‘Best travel purse ever’: Outsmart pickpockets with this anti-theft bag, now $33

You spend countless hours meticulously packing for a trip. You’ve got the toothbrush, the PJs, the cozy plane outfit, the little black dress … but there’s one thing you probably don’t take when traveling, and really should. Here’s a hint: What would ruin a perfectly good vacation? Getting robbed!

Thankfully, Amazon has the wildly popular Travelon Anti-Theft Messenger Bag on sale for up to 60% off — it’s just $33, down from $80. It looks like a standard purse but is packed with tons of sneaky features to help keep you safe.

Amazon

All four sides feature a cut-resistant mesh barrier, plus there’s a stainless-steel wire inside the strap to ward against slash-and-go theft. Wow!

$33 at Amazon

Why is this a good deal? 💰

At nearly 60% off and only $33 in black (down from $80), the Travelon Anti-Theft Messenger Bag offers the comfort of safety and security while you’re away from your home base. Whether heading to work or embarking on a big adventure, peace of mind is pretty priceless — but $33 is definitely a great start! This is the lowest price we’ve seen the travel bag drop to this year; we suggest snapping this baby up now if you have any autumn jaunts in the offing.

Why do I need this? 🤔

Picture this: You’re on a crowded train and someone bumps into you. Uh oh… did you just get pick-pocketed? Not with this messenger bag, thanks to its locking zippered pulls! The bag will even protect you while you sip that cappuccino at an outdoor cafe. Lockdown straps secure the bag to a chair or other stationary object so no one can dash off with your valuables.

Woman with her anti-theft bag standing in a park. — Have anti-theft bag, will travel. (Amazon)

Another thing we (unfortunately) have to worry about? Electronic identity theft. Passports and some credit cards contain chips with identifying info that can be hacked — meaning pickpockets don’t even have to, well, actually pick your pockets anymore. But this bag has that covered too, with RFID (radio-frequency identification) blocking card slots and passport pockets.

A must when traveling is to stay organized, and this number does just that as well. It holds a ton of stuff without looking stuffed. The main compartment keeps you blissfully organized — it’s perfect for a 10″ tablet, and has both front and rear zippered compartments for extra storage. An interior tethered key clip with an LED light even helps you find items hiding at the bottom. And the exterior is made of a water- and dirt-resistant fabric that easily wipes clean. It’s like they thought of everything!

Black Travelon messenger bag with water bottle in side pocket — Travel on, intrepid adventurers — this messenger bag will keep you confident on all your journeys. (Amazon)

What reviewers say 💬

More than 6,500 Amazon reviewers have awarded the Travelon Anti-Theft Messenger Bag a fab five stars, with many highlighting the purse’s functionality, durability and, of course, the security it offers while traveling.

Pros 👍

“This bag was perfect for my trip to Europe,” shared one intrepid traveler. “All three pockets have a safety lock feature, which gave me peace of mind that someone wouldn’t get into my bag. … It held everything I needed for sightseeing. … The water bottle pockets hold smaller plastic bottles. This won’t weigh you down like carrying around a giant water bottle. While the mesh fabric in the water bottle pockets feels delicate, it works if you are gentle with zipping it up/down and putting a water bottle in it. The material feels sturdy. Great bag!”

“Best travel purse EVER,” raved another five-star reviewer. “Great side pocket for a water bottle. Easy to wear as a crossbody. Holds a lot for a medium bag. Secure anti-theft clips from zippered pockets are easy to use.”

A final fan wrote, “I have a habit of traveling with bags that are too big and I spend much of my precious vacation time digging around for the items I need. I recently saw someone carrying this bag in Rome and asked if she would share the brand name. It looked so compact, stylish and organized. I immediately ordered it when I returned home, and I am in love! It holds A LOT more than you would expect, but the pocket organizers make it easy to quickly find everything I need. I also love the anti-theft technology.”

Cons 👎

One shopper, who still gave the bag five stars, noted, “A couple things I don’t like/am unsure of: The anti-theft clips seem a little flimsy, like they would break if you used them a lot. The strap is seatbelt strap material, and gets a little buckled over time. My biggest wish is that it came with a shoulder strap pad. It has not caused any discomfort to date but… I’m thinking that if you wear it in the summer and have a water bottle and a bunch of other stuff in it, it will ride on your shoulder/neck and cause some pain.”

Another customer agreed about the strap: “The only negative is that the strap is thick — to make it not as easy to cut by thieves — [but that] also makes it stiff and not as comfortable over your shoulder.” They added that, in their opinion, this was just “a small issue to work around.”

Travelon

If you want to splurge, an extra $17 will net you the nutmeg brown version (shown here). Or if you really want to splurge, the lovely navy number is $80.

$50 at Amazon

If you have Amazon Prime, you’ll get free shipping, of course. Not yet a member? No problem. You can sign up for your free 30-day trial here. (And by the way, those without Prime still get free shipping on orders of $35 or more.)

The reviews quoted above reflect the most recent versions at the time of publication.