A helpful bag for when you need to carry a few things on your ride.

It’s not often that I find myself reaching for a backpack before a ride that doesn’t include a water bladder and tools inside of it. However, I figured I’d class things up by trying out the MotoChic Lauren Sport backpack for more practical commutes. 

Debra Chin founded MotoChic as a brand dedicated to creating motorcycle products for women riders (they do now offer some men’s items). Based out of San Francisco, the brand has a heavy focus on city style and commuter-focused products. MotoChic started with the Lauren convertible bag, named after Lauren Hutton, the actress, model and lifelong motorcycle enthusiast. 

Thanks to its clever design, the Lauren Sport bag can be used as an over-the-shoulder bag, backpack or handbag — you can easily tuck the additional straps in the hideaway compartments when not in use. The bag can also be slimmed down when you’re not using the ample storage with two closures on each side. There are two main pockets on the backpack, one large compartment equipped with multiple pockets and sleeves inside, a front pocket sleeve with an additional zipped pocket inside, and sleeves for smaller belongings. The large pocket can fit a 15-inch laptop or a hydration pack, and the whole bag itself is padded to protect fragile contents. The large front and back panels of the Lauren Sport bag are reflective, which will help you to be seen by other vehicles when riding at night. 

One of my favourite features is that the bag is lined on the inside with a light-coloured fabric, allowing you to easily see where you’ve put things (adding an additional element of style is the fact that the liner features different motorcycles all over the material). 

To add to its convenience, there is also an LED light placed in the main pocket of the bag. However, this is, surprisingly, my main gripe with the bag. The light works great and is a smart idea, but I think it should be more integrated into the bag; the switch for the light hangs loose at the inside top of the bag from the thin wire light, making it feel like an afterthought. In a design revision, I would integrate the light better into the bag by building the light switch into the side of the bag to avoid damaging it while putting things in or taking things out of the bag. 

The design of the Lauren Sport is quite smart — it’s a soft pack, but holds its square shape, making it perfect to fit documents, and your computer or tablet in for commuting or travelling. The Lauren bag is claimed as weatherproof, with YKK AquaGuard water-repellent zippers and a water-resistant lining. After a day of riding in the rain with it, I was pleasantly surprised that most of my things stayed relatively dry. Although not waterproof, the bag does a very adequate job of keeping things dry in periodic rain. If you find yourself in a downpour, I would suggest finding a waterproof cover to put on it. 

The bag sits comfortably while riding — the shoulder straps are padded and connected via a chest strap, and along with the hip strap, the bag stays secure in the wind blast. 

The Lauren Sport bag retails for US$295 and offers four different zipper colour options: red, orange, pink, or yellow (red zipper option pictured above). I have to say, I’ve never been one to pick style over functionality, but this bag made me want to commute to work just to have another reason to don the pack. It’s pricey, but if you’re looking for something stylish, this bag could be a contender. You can purchase this bag and look at the other product offerings from MotoChic at motochicgear.com.