Osprey Aoede Crossbody Bag Review

At a glance, the Osprey Aoede Crossbody Bag is stylish, reasonably lightweight, and minimalistic. However, we’re curious how well it works while traveling, both across your hometown and the globe. Let’s dive in and find out!

External Components

The exterior is crafted from 840D ballistic polyester, which is 100% recycled and bluesign® approved, which is a good shout environmentally. We’re used to seeing this from Osprey, as most of their materials are sustainable and recycled. Still, it’s nice to see they’re still on that mission! The exterior has a DWR coating, which will help keep your gear dry, and it doesn’t utilize PFAS, chemicals that are bad for the environment, which is another sustainability shout.

That last paragraph was a lot of industry jargon; this one won’t be. The exterior feels durable but isn’t overly rugged. For the style and purpose of this pack, it performs well. The DWR coating does well in light rain, but you should protect the pack under your coat or head for cover if it’s pouring.

The zippers are from YKK and operate smoothly and easily. The pulls are basic and made of paracord-like material with a hard plastic tab on the end. They’re simple, but they work, and we like them.

The pack’s front has a tab with the Osprey logo on it. We don’t find it overly loud or in your face, which makes this compact sling look better. It looks like the back of a letter with a wax seal, like the ones the Dursleys were overwhelmed by in the first Harry Potter film.

There’s a smaller tab in a seam on the backside, too, with ‘Aoede’ on one side and ‘Crossbody Bag 1.5L’ on the other. Osprey’s product page says this is a 2L sling, but this contradicts that. Whereas we don’t find the second tag necessary, it doesn’t look bad or get in the way, so we don’t mind its inclusion.

Overall, there isn’t a ton going on around the exterior of this crossbody. We dig the minimalistic look, and the Black and Concrete Tan colorways look nice. Some travelers may find them a little bland compared to others available on other Osprey hiking, travel, and daypacks.

Fit Notes

You can wear this sling either way, as there isn’t a dedicated front or back. However, thanks to Osprey’s logo and product photos, we know which side they’d like you to wear closest to your body.

On the back (non-logo) side, there’s a zippered compartment. There’s no padding or aeration here, so you can sometimes feel the zipper if you’re wearing thinner clothing. Considering it is just 1.5 liters, we don’t mind and find it comfortable, even when fully packed.

The strap is super thin and lacks padding or aeration, too. You can’t fit a ton of heavy stuff inside the bag, so it isn’t a huge issue. If you’re wearing a thin shirt or tank top, it can dig in at times, but we haven’t had any issues that stop us from wearing the bag all day.

You can wear the bag on either shoulder or your front or back; they’re all comfortable, so it comes down to what feels the most natural to you.

Inside The Crossbody Bag

The front pocket is secured with magnets, which makes it quick and easy to get inside. This makes it a perfect spot to stow a paperback, Kindle, small tablet, or other flat item you want to use on your commute to work, a bus ride across a new city, or while riding a shotgun on a road trip. There’s not a ton of protection here, so we recommend using a case on any electronics. The pocket is super quick to access; however, it isn’t the most secure, so we would remove anything valuable before heading into a super crowded place.

There’s a zippered pocket on the backside, which we briefly mentioned when going over the back panel. There’s a little more security here because of the zipper and because it faces your body while wearing the crossbody, making it a solid shout for stowing a passport, phone, or wallet. If you try to place larger items here, it can make wearing the bag more uncomfortable, as it’ll poke your front, side, or back, depending on how you’re wearing it.

Inside the main compartment, there aren’t a ton of organizational options. However, there’s a lot of space to fit larger items inside. On the back wall, there are two mesh pockets with elastic toppers. These are a solid size for stowing your phone, wallet, or battery bank. There’s also a key ring inside here that is handy for commuting or when using an AirBnb with a physical key. It’s super short, which is ideal as it doesn’t get in the way when loading and unloading the sling; however, you likely won’t be able to use your keys without taking them off the ring due to its length.

The rest of the space works well for a tablet, book, over-ear headphones, or similar-sized gear. There is limited depth, so you can’t fit more prominent items, like a mirrorless camera, nearly as easily. If you do put a larger item inside, it can make the exterior look bulky and odd.

Overall, we enjoy using the Osprey Aoede Crossbody Bag. It excels as a bag to wear while commuting or to carry a Kindle or a book. However, as a versatile travel bag, it lacks the depth to hold larger items that some travelers might need or want. Still, it’s a capable travel companion for those looking for something small and lightweight that’s still stylish.