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I wrote in my review of the Dagne Dover Mara Sling that I am at heart a minimalist bag girl. I love having the smallest practical bag for all of my daily essentials. While perusing the internet for recommendations, one bag kept coming up near the top of lists: The Lululemon Everywhere Belt Bag.
Now, I’m really not a Lululemon person. I’ve been in store exactly once and I wasn’t really impressed with the size selection, opaqueness of fabric, or the price point. So I was kind of skeptical when this simple bag kept topping the list of favorite everyday bag. But, I figured that it wasn’t that expensive at $38, and it’s popular enough that I could probably resell it if I didn’t like it – so I purchased the 1 liter size in Pink Pastel.
Pros of the Everywhere Belt Bag
Size
After using this bag for several months, I really think that the one liter size is the perfect everyday carry size. I can fit sunglasses, my wallet, lip balms, keys, phone, tampons, reusable bag and still shove other things in there in a pinch.
From the outside the Everywhere Belt Bag looks like it could be a (small) black hole, but the inner mesh pouches do a lot to help keep things orderly. There is also a hidden back zipper pocket, which is perfect for slipping some cash or a ticket that you don’t want to lose.
I like that the bag is structured enough that my stuff doesn’t feel like it’s going to fall out when I unzip the bag, but it’s also not so structured that it retains its bulk when its mostly unfilled. It manages to take up the exact amount of space that I want for the items I’m carrying, which is the biggest pro to me.
The size makes it great to wear across the chest or around the waist – I don’t feel like the bag is overly bulky in either setup. It slips down a little bit when I’m walking with it on the chest, so if I’m going on a miles long walk, I switch into waist mode. It’s really convenient to slip my phone in and out of the main pocket in either configuration.
Colors and Fabric
I also love when I can accessorize with something that’s not a boring black. Lululemon keeps cycling the various colors that the Everywhere Belt Bag comes in, so there’s likely to be one that catches your eye (or just in black if you’re not like me).
The fabric is billed as water-repellent, which I have found to be the case. It will get damp, but I have not had an instance where the bag interior gets wet at all.
Of course I chose another light color which shows the few marks the bag has picked up over several months. If that bothers you, don’t be like me and choose a light color! Choose a dark color! I could learn my lesson, but I chose not to this time and I have a slightly marked up bag to show for it.
Cons of the Everywhere Belt Bag
Adjustable Strap Annoyances
I’m not the biggest fan of this strap. The strap is wide and fairly soft, so I haven’t had any problems with it digging into my shoulder after a long wear period. But the strap is not very long, so if you’re very busty, you may have problems with this bag sitting in the right place if you wear it across your body.
I also find it fairly tedious to adjust the length of the strap, which makes it a pain to switch from wearing it around the waist to wearing it across your body. It’s even hard to adjust the strap an inch or two, which leaves me to fiddle with it constantly as I change what is in the bag and where I want it to sit on my body.
The strap is sewn into the bag, which forces the bag to hang in a certain way, eliminating the ability to wear it as a classic purse (or at least to do that in a flattering or comfortable way). In this sense I much prefer the Mara Sling’s rotating hinges, which allow the bag to sit in more configurations. Sewn straps also prevent customization of the strap if you find it too short and want to have a longer one.
Extremely Popular
You’ve probably seen this bag out and about. I know I have noticed it everywhere on the two summer vacations I took. Which, makes sense, I really like it, I bought it because I read that other people liked it. If you’re fine with following the masses and being branded as a Lululemon girl or boy, then this won’t bother you. If you don’t want to look like that, then, yeah, go for a less popular bag.
It’s also popular enough that there are supposed “dupes” on Amazon [affiliate link]. I didn’t buy a dupe so I can’t comment on whether or not it’s worth paying for the Lululemon one. I think I only bought the brand name so that I could resell it if I didn’t like the form factor. Which, turns out I like it, so now I have the real thing.
Lululemon Everywhere Belt Bag Verdict
This is my everyday bag and I don’t reach for other purses unless I’m going somewhere fancy. I’ve taken it traveling multiple times, I take it out on walks around the neighborhood, I take it on quick drives in the car. I love it! Highly recommend, I really think it’s the best size bag for the essentials, and it keeps the essentials conveniently close at hand.
What do you think? Have you tried the Everywhere Belt Bag? How did it turn out for you? Let me know in the comments, and let me know if I am missing out on some other holy grail bag.
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