Bellroy Venture Ready Sling Review
Water Sealed For Daily Driving
Purchase Price: $89.99
Three Pockets
Journeying along through our Bellroy tour of sling bags, the Venture Ready Sling is a slight bump up in size to the Bellroy Laneway that I reviewed recently as it gets an extra half liter in storage space to reach 2.5L. While it technically isn’t much bigger than the Laneway on paper, it feels a ton more spacious during daily usage thanks to an extra zippered compartment space that expands the entire form factor of the bag.
The Venture sling gives wearers access to three zippered pocket storages. The center and main pocket is also the largest compartment and provides the most organization options. A stretching mesh pouch can gently hold small items into place, while an expanding padded sleeve on the other side literally acts as a segmenter for the rest of the space in this compartment. The main compartment area is effectively divided between three areas of storage. I normally throw my smartphone, and any pieces of paper notes that might be longer into this slot. It can also hold a small point and shoot camera, but don’t stretch your luck with interchangeable lens setups because the 2.5L capacity won’t allow for enough depth to accommodate a mirrorless camera here at all. This compartment is the only one with a double zipper mechanic that allows for the bag to be opened by either the left or the right hand.
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This sling stores 2.5L of stuff
The ready pocket is the one that’s located on the front of the bag and it's a two slot pocket that is likely made for pocket items like wallets, keys, and miscellaneous items that get pulled out quite frequently. It has a built-in key clip that stretches out to about the length of a modern smartphone. I keep my car key fob mounted on the clip so that I never leave the house without it in my possession. It’s a pretty standard sized layout here that is capable of containing a few smaller items a person may bring out with them on a daily basis.
The secret storage slot is the one located facing the body and it’s the smallest storage area of the three zippered pockets. If I was out of the country, this would be where my passport would be stored as it’s the least accessible pocket to someone directly across from the wearer. This could also be an ideal slot to put a wallet or any sensitive items in a small notebook form factor. It's a smaller slot than the other two and it's also a bit more narrow, but it does serve a purpose that the other two pockets can’t and that’s discretion.
Build Quality
Like on the other Bellroy sling bags, the Venture uses a terrific one-handed magnetic clasp mechanism. It’s reliable when it needs to be locked, but it's easy to disconnect when it’s time to separate the straps. I’ve been a fan of this clasp for a long time now and that hasn’t changed here. The adjustable webbing strap is well-made and should be durable for physical usage over a long period of time. At its tightest circumference, the bag still is a bit loose when worn as a fanny pack around my waist. For reference, my waistline is about 30-32 inches and the Venture sags forward a little bit when I’m wearing it on my hip. It still holds in place against my body, but I wouldn’t say it's secured around my body by any means. The opposite spectrum of this is when the bag is strapped across the body and over the shoulder. Wearing it like a sling is optimal for this strap as it's quite lengthy in its adjustable length. If you have a thin waistline, the Venture probably won’t be accommodating as a fanny pack.
Made with polyester and nylon, on the inside and recycled fabric on the outside that is water resistant, this particular bag also seals the zippers with a coating to resist water. Frankly, I don’t particularly like the sheen emanating off the zipper, but the benefits from a water seal completely outweighs my aesthetic preferences. Overall the bag doesn’t feel particularly premium, but that’s also to be expected from the recycled fabric material that many bag makers have transitioned over to. It doesn’t really stand out much in this Bronze colorway, but that might be a good thing for people who don’t want attention drawn to where their important personal belongings are stored.
Daily User
While this isn’t the most expensive sling bag out there, it also isn’t a cheap one to purchase either. Some people may unbox the Venture Ready and feel disappointed touching it for the first time thinking that it resembles bags that can be had for much cheaper price tags. While that perception might be there, I can say that all the Bellroy bags I’ve reviewed do hold up well long term and are crafted with a high-level of quality control. Stitching and seams are all exceedingly clean on their bags and for that alone, it might be enough for me to recommend buyers forking the extra cash over cheaper options.
4 Colors
The Venture Ready comes in either a Nightsky, Black, Bronze, or Rangergreen colorway
I don’t particularly find anything unique or game-changing on the Venture, yet that’s one of the reasons why it’s a terrific sling bag. Bellroy’s strength in consistent quality gives their products a badge that’s easy to evaluate. I know what to expect when I swing a Bellroy bag across my shoulder and they rarely if ever not live up to that reputation. The Venture Ready is a reliable and solid option for a small daily sling bag that I am keeping in my rotation of bags, especially during the rainy season.
Alex
Caught in between the conundrum of his fascination with retro and the future, Alex has a very unique taste in technology. Never one to follow trends like his millennial peers yet constantly desiring to get ahead of the curve, he sees technology like he does his other love: comic books. Always looking for the best value or a hidden gem, his collector mindset reflects on some of his favorite gadgets: the Moto X (2015), HTC U11 and the Google Pixelbook. If there’s a good tech deal out there, Alex is on the hunt!