Harber London Leather Crossbody Bag Review

The perfect travel sling would be able to do everything, from day hikes to date nights and everything in between. Unfortunately, that unicorn probably doesn’t exist, although to be all things for all people is probably asking too much anyway.

However, you might be on the right track when you combine full-grain leather with super durable hardware, good design, and a comfortable strap. That’s the Harber London Leather Crossbody Bag, in a nutshell, so we were excited to test it out and see if it lives up to our expectations and deserves its high price point.

External Components

As its name suggests, the Harber London Leather Crossbody Bag is made with full-grain leather. We’re testing the Caoba colorway, which is brown, but there’s also Black and a second Brown option. The differences between the two browns are subtle, but the Caoba is slightly darker and the Brown is slightly lighter. Black is as dark as you would imagine.

The leather feels super soft and supple, which we appreciate. There’s a leather tab on the front with Harber London and the brand logo printed in silver. However, after just two weeks of use, it’s already beginning to scratch off, so we’re not sure about the longevity of the design.

The flexible leather structure causes the zipper to slow down around the corners. The zipper is from YKK, and it’s quite toothy, but our tester didn’t have any issues with it scraping her hand whenever she went inside, so we don’t mind. It has a long leather strap for a pull that connects to a stud at the top to create a loop.

There’s a corresponding loop underneath the COBRA buckle that connects the strap to the bag on the right-hand side. It’s there so you can lock the zipper into place by disconnecting the loop on the pull, running it through the loop under the buckle, and connecting it again. Then, at least, if you wear the bag crossbody on your back, you’ll feel someone tugging at your zipper if they’re trying to get inside.

Getting back to that COBRA buckle, though—it’s rather large and bulky. If you’re familiar with the brand’s metal fasteners, you’ll know that it’s almost like a seatbelt buckle. There are wings on the female end that you push toward the male end to release it, and then the male end inserts into the female side to attach it. It won’t go in if you have it backwards, so you don’t have to worry about twisting your strap, and it makes a satisfying click when you connect or disconnect it.

We have no issue with its performance, but it is rather heavy, and depending on how you’re wearing it, it can bump up against your body or hips. Of course, how you feel about its aesthetics against the leather bag is up to you; our primary tester isn’t a big fan, but other members of the Pack Hacker team dig it, so take a close look before buying the bag.

The strap is a wide cloth webbing strap with built-in adjustment. A metal adjuster allows you to lengthen or shorten it, and a leather keeper holds the two pieces of the strap together. The way it’s looped to the bag, there aren’t any ends dangling around, and the strap stays exactly where you adjust it, no matter how often you put the bag over your head.

The back panel lacks padding or breathable mesh, but the bag’s footprint isn’t so large that you really miss it.

Fit Notes

Overall, the Harber London Leather Crossbody Bag has a premium aesthetic that works well for travel, shopping, and exploring a new city. It’s not a bag you’re likely to wear hiking, though you could if you wanted to, since the strap is comfortable for quite some time on bare shoulders. The large, clunky buckle is the only thing that may give you pause, or it may not; your mileage will vary depending on your taste.

Even without padding or breathable mesh, we find it quite comfortable to wear crossbody as designed, since the strap extends out the top of the bag’s right side and the side of its left, keeping it sitting horizontally across even when you angle the strap. It works well slung over one shoulder, too, acting more like a purse, if you prefer that style.

Inside The Sling

The interior of the Harber London Leather Crossbody Bag is a soft, suede-like fabric that complements the full-grain leather on the exterior. It’s a brighter, orangy brown on all three color options that makes it easy to see inside, and there are leather accents and pockets that match your chosen hue.

Against the front, you’ll find a large zippered pocket to stow small gear like dongles, hand sanitizer, and lip balm. Inside, there’s a small leather square where you can stick a smart tracker in case you lose track of your bag.

In front of it are two slip pockets for a minimalist wallet or earbuds, but how easy it is to use them depends on how much gear you’ve stowed inside the zipper pocket. If you have bulkier gear inside the zipper pocket, it protrudes into the slip pockets, making the space a little tight. We don’t have too much of an issue sliding a wallet inside, but sometimes it requires two hands. The pockets are also relatively short, so gear can spill out.

Against the opposite wall is a large slip pocket. It’s almost like a divider for the remaining space. It’s a great place to slide your phone to make it easier to grab at a moment’s notice, and we think it also works well for a passport or small notebook.

You’ll want a little organization because the remaining space is open for any other gear you want to bring along. Even though things like a packable tote bag, tissues, and a battery bank will jostle around on the bottom, there isn’t so much space that it’s hard to grab what you need.

That makes the Harber London Leather Crossbody Bag a great companion for everyday carry and travel, provided you like the aesthetics, don’t mind the large buckle, and aren’t vegan. It might be right for you if you like leather handbags and want something more flexible that won’t slip off your shoulder.