Are crossbody bags easier on the shoulders than totes? - YouLookFab Forum

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Are crossbody bags easier on the shoulders than totes?

Sylvie

Veteran

I'm starting to get shoulder pains from carrying around my daily commuting complement (macbook air, cell phone, ipod, wallet, keys, sunglasses) in my well constructed synthetic tote with padded handles.

Will a crossbody satchel put less weight on my shoulder? After all, most laptop bags are shoulder bags.

Or do I need to just accept that I'll need to start wearing a backpack everyday (ie, gear)?

I don't do much walking - 10 minutes from door to train on each end, but obviously, it's enough!

Thanks in advance!

Dressing

31 replies

Latest reply was from JAileen

Kate

Veteran

Yes. However, if you pack a cross body satchel with all the same stuff you currently have in your tote, then you'll still have problems, since it's the weight—which all you've done is relocate—that's the main problem. With a hefty cross body bag, you'll be putting a lot of stress on your neck, and believe me, you don't want that.

I prefer cross body bags because they leave my hands free, but my CB bags are all small to moderate in size. Having had some serious shoulder issues about six years ago, one of the first things I did was dump my big bags, and it made a lot of difference. That and physical therapy You'll be surprised how much you carry that you really don't need.

lyn*

(website)

Veteran

I think you might have to start going cross-body; but do you wear the bag when you are on the train? Maybe taking it off and putting it in your lap (if possible) may help. I find that my bag jostles the most on the train.

Anytime I have to bring my laptop (MacBook Pro, albeit not the Air), i do bring out the backpack.

CocoLion

(website)

Veteran

I think so. You don't have to lift your shoulder slightly to keep the bag in place like a shoulder bag, and some of the bag's weight rests on your hips as well. I find that a clutch has the least amount of strain however. It's smaller usually and by carrying it in your elbow or hand, you are not straining your shoulder or neck. But small daytime clutches aren't for everyone, and I did once leave the bag lying in the shoe dept. at Nordstrom. Fortunately an employee retrieved it and nothing was missing. Go Nordy's!

Diana

Veteran

Depends. I think it's less strain on the shoulder and better for your overall posture, but I sometimes have problems with my back and neck with a heavy cross body. The wider ones are especially straining on my back because they're wider than my back.

Also, I don't like the pressure on my sternum in front.

My favorite bags are the ones with the long adjustable strap so I can wear them either way and switch if something starts to hurt. I don't carry my laptop daily any more since I have a work one and a home one now. If I had to start carrying it every day again I'd honestly switch to a Mac book air to save my back.

Sylvie

Veteran

Kate: Do you commute by public transport or do you drive? There is nothing in my bag I can get rid of when I spend 45 min-1 hour on a train daily. I don't carry makeup, tissues, aspirin, a camera, a book or whatever else women typically carry in purses. Everything in the bag gets used every day - laptop for doing personal work on train, sunglasses while driving/walking outside, keys/wallet/cell phone are obvious, the ipod touch serves as a notebook and holds pdfs of the train schedule, etc.

Lynn: No, I don't wear the bag on the train. It sits on the floor in front of me. The bag is only on my shoulder for 20 minutes a day at most, probably even less.

Cocolion: Clutches are great for going out, but not so much for carrying a laptop.

Diana: That's exactly why I got the air and believe me, if I could have found a 2 lb laptop, I would have bought that one instead.

Kate

Veteran

Sylvie, I'm either walking or on the metro. Both modes of transport make it important for me, shoulder issue aside, for using a much smaller bag that I can keep track of and leaves my hands free. My computer stays in my office and I don't carry my iPad with me; only my iPhone, since it allows me to do most things I would do on my computer. While I'm not going to be sitting on the metro writing an article on my phone, I can certainly read copy sent out in pdf form and send emails. Or read a book or listen to music. Excepting the laptop, everything else that you mention you need to carry is what I carry in my moderate sized CB bag. I also do carry a small leather roll-up with a toothbrush and toothpaste, lipstick, Chapstick, nail file and migraine meds.

Sylvie

Veteran

Kate: Aha! It's clear to me now what the difference is between our commuting loads. I don't have a smartphone, so I rely on my laptop for reading (I download blog posts in the mornings) or writing (code or most recently, an essay). I could download books onto the ipod touch, so long as I remember to charge it every day and replace the books weekly. If I had a smartphone, I could cut down to a normal purse.

Ariadne

Veteran

IMO, a crossbody vs. shoulder bag doesn't make much difference. I've tried. If you're experiencing pain you probably really need a backpack. Sorry I have to use one and I dislike it immensely because it's so dowdy, but I can't lighten my bag load any further and I can't sacrifice my health and spend my days in pain for the sake of style.

There *are* some pretty cute backpacks out there, especially if you don't need one that's water resistant.

bj1111

Veteran

yep. but there is the boob segmentation problem

Sylvie

Veteran

@BJ1111: Sometimes being small of boob comes in really handy.

I'll be the woman on the train wearing an LLBean backpack on Monday:

http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop.....-book-pack

Diana

Veteran

I have this backpack in silver (a gift from dear Sona!) that is both comfy and stylish.. I'm not 100% sure it'll fit a big laptop but you could probably squeeze the air in. My iPad plus all my other stuff including lunch bag fits fine.

http://www.amazon.com/Elliott-.....B006DXBWFK

ironkurtin

Veteran

I second a backpack. Anything with a single strap is going to put the weight in one place, even if it is more distributed with a crossbody. Several designers make very nice backpacks - they don't have to be sporty. As far as functionality, it was fairly easy to swing the backpack around to get things.

Another option is to get a shoulder bag with a very wide strap, I'd suppose - disperse the weight across the entire shoulder.

rachylou

Veteran

A crossbody distributes the weight better IMO, but I don't think it really stops shoulder/neck/back problems. A rolling case really is the best for that. A rolling backpack in particular is useful, so you can still pick it up.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Yeah. A back pack is best for pain. So unstylish :(. But there you have it.

I have a very hard time with shoulder and crossbody bags, actually. I MUCH prefer a light bag that I can hold in my hands with hardly anything in it. If I had to lug around what you do, I buy one of those satchels that you can drag on rollers - a rolling case. I would NOT put that kind of weight on my body. I find it uncomfortable in the extreme.

cciele

Veteran

Another vote for backpack! There are some cute ones out there, but try to get a light one (e.g., not leather). You can definitely put a small purse in there for running errands and such.

krishnidoux

Veteran

Back pack! Back pack! Especially now that you can get real stylish ones.
Otherwise, an ergonomically designed cross body, like this one:
http://www.getprice.com.au/Hed.....259712.htm
or this
http://www.spoiltgiftandhomewa.....7.003.aspx

JR

Veteran

I have chronic shoulder problems, so my doctor nixed the backpack even, at least for heavy loads (and I would pack it full of groceries and other heavy things). She ordered me to get a rolling cart. So I did. When I've had to travel with my backpack in a briefcase, it was really hard, even though my briefcase had a wide shoulder strap.

But for the amount you're carrying, the backpack will probably do. You'll find out soon enough. If that doesn't work, you might have to get that smartphone. Awwww.

Anonymous

I wa just reading a magazine article about this while on the gym treadmill. They encouraged cross body bags over all others, but backpacks were not mentioned. Not only can we get shoulder/neck/back pain, but hands and wrists can develop problems from carrying heavy bags...something I'd not thought of.

Ariadne

Veteran

I really like this pack if you're into a more rustic-timeless style:
http://makr.com/#product=farm-ruck-sack-natural

Or this one:
http://makr.com/#product=flap-.....own-latigo

Useless for me in rainy Vancouver, of course.

sarah

Veteran

I think cross-bodies make a huge difference for shoulders, although of course they're not as good as backpacks.

bella

(website)

Veteran

How about a leather backpack? A bit more stylish and less gear-looking than a nylon packback. I have to carry my laptop as well and use the public transport so this is what I am thinking of doing. I already have one, but I find it a bit too big and bulky (and heavy!). I want a more refined one like one of these:

http://www.amazon.com/Converti.....ds=leather

http://www.amazon.com/Lodis-Au.....ds=leather

http://www.amazon.com/Donne-Le.....ds=leather
http://www.amazon.com/Donne-Le.....ds=leather

Sylvie

Veteran

Aw, thank you so much all of you! I do take my health very seriously and will start carrying my stuff in a backpack. I already own the black version of the one below (I'm on my second one after carrying the first for 10 years) and it's never let me down comfort-wise.

I do appreciate all the links you've provided to leather backpacks and they are much more stylish than my gear-ish school bag. I think at least right now, I should not add any more weight than necessary, and a backpack is never going to look as stylish as a shoulder bag or crossbody. I will however, add a clutch to the backpack for the days when I know I'm going out so I can slide the keys/wallet/cell phone into the clutch and leave the backpack behind.

If I can find a way to leave the laptop behind, I'll look at a leather crossbody. What would be ideal is a bag that can switch between being crossbody and backpack - that way I can choose which way to carry it depending on what's inside.

I'm going to look for a lighter weight water bottle too. *must cut as much weight as possible*

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Irene

Veteran

A back pack will be your solution. Mine is fun and very casual, so when wearing it I tend to go really casual on my outfit as well. I'm planning to get a plain black one at some point too.

OR, what I have done is wearing two bags. It sounds crazy, I know, but it does work for me. I actually do that daily. I wear my big bag with a regular load (and empty space for more) and then I have a smaller fabric bag (like the ones they give you at some stores, or you can buy one too) for my book, scarf, umbrella and cardigan. I noticed that even a light book (paperback) meant a difference in terms of weight.

I don't usually carry my laptop (besides, I own an netbook, which is smaller), but when I used to, I would carry two 'fashion bags', one with the computer and the other one with my personal stuff. It worked in terms of backpain but, yes, once I left the computer bag in a store... was lucky enough to find it back though.

Scarlet

Veteran

I find heavy cross-body bags hard to walk with. My solution when I commuted like that was to split my things into two lighter bags, so that I could carry one on each shoulder if necessary, balanced, so to say. The problem with backpacks is that if you are prone to sweat they will ensure that your clothes are wet and also that they can make skirts ride up depending on how it sits on your back. Good luck finding your best solution!

Mander

(website)

Veteran

I find cross body bags really uncomfortable, at least the ones that are big enough to carry a laptop. Maybe it's just being larger in the chest but they always seem to cut into my neck, make my shirt ride up in the front, bang around on my hip, and so on. I'm sure I am developing a permanently deformed shoulder from carrying a big tote but I just haven't found anything better.

And what is the deal with all these lovely leather backpacks that are just a tiny bit too small to hold a normal-size notebook or paper? I have looked at dozens of them from various makers and they all seem to about an inch too short to hold A4 size papers and still zip up, which makes them useless for me.

I have been thinking about designing and sewing my own convertible backpack/shoulder bag out of an old suit jacket or something like that. Or at least, making some custom wider straps.

Ariadne

Veteran

Convertible backpack/shoulder bags do exist. I've noticed a few come up on a site I follow where people resell clothing:
http://thegeneraleconomy.blogs.....ag_19.html
http://thegeneraleconomy.blogs.....ckbag.html

I want to test one out some time to see how they fare in terms of comfort.

Caro in Oz

Veteran

Sylvie I just saw this bag - I'm not sure whether this is the type of bag you are looking for -but it is convertible.

http://kellymoorebag.com/women.....ack-1.html

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Sylvie

Veteran

Caro, that bag is great! Mander, that bag may just be the perfect solution for you too.

Mander

(website)

Veteran

Wow, great design! I especially like the removable camera "basket" and the fact that they have put the credit card pockets on the *back*. So many organizer-type bags seem to put this kind of pocket on the outside front edge, sticking out from the rest of the bag. Maybe it's convenient access, but that includes convenient access for pickpockets...

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