Bike panniers for commuting – Garment Pannier 2.1 review

Finding the right Bike panniers for commuting can be a challenge but fear not as here is my review of the Garment Pannier – Classic 2.1 from Two Wheel Gear. This is a great solution if you commute to work by bike and want your clothes to be crease-free upon arrival.

I found myself trawling the internet many months ago with the same problem – I wanted a bike garment bag/ Pannier which I could pack my suit, tie, shirt and shoes without my clothes ending up creased when I arrived at the office, alongside My Laptop, charger, etc so it had to be waterproof.

My morning commute into the office is just over 15 miles by bike and so far this bag has been excellent and really does keep your clothes intact and comes with some useful features.

Garment pannier Classic 2.1
(As an Amazon Associate I may earn from qualifying purchases)

Product Name: Hybrid Bicycle Suit Bag – Classic 2.1
Where to buy: Amazon


Bike panniers for commuting – Garment Pannier review

Bag Features

  • Pannier and travel garment bag
  • Padded shoulder strap for off-bike carry
  • Fits all standard and oversized racks Ø 6-16 mm
  • Mounting hooks adjust by pressing the top button
  • Internal padded laptop sleeve (fits up to 15.6 inches)
  • Organized sections for your daily office carry (laptop, documents, shoes, lunch, tools, and accessories)
  • Reflective accents for night visibility
  • Attachment points for clipping lights
  • U-Lock pocket, key leash
  • Fluorescent high-visibility rain cover (Included)

Is it Waterproof?

This bike garment bag is made out of waterproof polyester and also includes a rain
cover for those, particularly wet days. It’s fine with some light rain, but if it is tearing it down out there I would strongly recommend using the rain cover, especially if you are carrying your laptop and chargers in the bag.

Setup and Ease of use

The instructions that come with the bag are minimal, but there are further instructions online which cover the basics included in the clip below on how to set up and attach to the rack

The Hybrid Bicycle Suit Bag will fit on almost any pannier rack using a ‘Klikfix’ rail mechanism which I like as the hooks can be slid into position which nicely ‘click’ into place by the red spring latch securing the pannier garment bag to the rack.

I have a Giant Explore and it fits onto this pannier rack fine ( with a bit of adjustment required initially).

This garment pannier sits at a slight angle when attached to the bike which is clever design so you have more clearance when peddling, however, I must admit, it did look a bit odd at first and I had to double-check I had fitted it correctly.

there is a guy on the ‘How to’ Video who removes the bag with one swift motion making it look effortless, however, I am yet to master his technique but overall this bag is fairly easy to remove thanks to the KlickFix system.

Garment Pannier - Classic 2.1

Bag Storage and Compartments

The size of this pannier garment bag is deceptive as is essentially it’s a travel garment bag for suits, specially adapted to fit onto a bike with enough space for your work essentials – it is not the bag you want to use for groceries, etc as most of the storage capacity is inside, rather than on the outer pockets like a traditional ‘duffel’ style pannier.

When the pannier is laying flat there is a zip that goes all the way around the pannier giving access to the internal compartments.

You can leave suits on the hangers in the bag as there is a ring at the top that has a fastener/ strap in the center to hold the clothes in place. In the top corners, there are 2 small netted pockets for things like socks/ cuff links, etc.

I am a 46″ Chest and this easily fits my suit and a couple of shirts which I can keep on the hangers along with my suit trousers.

On the opposite side of the bag there is a large netted pocket for shoes ( will fit up to size 13) and also a padded pocket for where you can store a Laptop/ Tablet. You can easily fit a 15” in here plus charger etc.

My only small gripe here is when the pannier is zipped back up and on the bike, you can’t access the laptop, although I think they have addressed this problem on the 3.0 version of this bag so you can unzip an external pocket to gain access.

On the outside of the bag there are also the usual external pockets for any extras with ample room for tools, a pump or a lock, etc, but what I am most impressed with is on one side of the pannier the zip is vertical rather than horizontal.

I was initially confused on why they did this but it makes perfect sense – When I arrive at the office I can hang the bag using the top handle and because of the sideways zip, it provides access to the external pocket without everything spilling out onto the floor which is a nice touch and clever design.

You can carry the bag like a shoulder bag when off the bike and it won’t look out-of-place walking into any office. The two sides of the pannier can be fastened at the bottom and it transforms well into a shoulder bag in my view.

Bike panniers for commuting – Conclusion

There are not many bike panniers for commuting out there which solves the problem of transporting your suit on a bike without it being creased when you get to the office (that I have found) and this does the job well.

This is a fantastic garment pannier which for just under £170 is not cheap, but in my view is worth every penny.

(As an Amazon Associate I may earn from qualifying purchases)

Get your Garment Pannier here <==

I believe it is innovative products like this that will take away the limitations of commuting to work by bike which in my view is a route to a much happier and healthier lifestyle.

If you have any questions about this bike garment bag review or have a similar garment pannier product you have used then please drop me a message below as I would love to hear from you.

Garment Pannier - Classic 2.1

4.65

Quality of product

4.8/5

Setup and Instructions

3.8/5

Practicality

5.0/5

Value for money

4.8/5

Looks

4.9/5

Pros

  • Great for carrying clothes
  • Good Quality
  • Waterproof
  • Easy to install
  • Doubles as a shoulder bag

Cons

  • Not Suitable for Groceries

5 thoughts on “Bike panniers for commuting – Garment Pannier 2.1 review”

  1. Hey Dan! Great and in depth review you’ve got here! This bike panniers looks useful and sleek at the same time! I am actually thinking to switch from driving my car to riding a bike to my workplace. Reason being of environmental concerns as well as the infamous traffic jams! Boy, am I so happy to find this information from you! I always pack extra clothes and have lots of items to bring with me. I was worried that these will all be too much to be packed into my small pack as I normally store them into my car boot.

    I was worried about the laptop access but it’s great to hear that they have improved it on the 3.0 version! I also love that it is waterproof and acts as an shoulder bag as well! Will really consider this as my move from switching to biking! Thank you for this helpful article and I hope to see more soon. Cheers!

    Reply
    • Hi Joe, Thanks for your comments and glad you are considering this bag as an option. Its well worth the money in my view and has served me well so far ( although been doing lots of home working lately due to COVID). Dan

      Reply
  2. Commuting by bicycle is a great way to get around.  It’s healthy, good for the environment and can even save time when you consider the rush hour gridlock that occurs in many areas.  This pannier is the perfect solution for those who are commuting to work.  It looks easy to organize work items/clothing and I love that it’s waterproof (with an additional rain cover) so nothing gets wet!  It seems well worth the price for such a useful item.  Thank you for this great review!

    Reply
  3. This post is very informative for me because I just learned that this type of bag is called panniers. I have seen bikers with this bag on their bikes, but i never thought it has a special name. This garment pannier looks very functional and durable. I love biking, but unfortunately, we live far from the town center and using a bike to go on errands is not possible, especially with 2 small kids in tow. And there’s no official bike lane on the roads.

    Reply

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