Ortlieb Seat-Pack QR

If you're looking for a solution for small-to-medium loads that's simple to fit and move between bikes, and is stable in use, then the Ortlieb Seat-Pack QR ticks all those boxes. It has the best fitting system of any seatpack I've ever tried, and is very well made and easy to use. The only major downside is that it won't work with all saddles, or all saddle setups. Oh, and the cost!

In essence, the Ortlieb Seat-Pack is a roll-top closure bikepacking bag similar to many others you'll find, albeit a very well-made one constructed from heavy-duty waterproof fabrics. The main difference is in the way that it mounts to your saddle and seatpost.

On top of the bag there's a rigid nylon plate, and two hooked levers that fit snugly around your saddle rails. They click into place and they're attached to two of the five compression straps on the bag, so when you've tightened everything up there's no way for them to work loose. You can move the position of the hooks fore and aft along tracks in the platform to fine-tune your bag's fit.

A Velcro strap secures the bag to your seatpost, and there's a fitting kit to allow you to use it with a dropper post.

The main benefits of this mounting system are twofold. Firstly, the bag is extremely stable in use: there is no sideways sway at all to speak of, and the hooks hold it tightly against your saddle over rougher terrain. It's also very easy to fit and remove; there's no fiddling straps through the saddle rails, and nothing gets left behind when you take it off, which takes less than ten seconds.

It really is a very nice bag to use, if you can make it fit. And it's worth reading the fitting notes (copied in the report below) because there are a few provisos.

Carbon-railed saddles are out, for a start, and anything that has a non-standard (ie, not round) saddle rail. Also, there needs to be sufficient rail behind the seatpost clamp for the hooks to engage. I generally found with my road/endurance bikes that the hook position was more or less as far forward as the tracks would allow, but I tend to favour an inline or low-setback seatpost so there's not as much room there. I managed to make it fit to all the bikes in the shed, though, with the exception of one, which has a layback post that I've been too lazy to swap out, and the saddle shunted forward a bit to compensate. There wasn't enough rail protruding on that one.

Pack & strap

The bag is rated for a 5kg load and has a 13L capacity, so plenty for a few spares, a change of clothes and some other bits and bobs. The roll-top means you can cinch it down to the size of whatever you're carrying, and there's a useful and simple-to-use valve to expel the air as you go.

The five compression straps (four on the sides and one at the back) keep everything neat and all have strap tidies for minimum flappage.

At the back there's a ladder affair that you can hook a rear light into…

…and on top there's a bungee for strapping your sandals or 24/7 croissant to the outside.

Underneath there's a plastic panel that stops tyre scuffs on a suspension bike, and also serves as a rudimentary mudguard.

In use

Once everything is done up, the bag is fully waterproof, and I've used it in the worst spring conditions imaginable for hours and hours and hours (don't ask) with no water ingress at all.

The usual proviso with seatpacks and getting stuff out applies: there's only one way in, and it's a bit of a faff to open the bag up and get at stuff that's near the bottom, so thought is required when you're working out your packing order. Having said that, because there's no sway it's not as important to have the heavy stuff right by the seatpost, so your toolpack, for instance, can be nearer the top, rather than buried.

All in all, this is probably the best seatpack I've tried in terms of performance on the bike and ease of use, especially when taking it on and off.

What’s not to like…?

Any downsides? Well, that mounting apparatus adds weight – you're probably looking at around a 200g weight penalty over a similarly sized bag with a standard mounting system such as the Miss Grape Cluster 13. And there's no getting away from it, this is a spendy bit of kit. Our friends over at off.road.cc have a useful guide to the best bikepacking seatpacks and this one is more expensive than any of them. Although I expect it will be making its way into that list, because this is a really great bag.

Back in 2022 I reviewed the Tailfin Aeropack and since then I've mostly told people who've asked that it's the gold standard for lightweight carrying of things on a range of bikes. And I stand by that view, but the carbon version I tested is now double the price of this seatpack, and even the alloy one (which is the one I'd recommend anyway) is getting on for £300 these days.

Why is the Tailfin so good? Well, compared with a standard seatpack it's incredibly stable in use, it's really easy to fit and remove, it has a big capacity and it's simple to pack.

This Ortlieb bag is giving the Tailfin a run for its money, though, especially if you don't need the extra capacity that the 20L Tailfin offers. It's similarly easy to fit and remove and also gives you completely sway-free storage at the rear. It's a bit lighter, and it's loads cheaper. You can't carry as much, and it's more fiddly to access things, but those are trade-offs you might well be prepared to accept for a ticket price that's over £100 less than the base price of a Tailfin.

Conclusion

This Ortlieb Seat-Pack gets a thumbs-up from me. It's really well made and I'd expect it to last (there's a five-year warranty if it doesn't), and it's about as good as a seatpack can be at carrying stuff without you noticing. Everything about it feels well thought out. It's expensive, sure, but I think you're getting your money's worth here.

> 15 easy ways to carry stuff on your bike

> Buyer’s Guide: Best bikepacking bags

Verdict

Really well-thought-out and well-made seatpack that's easy to use and simple to fit and remove