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Hill & Ellis Chestnut Brown Leather Saddle Bag Hill & Ellis Chestnut Brown Leather Saddle Bag Hill & Ellis Chestnut Brown Leather Saddle Bag Hill & Ellis Chestnut Brown Leather Saddle Bag Hill & Ellis Chestnut Brown Leather Saddle Bag Hill & Ellis Chestnut Brown Leather Saddle Bag Hill & Ellis Chestnut Brown Leather Saddle Bag Hill & Ellis Chestnut Brown Leather Saddle Bag Hill & Ellis Chestnut Brown Leather Saddle Bag
2021 Hill and Ellis Chestnut Brown Leather Saddle Bag

Hill & Ellis Chestnut Brown Leather Saddle Bag

8
by George Hill
Mon, Mar 08, 2021 09:45
1
£80.00

VERDICT:

8
10
High quality, beautifully made and classy looking – on a saddle or handlebar
Great looking
Easy to use
Premium quality
Popper can be a challenge in winter gloves
Things can rattle inside
Weight: 
226g
Contact: 
www.hillandellis.com
How we test

At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.

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The Hill & Ellis Chestnut Brown Leather Saddle Bag is beautifully made and great looking – whether attached to a saddle or handlebar.

Hill & Ellis describes this saddle bag as artisan and handcrafted. It is very much designed with quality and looks at the forefront, and is available in a variety of colours.

> Buy this online here

The first thing you notice about the bag when you unpack it is the lovely smell from the Italian and Belgium leather used. The leather is nice and thick but still supple enough to allow it to sit open and close easily. The stitching is also high quality though there's not much of it, with the construction being three pieces of leather: one continuous piece that wraps over itself and two side panels.

2021 Hill & Ellis Saddle Bag on saddle closeup.jpeg

It's opened and closed with a popper on the front which needs to be lifted from the latch rather than just pulled open, so you are unlikely to open it by accident. This does make it a little more involved when using thicker winter gloves – in fact I found I needed to remove my gloves to grip it enough to open.

2021 Hill and Ellis Chestnut Brown Leather Saddle Bag - closure.jpg

Though not the biggest saddle bag, I could fit a useful amount of stuff in there – phone, wallet, keys, and puncture repair kit. I could fit a rain coat in there too if I needed to. It does only have one large compartment, and if you exclusively put hard things in there, they can jangle about a bit.

2021 Hill and Ellis Chestnut Brown Leather Saddle Bag - inside.jpg

Attachment to the bike is simply done using two straps with buckles. It can be used as a saddle bag if you have the right loops, as found on Brooks saddles, or as a handlebar bag.

2021 Hill and Ellis Chestnut Brown Leather Saddle Bag - on bars.jpg

The straps run through an O ring to create a firm and stable attachment. I tested it on a handlebar and saddle, and it sat safely and securely on both.

2021 Hill and Ellis Chestnut Brown Leather Saddle Bag - back.jpg

Given its quality leather, the bag has good water resistance, but if you get caught in an apocalyptic downpour then a little water can get in. Hill & Ellis recommends that you reproof the leather every six months in for it to maintain this level of waterproofing.

2021 Hill and Ellis Chestnut Brown Leather Saddle Bag - logo.jpg

The Hill & Ellis bag has an rrp of £80, which isn't cheap, but nor is it bad value for a high quality, handmade leather bag. Brooks' leather Challenge saddle bag is £90 for the large (1.5 litres, slightly larger than the H&E's 1.2L), while the small (0.5L) is £85.

> 15 easy ways to carry stuff on your bike

Overall I was very impressed with this bag. It might not be cheap, but in return you're getting quality workmanship and aesthetics – and it smells great when you open it.

Verdict

High quality, beautifully made and classy looking – on a saddle or handlebar

road.cc test report

Make and model: Hill and Ellis Chestnut Brown Leather Saddle Bag

Size tested: 21cm (W) 10cm (H) 6cm (D)

Tell us what the product is for and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

Hill & Ellis says: "Crafted in striking full grain Italian chestnut brown leather, this saddle bag / scooter bag is classic, striking and is perfectly designed for carrying the essentials for a day ride, or a commute to work."

This broadly matches what I found – it is beautiful, well made, and carries the essentials well.

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

Hill & Ellis lists:

British Made in Italian & Belgium high quality leather with hand-embossed logo.

Made with materials sourced as close to the London workshop as possible to reduce its effect on the environment.

The bag attaches to the saddle or the bicycle or scooter handlebars with adjustable buckle straps, that feed through an O-ring to reduce swinging.

Metal closure is British made and originally designed for to deal with life on a yacht.

Full grain Italian leather on all straps for greater durability.

1 year Guarantee.

Small batch produced and individually checked.

To protect the leather we advise using a water-proofing spray once every 6 months.

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
10/10

Very well made with strong hand stitching and excellent material choice.

Rate the product for performance:
 
7/10

It attaches securely to the bike and is big enough to carry most day-to-day cycling essentials, just pack carefully to stop things rattling.

Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10

The leather is thick and supple – with the right care this could last for as long as you want it to.

Rate the product for value:
 
6/10

Not cheap, but it's £10 less than the Brooks equivalent.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

It performed very well, it sits comfortably on the bike and carries all the everyday essentials you could need.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

The quality of construction is excellent – and I love the leather smell when you first open the box.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Nothing major, but it can be a little tricky to open in thick winter gloves.

How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?

Brooks' leather Challenge saddle bag is £90 for the large (1.5 litres), while the small (0.5L) is £85. The Hill & Ellis is 1.2L.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your overall score

Beautifully made, high-quality bag that does everything it needs to and looks good while doing it. It's cheaper than some, too. If you're in the market for a leather saddle bag (which can also be a handlebar bag), this is very good.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 32  Height: 6 ft  Weight:

I usually ride: CAAD13  My best bike is: Cannondale Supersix Evo

I've been riding for: 5-10 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: commuting, club rides, sportives, general fitness riding, fixed/singlespeed, mtb,

Hill & Ellis Chestnut Brown Leather Saddle Bag 2021
Hill & Ellis Chestnut Brown Leather Saddle Bag
Hill & Ellis 2021
Hill & Ellis
saddle bags
George Hill

George is the host of the road.cc podcast and has been writing for road.cc since 2014. He has reviewed everything from a saddle with a shark fin through to a set of glasses with a HUD and everything in between. 

Although, ironically, spending more time writing and talking about cycling than on the bike nowadays, he still manages to do a couple of decent rides every week on his ever changing number of bikes.

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1 comments

Avatar
ktache | 3 years ago
1 like

Proper classy.

Looks like it could last a lifetime...

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