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A sling bag is worn high on one strap, across the chest or the back, so it stays close, flat and always in reach. Ours are full-grain leather, woven leather or suede, hand stitched, with a hidden back pocket on every style. From $115 for the Ely to $175 for the large Hexham.
Showing 1–12 of 38 results
The Skipton
The Hexham
The Ely
The Skipton
The Skipton
The Ely
The Skipton
The Hexham
The Ely
The Skipton
The Skipton
The ElyA sling is a small bag on a single, adjustable strap that crosses the body and is worn high, usually just below the chest or between the shoulder blades. It is narrower and flatter than a crossbody, and the strap is shorter. That is what keeps it from swinging when you walk, and it is why you can swing it round to the front in a second when you need your phone or ticket.
All four free your hands, but they sit in different places and suit different days.
| Sling | Crossbody | Belt bag | Shoulder bag | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | High on the chest or back | At the hip | Waist, or chest as a sling | On one shoulder |
| Typical strap drop | 12–20" | 20–25" | Waist 26–48" | 9–11" |
| Hands free | Yes | Yes | Yes | Mostly |
| Security in a crowd | Highest | High | High | Lowest |
| Typical capacity | Phone to mini tablet | Phone to 11" tablet | Phone, cards, passport | Phone to laptop |
| Best for | Travel, crowds, cycling | Full days, work | Festivals, holidays | Quick on and off |
| Ours | Skipton, Hexham | Ludlow, Thirsk, Wells | Ely | See handbags |
Sling: high on the body, strap pulled snug, bag on the chest or back. Best for travel days, crowds and cycling. Our Skipton and Hexham.
Crossbody: lower, at the hip, on a longer strap. Best for a full day, because the weight spreads across the body. See our women's crossbody bags and men's crossbody bags.
Belt bag: at the waist or hips, or let out to wear as a sling. Best for concerts, markets and holidays. Our Ely belt bag.
Shoulder bag: on one shoulder with a 9 to 11-inch drop. Quickest to take off, but it slides. See our leather handbags.
Five slings, three sizes, three materials. Here is how they compare.
| Style | Width | Height | Depth | Strap | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ely belt bag | 9" (23 cm) | 5" (13 cm) | 2.25" (6 cm) | waist 26–48" (66–122 cm) | $115 |
| Ely belt bag, woven | 9" (23 cm) | 5" (13 cm) | 2.25" (6 cm) | waist 26–48" (66–122 cm) | $135 |
| Ely belt bag, suede | 9" (23 cm) | 5" (13 cm) | 2.25" (6 cm) | waist 26–48" (66–122 cm) | $125 |
| Skipton slim sling | 11.5" (29 cm) | 6.25" (16 cm) | 2.25" (6 cm) | 11.75–20.75" (30–53 cm) | $145 |
| Skipton sling, woven | 11.5" (29 cm) | 6.25" (16 cm) | 2.25" (6 cm) | 11.75–20.75" (30–53 cm) | $165 |
| Skipton sling, suede | 11.5" (29 cm) | 6.25" (16 cm) | 2.25" (6 cm) | 11.75–20.75" (30–53 cm) | $155 |
| Hexham large sling | 13" (33 cm) | 7.75" (20 cm) | 3.25" (8 cm) | 13–21.75" (33–55 cm) | $175 |
Skipton is the one most people should start with: 11.5 inches wide and only 2.25 inches deep, with a quick front pocket for a phone and a hidden zip pocket on the back panel that sits against your body. It takes a phone, passport, wallet, keys and an e-reader, and at 0.45 kg it disappears under a jacket.
Hexham is the large sling: 13 inches wide and 3.25 inches deep, with a two-way zip and a padded sleeve for a mini tablet up to 8.3 inches. Choose it if you carry a water bottle, a charger and a tablet as well as the essentials.
Ely is a belt bag that lets out into a short sling. It is the smallest here, for a phone, cards, keys and a passport.
Woven Skipton and suede Skipton keep the same size and pockets as the Skipton, with a hand woven front or a soft suede body. The woven one looks like a summer bag; the suede one suits autumn.
Put the strap over one shoulder and pull it short, until the bag sits just below the chest on the front or between the shoulder blades on the back. In a crowd, on a train or at a market, wear it on the front where you can see it. On a long walk, wear it on the back where it carries more comfortably. Every one of our sling straps wears on either shoulder, so left-handed people are not stuck with the wrong side.
If it bounces, the strap is too long. Take it in one hole at a time until the bag sits still when you walk briskly.
Our sling straps are 1.25-inch leather with a solid brass buckle. The Skipton adjusts from an 11.75-inch to a 20.75-inch drop, and the Hexham from 13 to 21.75 inches. That covers wearing it high and tight over a T-shirt, lower over a coat, or long enough to wear at the hip like a crossbody. The Ely strap fits waists from 26 to 48 inches and lets out far enough to wear across the chest.
Skipton: a phone up to 6.9 inches, passport, card wallet, keys, earbuds, sunglasses in a soft pouch and an e-reader. Hexham: everything the Skipton takes, plus a mini tablet, a 500 ml water bottle and a charger. Ely: phone, cards, keys, passport and a lip balm. If you need a full-size tablet or a book, you want a crossbody instead: the Thirsk takes an 11-inch tablet.
A sling is the most secure everyday bag there is, because it sits in front of you and is pulled close to your body. Every one of ours adds a hidden zip pocket on the back panel. When you wear the bag on the front, that pocket is pressed against you, so a passport or spare cash cannot be reached without you knowing. The main zips are solid brass and close fully.
On a plane, a sling counts as a personal item and fits under the seat or inside a carry-on's outer pocket, but check your airline's rules first.
The Skipton, Hexham and Ely are full-grain leather: the outer surface of the hide is kept, so the bag is strong where the strap pulls and it ages into a patina rather than wearing thin. The woven Skipton has full-grain strips woven by hand over a solid leather back panel. The suede Skipton is soft cow suede, the inner side of the hide, bound in smooth full-grain leather on every edge so it does not fray.
Each sling is cut to order in our own workshop. The strap roots take the whole load on a sling, so they are doubled, hand saddle stitched and riveted. The buckle and D-rings are solid unplated brass, and the edges are burnished in several passes rather than painted. The back pocket is set into a reinforced panel so its zip never pulls the bag out of shape.
All five slings are unisex. Men tend to choose the Skipton or Hexham in black, chocolate or olive, and women often the Skipton in cognac, oat or suede. The cut is the same; only the colour changes. For bags made with a man's frame in mind, see the men's crossbody bags.
On a bike, a sling worn on the back stays put where a crossbody slides round to the front, and it leaves both shoulders free for a jacket. Pull the strap short so the bag sits between the shoulder blades and does not swing when you lean forward. On a crowded train, swing it round to the front and keep a hand on it. Because the Skipton is only 2.25 inches deep, it does not catch on people as you pass them, and it sits flat under a rain jacket on a wet morning.
Smooth slings come in black, cognac, chocolate, tan, oxblood, olive and oat (the Ely skips oat). The woven Skipton comes in black, cognac, chocolate, tan, oat and olive. The suede Skipton comes in black, chocolate, tobacco, taupe, moss and oxblood.
A sling lives on the outside of your clothes all day, so pick a colour that goes with your jackets, not your shoes. Black and chocolate go with everything and hide marks. Cognac and tan look best after a few months, once they have darkened where your arm rubs them. Olive is the most popular colour after black on men's slings, and oat is the summer choice. The woven Skipton in oat or tan is the lightest-looking sling we make; the suede Skipton in tobacco or moss is the warmest.
Three initials pressed free. Smooth and suede slings leave the workshop in 3 to 5 working days, woven ones in 4 to 6. Returns run 30 days on every bag, initials or not.
Wipe smooth leather with a dry cloth and condition it twice a year. Brush the woven panel with a soft dry brush. Brush suede with a suede brush and protect it with a spray before the first wear. Let any bag dry slowly if it gets wet. More in our leather care guide.
Four things separate a sling that lasts from one that does not. A strap root that is doubled, stitched and riveted, because a sling hangs everything from one point at each end. A buckle strap rather than a sliding adjuster, because sliders creep loose during the day. A back pocket that sits against your body for the things that matter. And full-grain leather, which keeps its shape under strap tension where thinner corrected leather stretches and curls at the edges. Every sling on this page has all four.
See our leather belt bags and fanny packs, men's crossbody bags, woven crossbody bags and suede crossbody bags, or go back to all leather crossbody bags.
Over one shoulder with the strap pulled short, so the bag sits just below the chest on the front or between the shoulder blades on the back. Wear it on the front in crowds.
A sling sits higher and tighter on a shorter strap, close to the chest or back. A crossbody hangs lower, at the hip, on a longer strap, and usually holds a little more.
The Skipton takes a large phone, passport, wallet, keys and an e-reader. The larger Hexham adds a mini tablet up to 8.3 inches and a water bottle.
Yes. A sling stays in front of you, and ours all have a hidden zip pocket on the back panel for a passport. Most airlines count a sling as a personal item, but check yours.
Yes. Every sling strap adjusts and wears left or right.
Yes. All five slings are cut for men and women alike; only the colour choice usually differs.
If the strap is short enough, yes. Take it in until the bag sits still at a brisk walk. Our slings go down to about a 12-inch drop.
Wipe with a dry cloth, keep it out of long direct sun and condition it twice a year. Brush woven and suede versions instead of conditioning the woven panel or the suede.
Stitching covered for life; hardware covered for five years. We repair rather than replace.
The warrantyAny bag can come back within 30 days, unused, including one with your initials on it.
Returns and exchangesEvery bag is cut, stitched and finished by the same small team. Nothing here is bought in and relabeled.
Our storyThe outer layer of the hide with nothing sanded off or sprayed on. Panels are cut around weak spots, never across them.
What full grain means