Designed for urban or countryside adventures, the Topeak Bento Pack is not without its shortcomings, but it’s not expensive for the utility delivered.
For more options, check out our guide to cycling luggage and our feature, 15 easy ways to carry stuff on your bike.
> Buy now: Topeak Bento Pack for £17.99 from BikeInn
The Bento Pack measures 0.85L, and I was able to fit in a lightweight jacket, energy bars, gloves and a multi-tool. Inside are two flush elasticated pockets for small items like cards, keys or coins. It opens with a dual-pull zip featuring glove-friendly toggles.
Two generously sized rubbery Velcro straps hold it in place, and are plenty long enough to wrap around the fattest of modern bike head tube junctions. I did experience a fair amount of knee contact when climbing, out of the saddle, but at quite a level of exertion.
The most visible feature of the Bento Pack is the plastic phone cover. Face Unlock doesn’t work through it, but I was able to use the touchscreen to wake the phone and then use my passcode to unlock it. There’s a pocket behind the phone that holds a battery pack for wireless charging – but you need to play with the alignment for it to work reliably. You can use a cable to charge, which is more efficient.
Topeak says the Bento Pack is water repellent. It’s not waterproof, for sure, but you’d need to be riding in a serious downpour for a while before it leaked to any degree.
At £24.99 it’s a similar price to others – the BTR Deluxe Bike Bag Phone Holder, Phone Mount & Waterproof Rain Cover GEN 5, for example, is £25.99.
I see the Topeak Bento Pack being best for people who are navigating by phone through town or country, possibly over long periods, and so may need the assurance of a battery backup. The ability to carry food, glasses, tools and smaller items of clothing up front and in reach is always welcome, as are longer, grippy straps to hold everything in place.
> Buy now: Topeak Bento Pack for £17.99 from BikeInn
Verdict
Decent bag with some nice features, fits securely and lets you charge and use your phone
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road.cc test report
Make and model: Topeak Bento Pack
Size tested: 0.85 L
Tell us what the product is for and who it’s aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it?
It’s a pack for riders wanting their phones in view, and maybe charged at the same time, who need to also store or access food, tools or smaller items of clothing.
Topeak says: “A top tube bag and phone case 2-in-1 design, featuring a transparent protective film that allows you to operate your phone while it’s inside the bag. The second compartment of the bag features dividers that allow you to easily organize and store small items such as credit cards, loose change, keys, and other personal belongings.
“Note: Sand, dirt, mud, etc., and bags that are incorrectly pack may cause the bike frame paint in contact areas become dull or scratched over time. To avoid any potential damage, you should protect the frame or rack with foam covering or protective film before attaching bags or panniers.”
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product
Topeak lists:
BAG ATTACHMENT Strap
Top Tube Diameter: Ø35-73 mm
Head Tube Diameter: Ø30-50 mm
COMPARTMENT 2
CAPACITY 0.85 L
Fits phones sizes up to 6.7″ ( 16.5 x 7.8 x 0.9 cm )
MATERIAL NYLON / TPU
SIZE 20 x 8.5 x 9.5 cm
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
Holding a phone and being a place to store stuff within reach, it worked well.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
The straps are grippy and plenty long.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
Getting phones in or out is sometimes hard, and you can’t really fit a phone inside in a case. And as it’s quite wide your knees will almost certainly hit it when climbing.
How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?
The price is competitive, similar to other offerings.
Did you enjoy using the product? Yes
Would you consider buying the product? Maybe
Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes, with caveats.
Use this box to explain your overall score
It’s sometimes challenging to get a phone in or out, and the Velcro phone flap makes wireless charging not work sometimes, but overall I’d say it’s a good choice for the money.
About the tester
Age: 47
I usually ride: Sonder Camino Gravelaxe My best bike is: Nah bro that’s it
I’ve been riding for: Over 20 years I ride: A few times a week I would class myself as: Expert
I regularly do the following types of riding: cyclo cross, general fitness riding, mtb, G-R-A-V-E-L
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