Every time I open TikTok I feel like I see new posts about pick-pockets in popular travel destinations. Whether or not pick-pocketing is really on the rise, people are increasingly aware of the need to keep their belonging safe when the travel. And one popular new tool in the fight against pick-pockets is the anti-theft travel bag. But are these bags really any good? I set out to find out.
I recently bought both the Travelon Anti-Theft Classic Backpack and the Travelon Anti-Theft Active Fanny Pack (both shown above, with my favorite carry-on suitcase and a straw hat for scale). In this review I am going to cover the pros and cons of each bag, what you can fit inside, and whether or not you really need an anti-theft bag for your next trip.
Note: I paid in full for both of the bags in this review and I have no business relation with Travelon in any way. I did buy both bags off Amazon, and as an Amazon affiliate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Do You Need an Anti-Theft Bag for Travel?
No, you don’t! I have traveled for years without using an anti-theft bag. However, I am lucky in that I have two passports (so if I lose one, I can still travel on the other) and in that I usually travel solo, so I’m not responsible for other people’s valuables.
This is actually the reason why I recently bought my first anti-theft travel bags. On a trip to Europe earlier this year I had to carry passports for seven other people. I needed to take every possible precaution to protect their valuables, so I purchased a small anti-theft day pack (day packs are just small backpacks). I ended up liking it so much that when I got home I bought a fanny pack (bum bag, waist bag, etc.) from the same brand.
My Experiences With Pick-Pockets
I’ve been pick-pocketed twice:
- Once, on the way home from the beach in Italy, I was carrying a big, floppy beach bag that didn’t zip closed. Someone reached in and grabbed my phone. I’m lucky they left my wallet!
- During my around-the-world trip a few years ago I was pick-pocketed in a nightclub in Buenos Aires. My phone was inside my cross-body purse, inside TWO zipped compartments. Again, I was lucky they left me enough cash to take a taxi back to my AirBnb.
Honestly, I made myself a target that day in Italy. But in Buenos Aires, I was doing everything right and I still got pick-pocketed. It really can happen anywhere, to anyone.
Remember how I said that in Europe I had to carry seven other people’s passports? Well it was lucky I did, and that I was using my anti-theft bag, as one of those seven people got pick-pocketed on the subway in Barcelona and lost their phone and wallet. Because I had their passport they were still able to travel by train to Paris, and then home to Canada, without wasting hours getting emergency travel documents from the embassy.
Travelon Anti-Theft Backpack Review (Classic Model)
The anti-theft travel backpack that I bought for Europe was the Travelon Anti-Theft Classic Backpack, which is shown above. As someone who usually carries a purse, I was surprised by how much I liked the minimalist, chic profile and small size of this bag. It definitely did not look like a bulky, utilitarian day pack.
Travelon Anti-Theft Backpack Features
This backpack advertises three main anti-theft features:
- Slash-proof compartments and straps
- RFID-blocking organizers
- Locking zippers
To me, the locking zippers are the biggest deterrent against pick-pocketers. Take a look at the top zippers (for the main compartment and the zipping side compartment) and the front zipper (for the front pouch):
As you can see, all the zippers clip on to a loop that is sewn into the bag. Unclipping them is actually quite finicky and often took me 10-15 seconds of jiggling and juggling the bag. This means that you won’t always have the easiest access to your stuff, but neither will the pick-pockets!
The RFID-blocking section of the bag is in the front organizer. I honestly have no idea how to check if this technology works or not, and I would never leave my cards loose in a backpack like that. I mostly used these for pens, lip balm and candy! 🤫
Travelon Classic Anti-Theft Backpack Capacity
I brought my Travelon backpack out to my balcony to show you the capacity. The website says the backpack has a capacity of 11 liters. I put the following things inside the backpack:
- 14″ laptop computer (Asus Zenbook)
- Travel wallet
- My usual carry-on toiletry bag (80% full)
- Cell phone (the old Samsung I had to buy when my iPhone got pick-pocketed!)
- Tissues
- Sunglasses
When I put all of these inside the backpack, this is how much space was left:
I think I still had room for the bag of chargers, cords and cables I carry with me on the airplane, but I would not have had room for a change of clothes. In other words, there is more than enough space for day-to-day city exploring and probably even hiking, but I wouldn’t make this my only carry-on bag if I was going on a flight.
* The laptop also fit when it was in its slightly padded case!
Overall Impressions of the Travelon Anti-Theft Classic Backpack
Overall I’m really pleased with the Travelon Classic Anti-Theft Backpack. The anti-theft features reassured me on the days when I had to carry valuables with me around Europe, and the design was nice enough that I never felt like I looked like a “tacky tourist”. Of course, I also never got pick-pocketed while I was using it!
Even better, since I’ve returned home to Canada I’ve used this backpack at least weekly. If I’m walking to work, it’s the perfect size for my wallet, phone, water bottle, coffee thermos, lunch and sunglasses. Yesterday I brought it with me to my First Aid Recertification course as it was the perfect size for (again) two beverages, lunch, a notebook and my First Aid manual.
Travelon Anti-Theft Fanny Pack Review (Active Waist Pack Model)
After trying out the anti-theft backpack from Travelon, I decided to also buy their anti-theft fanny pack. I specifically wanted this for a music festival that I was planning to attend in Europe, as I’d recently seen news about organized gangs stealing phones at music festivals in the USA (source).
As the festival hadn’t published their rules around bag sizes by the time I departed, I wanted to make sure that I had a bag that was small enough, and secure enough, for the event. This ended being a really smart move, as once again there were reports of many pickpockets at the festival.
Travelon Anti-Theft Fanny Pack Features
Travelon advertises that their anti-theft fanny pack has a “five-point anti-theft system” but on their website they only list four points? Here’s what they list:
- Slash-resistant mesh barrier and straps
- Lock-down strap
- Locking compartments
- RFID-blocking organizer
I can only guess that they count the slash-resistant barrier separate from the slash-resistant straps? Either way, here’s what this looks like when you’re actually wearing the bag.
Like the backpack, the zippers for the two main compartments clip onto a loop that is sewn into the bag. Like the backpack, it definitely takes a few seconds to jiggle these open (and also to clip them back on when you close the bag).
A really cool feature of the Travelon Anti-Theft Fanny Pack is that the clip to open the waist strap is tucked into a pouch in the fabric. To unclip the bag from your waist you need to wedge your fingers into the pouch, push down on a button AND squeeze the sides of the clip at the same time. I dare a pick-pocket to try that on me without being noticed in a nanosecond!
Another great security feature is the hidden pouch on the back of the Travelon Anti-Theft Fanny Pack. This pouch doesn’t have a zipper that clips (because that would rub against your skin). However, the pouch rests flat against your body and you’d definitely feel someone sticking their fingers in there!
The compartment on the back of the fanny pack was too small for my iPhone 15 (I was using it take the photo, so that’s just the empty case) but it did fit my Canadian and/or EU passport easily, with enough room left to squeeze in a credit card and some cash.
Travelon Anti-Theft Fanny Pack Capacity
For me, the only downside of the Travelon Anti-Theft Fanny Pack was the capacity. The top photo shows the fanny pack with just an iPhone 15 in the main compartment – as you can see, there’s not much space left.
The second photo shows the absolute bare minimum essentials I was planning to bring to the music festival: my iPhone, a travel-sized tube of sunscreen (50 ml), SPF lip balm and my passport. With those items in the bag I wasn’t able to fit in my sunglasses. My current plan is to get a chain for the sunglasses so that when it gets dark I can just hang them around my neck.
Overall Impressions of the Travelon Anti-Theft Fanny Pack
Overall, I’m once again pleased with the Travelon Anti-Theft Fanny Pack. It has some really good security features that will help me feel confident in a crowd. I didn’t mention this earlier, but for most people the strap is also long enough for you to wear the bag around your waist or across your chest (they advertise a 48″ circumference).
The downside is that the capacity is quite small, but if you don’t have much to carry (or if you’re going somewhere that doesn’t allow larger bags) then you can find a way to make it work!
Bonus Anti-Theft Trick: A Phone Tether
You might have noticed something unusual in some of the fanny pack photos above. That’s an anti-theft phone tether that you can use to add a double layer of protection when your phone is in your bag. There is a flat piece with a small loop that gets inserted in your empty phone case, with the loop pulled through the charger hole. You then put your phone into the case and now you can clip it onto a lanyard, cable or cord that connects to the key ring in your bag.
Now, for a pickpocket to steal your phone from your bag they would have to first unclip the Travelon bag’s locking zippers, then reach inside, then find your phone, then realize the phone was clipped to the bag, and then unclip the phone, all without you noticing. And what are the chances of that?
Anti-Theft Bag Summary
Again, nobody needs an anti-theft bag and I traveled for many years without one. However, in the era of rising inflation and growing wealth inequality, it feels like the number of pick-pockets is on the rise. And while an anti-theft bag is never a substitute for paying attention to your surroundings and your possessions, it can be an extra layer of security for first-time travelers, people carrying valuables and anyone who can’t avoid traveling to extremely crowded places.
I hope you found this anti-theft bag review helpful! If you have any questions about either bag please let me know below.
Before you you, I recommend reading my guides to avoiding novice travel mistakes, saving money on travel and downloading Google Maps so you can use them offline (no data required!)
Will you need an anti-theft bag in the future? Pin this post for later!
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