Group test: panniers for cycle commuting

Cycling is often the fastest and most efficient way of getting to work. It’s certainly more fun than sitting in traffic or being crushed up against someone’s armpit on a train.

If you need to transport a lot of gear – a change of clothes, laptop, lunch and so on – to your workplace you’ll need some way of carrying it. It’s much easier to put that weight on the bike than your back, which is where a good commuter pannier comes in. We tested five to find out which is best.

All the products bar one was roll-top, and all were billed as water resistant. This means they’re showerproof so they should protect your stuff from rain but not if you immerse them in water – so don’t go riding through any lakes.

As these panniers were for commuting, I looked at things like ease of getting them on and off the rack – no one wants to be delayed at work because they’re struggling to attach a pannier – how easy it was to get to essentials like wallet and keys and how easy it was to carry the pannier when off the bike.

1. Pinnacle Water Resistant Pannier Bag Pair

Price: £109.99 pair (£54.99 at time of writing)
Weight: NA
Capacity: 22L each
Max load: NA
Measurements: NA
Waterproof: yes
Colour: black
Available from: Evans

This was the only pannier to come as a pair. It was easy to set up, with the two hooks that clamp over the top of the rack sliding into place and then clicking into one of several holes drilled into the plastic runner. There are enough of these that you should be able to position the pannier wherever is best for your rack.

The anti-sway catch at the bottom also slides into position and rotates fully so you can locate it to hook around one of your carrier stays. I did all this without using any tools.

I found the pannier easy to slide into place on my rear rack. However, there’s some movement, with the hooks not gripping tight enough to keep the bag still. This would be easily fixed with some plastic inserts.

In use, though, the bag stayed in place and was no noisier than any of the others on test, and significantly quieter than some. It was incredibly easy to get off the rack, just pull the handle up and the hooks release. The same handle is how you carry it off the bike, too.

There’s a padded insert inside the bag that’s Velcro’d to the back wall so can be removed if necessary. This has a large zippered pocket which fits a small laptop and some smaller open ones for phone, keys, wallet, pens. I thought it might be hard to get to when the bag was packed, but I didn’t have problems reaching my purse and keys when needed.

The pannier is made of a tough material that withstood my hosepipe test (it somehow didn’t rain on any of my test rides for this or any of the other panniers). There’s plenty of reflective detailing, with a diagonal line design on both sides and the Pinnacle logo on the front.

It’s quite narrow and tall in shape so it sits nicely away from your pedals and backside. It was easily big enough to fit my change of clothes, lunch box and laptop and charger. I haven’t even used the second one yet.

I would have preferred a shoulder strap in addition to the carry handle.

Verdict: a really useful commuter pannier at a great price point – it’s big enough that you only need one so you could go halves with someone to save even more money.

2. Ortlieb Back-Roller Urban

Price: £91.50 each (commuter insert £42)
Weight: 840g
Capacity: 20L
Max load: 9kg
Measurements: 32x42x17cm
Waterproof: yes
Colour: ash rose, pepper (tested), ink
Available from: Ortlieb

This is the smallest pannier on test here, but you wouldn’t notice it. I easily fit in all my gear. It’s wider than the Pinnacle but there was still plenty of clearance for my pedals.

The setup is very similar to the Pinnacle’s, but with even more holes to adjust it to your own rack and how you want it mounted. It was easy to put in place and felt very secure – it didn’t move when I pulled on it. It was also easy to release, using a very similar mechanism to the Pinnacle.

The pannier comes with an insert for your laptop which also has a mesh zippered pocket that’s large enough for phone, keys, wallet and other essentials. So it’s commuter ready. But Ortlieb also offers a commuter insert for an additional £42.

This padded bag has a foam insert to keep it in shape. It’s got space for a laptop, pockets and space for bigger items. I was concerned it might take up too much space but I could still fit everything I needed. It’s also got handles so can be easily lifted out. I can confirm that the bottle holders are big enough for a bottle of wine.

This is a really good-looking bag. The woven material is a nice subtle grey that’s very thin – no doubt contributing to this bag’s light weight. There are reflective patches on both sides, in the shape of the pannier.

A nice touch is the shoulder strap with a hook at the bottom of the pannier to keep it from flapping around when you’re cycling. This makes it much easier to carry when off the bike, too.

I was concerned the woven material wouldn’t prove showerproof, but all my kit stayed dry during my dowsing (calm down, IT, I didn’t put my laptop in there!).

Verdict: A really good commuter pannier with some thoughtful touches and aesthetically pleasing.

3. Carradice Bike Bureau Pannier

Price: £119.95
Weight: 2.1kg
Capacity: 25L
Max load: NA
Measurements: 44x37x15cm
Waterproof: yes
Colour: black (tested), green
Available from: Carradice

Carradice’s designers have really taken the ‘commuter’ part of the brief seriously. The bag doesn’t even look like a pannier – it looks like an outsized satchel. It’s ideal for anyone who wants to move around off the bike without looking like they’ve arrived by bike.

The test bag arrived without the hooks needed to fit it to the rack. A quick email to Carradice sorted this out and they arrived within a couple of days. This was the most complicated pannier to set up, requiring screws (supplied) and tools (not supplied but probably already in your toolkit).

The hooks slide along a metal plate and can be screwed in wherever best suits your rack. The anti-sway catch works in the same way. Once everything was in place, it was easy to fit and lock in. It comes with two sets of inserts (8mm and 11mm) to ensure a tight fit on the rack and it did feel very safe, with no rattle or movement.

It was held securely in place by the hooks and an auto-lock. To release the pannier, you pull on a strap to release the auto-lock then just lift it off the rack.

The pannier looks great. It’s got faux leather straps to complete that satchel vibe, a tartan lining and the Carradice logo in reflective material on both sides and the front.

It’s got some well-thought-out touches too. Like the shoulder strap, although you’ll need to remove this in use otherwise it might drop into your back wheel or interfere with your pedalling. The padded button-down insert fits a small laptop.

A Velcro’d flap lifts up and over the bag, covering the hooks so they don’t bash into your thigh when carrying the pannier. This also reveals a carry handle and a zippered pocket. Another zippered pocket on the front is big enough for keys, purse, phone and other valuables.

It’s the only bag on test here that doesn’t have a roll-top closure, again in keeping with that satchel look. It was also waterproof.

It’s the biggest and heaviest bag on test. It held all my kit easily, but size and weight might be an issue for some riders. The square shape means it’s attached to your rack at an angle to keep it away from your feet. This means you have to make sure you put it on the right side of your bike. It also sits very high.

Verdict: A large, well-designed pannier with plenty of extras and good looks.

4. Restrap Pannier – Large

Price: £99.99 each
Weight: 831g
Capacity: 22L
Max load: NA
Measurements: 43x40x20cm
Waterproof: yes
Colour: black (tested), green
Available from: Restrap

This was the most basic pannier on test. It has no inserts or extra pockets, just one large compartment for all your stuff. This means you’ll have to keep anything that requires quick access somewhere else. I put my keys, phone and purse in my jersey pockets.

I need my swipe card to access the office cycle sheds, so this needs to be close to hand as I don’t want to be rummaging around in a large bag for a purse that’s worked its way to the bottom.

This was another one that required tools for setup. Two hooks slide into position along a metal pole and are then screwed in place. The anti-sway latch slides along a plastic bar and it too is screwed in.

The hook system is the most complicated here. Once the pannier is in place, plastic buttons are pushed in to clamp the hooks over the rack. These then have to be lifted up to release the pannier. The pannier is kept firmly in place but it did take me longer to get it on and off my bike.

It’s very minimalist in looks too. A plain black woven material with a small Restrap logo on the front and two small reflective stripes on both sides.

Verdict: A back-to-basics pannier that’s hardwearing but with no frills.

5. Thule Shield

Price: £104.99 each
Weight: 1.18kg
Capacity: 22L
Max load: NA
Measurements: 40x35x21cm
Waterproof: yes
Colour: black
Available from: Thule

Setting this up was the same as both the Pinnacle and Ortlieb. However, in use the hook system was a lot more complicated and required pushing a button into place to clamp the hooks onto the rack. I struggled with this, but releasing it was much easier – just pull the handle up and the bag slides off.

There’s a padded insert for your laptop, which also has a large padded pocket and two smaller mesh ones. There’s also a large zippered pocket on the front of the pannier. So there’s plenty of space for your work essentials. My purse and keys were easy to get to on arrival at the office.

There’s a carry handle and a shoulder strap for carrying the bag off the bike. The latter has a small padded cover for added shoulder comfort; it can also be used to fold the strap into, shortening it so it won’t interfere with your rear wheel or pedalling.

However, there was some contact between my heel and the pannier, and on my first test ride one of the hooks came away from the rack and I had to stop and fix it back in place. This didn’t happen again on any subsequent rides.

A helmet can be attached to the front of the pannier via two small straps, which offers a convenient way to carry your helmet if you use one. There are decent-sized reflective stripes on both sides and a reflective Thule logo on the front.

Verdict: Felt overly complicated and not entirely secure, but very hardwearing.

Overall verdict

All five panniers on test did the job, and they are largely quite similar in use and looks, with Carradice’s Bike Bureau Pannier being the outlier, particularly in looks.

Prices are also similar, with the largest – and arguably best looking – pannier being the most expensive, the Carradice. Cycling UK members can claim 15% off, though.

The Pinnacle works out at about half the cost of the others even at the full price as you get two for your money. It’s also hardwearing and has everything you need to transport your belongings to work.

All five panniers were waterproof and all but the Carradice had a roll-top closure.

The Ortlieb is lightweight and looks good. It’s a good price and has everything you need even without the commuter insert, which adds an extra £42 to the cost. However, Cycling UK members get 10% off Ortlieb products.

Restrap is ideal for anyone who prizes simplicity. It does the job well with no bells and whistles and will work for plenty of other uses too – shopping, bikepacking, touring and so on. Cycling UK members receive a 10% discount.

It might have been the user’s fault, but I didn’t get on so well with Thule’s Shield. That said, it’s very hardwearing and looks like it’ll last for years. It’s got a nice suite of pockets, handles and straps, making it very versatile.

Another way to save money on cycling accessories is to use the Cycle to Work Scheme.

First published in April 2025. All information correct at time of publishing.