Listen, we can dance around what to call the best fanny packs—a.k.a. sling bags, crossbody bags, bum bags, shoulder bags, etc. But let’s not kid ourselves about what they are. Even the best fanny packs are, simply, fanny packs—and they’re useful as hell.
Once shorthand for a whole era of ill-advised style decisions, the fanny pack has re-emerged into our good graces, a product of menswear’s gorpy overhaul and the realization that there are many funkier, weirder, wilder ways to dress (or carry a bag) than a buckle-on pocket in 2025.
Its selling point is fairly obvious: The fanny pack is functional and versatile. When a backpack is too sweaty and a shoulder bag of some sort cramps your [pharmaceutical ad voiceover] active lifestyle, the fanny pack steps in to store all your necessities: keys, ChapStick, sunglasses, hand sanitizer, AirPods, backup AirPods, and more. Wear one around your waist like a dad trying to puzzle out where the visitor’s center is on a large map, or sling it over your body in, like, 13 other ways. Any of them beat praying that the tote bag you haphazardly hung on the edge of your bike’s handlebars won’t jam itself into the spokes mid-cruise. (We may or may not be speaking from experience here.)
The Best Fanny Packs, According to GQ
In This Guide
The Best Fanny Pack Overall: Dagne Dover Ace Belt Bag
Dagne Dover is famous for its neoprene baggage—from suitcases to fanny packs—so much so that brands have been knocking off its signature move for a while now. We still think the Ace is the best of the bunch, mainly because it helped to popularize the style. There’a front zipper pocket for easy access to your most essential items—like your phone—a small slip pocket on the back for something like a transportation card—and the interior has a spacious one-liter capacity, as well as a couple pockets and even a key holder. It’s low-key bag without any audacious logos or branding, but one look at it from someone who’s in the know, and you’re sure to get that IYKYK head nod from the distance.
The Best Designer Fanny Pack: Loewe Puzzle Edge
Loewe’s Puzzle line is beloved for its unique shape and design, instantly recognizable by its jigsaw-like paneling. If you have a couple grand lying around (and then some), it makes for an absolute flex, whether slung from your waist or over your shoulder. There’s an exterior zippered pocket, as well a zippered main compartment that’s covered by a flap to create a more seamless silhouette. The belt buckle closure makes it easy to take it on and off, and that calf leather only breaks in more beautifully the more you get out there.
The Best Fanny Pack for Running: FlipBelt Classic
Fanny packs make great running accessories, especially as too many running shorts don’t feature enough pockets. (Plus, phones seem to only be getting bigger and bigger, while our shorts only get shorter.) FlipBelt’s classic running belt is basically a fanny pack, in that it’s a pack… that you wear over your fanny. There are different openings within the belt that snugly hold onto your items—like your phone, keys, energy gels, etc.—so that you can finally hit that mile PR handsfree.
The Best Ludicrously Capacious Fanny Pack: Porter-Yoshida & Co. Tanker
The best fanny packs are notoriously small because no one’s trying to haul a carry-on bag across their waist. Nevertheless, the bag geniuses over at Japanese Porter-Yoshida & Co. have designed the well-loved Tanker waist belt bag. Inspired by MA-1 flight jackets, this bag is equally durable with a boatload of storage so that you can store every little thing you’d possibly want on your next trek outside. You can easily customize the fit so that it adheres close to your body, and it comes in the same colors as your favorite bomber jacket.
The Best Fanny Pack for Travel: Patagonia Black Hole
Made for outdoor adventurers and aspiring outdoor adventurers alike, the Patagonia Black Hole fanny pack is just as versatile, roomy, and durable as its suitcase sibling. It’s water-resistant, and even though the brand’s revamped its material since its inception, it’s just as heavy-duty and long-lasting as ever. This bag is great for vacations so that you can bring all your belongings with you and don’t have to return to your hotel for constant re-ups, and there’s even a trusty water bottle holder because Patagonia knows you need to stay hydrated.
The Best Durable Fanny Pack: Topo Designs Mountain Waist Pack
Topo Designs makes a damn good bag for travel, no matter the destination. Its aptly named Mountain waist pack would surely hold up if your journey finds you hoofing it up the side of a mountain, all while this petite bag keeps all your goods safe and secure. Its durable nylon construction can hold its own against pretty much anything, and if a peak fanny pack is what you’re after, this is it.
The Best Understated Fanny Pack: Lululemon Everywhere Belt Bag
Not too long ago, Lululemon gave the fanny pack the Lululemon treatment, stripping the bag down to its essential elements—save for a teensy Lululemon logo in the corner—and leaving nothing but streamlined design in its wake. For a while it was one of the most popular bags around, so much so that it was rarely ever in stock, but now that brands can’t blame Covid-induced supply chain issues, the Belt Bag is readily available in every size, shape, and color. Made out of water-repellent polyester (read: sweat-resistant) that looks like it should cost a lot more than it does, this is the fanny pack you buy if you worship at the altar of near-logoless practicality—and that’s doubly true if you’re an especially cost-conscious believer.
More Fanny Packs We Love
What to Look for in a Fanny Pack
Capacity: Fanny packs are usually fairly small because they’re meant to be worn, well, on your fanny. While you can wear a fanny pack multiple ways, the idea is that a fanny pack will usually range in size from one liter to five liters. If you plan on carrying a lot of things at once, obviously opt for a larger size, but know that you’ll also be having to toting a lot more weight.
Storage: Whether you want something with just one compartment or prefer a bag with lots of pockets for organization, a good fanny pack will keep everything secure—whether with a zipper, velcro, or button closure—and make it easy for you to find everything you packed with ease.
Wearability: The name “fanny pack” should give you an inkling of where these bags were originally intended for you to wear them (above your fanny!). These bags will come with straps of varying adjustable lengths, so you can also wear them over your shoulder, so if you’d prefer to wear a fanny pack like that, make sure the strap is long enough to do so.
