As a recent email told me "Fanny packs are back and there's nothing you can do about it." The last time I sported a fanny pack for real was when I was 14. In the 25 years since, I've bought exactly one waist bag (fanny pack, bum bag) and that was for a Halloween costume. The waist bag trend has exploded again in a huge way and you can find them everywhere. Everyone's getting in on it, even high end European manufacturers like Hedgren.
Gone are the days that you can only get the same exact bag in cotton or leather. Fanny packs now come in a variety of colors, fabrics and styles. The Asharum Waist Bag from Hedgren's Inner City collection shows you that you can wear a quality fanny pack that looks great with whatever you wear and it won't make you stand out as a tourist on your travels (which you totally did back in the day). Old and young and every age in between are picking up a waist pack and making them look chic and popular.
The Asharum Waist Bag has all the organization you need, so you aren't just rummaging around in a main compartment to find change or whatever else you're keeping in there. It's structured, too, giving it a nice silhouette against your body, instead of being a lumpy bag.
You'll find three separate compartments inside, one of which is zippered, so you can keep those items from being shown to the world every time you open your bag.
One side compartment has both card slots and an RFID zipper pocket. You can put your large smartphone here, as well as up to three credit cards.
The zipper will fit your passport. I was able to put both of ours in it with no problem. This allows you to keep your information safe from digital thieves. The length of the bag is also perfect for keeping your boarding passes and other travel docs from getting all crumpled. The other compartment is plain and can be used for anything you need to carry with you. I put my large back-up battery and cords in it and there was still room leftover. In the middle zippered compartment, I kept my few cosmetics I take with me when I go anywhere.
The front of the bag has a smaller zipper slot, perfect for all the change you tend to collect as you travel. You could also use it for your transportation passes. Because it's on the front, it's fast to get in and out of.
The side against your body has a larger zippered compartment, where you can keep dollar bills flat impossible for pickpockets to get at. It opens wide so you can see everything inside easily and takes up nearly the whole length of the bag.
The bag has a sturdy zip closure that is held down with this hardware, meaning you can close your bag with one hand with ease and your zipper end will never flop out of the bag, which I'm sure you've had happen with other bags you've owned. It's the worst, right? The Asharum also has a nice little cube detail that you can keep on or take off if you like. It gives the bag just a little bit more interest.
As you can see, even with all the stuff inside, the bag is still a manageable width. It does expand a bit to make it work for most of the things you'd like to carry around in it. The different sections are separate from each other, so it's not just one big bag with sections that can make the bag too wide and/or droopy when full. The sections are stitched together, so they retain their shape and don't allow the bag to accordion out so much that it is heavy and pulling down.
You also have a heavy duty strap and buckle. The buckle was impossible for me to pull apart just by tugging hard on the two sides, so it's not going to just snap and fall off while you're walking around. It's also going to be hard for someone to snatch and drag off your body while you're wearing it. The strap is easy to adjust, too, so whatever size you are, you can make it comfortable for you.
I think this might change my mind about fanny packs, but if not, Hedgren has plenty of other great bags for me to try. I've got three more to bring you! Don't forget about the dad or grad on your list who might love this for their travels, or just to look cool around campus.
Other details
How much is it? €49.00 (approx $65)
Colors they come in: black (shown) | dolphin blue | tango red
Additional specs: 5.91 x 1.57 x 10.24 inch, durable water repellent 100-200D twill nylon
Who's excited to see the waist bag return?
Loving Hedgren and want to see all their new products and see how to make them even more fashionable? Find them online:
Disclosure: I was provided with the Asharum Waist Bag for the purposes of this review, but all opinions are 100% my own.