Bellroy Classic Sling 5L Review

Bellroy’s Classic Sling lineup has been steadily growing, with the Classic Sling available in three sizes: 3L, 5L, and 7L. We’ve already taken a close look at the smaller and larger versions, and now we’re digging into the 5L—right in the middle of the lineup. It’s marketed as the versatile “just right” option, but after testing it thoroughly, we found that while it does hit a sweet spot for some, it also comes with quirks that could make or break your experience.

So, is the middle child the black sheep of the Classic Sling lineup? Or does it fall in line, fulfill expectations, and satisfy our travel needs? Let’s find out!

External Components

The Bellroy Classic Sling 5L has the same Canva Weave fabric as its siblings, a recycled polyester spun from discarded plastic water bottles. It feels durable in hand and maintains the premium aesthetic Bellroy is known for, helped along by leather accents on the logo patch and zipper pulls. The material has a slightly structured, thick feel, which gives the bag presence but also makes it look bulkier than its 5L capacity might suggest.

So far, so Bellroy, and everything really drives home the point of the Classic lineup. They nail the clean, minimal design we dig from them. Branding is subtle, with just a small stitched logo on the back and the leather patch on the front. The bag works whether you want it facing forward or backward, and its uncluttered look makes it versatile enough for daily use, travel, or city commuting.

One thing to note: this fabric is a magnet for pet hair and lint. During testing, it picked up fuzz from sweaters and every stray cat hair in the house. While fastidious application of our trusty lint roller solves the issue quickly, it becomes tedious if you want the bag to look crisp every day. If you live with pets—or wear a lot of textured clothing—expect to do some maintenance. That said, most pet owners will confess that this issue is just a fact of life; most bags’ fabrics and coatings eventually succumb to the playful furballs.

The harness system is where things get interesting. Unlike many slings that use a buckle and extra straps that dangle, Bellroy went for a closed-loop strap design. The upside? No loose ends flapping around. The downside? Twisting, though not too badly, based on our years of testing slings. Throughout testing, we found the strap twisting constantly—sometimes after loosening it to take the bag off, sometimes when pulling it tighter. Untangling it mid-wear is inconvenient, especially when you’re in a rush.

The strap itself has no padding, but doesn’t need it. Even loaded up, the 5L capacity never got heavy enough to feel uncomfortable. Still, one limitation is that there’s no buckle for quick release. To remove the sling, you’ll need to fully loosen it and slide it over your head, occasionally worsening the twisting issue. It’s not a deal-breaker for most casual users. But if you’re the type to layer your sling alongside your backpack, duffle, camera, ID lanyard, etc., all over yourself, you might sorely miss a quick-release buckle.

Fit Notes

The Classic Sling 5L looks and feels a bit chunkier on your body than expected. While capacity-wise it sits neatly between a smaller 3L Classic Sling and the larger Classic Sling 7L option, the thick material prevents it from ever looking sleek or compact.

The self-compressing side straps help pull the sling in when loaded, slightly improving the profile. This feature is more noticeable on the 5L than on the 3L, where the compression felt mostly cosmetic. Still, compared to other 5L slings we’ve tested, the Bellroy Classic Sling feels more substantial—both in presence and bulk.

Inside The Sling

Despite being just 5L, the Classic Sling feels spacious thanks to its boxy rectangular base. It stands upright when set down and accommodates bulkier items like a Kindle, power bank, or packable hat with room to spare. The back zippered pocket is a stash spot best for flat items like a phone or passport. The thick exterior fabric provides enough buffer that you don’t feel your phone pressing into your back, which is good for maintaining comfort.

The Classic Sling 5L uses YKK zippers, with two zipper pulls on the main compartment. That allows for ambidextrous access—handy whether you wear the sling on your left or right shoulder. However, the zipper pulls sometimes tuck underneath the harness system, forcing you to fish them out of small loops before unzipping. It’s a design quirk we also noticed on the other Classic Sling sizes, and while not a dealbreaker, it makes getting in and out less seamless than we’d like.

The main compartment is roomy enough for your daily carry needs. In our case, that would entail a Kindle, wallet, battery bank, and other small accessories. The internal layout is quite organized, too, with a divider pocket at the back, a cavernous dump area in the middle, a zippered mesh pocket at the front, a hidden AirTag pocket integrated into the Bellroy tag, and a key leash for your home set. It’s a modest setup, aptly so for a sling marketed as the brand’s Classic approach.

The divider pocket is marketed as a slot for your smartphone, though it can also fit cash, a Kindle, or other slim items. It extends all the way to the bottom, maximizing the available five-liter space, but we’d limit its use to mainly flat items, still. Fret not, as Bellroy allocated a ton of the five-liter capacity to the dump area, so you have plenty of space to put your can of soda, or high-capacity battery bank, for example. As for smaller accessories, the zippered mesh pocket is excellent for those. Though primed for sunglasses, we find it more useful for storing lip balm, a pack of wipes, and some spare change.

Bellroy integrates the aforementioned hidden AirTag pocket into the brand tag, a subtle and pragmatic approach to having one. It makes sense for a sling that only has five liters to work with, but hopefully not many users forget this feature exists. The more prominent built-in key leash is a nice addition, but it’s too short to reach a door without taking the keys off. The leash is also long enough that keys often sink to the bottom, meaning you’ll be fishing for them anyway.

Overall, the organization is minimal but functional. If you tend to carry many small items, you might want additional pouches or organizers (or opt for Bellroy’s more organized slings). But if you carry bulkier gear, the open layout works in your favor.