Best Travel Purse: Guide & Reviews (2023)

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Looking for the best travel purse to take on your next adventure? From jetsetters who still want to travel in style to backpackers who want to prioritize safety, our picks cover a broad range of travelers.

Table of Contents

Best Travel Purse

Top Pick

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For a travel purse that strikes that ideal balance between style and practicality, not to mention its multiple anti-theft features, the Baggallini Everywhere Bagg is a sound choice to take with you on your travels.

Quick Picks

If you don’t have time to read the entire article – worry not! These are our quick picks for the best travel purse.

Best Travel Purse Top Pick	Baggallini Everywhere Bagg with RFID
Best Travel Purse Budget Pick	Travelon Anti-Theft Classic Mini Shoulder Bag
Best Stylish Travel Purse	Tumi Voyager Canton Crossbody Bag
Best Discreet Camera Travel Purse	Pacsafe Metrosafe LS250 Anti-Theft Shoulder
Best Unisex Travel Purse	Pacsafe Metrosafe LS250 Anti-Theft Shoulder
Best Travel Purse for Europe	PacSafe Women’s Citysafe Cx Anti-Theft Convertible Backpack
Best Travel Purse for Asia	Travelon Women’s Anti-Theft Heritage Small Cross Body Bag
Best Lightweight Travel Purse	Tumi Voyager Just in Case Backpack
Best Spacious Travel Tote	Travelon Anti-Theft Heritage Tote

For reviews and other feature details, continue reading the best travel purses guide and reviews.

Travel Purse Considerations and Frequently Asked Questions

What Makes a Good Travel Purse?

While striking a balance between function and style is always important, and the fact everyone has different needs, taking a purse with you on your travels does come with different challenges.

When you find a purse you like, have a look for some, if not all, of these features.

1. Multiple Anti-Theft Features

Slash-proof straps to protect against grab-n-go thieves and pickpockets
Slash-proof body made of stainless steel mesh
RFID blocking protection to prevent thieves from skimming information off credit cards
Security hooks that allow you to attach the straps to secure fixtures
Locking pockets to secure items better
Locking zipper pulls to prevent pickpockets from accessing the back

2. Waterproof or Water-Resistant Fabric

3. Great Practical Features

Lots of pockets, credit card slots, and passport holder slots that help you be organized
Multiple compartments for easy access and organization
Water bottle holder or water bottle pockets
Trolley sleeve or luggage sleeve that allows the purse to slip on the handle of your suitcase or carry-on
Adjustable straps to comfortably fit a wide range of heights
Machine washable

What is the Best Travel Purse for Long-Term Travel and Nomads?

Personally, I love to travel with a small anti-theft crossbody bag like the Travelon Women’s Anti-Theft Heritage Small Cross Body Bag and an anti-theft backpack (in addition to my carry-on).

I have a small crossbody bag on me practically all the time. You can carry your credit cards, cash, documents, and phone in it. Since the bag is small and stylish, you can also use it when going out, in addition to the practical daily use.

During the day, when you have your laptop in the backpack and you’re going to the coworking space or a coffee shop to work from, you can place the bag inside the backpack if you prefer.

What is the Best Travel Purse for Europe?

The best travel purse for Europe, in my humble opinion, is a convertible daypack like the PacSafe Women’s Citysafe Cx Anti-Theft Convertible Backpack.

Why a daypack and not a small purse? I find that I walk a lot in Europe and I take the train or public transportation quite a bit, and I like to carry a few things with me that wouldn’t fit in a small purse such as:

A water bottle
A Kindle paperwhite for reading on the train or bus or at the coffee shop when having a coffee
A notebook (for jotting down those brilliant ideas!)

I also like to have room for any of those impulse purchases.

But, of course, if you’re only planning on bringing your credit cards, cash and phone, chose something smaller such as the Travelon Women’s Anti-Theft Heritage Small Cross Body Bag.

What is the Best Travel Purse for Asia?

The best travel purse for Asia, in my humble opinion, is a small purse such as the Travelon Women’s Anti-Theft Heritage Small Cross Body Bag.

Why not a daypack? Well, in Southeast Asia, I find myself riding scooters there a lot, and I don’t think it’s safe to wear a backpack while on a scooter.

Although you can technically place your purse or backpack in the under the seat storage, the storage space is quite tight and won’t leave room for much else if you have a bulkier daypack.

What to Pack in a Travel Purse?

Naturally, as a purse is smaller than a backpack, you will have to consider its capacity and what it realistically can carry. However, in a travel purse, you should be able to pack:

Credit Cards & Cash
Passport & Other Travel Documents (you can use a passport holder or passport wallet)
Hand Sanitizer
Water
Snacks
Kindle Paperwhite or a Book
Noise-canceling earbuds
Your Camera
Your Phone
Sunblock
A makeup bag with all the makeup essentials

Best Travel Purse Picks

Overall Best Travel Purse

1 – Baggallini Everywhere

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A water-resistant crossbody bag that weighs 16 ounces (0.4 kg), it offers plenty of room for all your essentials thanks to its thoughtfully designed pockets and compartments.

The bag measures 9” tall, 13.5” wide, and 5” deep and comes with a 52” adjustable strap bag. A removable RFID-blocking phone wristlet aims to protect credit card information.

The bag also includes a detachable coin purse and a zippered-bottom slip pocket that converts to a sleeve to easily slide over your suitcase handle.

This travel crossbody purse comes in a variety of colors and can match just about any wardrobe.

Fun fact: The brand Baggallini was founded by two flight attendants.

Pros

Fits on luggage handle: The Everywhere bag has a sleeve that slips on the handle of your rolling suitcase.
Removable RFID-blocking technology helps protect your personal information within credit cards, passports, and more.
Quick access exterior flap and zippered pockets
8 card slots

Cons

It could benefit from some improvements like slash-proof straps, locking zippers, or other extra anti-theft features.

Best Budget Travel Purse

2 – Travelon Anti-Theft Classic Mini Shoulder Bag

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This small and lightweight bag can hold a lot of your items such as mobile phone, wallet, water bottle, iPad or e-reader, or umbrella. At 8.5 x 8.5 x 2 inches, weighing 0.6 pounds (0.3 kg), the bag is compact, light yet quite serviceable.

The Travelon Anti-Theft Classic Mini Shoulder Bag comes with great security features such as locking straps and compartments, slash-resistant body and straps in addition to RFID blocking pockets and slots.

An LED light on a tethered key clip is also included on the side, inside the main compartment which can come in handy for low-light to no-light situations, to locate objects inside the main compartment of the bag, or to use in the dark to see close range. The bag also comes in several classic colors.

Pros

Locking straps and locking compartments
Slash-resistant body
Slash-resistant straps
RFID blocking pockets and slots

Cons

The metal part of the adjustable strap is a little bulky and might cause discomfort
The bag is not rainproof
No interior zipper in the main compartment

Best Stylish Travel Purse

3 – Tumi Voyager Canton Crossbody Bag Review

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Made not just for travel, but also for work and everyday outings, the Voyageur Canton Crossbody Bag offers a roomy interior to keep your items organized.

It includes a front straight pocket with a locking zipper pull, a detachable leather dangler/keyring, and an adjustable crossbody strap.

One interesting feature that comes with this bag is the Tumi Tracer which is an exclusive complimentary program allowing you to retrieve lost or stolen items.

The dimensions of the bag are 13.7 x 12.8 x 4.1 inches and it weighs 1.13 pounds (0.5 kg). You currently may choose from six colors.

Pros

Tumi tracer: an exclusive complimentary program allowing you to recover lost or stolen items
Tumi key leash: keys will never go missing again
Detachable leather key ring that can be monogrammed with your initials for style and ease of identification.
Slick design that doesn’t compromise on style

Cons

No waterproof pockets
One of the more expensive purses on the market
Does not come with security features such as slash-resistant body, straps, and RFID blocking technology

Best Travel Purse for Asia

4 – Travelon Women’s Anti-Theft Heritage Small Cross Body Bag Review

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Both practical and stylish, this small crossbody bag offers sufficient room to have the most essential items stored in an organized way.

It is well-constructed and very lightweight at only 11 ounces (0.3 kg). The bag is made to fit perfectly against your body with a slash-resistant strap that is adjustable.

The front zip pocket and rear slash pocket have a snap closure providing easy access to frequently used items.

With RFID blocking technology that prevents unauthorized access to personal information, it aims to protect against identity thieves.

The dimensions of the Travelon Women’s Anti-Theft Heritage Small Crossbody Cross Body Bag are 2 x 10.5 x 7 inches. The exterior dimensions are 9.75 x 7.75 x 2.5 inches.

The bag comes in three beautiful colors and includes a penlight attached to the key lanyard inside.

Pros

Slash-resistant, adjustable shoulder strap can be secured to a stationary object
Stylish denim that looks and feels good

Cons

The strap might cause a bit of discomfort against the neck due to its sturdy material

Best Discreet Camera Travel Purse & Best Unisex Travel Purse

5 – Pacsafe Metrosafe LS250 Anti-Theft Shoulder Bag Review

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This classically-designed anti-theft shoulder bag offers functionality and integrated security technology. The largest bag so far in this list at 4.5 x 10.5 x 14 inches, the bag weighs just 1.3 pounds (0.6 kg).

The Pacsafe Metrosafe LS250 Anti-Theft Shoulder Bag offers plenty of room for your essentials and also includes a padded 11-inch laptop sleeve with two external water bottle pockets. You may even fit in a light jacket while on the road.

The bag’s fabric is embedded with eXomesh slash guard, a lightweight flexible, stainless steel wire mesh that protects you from a quick slash-and-run theft.

Additional features include the Turn and Lock Security Hook that attaches the bag to a fixture for added security. It also includes the Lockabout Security Clip and Smart Zipper Security, which provide multiple layers of protection against pickpockets, and the RFID blocking pocket to prevent your data from e-passports, credit cards, and key cards) from being stolen.

Pros

Lock-a-bout security clip
Turn and lock security hooks
Carrysafe slashguard straps
eXomesh slashguards
RFID safe blocking pocket
Extremely functional with a lot more room than one might expect (unlike other products in this list, the LS250 can hold both a MacBook and a 13-inch iPad with more room to spare
Comfortable adjustable strap that can be shortened so that it is a shoulder-bag length (as well as lengthened to cross-body).
Slick design great for business trips

Cons

Not the cheapest bag on this list
Limited color options to choose from

Best Travel Tote

6 – Travelon Anti-Theft Heritage Tote Bag Review

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A casual tote bag that does not scream “Anti-Theft Bag” and works equally well for travel and everyday use. The Travelon Anti-Theft Heritage Tote Bag offers a roomy compartment for all your belongings, which will be protected thanks to security features such as slash-resistant construction, locking compartments, slash-resistant and removable locking straps.

The bag includes a zippered RFID-blocking pocket, 2 open top wall pockets, and a tethered key clip with LED light. It is 13.5 x 13.5 x 5 inches and weighs only 0.6 pounds (0.2 kg).

Pros

Fits more than most of the other bags in this list
Stylish, made out of a heavy cotton/denim material

Cons

The bag can’t be opened or closed with one hand, you need both hands to unzip the bag, which is not perfect for quick access.
Not machine washable.
Heavier/bulkier than most totes

Best Travel Purse for Europe

7 – PacSafe Women’s Citysafe Cx Anti-Theft Convertible Backpack Review

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An anti-theft backpack that folds down into a handbag, the PacSafe Women’s Citysafe Cx convertible bag is perfect for both day trips and night outs.

At 4.7 x 13.4 x 10.2 inches, the backpack offers plenty of room for daily items such as a wallet, cosmetics case, camera, tablet, phone, and scarf. There’s a padded slot where you can fit a 13-inch laptop, and it comes with a detachable strap that you can remove when not in use.

The bag weighs 0.9 pounds (0.4 kg) and is designed to prevent theft and pickpocketing, with interlocking zippers and cut-proof material (lightweight steel mesh), in addition to RFID blocking pockets to keep credit cards and IDs safe.

Pros

Made of soft, durable, and easy to clean nylon and polyester
Comes with a 5-year Pacsafe warranty

Cons

There are no side pockets, which is not ideal for quick access
The fabric is not waterproof or water-resistant

Best Lightweight Travel Purse

8 – Tumi Voyager Just in Case Backpack Review

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The lightest bag in this list, the Tumi Voyager Just in Case Backpack weighs just 0.6 pounds (0.2 kg). At 4.5 x 12.2 x 15.5 inches, it is not too big neither not too small.

The front compartment is large enough for a phone, water bottle, keys, wallet, and a few other essential items.

The bag includes a double-zip entry to the main compartment, zippered front pocket, top grab handle, in addition to a back sleeve that slips over extended luggage handles, which makes it quite practical.

The Just in Case Backpack folds flat to be stored compactly in the included small zipper pouch for easy transportation.

Pros

Back sleeve that allows you to stack and carry the bag on your wheeled luggage
Extremely lightweight and well-made
The bag is machine-washable
Quite stylish with nice finishing

Cons

One of the pricier bags on this list
The bag does not include waterproof pockets

Best Travel Purse Summary

As you can see from our list, there’s a travel purse out there to suit all types of travelers. Fortunately, in this day and age, the gap between functionality and style is all but gone. Many purses are now both important parts of stylish attire, and highly effective at keeping your valuables safe.

But wherever your priorities lie, a travel purse is a sound investment for anyone looking to spend time abroad.

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