Messenger Bags

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    Learn More About Messenger Bags

    Messenger bags, also known as courier bags, sling bags, or carryalls, are sacks worn over one shoulder, often with the strap going across the chest. These handy and hardy personal carrying accessories once were used by couriers and soldiers in ancient times, mail carriers and and Pony express riders in more recent history, and today are icons of urban fashion. Shop the selection of messenger bags from sellers on Etsy for your everyday carrying needs.

    A defining point of messenger bag design is their softer and more pliable construction, lacking rigidity for the most part. Most of the time, messenger bags are made from fabric materials to allow for many types of items to be carried while maintaining flexibility, like:


    • Leather: Leather messenger bags cross the line from casual to professional, making them great bags to carry to work or to coffee with a friend.
    • Faux leather: If you want a more eco-conscious and vegan option, faux messenger bags give the same vibes as genuine leather.
    • Canvas: Canvas messenger bags are durable—some are even waterproof—and look great holding your stuff. The best part? Canvas bags can often be thrown in the wash when they’ve gathered the dust of a well-worn road.
    • Nylon: Inexpensible and hardy, nylon messenger bags come in a vast rainbow of color options, and keep your everyday carry protected from the elements when you’re biking back home through rush hour.

    Whether your cycling through the city to deliver important building plans, or like to have your books, notebooks, laptop, tablets, and a whole host of other devices with you on the bus to work, there’s a messenger bag type that will work for you:


    • Crossbody: Crossbody messenger bags hug your torso a bit more, with the holding part of the bag running more along the length of the strap. Free up your pockets and play it close to the chest with crossbody messenger bags from shops on Etsy.
    • Laptop: Messenger laptop bags are made to specific measurements to accommodate a host of popular laptop sizes, featuring padded laptop sleeves and accessory pockets to secure your charger or wireless mouse.
    • Vertical: Vertical messenger bags flip the standard on their sides—literally! These bags offer a slim profile and slightly smaller size, great for toting tablets and drawing pads, or holding your wallet and sunglasses while you grocery shop.
    • Military: A pocket for everything and everything in its pocket—that’s the philosophy going into military style messenger bag design. You’ll get pockets for days and enough space to carry everything but the kitchen sink when you shop these true carryalls from sellers on Etsy.

    Giving messenger bags as gifts for anyone who takes pride in their fashionable everyday carry routine. Know a recent high school grad heading off to college? Congratulate them with a handy vintage messenger bag to hold books, notebooks, and snacks for studying in the quad. Or, did your team at work hit those quarterly goals ahead of schedule? Show your appreciation with custom messenger bags designed by talented artists on Etsy. Whether you're looking for men’s messenger bags or messenger bags for women, explore the shops on Etsy for a wide selection of bags and packs.