Inateck Sling Bag X Review
The best value on the market?
Purchase Price: $35.71
Every once in a while, I’ll review a bag that I honestly did not want to wear but have to for this job. It’s a privileged problem to have. Then there are rare times where I have a bag like the Inateck Sling X where I didn’t think I’d like it, but now have worn it way past the review period I had set to keep this as my daily driver. What makes this sling bag such a great companion to haul my essentials around with me? Let’s try to figure that out right now.
Plenty of organization in the main compartment
Build Quality
First off, there are two size variants to choose from with this bag design: small and large. They aren’t that significant of a size difference as the small version has a 3L capacity and the large one I have holds 4L of items. The color I chose is what Inateck calls Gray Blue. It’s exactly as it sounds as the gray tone has a blue-ish hint to it under certain light. It’s made out of a 900D polyester material that is water-resistant. If you look really closely you’ll see squared stitches from this fabric material that water repels off of. It’s quite durable and doesn’t get dirt imprints easily.
I do like the look of the Sling Bag X. It has a bit of a futuristic appearance to it but retains a lot of the minimalistic allure that I like in a daily carry. There’s literally one oddly shaped triangle piece made of a different fabric that accents the polyester. This bag has three zippered compartments and one open compartment that can hold an umbrella. We’ll get to that in a bit. The front slot is ideal for quick access items like phones and small notebooks. This is also where I keep my car keys hooked up as there is a very convenient key hook embedded in the pocket. It’s nothing fancy like a retractable line or anything like that, but it does do the job when you want to pull out keys to unlock something and not worry about it dropping. All three of the zippered compartments utilize YKK zippers. They’re zippy and seem durable to use.
Tons of Storage
The back pocket is what a lot of people call the hidden pocket where you’ll likely store a passport or important documents as it's more difficult for thieves to pickpocket as it's facing into your body when you’re wearing the bag. This zipper does get caught on the material while closing up at times as it's a hidden compartment with overlap of the material over the zipper. Inateck supplies users with three built in card slots in this back pocket that is super useful to leave a health insurance card or car insurance card in. These cards that don’t see daylight often, but that are still needed in case of certain situations don’t need to clutter and bulk up an EDC wallet. I never thought about housing them in a bag I carry until I started using these card slots. It’s lightened my actual wallet thus allowing me to use a slimmer one that houses less cards.
The main pocket has some of the best organization space I’ve seen in a sling bag of this size. There’s essentially five storage compartments each functioning to store different things. The big slot isolates a small tablet or Nintendo Switch-sized notebook. On the other wall is a built-in zippered pocket that has enough space and elasticity to hold a decent amount of small items like coins or cables. Stitched into that wall are four insert pockets that also stretch to contain a charging brick. On the opposite divider that holds the tablet in, we have four elastic bands that can hold camera batteries, earbud cases, or wrapped cables in place. It’s a lot of organization that can be neatly planted in place while moving and easily accessible to remove out of the bag. I have to say that this sling has been one of the easiest bags to locate and remove an item out of that I’ve used. They’ve done a terrific job with this main multi-compartment design.
Quick-Adjust
Let’s talk about the strap and the connection mechanics on here because I think it’s extremely clean and simple to use. The Duraflex buckle is pretty basic. It’s easy to take on and off and so far so good when it comes to durability. I don’t need to unbuckle it much during my daily use of this sling because the quick-adjust shoulder buckle is so simple to extend for me to quickly pull the bag off over my head. I typically wear the back over my shoulder on my back. Just pull the loop string on the buckle and it pops for you to slide the strap tighter or looser. It’s that simple. The strap reaches 48 inches at its max and 29 inches at its shortest length. I’m 5’8 and I have the buckle closer to the shortest adjustment. It’s comfortable regardless if it's positioned across my chest or running down my back.
5 Colors to choose from
The Sling X is available in Black, Olive, Pink, Beige, and Gray Blue.The last surprise the bag holds is the ability to slot in a tube-like item. Just when you think the bag has maxed out in its utility, you find a hole leading through behind the main compartment that is sealed on the other end. This is where a cylinder item like a water bottle or a small umbrella can be lodged and tightened to be carried on the body. It’s quite a nifty addition here as most small slings in this size don’t actively contain a pouch to hold a bottle. I’ve seen some with buckles underneath the bag that can clip in a small tripod or bottle, but this sling legitimately has a half-enclosed pocket to slide the item into. It’s a great implementation that is functional and beneficial in design.
final thoughts
I don’t personally think it’s the best looking design, but that’s a personal opinion that doesn’t hinder the actual functionality of the design. So far it has held up to the vigors of daily transportation for me and I don’t see much of any wear at all. The only little aesthetic nick that I can spot is the slight discoloration on the corners of the Inateck badge. It kind of looks like corrosion, but I’m more inclined to say it's likely painted brass that’s losing its coat.
There’s really not a lot to dislike about the Inateck Sling. It’s incredibly inexpensive for the amount of organized storage that it provides as it retails for less than $50 on Amazon. All in all this is a high-value product for a low cost that I have now immediately vaulted to the top of my recommendation list for people looking to purchase EDC slings.
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