Pacsafe CX Anti-Theft Convertible Backpack Review

Whether you live in the inner city or are traveling somewhere renowned for its pick-pockets, there are plenty of reasons you might want an anti-theft bag. There are a ton of options out there, though, from larger daypacks to slings to options like this mini backpack.

We’ve been carrying the 8L Pacsafe CX Anti-Theft Convertible Backpack around town for a few weeks to see how it feels to use in daily life. It converts from a mini backpack to a crossbody bag, but does it function well in both modes, or does one mode work better than the other? That’s something you’ll want to know before buying it, so let’s dive in.

External Components

Before we get into the nitty-gritty of how it works, let’s talk about what it’s made from. The Pacsafe CX Anti-Theft Convertible Backpack is 320D ECONYL® regenerated nylon Taslon with a PFC-free water-resistant coating. Like most Pacsafe bags, it’s beefed up with eXomesh slashguard to keep someone from cutting into your bag. While it’s nylon, the Taslon is more matte, so it’s still easy to wipe clean but looks slightly more premium than some other nylons.

The zippers aren’t from a brand we can identify, and they all have large metal pulls that are easy to grab but noisy when not locked down. On the front and rear pocket zippers, there are tabs at the end of the track for you to slide the pulls through for some security. The longer pulls make this easier than if they were shorter.

The main compartment zipper pulls connect by sliding the pair together and centering them in the track. You then slide open the black bar on the Roobar system centered at the top of the bag’s center and slip the pulls inside. This will prevent anyone from opening the bag without you knowing, which is especially helpful when it’s on your back.

There’s not much branding on the bag, just a simple silver Pacsafe-branded rivet in the bottom-right corner. Combined with the front pocket’s gathered design, it gives the bag a simple, sleek look in backpack mode.

However, the look isn’t quite as sleek as a crossbody. To carry it that way, you must move the strap, which encompasses the entire harness system. As a backpack, the strap is attached to D-rings in the bottom corners of the bag and passes through the bottom rung of the Roobar (the portion that doesn’t slide open for the zippers). This creates two loops of strap for you to pull over your shoulders. It’s a Carrysafe slashguard strap to prevent someone from cutting it, and each end has TurnNLock security hooks that you unlock to disconnect them, then relock once you have them back in position.

There’s no back panel padding other than the bag’s inherent structure, and that’s a good thing because once you disconnect the strap from the Roobar and the bottom rings, you reattach it to side D-rings in the center. Then, you fold the top half of the bag over the front compartment, and it connects with a magnet to become a “flap” for your crossbody bag. You can still enter all but the front pocket this way, as the “rear” pocket is actually just another entrance to the rear of the main compartment. This zipper is now on top of your crossbody, allowing you access to the bottom half of the bag.

Fit Notes

That’s useful, but when it comes to aesthetics, the Pacsafe CX Anti-Theft Convertible Backpack stumbles in crossbody mode. While the top of the bag, which is now the bottom of the flap, magnetically connects to the bag’s lower portion, the top half of the flap (previously the backpack’s rear panel) blouses out and never quite lies flat, no matter how much you press it. It very much looks like a bag folded in half, not a different carry style.

On the other hand, where looks suffer in crossbody mode, comfort takes a hit in backpack mode. The stiff strap and the Roobar both hit the top of your back when worn over both shoulders. If you have the strap tightened, they dig in; if not, you still feel it rubbing, and it gets annoying. It’s not as noticeable when you’re wearing a thicker sweater or jacket, and you can get used to it, but it’s there.

It’s also annoying trying to put on the bag as a backpack because the strap slides freely through the Roobar. You’ll want to put on the strap without the adjuster first, as then you can at least count on the adjuster catching on the Roobar to stop the strap from completely sliding through. If you put on the other strap first, the strap pulls all the way through the Roobar, creating a very large loop on that side and leaving the strap so short that it’s hard to push your arm through on the other. If you can, put on both straps at the same time. It takes a bit of practice, but our tester got the hang of it after a week, and it made it much easier to put on than fighting to reach her arms back into the strap that was flat against the back of the bag while it was on her back.

Inside The Pack

Whether you’re in backpack or crossbody mode, there is one section outside the main compartment: the front pocket.

It is under the flap in crossbody mode or on the front of the bag in backpack mode. Either way, it’s the gusseted pocket on the front. Inside, it has a large slip pocket against its back panel. It’s so large that it acts more like a divider for the front pocket than an actual pocket itself; it’s floppy and falls forward. We’ve been using this compartment for our phone, tiny toiletries, a small notebook, and pens, but the smaller items we stick in the pocket tend to get jostled and don’t necessarily stay where we put them. Frankly, that happens throughout the entire bag for the most part, so small pouches are your friend here if you want to keep things better organized.

There is another zipper at the same level on the back side, but it opens to the back of the main compartment. As we said above, it’s really just there to give you access to the main compartment when the bag is in crossbody mode, so it’s not a separate area. If you’re carrying the bag as a mini backpack, it’s best to keep this zipper slid through its tab at the end and forget it exists unless you specifically want to pull something from the bottom of the main compartment. Otherwise, going through the main compartment zipper is easier and provides better access.

The bag is lined with 150D recycled PFC-free water-resistant polyester. On the main compartment’s back panel is a very large padded pocket to protect a tablet or e-reader. However, it’s about as floppy as the divider in the front pocket, despite the padding, so it won’t necessarily hold your device upright.

Against the front is a large RFID-blocking zipper pocket. This is the only place to truly lock down small gear, aside from the front pocket, so it’s a better spot for tiny travel accessories if you’re not using separate pouches. However, since this is an RFID-blocking pocket, it’s also theoretically the best place for sensitive items like your wallet and passport. We like to keep them more accessible, though, and Pacsafe says the bag’s other materials are also RFID-blocking, so you can probably stow them elsewhere if you’re not highly concerned about data thieves. If you are, you probably already have an RFID wallet, anyway, right? So you can put it anywhere you want.

There’s a lot of space in the center, especially if you don’t fold it over as a crossbody. We carried books in here along with the usual things we stow in crossbody bags, from sunglasses to packable bags and headphones. The materials have some structure, but not a ton, so gear definitely has space to jostle. There also aren’t many small pockets for staying organized, so you’ll need to provide your own.

If you want our true opinion, there are better anti-theft bag options out there, many made by Pacsafe. In this case, we feel like the bag doesn’t truly cut it as a crossbody or a mini backpack, with features of each getting in the way of the other. Could it suffice? Sure. Is it the best choice? No.