets for snacks, sunscreen, pacifiers, and chapsticks. A full zipper close is always a bonus. It secures your items when storing the bag under the seat in front of you.
Your Questions, Answered
Do I need to use an anti-theft purse while traveling?
As many pick-pocketing horror stories as there are swirling around social media, Moore says that anti-theft purses are great but not necessary. “I think it’s better to know how to protect your purse and belongings no matter the bag you decide to bring,” she says because “a lot of the anti-theft bags are just not the most attractive,” she admits. Doing things like not leaving your purse on the back of the chair, on the seat next to you, or at a table — especially in situations where you’re easily distracted, like a restaurant or nightclub.” She says it’s also important to be mindful of how you’re carrying your bag. While it may be more comfortable to sling it over your shoulder, on your back, or behind your hip, keep a purse tucked under your arm or held closely to your body in front. Even just choosing something that zips will help you avoid getting pick-pocketed since it makes getting into your bag more challenging.
Is a travel purse considered a personal item while flying?
Generally speaking, a purse is often considered an item in itself. If you’re not checking a bag especially, it’s important to find a silhouette that can easily fit into a larger personal item (not your carry-on), to maximize your packing imprint.
Still, it depends on the airline and who’s working the desk when you start to board. “I travel with both a backpack and a purse/crossbody bag on every trip, and I’m not usually stopped on standard airlines like Delta or United for having too many personal items,” Moore shares. “If I’m flying one of those budget airlines that are pretty strict, my little secret is ditching traveling with a handbag altogether and rather opting for a cute crossbody sling bag. Those bags lay flat against your body, and are rarely seen as ‘extra baggage.’"
Why Shop With Us
Bianca Kratky is a commerce writer with three years of experience covering fashion and beauty. She’s also an avid traveler, having wandered around the world by herself for a year, and therefore knows a thing or two about smart packing. Rebecca Norris has covered women’s lifestyle content for the past 10 years. For this roundup, they spoke to the below experts.
Audree Kate López is a New York City-based fashion stylist.
Alexa Moore is a travel content creator.
Alli Talley is a travel content creator and owner of the account @traveling_newlyweds.
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