Best Crossbody Handbag or Purse

In June of 2013, my husband and I were downtown Denver making our way to Coors Field for the Colorado Rockies home game. We parked in one of the nearby garages, put the tickets in my purse, and began walking the six blocks to the field. Between the car and the front gate, the tickets were gone. We think someone saw the tickets sticking out and snagged them as we walked. It almost ruined our day. I say almost, because some random person outside the gate gave us a free pair of tickets. Truly amazing… but I still needed a new purse. That’s when I decided to find the best crossbody handbag on the market.

I’ve had a fair amount of purses over the years, but I never found one that I liked enough to share it with others. The “ticket-stealing purse” wasn’t cheap, but the outside pocket didn’t zip — one of its many failures. Other bags were too big, some too small, but I couldn’t stop buying purses until I found one that had all the features I needed for daily use. My husband loved this process, but he knew it was for a good cause. After trying bags that fell apart after a few months, didn’t have the right layout of pockets, or weren’t secure enough for a pair of tickets, I had given up. I was content to say, “There is no such thing as the perfect handbag.” A few months later, Josh spotted a purse while we were in the checkout line at Lowe’s. He looked up the name on Amazon and showed me the list of features. Was it the Holy Grail of handbags? Who knows, but it’s certainly close.

Best Crossbody Handbag

The Baggallini Zipper Bagg was exactly what I needed: simple, sleek, and functional. Depending on color, the Zipper Bagg costs anywhere from $25 to $50. Most of the other purses I tried cost significantly more and needed a replacement within 3-12 months. My Baggallini is going on 19 months of daily use, and I haven’t had a single issue. I would buy another one in a heartbeat… if I ever needed to replace it. Besides the longevity, it has a great list of useful features:

• An adjustable and removable long strap
• Multiple zippered pockets (two in front, one in back, and one inside)
• Included wallet and credit card slots
• Water resistant material (it’s made of nylon, so it repels liquids and is easy to wipe off)
• More than a dozen colors or patterns to match your style

In my mind, those are the must-have features of any purse trying to be the best crossbody handbag. Why did I go with a crossbody handbag? I wanted a hands-free purse; it’s as simple as that. In all of my shopping, the crossbody handbags were always at the top of my list.

The style, form, and function of the Zipper Bagg were great, but what really made me happy were the extra features. It has two lipstick (or lip balm) loops conveniently located by the main zipper. Since I live in a dry climate, I use my lip balm all year round. It was an unexpected nicety; the loops ensure I don’t waste time trying to find that always-elusive stick of balm. The Zipper Bagg also features two internal key clips. Now that I have push-start ignition in my car, I don’t need access to my keys every time I drive. I can clip them inside my purse for safekeeping and easily retrieve them any time I actually need to use them. I’ve also found the detachable strap is very durable; it won’t fall apart like some cloth-based straps (cough, cough: Vera Bradley). Could this handbag have more features? Sure… but I’d consider anything more than this unnecessary.

A Slightly Larger Option

Everyone has a different opinion about the proper size of a purse. I’ve heard it said that a purse should replace your pockets; if you can’t fit its contents into a single outfit with pockets, then you have too much stuff in your bag. I think that may be a little extreme. I want my purse large enough for the essentials without it overwhelming my 5-foot frame. The Zipper Bagg is the perfect size for me. I’m constantly surprised at how many items fit inside. Even still, I’m sure some people will want a larger option. Thankfully, our pick for the best crossbody handbag comes in a larger variation called the Big Zipper Bag (how creative). If you don’t think either of these bags will be the best crossbody handbag for you, check out the other products available from Baggallini. They have an extremely large selection of well-made handbags.