Travelon Anti-theft Classic Crossbody Bucket Bag

I purchased this before and returned it due to its size. I wanted a bigger bag. Since then, a larger crossbody bag for travel is not great when you are older. So I thought I would try this bag again. The reviews regarding the noise the bag made. Yes, the bag is noisy and it does sound a bit like paper. As a bag lady my whole life, I agree the quality of bags have changed. It’s not always quality but what is the material the bag is made. In this time of sustainability and less waste, that’s the sound of recycled material! That’s what I have noticed with certain products throughout the years. You get used to it. This time I’m keeping it. It will be a great bag for travel.

I bought this bag for a trip to Paris because I heard pickpockets were a thing over there. While I was never threatened, I was very happy with the performance of this bag. I can't say it's stylish and its made of something that feels like canvas but it's a great design. I like the slim profile, which makes carrying it cross body comfortable. My only complaint is that the strap length was difficult to adjust. Or maybe I'm an idiot.

My bag arrived very quickly, surprisingly on a Sunday! I spent considerable time researching the bag I wanted for my upcoming trip to Europe. It was hard for me to shop online and not be able to see in person the size of the bag. I carry a Miche demi purse (medium sized) for my everyday bag and I wanted something a little roomier for the trip. This bag is about the same size, maybe a little smaller than that. It's a bit deeper and narrower with a more constricting opening to the main compartment, but I'm hoping the outside compartments and organization pockets will help make up for the smaller sized main compartment. The fabric is nice, looks easy to clean, and less "luggage like" than I thought. I have the black one, and I can see myself taking this anywhere but the most formal occasions. It appeared in the photos that the front zipper compartment did not have a locking feature, however, when I received this purse, all three zipper toggles (the two from the smaller front compartment and the one from the top main compartment all locked into the same toggle together. The zipper toggles are not centered, but they do lock, which is a nice feature. The rear zipper does not lock. I like the long adjustable strap that allows it to sit comfortably on the front of my hip which is what I wanted. I was worried that there weren't enough little pockets/ pen loops inside so I also ordered the Travelon purse organizer. I like it a lot, but it makes the inside of this bag seem very full so I will probably just use it with my everyday purse and not take it on the trip. I think I can get by with the compartments in this bucket bag. I'll just need a small change purse or wallet, which I usually don't carry. The bottle pockets fit a standard 16 oz water bottle snugly. I'm glad because I was worried they might want to slip out with the tilted angle I saw in the photos. This bag should hold my daily essentials, which include water bottle for me and my husband, small wallet, ID, phone, journal, maps, pen, lipstick, sunglasses case, and still have room for a light cardigan. I know I will need to cover my shoulders to enter the churches in Italy in August so I was hoping to have room to pack a light cover and maybe a light maxi skirt to throw over my shorts. If I roll them up boy scout style, I think it will work, but it will be a full bag. I don't expect to have any additional space for souvenirs, so I may just pack along my very lightweight collapsible bag that folds up to be about the size of a travel tissue pack. Then I can spill over if I acquire additional items to carry without having to carry a larger bag the whole time. Overall, I'm happy with my purchase. Although I thought I would use this exclusively as a travel bag, I think it may end up becoming my everyday bag when we get home. The security features are what convinced me to purchase Travelon for European travel, but they are a nice bonus for everyday too.

I spent hours online searching for a decent anti-theft bag for travel (I looked at eBags, PacSafe, and Baggallini) and settled for this Travelon bucket bag. Why?1) I am 5'1" and most of the travel backpacks, though extremely practical, are too big for me.2) It is reasonably priced, and I got an even better deal through the Amazon warehouse PLUS my Amazon store credits. After all the discounts, I paid only $28 for mine.3) It is big enough to fit my Nikon 5400 DSLR with a mid-range lens. This was one of its selling points for me, although we ended up sticking the camera into my husband's backpack during travel.4) It was important for me that the bag has many pockets, and this one delivers! It has two front pockets, one of which has a lockable zipper, a back pocket for my phone, and two adjustable side pockets. The main compartment has an inner zipped pocket and multiple credit card slots (which I used for train tickets).5) It can be worn as a crossbody or a shoulder bag. Because I'm short, even with the strap at its shortest, I can still use the bag as a crossbody.Although the bag met many of my requirements, I dock a star from my ratings because:1) The bag isn't as deep as advertised. It is about half an inch less of the advertised depth. And I really needed that measly extra half inch depth.2) I don't like the way the strap is designed. One end is stitched into the bag, and the other end has a hook. This makes the strap twist when I adjust it from shoulder bag to crossbody, and it's hard to make it lay flat against my back.3) The advertised photo shows the bag in an upright position. Umm, no. It is not as structured as pictured. Because it is made of nylon and polyester, the bag is slouchy and does not stand upright on its own. Fortunately, I have an old purse insert that fits perfectly into the bag (and gives me even more pockets), and that helped me keep everything structured and organized.4) The side pockets cannot hold my Phillips filtered water bottle even with the zippers fully open. They can hold a Kirkland water bottle, though it is still a tight fit. They can hold a compact Totes umbrella though. Since we had a backpack that held the umbrella and water bottles nicely, I used one side pocket for tissues and hand sanitizer, and the other for a selfie stick.I am still happy with this bag despite its flaws. I dropped it at an outdoor cafe in Versailles with my smaller bridge camera and iPhone in it. My camera and phone were undamaged. The bag's material, which isn't thoroughly smooth, held onto some grains of sand and dirt even after we brushed it with our hands and some paper napkins. But we later got to clean it off at the hotel with a soft shoe brush we travel with in our shoe bags. I don't know how long this bag will last me, but as far as our trip went, it held up very well with all my zipping and unzipping during a regular day. I believe this is the best bang for your buck, as far as Travelon bags go, with its relatively good Goldilocks size, multiple pockets, and anti-theft features. I'm looking to buy another one (a more fun color this time) for playing tourist in my own city.ETA, 3.28.2025: I have taken this bag to more places in Europe, from many points in the Andalusia region in Spain, back to Paris, and through Belgium all the way to Amsterdam. The bag is STILL whole, no broken stitches or parts. My most favorite thing about it are the locking zippers — truly peace of mind when I am visiting a site, and someone says on a loudspeaker, “Watch out for pickpockets.” This is a medium-sized bag for my small body, but I can wear it beneath a coat. This is now my official Europe travel bag, and I don’t use it for anything else but that. My Asia travel set-up is different because of the long layovers, but for Europe, this is just perfect.