Apidura City Messenger

The Apidura City Messenger is very nicely made, waterproof and comfortable to carry, with the bonus that you can switch the main strap from one side to the other. It's also practical, with a few pockets and neat little features to help keep your important bits safe, and though it's not the biggest, if you only want to carry up to a 13-inch laptop then it's ideal.

For other luggage carrying options, read our feature on 15 easy ways to carry stuff on your bike, or if you're not a messenger bag fan, check out our guide to the best cycling backpacks.

> Buy now: Apidura City Messenger 13 for £91 from Apidura

As someone who commutes daily with a rucksack, I've enjoyed using this messenger bag with its slight airflow channelling helping to prevent a sweaty back. It's made with a waterproof fabric, with welded seams, and its performance in the rain is impressive, keeping all my belongings dry, even on the wettest days.

The bag comes in two sizes, this 13-inch option, and an 11 inch for £80. The 13in City Messenger measures 32 x 27.5cm (roughly 10 x 13in), so just bigger than A4 – a 13-inch laptop will fit in the laptop sleeve comfortably. I found I could easily take a bottle, some food, and even a thin jumper in the rest of the bag.

Straps

The shoulder strap includes a padded section to keep things comfortable, and a retaining strap ensures everything stays secure and evenly distributed against your back while riding. It's easy to undo this if you're walking around and just want the bag to hang loosely against you.

The bag has a neat design that allows you to carry it on either shoulder, just by undoing the shoulder strap at each end and swapping the direction, and moving the retaining strap to the opposite corner. You also get a number of loops on the main strap so you can adjust where the retaining strap attaches, to support you in the comfiest way.

Lid and pockets

The main lid of the bag is a large panel held closed by strong Velcro plus the option of a small hook, should you want your contents to be extra secure. The waterproofing is smartly designed here, as the lid continues around the sides, meaning water can't get into the bag from above.

Underneath the lid but still on the outside of the bag is a small zip pocket with a key tether inside – handy so you don't have to delve into the bag for your keys. I also kept my earphone case and wallet in here.

Inside the main body of the bag you get a laptop sleeve, which is made from a nice soft material that won't scratch your device, and this also has a Velcro retaining strap.

You also get two smaller mesh pockets, to help organise your belongings. I found there was space for a bottle, charger, a thin jumper, and other miscellaneous items.

Additional features

There are a few other little nice-to-have features: three laser-cut slots towards the bottom of the bag for attaching a rear light, and reflective strips to give some extra visibility; these aren't as reflective as those on some bags and clothing I've seen, but they're in a good place for when you're leaning forward on the bike. 

There is also a handle for either carrying the bag in your hand or hanging it on a hook.

The materials used in this bag seem very high quality, and Apidura offers a reasonable lifetime warranty against manufacturing defects, which offers some peace of mind.

Value and conclusion

This 13-inch version comes in at £91, while the 11-inch is £80. Although not cheap, when compared with some of the competition it's not an outrageous asking price.

The Osprey Metron Messenger bag, for example, is £125. Okay, it's bigger – taking up to a 16in laptop – but it needs a raincover to be waterproof.

We've tested a few Chrome Industries bags over the years, but not its Mini Metro 20.5L Messenger, which is designed for 13in laptops. Its bags have generally impressed us in terms of performance and quality, though the prices can be hard to swallow – as is the case here: £154. It's also twice the weight.

Crumpler used to make a Dinky Di Messenger for 13in laptops, but they're no longer available – the next size up (for 16in laptops) is its Dinky Di Messenger M, which costs £99.90 for the Classic, and £129.90 in some colours. We tested one back in 2015 and thought it was good quality, and it's a lot chunkier than this offering from Apidura, with similar waterproofing characteristics.

I think the features and quality of the Apidura mean its asking price is very reasonable. If you're in the market for a high-quality messenger bag, and you only want to carry up to a 13in laptop – so bigger bags could be overkill – then I really don't think you can go far wrong with this.

Verdict

High quality, adjustable, waterproof and neatly sized for 13in laptops