Ortlieb Gravel Pack pannier bag pair review (2024)

Overall

Quality

Performance

Value

The Ortlieb Gravel Packs pannier bag pair are a lightweight, waterproof set of panniers that offer a somewhat limited12.5-litres ofcapacity (per bag) but come with great functionality and durability. Read on to see how they fared and whether they have what it takes to earn a place among the best pannier bags.

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Ortlieb Gravel Pack Pannier Bag - Technical details

Ortlieb has streamlined the design on these bags - they have no inside pockets or a shoulder-strap pad, making thembetter suited tobikepackers than commuters.

> Buy now: Ortlieb Gravel Pack Pannier Bag from Evans Cycles for £115.00

Weighing in at 1,160g, these are a lightweight pair of panniers. The main material on the bags is a sturdy-but-lightweight PU-laminated rip-stop nylon fabric, featuring a reflective 3M design on both sides for front and rear visibility.The packs attach to your rack with automatically locking QL2.1 hooks that have a 16mm diameter. These hooks (which are attached to a handle) come with changeable inserts in 8, 10 and 12mm sizes so you can get the bag fit without rattle.

The packs featurea roll-closure which is secured by a buckles on each side. The maximum load per pannier is 9kg and they can hold 12.5-litreseach.

Ortlieb Gravel Pack - Performance

With great adjustability comes greater setting up time. Whilethe four-way adjustment on theOrtlieb Gravel Packs isgreat for getting the pack absolutely rattle-free and secure, setting these bags up took a little longer than with some other panniers. That being said, the adjustability is one of the advantages of these packs, as well, as once set up, they don’t clatter against the rack.

These packs are designed for bikepackers (and those with low weight in mind)and utilise a very minimalistic design witha single, large compartment. Although I don’t think this is really an issue per se, I know it will be a negative for some, especially commuters. If you don’t fully pack the bag, things will rattle about because of the rigid plate inserted inside to hold the structure and attachments.

Another thing that will not please everyone is the size of these bags. Each can hold 12.5-litres in volume and 9kg in weight. This is not much when you think that some saddle bags can hold 18-litres. However, I found this storage space to be more than enough for storing gear for a few days - considering you can also load more at the front of your bike. I could easily fit my 13-inch laptop but I think anything biggercould prove to be a struggle - although the roll-top closure also allows a lot of adjustability in the bag size.

Construction-wise, this bag is really solid and it remained unscathed on multiple trips with me. Even though it got scratched and scuffed, the ripstop did not tear and kept everything dry, which is impressive considering some of the downpours endured during the testing period.

The buckles are solid yet lightweight and I found these worked well given the size and load of the bags.I am slightly disappointed that the bag doesn’t come with a shoulder strap - even though one can be purchased as an extra accessory - it would’ve made it a lot easier to carry one of the bags for example when boarding trains.

Ortlieb Gravel Pack Pannier Bag - Verdict

I've been really impressed by these bags and, although I first thought they are too small, I didn't once have the need for more space. They worked brilliantly with the Ortlieb Quick Rack on small bikepacking trips, but also for shopping.

Value-wise I think these panniers are good - yes the volume they can hold is less than some other rival pannier bags, but these are made with speed and lightweight packing in mind anddefinitely hold enough for multi-day adventures. Compared to the main rival in the best pannier bags category, Tailfin's22L Ultra Durable pannier bag retails for £119 (for one) and weighs 740g (but is a lot larger in volume). Tailfin does make 10l mini panniers but those are a lot narrower in design and cost £80 a piece.

In conclusion, Ortlieb Gravel Pack Pannier Bags are great quality, lightweight pannier bags that will endure even the roughest bikepacking trips and won’t slow you down.

• www.ortlieb.com

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