Pacsafe Go Anti-Theft Crossbody Bag Review

Full Review

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The Pacsafe Go Anti-Theft Crossbody Bag is a great option when you’re looking for an everyday bag that includes security features for added protection. Its size works well for daily use, and the anti-theft components are intuitive while still effective. With an external attachment point for smaller items, like hand sanitizer or lotion, and an easily adjustable strap, we find it’s the right bag for running errands, hitting the pub with friends, and heading into work.

Its look focuses more on function, but that hasn’t stopped us from falling for this bag. Let’s dig in to see if it’s the right choice for you.

Materials & Aesthetic

We get it—the Pacsafe Go Anti-Theft Crossbody Bag isn’t the most stylish we’ve seen. Only about half of our Instagram users like its look, but we think the 600D recycled polyester fabric has a lot to offer. We tested black (of course—this is Pack Hacker, after all!), but this bag also comes in Coastal Blue, a lovely navy with some goldenrod accents, and Sunset Pink, a light rosy hue with some duskier pink accents. The bottom of the pink and the blue colorways is a medium tan color, while the bottom of the black is—you guessed it—black. We think the different color options offer a pleasant aesthetic if you’re looking for something that will catch an eye instead of blending in.

The exterior 600D recycled polyester material is a bit coarse to the touch, but we find that dirt and pet hair brush right off, which is good since this bag can only be spot cleaned. It’s water-resistant—PFC-free for our health and the environment—so we don’t worry when we get caught in the rain.

EXomesh Slashguard technology beefs up the exterior fabric with a stainless-steel mesh embedded in the bag’s exterior that resists cuts and slashes. Its also bound to enhance the fabric’s durability. If a knife can’t cut through, we also think it’s likely to resist everyday wear and tear.

A PFC-free water-resistant 150D recycled polyester lines the bag’s interior. The lining on all three colorways features a gray camouflage print. It blends well with the black, though we can’t vouch for what the other colorways look like in person, so your mileage may vary.

Regarding branding, the front of the bag features a 1.5-inch square rubbery Pacsafe logo centered near the bottom. On the black colorway, it gives a minimalist aesthetic that will work for nearly anyone with any style. The pink and the blue options—with their accents—have a gentler appearance, while the black is more functional.

There are other pieces of branding scattered throughout the bag, but you have to look for them. The metal portions of the zipper pulls all say Pacsafe, and they each have 2-inch rubbery zipper pulls with the iconic Pacsafe turtle logo on the bottom—they’re stretchy too. The turtle also pops up on a tiny round plastic tab near the bottom right of the bag’s front, and the external attachment point features the Pacsafe name. Inside, along the back of the pouch, is a 1-by-2-inch patch calling out the Pacsafe name and its anti-theft technology.

Pacsafe utilizes YKK zippers and Duraflex hardware throughout the Go Anti-Theft Crossbody, and when we combine that with the security features beefing up this bag, we feel it will last. Now, let’s take a look at more of those elements.

Around the bag

Pacsafe’s Go collection aims to attract users who want anti-theft security features in a bag that will make it through nearly any activity. This crossbody bag has a thin webbing strap that can be as short as 33 inches and extends to 61 inches, so it works as a shoulder bag just as well as a crossbody, depending on your preference and what you’re doing. It’s comfortable either way, although it’s essential to find the right strap length to avoid itdigging into our neck. That happened the first time we tried the bag as a crossbody, but, it turns out, the strap was just too short. Lengthening it to allow the bag to rest below the waist solves this issue.

It adjusts easily through a plastic slide, whether in use or on a table. The strap is sewn to the bag on the left side and loops through the locking clip to double upon itself, and a piece of elastic acts as a strap keeper, so there’s no excess dangling. The design works well; the only issue we find is that it can twist since the locking clip on the right side is on a swivel hook. The Carrysafe strap reinforced with Dyneema wire—which you can see as a slightly raised ridge running down its center—aims to prevent thieves from cutting the strap to steal the bag.

Another built-in theft deterrent is the swiveling TurnNLock security hook, located on the bag’s right side at the end of the strap. Turn the lock to unclip it, then attach it to a fixed feature like a chair leg or a railing to prevent a would-be thief from grabbing the bag as they pass by. It’s a design we see on other Pacsafe bags. The hook is easy to unlock by turning the black lock away from its release and simply clicking it back into place to prevent it from being easily undone.

An added feature not meant to prevent theft is a plastic bar near the top left of the front of the bag. We use it to clip hand sanitizer, and it’s a good spot for items we want to grab without messing with the locking mechanisms around the bag. Just realize that anything you cliphere is outside of Pacsafe’s security features, so it’s probably not a great place to attach a wallet or change purse.

Now we’ll take a look inside—and explain how to get into this bag.

Inside The Crossbody

The Pacsafe Go Anti-Theft Crossbody Bag has two compartments—a front pocket and the main section.

The front pocket is first protected from the elements by a fabric welt covering the zipper. It flips completely out of the way, and we don’t have any issues with it becoming caught in the zipper when opening or closing the front pocket. So that keeps out the rain, but what about thieves?

A Dock Lock secures the zipper, keeping anyone from quickly opening it. To open it, squeeze the sides of the zipper to allow the lock to open. We appreciated the detailed instructions (with pictures, too!) on how to use the locking features when we got this Pacsafe bag, so be sure to review everything before tossing the tags—or bookmark this review.

The front compartment spans the width of the bag and is five inches deep, providing plenty of room for items we want to grab quickly, like cash, headphones, a phone, and a pen. It’s just an open compartment, so choose your own adventure as to what works for you.

Getting into the main section is trickier when using the Pacsafe security features. It opens with a dual-sided zipper, although it only locks via the Zipclip when the pulls are on the right side. We’re not sure why Pacsafe included a dual-sided zipper when it only latches on one side, but maybe it’s because the Zipclip is tricky enough that we only use it when we need to—so in that case, it is nice to have the dual-zip option.

What is a Zipclip, you ask? It is a one-inch hook held tightly with elastic that pulls it into a hidden pocket on the right side of the bag. When both zipper pulls are on the right side of the bag, tug the clip out to attach it to the hole in the zipper pull. Then no one can unzip the bag, even when we carry it behind us.

While the clip can fit through both zipper pulls, it is extremely difficult to get it unclipped again. The hook’s closure doesn’t have enough room to reopen past two zipper pulls when we do this. We actually thought we might have to test the eXomesh and try to cut our way into the bag as we struggled to undo it. So save yourself the headache and just hook the Zipclip through the top zipper pull—no one will be able to unzip the bag using the bottom zipper pull when the top one is locked.

Once we get into the bag, there are a few handy organizational features and plenty of room for slightly larger items; we fit a packable jacket inside, which is nice when enjoying an air-conditioned movie on a hot day. Adjacent to the front of the bag is a 5.5-inch square RFID-protected pocket where we slide a wallet to prevent digital thieves from stealing personal information. It has a hook-and-loop closure, so items stay safely inside even if the bag takes a tumble off the table.

On the back side of the bag is a larger, slightly padded, open pocket to store smaller items. It doesn’t close at the top but allows us to separate some things from the remainder of the bag. There’s also a key clip on a 3-inch leash outside this pocket, and the rest of the main compartment is open, allowing us to stash anything we can squeeze into its 2.5L capacity.