The Sling Combo

I bought the Sling Combo in sleek black in a recent sale and added the extra shoulder straps to transform the combo into a backpack when needed. Here is my, I hope, critical review because I really like this item: the bag feels elegant and I am very pleased with the sleek black look. I`ve been carrying around my everyday items in it for approx. 2 months now. They usually include a book, hand lotion, sun protection, a foldable shopping bag, keys, my wallet, a hair brush, an iPad 10“ incl. keyboard, handkerchiefs, some cosmetics like lipstick, a small mirror and a small umbrella. Everything fits in just fine. Without the iPad it’s even possible to keep the upper part rolled down and then the combo makes a lovely hand bag. If you have to carry around a laptop with 15“ or larger, I wouldn’t recommend this bag, otherwise I hope my list of items that fit into it, give you an impression for what it‘s useful for. Sometimes I carry a slim A4 folder with this bag for work, and the iPad still fits in, but then it could get a bit cramped if you want to add a bunch of other items. But even packed like this, the zipper on top of the roll top usually still closes. So I really like the dimensions and all in all I love the stylish design.
Maybe it`s worth noting, that I have considered buying this combo even before there was a sale and I think, if it ever will be worn down, I will want to buy it again. So lets get to my impression of the quality: the bag is very well made, every seam is flawless and the YKK zippers work very well and look robust. The fabric still looks almost like on the first day. I once scratched it accidentally with a key ring and therefore it now shows minimal signs of that, but that was my fault and you only really notice, if you look closely. Due to the folding and unfolding of the roll top, the sleek black material is a little wrinkled as it is not as stiff and thick as I am used to from other water proof bike bags for example. But generally I think, it is durable and just shouldn’t get in contact with sharp, spikey items like key chains and so on. It still looks as good as new though I‘ve really been carrying this bag around with me every day ever since I‘ve got it.
About the versatility: I am not sure, if it was really necessary for me to buy the shoulder straps for turning it into a back pack. The simple strap, that comes with the sling combo can also be adjusted so that you can wear the bag cross body over one shoulder comfortably. During a recent hike I carried a heavy thermos bottle and food for five hours in this bag just cross body and sometimes switched sides and my back didn’t get tired. The mini bag that is part of the combo is also really nice and I often like using it separately with the neck pouch strap, that I had added to the purchase as well. So all in all I can really recommend the sling combo and am looking forward to it being my go-to bag for the upcoming spring and summer.

This bag is made with incredible quality. It is the perfect size that I expected, and I love it every way except for one. I bought it specifically because I can change it from a sling bag to a backpack, but that switch is anything but easy. The straps are strong and good quality, but very challenging to take on and off. I wish that part were easy and that there didn't have to be three straps necessary.

wunderschön

I have now used this sling a couple of times, and I find it to be very practical and good. It works as both a sling and a small backpack. It is easy to wear, easy to use, and the straps are also easy to change and adjust once I got the hang of it.

This sling combo is perfect for my use case: as a daily companion while I’m out and about in town and usually come back with more stuff than I left my house with. It was also the perfect carry-on during a two-week trip to Egypt, giving myself enough space for laptop, gaming console, headphones, and cables during the flights (backpack mode, which keeps my passport in the small pouch safe between my back and the backpack); and as a daily sling for adventures in big cities like Cairo and off-road. Only idea for improvement: if in tote bag mode, it would be good if the strap would keep set length more rigorously.
Thank you for your amazing work!

Versatile, it looks good, easy to clean, rainproof. I have the backpack straps as well which is really worth it.

I’ve already written a review for the travel backpack, but wanted to stop by to give a quick one for the sling combo as well. I really like it, I can fit my MacBook Air and my iPad Air together with my small essentials in the unfolded backpack state. The sling is however a tiny bit too small to fit all my essentials and a small water bottle, but I have an unusual amount of essentials that I like to always carry with me. I was a bit surprised by the colour of the sand version, it is far more saturated than the pictures implied to me I.e. it’s more yellow and red than sand in my opinion. I would definitely recommend the sling combo to anyone who is looking for the versatility it provides.

The Sling Combo

I bought the Wayks Combo and in theory its perfect, but in practice you will end up in so many situations where the Sling is just too narrow to be useful. The Mini is also a tad too small for my essentials (see below). I appreciate the work they have put into this product though, so please see this review as encouraging rather than destructive.

If the Sling was about 10cm wider it would cover most situations with ease, both as a backpack and sling bag. But right now, it does neither.

For example: If I bring a large water bottle, I have to put it upright and bring the sling as a backpack. Same with a 750 ml wine bottle. Same with my (admittedly large) foldable umbrella. This constant switching between backpack and sling bag-mode is made worse by the fact that there are six steps in changing the straps from backpack to sling: You have to remove backpack straps at 4 places, and add sling strap in 2 places - and you can't keep both on at the same time.

So you might ask: Why not just always use it as a backpack? Well, even then, it just barely fits things you'll need for a normal day.
Work? Can't fit macbook pro, water bottle, food box, and thermos.
Beach? Can't fit towel, large water bottle, and a jacket (not to mention snack food box and blanket to sit on).
Meeting friends outside on a spring evening? Can't fit a wine bottle, sweater, and either one of a water bottle or a 40cm umbrella.
Biking? Don't expect to put much more than a foldable(!) bike helmet.
Shoes? If you wear heeled shoes or flipflop, a pair of back-up sneakers probably won't fit.

If I could do this purchasing decision again, I would probably not buy neither one of the Sling or Mini unfortunately. I would buy a slightly larger sling bag than Sling Mini with as many pockets as possible, and wear it all the time. Then I would have a complementary normal-sized backpack or an XL sling bag, to put bigger stuff in while still wearing my small bum bag across my neck, so I still can access my essentials easily from it.

The reason I bought Wayks Combo was to not have to do this, but rather always just have one bag with me for all types of day excursions, from office to beach, where I can easily access my important stuff (in the Mini) but also expand and contract the bag for spontaneous situations like shopping on the way home.

The Mini can fit a lot if you cram it, so to be fair I will list what I have inside and what I would wish to have space for - maybe the 0.5 liter space will be enough place for you:
My Mini fits keys, small earphone case, earplugs, phone charger, cable, mini portable bike lights, one pen, sunglasses, chewing gum, condoms and a bike saddle cover crushed into the tiniest imaginable ball possible. Note that everything is extremely crammed in this way, which hinders accessibility. I only fit these by playing Tetris in the Mini.
I would wish for additional room for: My private and work phone, my passport, my powerbank, cash, tissues, hand desinfectant, a small lotion.
Nice to haves (but maybe not as essential for me) would also be a very small notepad, a pencil with a small packet of lead, bandaid, painkillers and sanitary pad/tampons (backup for my gf and female friends).

Now, I know what you are thinking - I could keep all of these in the Sling and just attach the Mini to it. But the Sling would then have a lot of empty space just in order to have some additional small things inside that should just fit in the Mini instead. And seeing as the size of the Sling doesn't really allow for bigger things, I might as well just put all of it in another slightly larger sling bag instead (like a 1L one). So the Sling is unfortunately quite useless for me.

One very positive note on the Mini is how the square structure keeps your stuff in place (you can stack them nicely), in contrast to many small bum bags that are so soft it feels like searching for your essentials in a plastic bag. If the Mini would have a slightly larger size to fit the things I mentioned, it would be perfect in my opinion. Or even better if it was possible to zip two minis together, in which case different needs would be met in a smooth and modular way. So the Mini is not far from being great as it is. But the size of the Sling itself unfortunately has a long way to go to in order to be practical, as some others here have mentioned.

Either way, the build quality of both products are excellent. If you are a person who usually only brings very little/small things with you, I can highly recommend the Mini at least. And if you are thinking of buying the Sling, just think twice about whether the backpack dimensions are good enough for you. Compare with Wireds backpack size guide for example. Perhaps the Sling will fit your needs, after all.

Anyway, thanks to Leonie and Fabian for the work they put into this. I'm sure it meets the needs of other customers. And if there will ever be a wider sling and/or double mini, I'll be th...

Die kleinen Details und der Rolltop sind super praktisch. Eine Sache die ich an anderen slings etwas besser finde, ist die seitliche Anbringung des Gurtes an den Seiten und nicht an der Rückseite der Tasche. Dadurch würde sie noch ein Stück besser am Körper angeschmiegt hängen, wenn man sie über der diagonales Schulter hängen hat. Und die Plastik Schnalle ist etwas bulky. Trotzdem ein super Produkt, das ich gerne und oft nutze!