Best Travel Purses for Women: Stylish, Secure, and Functional

The best travel purses for women safeguard your travel essentials while offering easy access.

Purses are functional accessories that play a crucial role in a woman’s dress, never more so than when you’re traveling. These accessories often carry all your travel essentials, including tickets and bookings for when you land at your destination.

A well-chosen travel purse can make all the difference to your travel enjoyment. It must keep your essentials, like your passport, tour tickets, boarding passes, credit cards, and smartphone, well organized and easily accessible. The best travel purse should offer you security, convenience, and style. Above all, you must confidently know that your most important documents are safe.

What Constitutes a Good Travel Purse?

Most women have different ideas of what constitutes a good travel purse. Still, the following factors are essential: 

• Anti-theft technology – RFID-blocking pockets and lockable zippers prevent theft.
• Comfortable wear – Crossbody straps and ergonomic designs reduce strain. Your travel plans probably include a fair amount of walking, and you’ll want to carry as little weight as comfortably as possible.
• Organizational compartments – Dedicated pockets for passports, phones, water bottles and other essentials ensure you can find what you’re looking for when needed.
• Weatherproofed durability – Weather-resistant materials protect your essential documents against rain or unexpected spills.

Your travel plans should help you to choose the most suitable purse for your trips. Are you planning to explore city streets and shop at local markets, or will you spend your time away on safari?

Also, consider your habits. How much do you generally carry on your person? Do you prefer to carry the bare minimum, or do you feel more confident with a bag full of cosmetics, electronic devices, and accessories? Either way, your travel purse should help you to keep your belongings close at hand.

Key Features to Look for in a Women’s Travel Purse

The best travel purses for women combine style with security.

There are several essential features to look for in a women’s travel purse, including:

Secure Your Valuables

Stolen documents when traveling abroad can be nothing short of a disaster. Imagine having to run around trying to replace bank cards or travel documents when you should be enjoying your dream holiday. The safety of the bag's contents must be the primary feature to look for. Ensure that the travel purse you choose has the following safety features:

• Lockable zippers to prevent unwanted access.
• RFID-blocking compartments to safeguard your credit cards and passport.
• Slash-proof straps and reinforced material to avoid bag snatching.

Size and Capacity

The ideal bag size depends on your travel needs. Examples of suitable bags may include:

• Small crossbody purses – for carrying the essentials when strolling the city.
• Medium-sized shoulder bags – Ideal for day trips, offering extra storage space without bulk.
• Convertible backpack purses – These provide versatility for longer excursions.

Fabrics

Always look for durable materials that can take a little rough action. You also need a bag strong enough to protect the contents against the elements. Look for:

Water-resistant nylon or polyester to protect against the weather.

Vegan leather or canvas for style, function, and durability.

Lightweight designs that don’t strain the shoulders during long sightseeing days.

Style and Versatility

A purse should always complement your outfit. Versatility is also a big issue when traveling, as you’ll want one or two travel purses that will mix and match with any outfit and still look good. Neutral shades generally work well, but statement bags can also make a big difference to your travel look.

A Step-by-Step Guide to Choosing the Right Travel Purse

Here’s a guide to choosing the best travel purse for your trips abroad.

• Consider Your Needs: Will you explore cities or hike through the countryside? Do you need space for a camera or water bottle? Are you traveling for business or leisure?
• Prioritize Security Features: Look for lockable zippers and RFID-blocking technology. Choose a design with a sturdy strap to prevent snatch-and-grab theft.
• Choose the Ideal Style: A crossbody bag offers hands-free convenience, whereas a backpack-style travel purse helps with even weight distribution. A convertible sling design ensures flexibility wherever your travels may take you.
• Organization and Accessibility: Keep items organized with the help of several compartments. The ideal travel purse should have quick access pockets to easily retrieve essentials like your phone or boarding pass. Hidden pockets can add security.
• Test for Comfort and Fit: Choose a bag with adjustable straps to customize the bag for comfort. An ergonomic design and lightweight fabrics reduce shoulder strain.

The Best Travel Purses for Women: Our Choices

We’re all different when it comes to our favorite accessories. We’ve considered this when selecting the best travel purses for women. There should be something for everyone amongst these bags. 

Travelon Anti-Theft Classic Mini Shoulder Bag

With this classic mini shoulder bag, you won’t have to worry about pickpockets as it features a five-point anti-theft system. It has secured locks and hardware, and the bag and straps are reinforced to prevent slashing. Secure RFID protects your cards and passport.

Adjust the strap to fit your body perfectly. Use the compartments to organize your essentials for easy access. Front and rear pockets ensure you can easily reach your boarding passes, tickets, etc. This lightweight yet durable bag comes in 13 colors and patterns to match any outfit. Cons: No compartment for your water bottle.

BOSTANTEN Small Sling Bag for Women

A small cross-shoulder bag is the perfect travel purse for city sightseeing. This little bag by BOSTANTEN big enough to carry all the essential items close to your body.

This stylish purse is made from top-quality polyurethane leather. The minimalistic design will match almost any outfit. Choose from 15 elegant color combinations. The bag sports five pockets and five card slots, complete with RFID protection. Zippers keep everything secure. The bag also has an earphone hole on the side so you can carry your electronic device in the closed bag while listening through the earphones. 

The lightweight fabric and adjustable strap ensure that the bag fits comfortably.

Cons: No water bottle compartment.

Lulu Lemon makes a water repellent compact water bottle bag with enough room for your smart phone and a coin purse. This is the ideal choice for shorter outings where you just need a credit card, a few bucks and your refillable water bottle. Ideal for use on hot days or when you’ll be doing some more intense walking and want to stay hydrated. 

This cute pink Lulu Lemon backpack with water bottle holder is useful for all-day outings. Prices at under $100 you can afford to pick it up for your next trip.

Leather Crossbody Bags for Women

This medium-sized crossbody bag is perfect for travel, with enough room for your electronic devices, makeup, cards, and essential documents. The oil-rich genuine leather is lined with cotton and has a detachable strap. Two exterior compartments give you quick access to your essentials. The bag comes in fourteen beautiful colors with vintage finishes.

Bellroy Cinch Bucket Bag.

While not the most stylish of all the brands, this is my go do when traveling. It has 2 pockets for water as I’m constantly hydrating while traveling. It's folds up to nothing so can be easily placed in your carry on when flying and it fits a decent size wallet.

Conclusion: Travel Smart with the Right Purse

Big or small, the best travel purses for women must keep your essentials safe and close at hand.

A women’s travel purse is more than just an accessory; it’s a travel essential. It should be stylish and look after the safety and organization of the contents. Choose the right purse so you can focus on making memories rather than worrying about misplaced or stolen essentials. Investing in a top-quality travel purse should help you to enjoy a smooth and stress-free journey.