Alpaka Metro Crossbody Bag review

REVIEW – Upon first encounter with the Alpaka Metro Crossbody bag, I found myself intrigued yet full of questions. What exactly is this hybrid half-backpack design? What can it accommodate? And how comfortable is it to wear? So, when Alpaka offered me the chance to review the Metro Crossbody Bag, I was excited to explore these queries and more.

⬇︎ Jump to summary (pros/cons)
Price: $119.00
Where to buy: Alpaka Store

What is it?

The Alpaka Metro Crossbody Bag is a ten liter designated shoulder carry sling.

What’s included?

• Alpaka Crossbody Bag with integrated Shoulder Strap
• Detachable MOD Key Tether
• Detachable Stabilizing Strap

Tech specs

Height: 40.0 cm (15.7”)
Width: 23.0 cm (9.1”)
Depth: 13.0 cm (5.1”)
Volume: 10L
Weight: 730g (1.6lbs)

Design and features

The Alpaka Metro Crossbody Bag is a well made versatile over-the-shoulder bag with an advertised capacity of ten liters, designed as a shoulder specific sling configuration. I say advertised here because it just does not seem to be that large compared to another bag that I had access to, the Waterfly Urban Elite 2.0 UltraLight Crossbody Bag. The Waterfly has an advertised size of only five liters. The main compartment of each bag seemed very similar to the naked eye. The Alpaka Metro Crossbody Bag is tapered in some of the dimensions which is what I am sure contributes to the bag’s calculated volume, but takes away from the bag’s actual volume. The last thing I will say about this is that if you feel you need the full ten liters of space, you may be better off with a different offering.

Crafted from a water resistant durable black (green is also available) Axoflux 210D Ripstop Nylon, this bag offers water-resistant properties, making it suitable for various environments. The interior features a resilient light grey Polyester 300D Honeycomb Ripstop fabric, ensuring durability for everyday use.

The Alpaka Metro Crossbody Bag is extremely well made from recycled material, and only has modest structure allowing the bag to be squished fairly flat for carry inside a larger bag or suitcase. For instance, the Metro easily fit in both my Peak Design 45L Travel Backpack, and in my Peak Design 35L Travel Duffle. This makes it, albeit much larger than a pouched based packable bag, a destination EDC option should that be needed.

Unlike some other slings, this particular model is available in a dedicated left-shoulder or right-shoulder configuration. This means that the sling is not set up to wear on the opposite shoulder.

The reason for this is that the Alpaka Metro Crossbody Bag’s pocket entry system has been optimized to be accessed while slung around to the front. So instead of the bag being set up to be accessed from the top, like most bags, the Metro’s zippers are along the side of the bag, which is the widest part of the bag. So when the bag is being worn, it looks normal as the top looks like the top, and when swung around to the front for access, the side of the bag is now on top, and all the access is conveniently there.

Initially, I found the choice of what configuration to get a bit confusing and was uncertain about which option, left or right carry, to select. The guidance on Alpaka’s website was somewhat limited, but after watching several videos and giving it considerable thought, I realized that the ideal shoulder configuration typically corresponds to the opposite side of the wearer’s dominant hand. Therefore, as a right-handed individual, I decided to go with the left-shoulder configuration. This choice allows me to pull the sling around to the front, from under my right-arm and unzip it with my left hand, making it easy to access the contents inside with my right hand. I will define this orientation of the bag as access mode.

The bag features three zippered pockets at the top (when in access mode), all secured with YKK Aquaguard zippers. The front and back pockets zip from right to left when the bag is pulled around to the front. The largest main central compartment has opposing zippers, allowing it to be closed in either direction. I position the two zippers on the right side to align with the closed state of the other two pocket zippers.

I will start with the smallest pocket which is hidden, located on the back side of the Alpaka Metro Crossbody Bag when in access mode. The back pocket is by far the most secure pocket when the bag is worn in the carry mode as this pocket lies flat against your back, making it discreet and difficult for anyone behind you to access while you are carrying it. The back pocket measures approximately 8 inches wide and nearly 7 inches deep. This is a narrow pocket with very little volume, however it can comfortably hold items such as your phone, passport, cash, or a slim wallet—essentially remaining unnoticeable as it sits behind the padded, breathable back panel of the bag. Its placement on the back not only keeps it out of sight but also features a slightly recessed zipper that makes it challenging for someone behind you to access without your awareness when the bag is in the carry position.

Now, let’s turn our attention to what I’ll refer to as the front, fast easy-access pocket. This pocket is of moderate size and serves as a catch-all space, featuring the MOD Key Tether without any other additional organizational compartments. The MOD Key Tether consists of two components: a magnetic key holder that allows for quick attachment and detachment from a fixed tether. I appreciate this magnetic solution, as it provides the most freedom when needing to access one’s keys, compared to any amount of stretch present in other key tether solutions.

The zipper opening of this pocket again measures nearly 8 inches, and while it is about an inch shallower than the hidden pocket, the front pocket does not suffer the volume limitation of the hidden pocket, as the front pocket has some extra material at the bottom of the pocket which allows for some expansion. This makes this pocket suitable for a variety of items, including a decent-sized (older) charging brick, several snack bars, a phone along with its charging brick and cables, or even an iPad mini-sized tablet believe it or not. However it’s important to note that this pocket lacks any kind of padding, so exercise caution if you choose to store a smaller tablet there.

Finally, I turn my attention to the main pocket of the Alpaka Metro Crossbody Bag. Unlike typical slings that feature a symmetrical main opening, this bag boasts a distinctively different design. In access mode, the opening starts near the bottom on the dominant hand side and extends up to the top on the carry shoulder side. In the carry mode the bag opens from top to bottom on the side of the bag, with the bottom portion remaining closed off regardless of the zipper’s position. i.e., nothing can fall out of the bottom of the bag if fully unzipped in either mode.

Measuring over 12 inches wide, this pocket consumes the majority of the bag’s capacity. This main compartment includes a zippered, see-through mesh pocket on the outer wall, providing easy visibility for small items. Inside, there’s a nicely padded tablet partition designed to accommodate devices up to 11 inches. I successfully fit my nearly 10-inch third-generation iPad Air, keyboard cover attached without any issues. The tablet is securely held in place by a robust Velcro strap, ensuring the tablet remains secured even when the bag’s main pocket is fully open in either access or carry mode. It is worth mentioning that the small see through zipper mesh pocket is all the inter-pocket organization that there is in the Alpaka Metro Crossbody Bag.

The Alpaka Metro Crossbody Bag features an integrated transparent mesh zippered phone pouch on its shoulder strap, conveniently positioned near the wearer’s chin when the bag is in carry mode. My iPhone 16 Pro fits nicely in this pouch, but I’m unsure if larger models like the iPhone 16 Pro Max would also fit. Additionally, the Metro includes a clever credit card pocket with a pull tab that allows for easy access; simply pull the strap to reveal your credit cards, keeping them discreetly hidden when not in use.

Finally, the Alpaka Metro Crossbody Bag features an expandable water bottle holder positioned along the long side of the bag. This holder includes a strap to securely fasten the water bottle, ensuring it stays in place regardless of the bag’s orientation. When not in use, the water bottle holder can be zipped closed against the side of the bag for a streamlined look. This compartment can also easily be used to house a travel umbrella or travel tripod.

Assembly, Installation, Setup

As expected the Alpaka Metro Crossbody Bag requires minimal setup—simply adjust the two straps to fit your body comfortably and you are done. This process is straightforward, and the included strap management loops help maintain a neat appearance. Additionally, the stabilizing strap is detachable, allowing you to choose whether or not to use it based on your individual carry needs.

Performance

A really nice feature about the Alpaka Metro Crossbody bag is the backpack like padding which enhances the Metro’s comfort when the bag is fully loaded out. In addition, the Metro has a luggage passthrough and top carry handle which may come in handy as well. It is worth mentioning that many bags this size do not have backpack-ish carry components.

I would be remiss if I did not speak to the clever MagLock system at one end of each carry straps. These fully articulating connection points are both robust, but more importantly very easy to attach and detach.

I found the Alpaka Metro Crossbody Bag to be exceptionally versatile. It easily accommodated my iPad, a large charging brick, various cables, full-sized headphones (Sony Quiet Comfort), Bluetooth headphones (AirPods 2 Pro), a Yeti 26 oz water bottle, and I still had a bunch of room still left for snacks should one roll that way.

In a different configuration, the Alpaka Metro Crossbody Bag comfortably accommodates my Canon Rebel XT DSLR with a F 4-5.6 70-300 mm image-stabilized zoom lens attached and a F 4-5.6 17-85 mm image-stabilized zoom. Additionally, I can fit my iPad Air, a spare battery, essential cables, and the Peak Design Pro Pad, which includes the Peak Design’s Capture system.

Final thoughts

Lastly, one feature of the Alpaka Metro Crossbody Bag that I haven’t yet mentioned is its stabilizing strap, which greatly enhances how secured the bag becomes for use when, say, biking or even riding a motorcycle. While I did not get to test it on a motorcycle, I did ride a bike for about one hour wearing the bag with the stabilizing strap, and the bag really fit snug and in no way hindered my bike riding experience.

The adjustable strap not only allows you to customize its length but it can also be attached to various points along the front edge of the shoulder strap, ensuring a snug and secure fit for users of various body shapes and sizes.

While I believe the Alpaka Metro Crossbody bag could use improved organization, read as more enclosed pockets, it stands out as a versatile and minimalist option with a generous capacity. The more I think about the specific shoulder carry design, I really like how the bag behaves while being accessed while being worn.  Most other slings are better accessed after taking them off, while the Metro Crossbody is specifically designed to allow for convenient access while being worn.

What I like about the Alpaka Metro Crossbody Bag

• Build Quality
• Clever Specific Carry Shoulder Design
• Water Bottle Strap

What needs to be improved?

• More Organization
• More accurate bag capacity claim

Price: $119.00
Where to buy: Alpaka Store
Source: The sample of this product was provided for free by Alpaka. Alpaka did not have a final say on the review and did not preview the review before it was published.

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