Ortlieb Back-Roller 40L Panniers

The Ortlieb Back-Roller is a German-made classic. Voluminous, tough, water resistant and with a wide range of spares available, these panniers should last for years. Add in a five-year warranty, tool-free adjustability and good environmental credentials, and Ortlieb has delivered another winner for your world tour, with their high price about the only downside.

Check out other options in our guide to the best bike panniers and racks.

Buy now: Ortlieb Back-Roller 40L for £123.25 from Cyclestore

Along with fellow German outfit Vaude, Ortlieb is one of the biggest names when it comes to bike luggage. Ortlieb's Back-Roller is a pair of non-side-specific touring panniers with a nominal volume of 20 litres each. I say nominal, because the roll-top closure means you can cram in more than 20 litres with the closure just about done up, and even more if you don't seal them up.

The Back-Roller should work with just about every rack out there, and you can make all the adjustments required without tools, which is handy when you're travelling and you want to keep weight to a minimum.

It's a simple, symmetrical design, and all the better for it. You don't need to work out which pannier goes on the left or right, and there are large reflective patches front and back – or back and front.

Inside there's a large open space with just a drop-in pocket and a smaller zipped mesh pocket. The larger pocket wouldn't take my 15in laptop, but would take a smaller one or a tablet.

In common with a lot of waterproof panniers there are no external pockets, but Ortlieb has you covered: you can buy a 2.1-litre waterproof 'Outer Pocket' for £29. I wouldn't, but you may feel differently.

Closing time

The simplicity of the design also extends to the closure system. You just roll the top over tightly, cinch it down and do up the central top buckle and pull that tight.

You've then got a couple of options: you can clip the two end buckles to each other over the top; or – especially when the pannier is more full – you can clip the shoulder strap to the buckles and then run it under a hook on the face of the pannier. 

Your stuff stays dry too. The IP64 rating means the Back-Roller isn't exactly waterproof, which will be down to the roll-top closure, but it protects entirely against dust ingress and water spray from any direction. Okay, you can't ford a river with it, but it's been a while since I've done that. In day-to-day use, even during a tropical downpour – and I've cycled through a few of those – as long as the roll closure is done up good to go your belongings won't turn into a soggy mass.

That water resistance is also down to the materials used – a combination of PD620, which is a PVC-coated polyester, and the heavier-duty PS490 that Ortlieb uses for its dry bags. And the different materials are exceptionally neatly welded together using Ortlieb's high-frequency 3D-welding process. Those welded seams are entirely waterproof, resisting 'leaking when exposed to a 100,000mm column of water!', which is an off-the-top-of-the-chart level of waterproofing.

Rack mounting

The top QL2.1 hooks can be moved laterally to fit your rack's top rails, clipping in very firmly to the notches on the rail along the top of the pannier. The diameter of the hook is 16mm, but Ortlieb supplies small plastic inserts in 8, 10 and 12mm diameters, one of which should be ideal for your rack. The top hook is also available as a spare for £14.50, with spare inserts also available.

The top hooks are attached to a carrying handle, and it's a very easy system to use. To clip the pannier to the rack you just drop it over the top rail and when you let go it hooks underneath the rail. To remove it you just lift up the handle and you're good to go.

The lower QL2.1 anchoring hook is just as adjustable as the top. You can site it anywhere along an arc that looks like an Amazon Prime logo – well, sort of. Unscrew the hook and you can also rotate the anchor 360 degrees to clamp to one of your rack's struts. It's simple, effective and secure. Want a spare? It's yours for £7.50.

The high amount of adjustability means that the panniers are very stable in use. Play around with the top and bottom fittings to get them just right and there should be no slop or play whatsoever, no sliding back or forth along the top rails, no wobbling from the lower anchor.

Though the panniers come with shoulder straps, I tend not to carry full panniers on my shoulder for any length of time, preferring to use the handles. I once squished a nerve in my shoulder carrying a heavy bag, and that's not something I want to repeat.

Value

The Back-Rollers are an excellent pair of panniers, and though they are far from cheap, they aren't hugely more than what are probably their nearest rivals, Vaude's Aqua Back panniers. Those have the same capacity and also come with good green credentials but are slightly heavier than the Ortliebs.

There is cheaper competition, though: the Oxford Aqua V32 Double Pannier Bag, for example, has a capacity of 32 litres across the pair, is tough, waterproof and costs just £64.99. (It's designed as a double, though, and can't be used singly.)

If you're looking for something more suited to commuting and light touring, the Altura Heritage 16L Pannier has a smaller capacity, good weatherproofing and decidedly old-school looks, and costs £55.

Conclusion

Okay, £150 is a lot for a pair of panniers, when you can buy decent panniers for less than half that, but I think their overall excellent quality, eco credentials and the availability of spares goes a long way to justify their high initial cost. Pack up your kit, pop your panniers on the rack, saddle up, pedal, and there's a world of adventure to be had. The Ortlieb Back-Rollers won't let you down.

Buy now: Ortlieb Back-Roller 40L for £123.25 from Cyclestore

Verdict

High-quality, well-made luggage that's tough, water resistant and pretty pricey but should last for years