I used to hate crossbody bags until I tried Peak Design’s Travel Crossbody 3L

I don’t like the word ‘ick’, but if I had to name one, it’s men in tracksuits wearing tiny manbags across their chest. I can’t think of a much sadder sight, which is why I was a little hesitant when Peak Design offered me its 3-litre Crossbody bag to test.

Part of the company’s new travel bag collection, the Crossbody 3L takes the DNA of Peak Design’s award-winning Tech Pouch, featuring origami-style pockets and sleek construction. Its 8-pocket layout allows you to carry your everyday essentials like keys, phone, wallet, etc., with you without having to resort to lugging around a full-size backpack.

Despite my initial apprehension, my experience with the Peak Design Travel Weekender 25L convinced me to give the Crossbody bag a try. After all, it’s essentially a small version of the duffel, and looks as good as all Peak Design gear – why shouldn’t I give it a chance? Reluctantly, I loaded the Travel Crossbody 3L, looped it around my chest, and off I went.

After letting go of the thought that people might think I look ridiculous wearing a bag across my chest, I started appreciating the bag's design and features. The attention to detail is as expected from the brand, which is to say the bag is meticulously crafted with tons of thoughtful details.

These include theft-deterrent zipper pulls, a hidden stash pocket at the back with a magnetic closure and a quick-grab handle. Peak Design even included a discreet AirTag pocket inside, similar to the Travel Weekender, for added peace of mind.

The Crossbody uses the same UltraZip, Versa Shell 400 exterior fabric and proprietary abrasion-resistant thread as its larger siblings, meaning it's weather-proof and should last for decades, at least according to Peak Design (as a long-time Peak Design user, I tend to agree).

Not only is it feature-packed, but the Crossbody 3L is also compact and lightweight, weighing only 350g and measuring 27cm x 8.5cm x 18cm. As its name suggests, it has an internal volume of three litres, plenty of space for everyday essentials and even a small camera.

I couldn’t quite squeeze my Fujifilm X-T30 Mark II with a 24-70mm lens into the bag alongside all my other bits, but a smaller camera with a pancake lens should fit nicely. You should have no issues stashing away a compact digital camera in one of the many pockets, though!

It’s hard to deny that the Crossbody looks very much like a purse for men, in the best possible way. I’m not the person who carries around small bags – I hope I made it abundantly clear above – and tried to shove all my essentials into my pockets, but using the Peak Design bag made me realise there is a better way.

I can see the benefits of having the Crossbody with me, especially on trips and at concerts. I recently ran into this issue at the Winter Olympics in Milan with Nike, where security wouldn’t let me into the speed skating venue with a small backpack. A compact crossbody like this would have saved me the walk of shame back to the car.

I recently had the chance to check out the Winter Olympics in Milan, and they didn’t let me into the venue with my small backpack. Having the Crossbody would have prevented me from doing the walk of shame back to the car to drop off my stuff.

The more I used the Peak Design Crossbody 3L, the more it grew on me. Having all my essentials at hand, and, more importantly, organised, can make all the difference on travel days, when small annoyances can feel a lot bigger than they actually are. Plus, if you’re happy not to wear a full tracksuit setup, you won’t look ridiculous, either.

Peak Design’s smallest travel companion changed my mind about crossbody bags. Now, instead of dreading it, I actually look forward to using the Crossbody 3L more, both as an everyday carry receptacle and as a small travel bag.

Best of all, the Travel Crossbody 3L is the most affordable option in the new lot, priced at only $99.95 (~£75 / €86 / AU$142). If you pre-order during the next 29 days, you can get it for even less: $79 (~£59 / €68 / AU$112). Head over to Peak Design’s Kickstarter page to find out more.