Decent looking bag. Unfortunately one of the hooks snapped right off when I initially fitted it to my luggage rack. The other snap went right on with no problem. Since I intend to mount these on a different bike which doesn't use these mounting hooks this is no problem for me, but would be a disappointment for anyone intending to snap these to their luggage rack. It comes with 2 pieces of a relatively heavy plastic material to keep the sides and bottom straight. These have to be cut which is no problem. There's plenty of material for this. Cut both sides first. The left over material will slide into pockets along the bottom. If done properly you'll have two little strips left over about an inch wide to throw away. After assembly I packed the bag with some foam rubber I had lying around to force it into shape. It arrives folded and this helps get its shape back. Other than the broken clip I like the bag.

If you are looking for a cheap, simple bag this one's your best bet.

All bike bags I've seen are overpriced. It's ridiculous that people think around $100 is somehow fair value for a simple bag that hangs on your bicycle. That's almost half the price of my bike! Besides, something that expensive is just bound to get stolen.

This one is also overpriced. I see no reason why it cannot be sold for $10-15 with a tidy profit: Either the company is price gouging or some part of their business is hugely inefficient. However, it is only overpriced by about $10-20, so it's tolerable, unlike the other bags that are worth $30-40 and sell for $100. There is also no cheaper bag on Amazon.

The bag has two plastic clips that go on a metal bike rack. There are also two plastic rings on the back. It comes with some sort of elastic rope and a hook, so I guess you can somehow attach it with that... But who is gonna go to that much trouble? I just permanently tied it to my rack with metal zip ties, this way it's also very unlikely somebody will steal it. (I have had even cheaper unsecured items stolen off my bike, so it happens) I think the company harbors some sort of delusion that you would unclip this bag and carry it around like a regular bag... Haha! After a few weeks, the bag will be warped and dirty, and I'm sure because of the shape and material it would be inconvenient to carry. Most importantly, though, if you can easily detach this from your bike, anyone else can too, meaning that every time you park your bike you'll have to take the bag with you. If you are going to that much trouble just get an actual backpack that can be mounted to your rack.

A lot of people complain about how it's difficult to set up, but it really isn't. It comes with two hard plastic, flexible plates. On the bottom of the bag there are two pockets, you slip one end of each plate in those pockets. The other end goes in a second pair of pockets near the lip. The plates keep it from collapsing when empty. Would have taken me 10 minutes to figure out if I hadn't read how to do it from the reviews here.

The material is reasonably sturdy. It feels okay, doesn't tear easily, can handle 20 lbs of groceries (but will warp if you carry that much on a regular basis). Because the fabric is flexible, items that are too thick can still be crammed inside, which is great because a lot of my stuff has a more square base than this rectangular bag.

I leave it outside on my bike all the time. Sunlight bleaches the color pretty bad, but if you treat it nicely, it will last you maybe 2 years before starting to look like crap and getting horribly warped. If you treat it very badly (leave lid open, carry heavy stuff constantly) make it 6 months. With average use it will probably be okay for a year, and I'm guessing it will take 2-3 years to actually fall apart (as opposed to just looking like it's about to fall apart).

It's not water proof but the fabric will stop liquid splashes, mostly. If you have something that you want to keep dry (eg. fancy clothes) then I'd wrap it up in something instead of trusting the bag. After it rains I always see a little puddle at the bottom of the bag which takes a few hours to a day or two to dissipate. An odd benefit I discovered is that if I leave the lid open lying on my rack, it serves as a makeshift fender and keeps mud from splashing on my back in the rain.

If it's your first time getting a bag, you might be wondering about balance. Even with 20 lbs in it, I have noticed no perceptible effect on the balance or handling of my bike, even going uphill is barely harder (if you think about it, say you+bike is 160 lbs, 20 lbs is very small proportionately). However, if you plan to carry heavy loads regularly I'd consider the two bag version of this to balance the strain on material better. The bag is quite bulky and complicates locking your bike to things, so you might want to think a bit about which side you want to put it on.

Overall it's very useful. I carry my bike lock in it, my bike lights during the day, drinks, food when getting take out (although it spills easily due to the rough ride), spare clothes, backpack (it's too tall so I just let it stick out the top), groceries. It's a huge help, definitely beats killing your back trying to commute with a heavy backpack or dealing with the hassle of grocery bags hanging from handlebars.

I guess I'd say that this pannier bag is pretty good for the price. Key phrase being "for the price". They are pretty cheap and pretty cheaply made. Pros: Inexpensive, lots of volume, reasonably practical in design. Cons: not waterproof although they never claimed to be, quality of materials is decent but quality of construction is pretty bad. They are large and stiff; more like boxes than bags once you get them put together. Right out of the box, the stitching on mine was remarkably messy; I mean to the point where here and there, the stitching misses one of the sides of the materials it's supposed to be holding. After about a month of regular use, the vinyl material has begun to crack and separate from the stitching. The materials are relatively durable but I'll be surprised if this bag doesn't dissintegrate after a year of regular use. The bag looks like it will work on just about any rack. It comes with a number of straps with snap buckles that can go on various configurations of racks. On the inside of the two sides are more belts with strap buckles that will hold the panniers to the sides of your rack. Not a bad try, but I rapidly found the system to be impractical. I can't really blame them, it wasn't a bad design for a pannier that attempts to be universal fit for any rack. In my case, I've had to experiment, modify, repair... to the point where I'd have been better off paying twice as much for a better quality bag. Having said all this, if you don't go too far and you want a pannier to leave on a bike that's something of a beater so that you're not too worried about getting it stolen and you use this back around town to throw groceries and such, It might be just what you need. I need something a little more durable, waterproof, and practical that I can use for my (office) work clothes, computer, etc.

Great bags for the money! Yes the zippers need to be worked carefully a few times with some Rem-Oil, but seem to work ok now.
I also secured the side bags to my rack by weaving a bungee cord through the top holes and the rack.(see pic) I sprayed them with waterproofing but never encountered rain on my trip.
Rode the Katy Trail 270 mileswith 5 other people who had different pannier bags and they all had problems but me. They all asked where I bought them and wanted to get them.
A great value that worked quite well for me!

Inexpensive and basically these work and look ok.

Since the 1970's I have been a practical bicyclist. These days going about 6-7 miles each way, daily, to work. These panniers are just perfect for dropping in my jacket, small backpack, sweater, books, laptop, U-lock and so on. I bought this one because I had an identical one before. I found that one in a recycling area a couple of years ago. It was beat up and partly ripped on top and from tire-holes and abuse from carrying heavy sharp objects. With a
So now I bought a new pair of the same make/brand. Here are a few pointers, in no specific order. As usual just my personal observations:

- Each compartment fits a box slightly over 12x12x6 inches (30x30x15cm).
- The back has netting in which I put red blinking lights for increased traffic safety at night.
- It fits my "Super Tourist" bike rack nicely. The rack structure is shaped to prevent the bag from hitting the tires (please read this twice).
- A regular V-shaped support rack may not prevent the corners from hitting your tires or spokes ripping the fabric (read this twice).
- A bit of a tight fit, but the spring loaded rack trap does fit into a slit on the pannier. This is the only fastening I bother with. In other words, it slips on.
- The material and cover seem waterproof, definitely fine for moderate rain, but I would still use plastic bags around whatever may get wet, just in case. I don't know how this holds up getting soaking wet and being banged around with a heavy load and all wet. If in doubt, there are silicone sprays to repel water.
- Lids close with strap+snaps, very quick and easy. There are snaps under the top, which on my spring-loaded rack become unnecessary. Snaps on the sides let you tie it to the rack. I don't bother with these and in case they fly up, I don't mind looking like Dumbo once a year.
- I keep an extra padlock to lock the pannier onto the rack when I leave it outside.
- So the bag has a handle. You can carry it into the grocery store. When full and heavy, I do find it difficult to slip it on the spring loaded rack. Maybe practice makes master? I still just get grocery bags and slip those into the panniers.
- My only gripe is that the bags come with four stiffeners, plastic sheets that I have a hard time getting into place. These slip inside, into the bottom and the backs and front and give the panniers their boxy-shape. I decided to leave them out altogether since they make the panniers permanently bulky. Without the stiffeners in, I can slip the panniers off the bike and put away without them taking so much space. Maybe it's not a gripe after all.
- The assembly is otherwise extremely simple and practical. No hidden pockets, no frills or pop-out magic.
- I don't really care how the panniers look, they're black and grey. For me that means just fine.

To summarize, I highly recommend for the budget ($25- +/-) and use for moderate weight and convenience. As with other things in life, if you take precaution and treat it well, it will last just fine. Placing sharp objects in the bottom and loading with weight may puncture the bag but hey, that is logical, isn't it? I think it would last on a long tour if you use it right and don't abuse it.