The Ortlieb Back-Roller is a German-made classic. Voluminous, tough, water resistant and with a wide range of spares available, these panniers should last for years. Add in a five-year warranty, tool-free adjustability and good environmental credentials, and Ortlieb has delivered another winner for your world tour, with their high price about the only downside.
Check out other options in our guide to the best bike panniers and racks.
Buy now: Ortlieb Back-Roller 40L for £123.25 from Cyclestore
Along with fellow German outfit Vaude, Ortlieb is one of the biggest names when it comes to bike luggage. Ortlieb’s Back-Roller is a pair of non-side-specific touring panniers with a nominal volume of 20 litres each. I say nominal, because the roll-top closure means you can cram in more than 20 litres with the closure just about done up, and even more if you don’t seal them up.
The Back-Roller should work with just about every rack out there, and you can make all the adjustments required without tools, which is handy when you’re travelling and you want to keep weight to a minimum.
It’s a simple, symmetrical design, and all the better for it. You don’t need to work out which pannier goes on the left or right, and there are large reflective patches front and back – or back and front.
Inside there’s a large open space with just a drop-in pocket and a smaller zipped mesh pocket. The larger pocket wouldn’t take my 15in laptop, but would take a smaller one or a tablet.
In common with a lot of waterproof panniers there are no external pockets, but Ortlieb has you covered: you can buy a 2.1-litre waterproof ‘Outer Pocket’ for £29. I wouldn’t, but you may feel differently.
Closing time
The simplicity of the design also extends to the closure system. You just roll the top over tightly, cinch it down and do up the central top buckle and pull that tight.
You’ve then got a couple of options: you can clip the two end buckles to each other over the top; or – especially when the pannier is more full – you can clip the shoulder strap to the buckles and then run it under a hook on the face of the pannier.
Your stuff stays dry too. The IP64 rating means the Back-Roller isn’t exactly waterproof, which will be down to the roll-top closure, but it protects entirely against dust ingress and water spray from any direction. Okay, you can’t ford a river with it, but it’s been a while since I’ve done that. In day-to-day use, even during a tropical downpour – and I’ve cycled through a few of those – as long as the roll closure is done up good to go your belongings won’t turn into a soggy mass.
That water resistance is also down to the materials used – a combination of PD620, which is a PVC-coated polyester, and the heavier-duty PS490 that Ortlieb uses for its dry bags. And the different materials are exceptionally neatly welded together using Ortlieb’s high-frequency 3D-welding process. Those welded seams are entirely waterproof, resisting ‘leaking when exposed to a 100,000mm column of water!’, which is an off-the-top-of-the-chart level of waterproofing.
Rack mounting
The top QL2.1 hooks can be moved laterally to fit your rack’s top rails, clipping in very firmly to the notches on the rail along the top of the pannier. The diameter of the hook is 16mm, but Ortlieb supplies small plastic inserts in 8, 10 and 12mm diameters, one of which should be ideal for your rack. The top hook is also available as a spare for £14.50, with spare inserts also available.
The top hooks are attached to a carrying handle, and it’s a very easy system to use. To clip the pannier to the rack you just drop it over the top rail and when you let go it hooks underneath the rail. To remove it you just lift up the handle and you’re good to go.
The lower QL2.1 anchoring hook is just as adjustable as the top. You can site it anywhere along an arc that looks like an Amazon Prime logo – well, sort of. Unscrew the hook and you can also rotate the anchor 360 degrees to clamp to one of your rack’s struts. It’s simple, effective and secure. Want a spare? It’s yours for £7.50.
The high amount of adjustability means that the panniers are very stable in use. Play around with the top and bottom fittings to get them just right and there should be no slop or play whatsoever, no sliding back or forth along the top rails, no wobbling from the lower anchor.
Though the panniers come with shoulder straps, I tend not to carry full panniers on my shoulder for any length of time, preferring to use the handles. I once squished a nerve in my shoulder carrying a heavy bag, and that’s not something I want to repeat.
Value
The Back-Rollers are an excellent pair of panniers, and though they are far from cheap, they aren’t hugely more than what are probably their nearest rivals, Vaude’s Aqua Back panniers. Those have the same capacity and also come with good green credentials but are slightly heavier than the Ortliebs.
There is cheaper competition, though: the Oxford Aqua V32 Double Pannier Bag, for example, has a capacity of 32 litres across the pair, is tough, waterproof and costs just £64.99. (It’s designed as a double, though, and can’t be used singly.)
If you’re looking for something more suited to commuting and light touring, the Altura Heritage 16L Pannier has a smaller capacity, good weatherproofing and decidedly old-school looks, and costs £55.
Conclusion
Okay, £150 is a lot for a pair of panniers, when you can buy decent panniers for less than half that, but I think their overall excellent quality, eco credentials and the availability of spares goes a long way to justify their high initial cost. Pack up your kit, pop your panniers on the rack, saddle up, pedal, and there’s a world of adventure to be had. The Ortlieb Back-Rollers won’t let you down.
Buy now: Ortlieb Back-Roller 40L for £123.25 from Cyclestore
Verdict
High-quality, well-made luggage that’s tough, water resistant and pretty pricey but should last for years
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road.cc test report
Make and model: Ortlieb Back-Roller
Size tested: 40L
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?
Ortlieb says: “Durable polyester fabric make this pannier a long lasting touring companion. The waterproof roll closure ensures safe and waterproof storage of food and equipment.”
And Ortlieb is right. The Back-Roller is a fine piece of kit that scores for construction quality, water-resistance and tool-free adjustability that should make it compatible with just about every rack out there.
About the only downside – other than the price – is that the roll closure means these panniers are at their best when they’re fully loaded or at least pretty full.
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?
From Ortlieb:
With its QL2.1 fixing it is quickly mounted and taken off the bike rack. A shoulder strap provides carrying comfort when taken off the rack.
HEIGHT 42 cm | 16 inch
DEPTH 17 cm | 6 inch
VOLUME 2x 20 l | 2x 1220.5 cu.inch
PROPERTIES ip64
LOWER WIDTH 23 cm | 9 inch
UPPER WIDTH 32 cm | 12 inch
It appears very well made, came out of testing unmarked and looks like it’ll last as long as me – and I’m planning on being around for a while yet.
They’re highly adjustable, can carry loads of your gubbins and keep them dry when it rains. Their day-to-day performance is very hard to fault.
They look pretty as-new after testing, there’s little to go wrong, and spares are available if any of the hardware does break.
At 1,992g per pair these aren’t light – but if you’re taking these on tour and loading them to the gunwales with clothing, tools, spares and more (a nice bottle of chardonnay, say), I feel a little extra weight is neither here nor there. Security and durability trump low weight when you’re riding beyond the rabbit proof fence or have reached Woop Woop…
While the panniers come with shoulder straps, I rarely carry panniers this way and tend to prefer to use the handles – especially when they’re heavy.
They’re very much at the upper end of things, but only a tenner more than their Vaude rivals, and they do come with a five-year warranty, loads of spares are available – which should extend their lifespan – and are made in Germany with very good eco credentials, factors that go a long way to justify the initial expense.
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
Tough, voluminous, adjustable without tools and the ability to carry tonnes (not literally, of course) of your kit and clobber without it getting wet – what more do you want from a pair of panniers?
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
Pretty much everything. They’re voluminous, highly adjustable and with very clean looks. Some might prefer panniers with external pockets, but I prefer everything kept more safely inside.
They’re tough, highly water-resistant, have a five-year warranty and good eco credentials.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
Price – they are very expensive at their full RRP.
And they need to be full or nearly full to work at their best.
How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?
They’re more expensive than other panniers we’ve tested – in some cases very much more so – but they are very good quality, and only a tenner more than the heavier Vaude Aqua Backs.
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
These are a very good set of panniers that are well made, do what they set out to do well, and should last for years. They’re water-resistant rather than genuinely waterproof but I can’t see any water making its way through in general use. If you ford a river you might be in trouble, but when was the last time you traversed a river with your bike?
The availability of spare parts, should anything get broken – and it does happen – provides reassurance. And I like the eco credentials behind their manufacture, something that German companies in particularly seem to be taking to heart. In fact, Ortlieb says if you leave your car at home and cycle 157.47km (just under 100 miles) this will compensate for the CO2 created in the manufacturing of the panniers.
About the tester
Age: 57
I usually ride: 2018 Giant TCR Advanced 2 with Halo Carbaura disc wheels My best bike is:
I’ve been riding for: Over 20 years I ride: Every day I would class myself as: Expert
I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, touring, sportives, general fitness riding,
10 thoughts on “Ortlieb Back-Roller 40L Panniers”
For better eco credentials
For better eco credentials you need the ‘Free’ version of these without the PVC.
I have used the free version for daily commuting since mid 2019 in all weathers. Nothing ever gets wet inside and nothing has broken.
Points I would like to be better, they do rattle like crazy without padding between the bags plastic parts and carrier and if you go over a bump or a curb too heavily the lower hook is prone to flexing and popping off.
If I will ride rougher paths I clip the middle strap around the carrier top rail as well for added safety should the lower hook pop. I know someone that had that happen and subsiquently had the bag twist off the top rail via broken top catches and fall off.
The lower hook holder can be rotated 180 degrees as well by undoing the screws, this allows you to shorten the top to lower hook distance as well as spin the hook 360 degrees.
Can confirm…they do rattle
Can confirm…they do rattle like crazy.
I’ve fitted a second lower
I’ve fitted a second lower hook (available as spares) to mine so that the pannier clips to both rack legs and is much more firmly held. This works well off-road (bridleways etc).
That’s a great tip. I have a
That’s a great tip. I also have a set of the Ortleib packing cubes which are specifically made for these panniers and they work fantastically for organising your gear and makes it much simpler to find the stuff you need in a hurry.
I have a pair for about 4
I have a pair for about 4 years and love em. Only for longer trips when the saddle bag isn’t enough but so handy for the quick release into digs at the end of the day.
Very happy with mine but I
Very happy with mine but I wish they had a simple way of securing them to the rack to prevent casual theft. It is so easy to just lift the pannier off the rack and walk away. There is nowhere to attach zip ties effectively for example. So much thought has gone into the design it’s a shame they haven’t thought of simple theft deterrent.
They actually make the item
They actually make the item you want;
Anti-Theft-Device for QL2/ 2.1/ 2.2 bags
Gosh that is useful! Thank
Gosh that is useful! Thank you so much for taking the bother to reply. I will order them!
I’ve a pair. Currently used
I’ve a pair. Currently used for commuting / shopping – learned to like them, all the comments are true eg. Hard wearing but rattly etc.
Good comments about the accessories you can add to address some of the niggles/ alternative uses also.
IMO they’re *best* for … what they seem to be designed for! Doing a tour where you pack ’em up and clip ’em on and that’s it until you get to the next end point. For more general use I found I was missing quick-access external pockets (though it’s not a major drama to open / close). As mentioned, though the attachment system is very easy to configure it also can mean bags come off (albeit only happened when I didn’t snug everything in place and caught one with a heel). Because of the rattles and plastic they *felt* initially like they would break – again seems not to be an issue.
If you really want heavy-duty shoppers (that you can lock to your bike) the Dutch ones (eg. from Clarijs) are the business – these may need a longer rack that normal UK ones though?
3 pairs of Back Rollers:
3 pairs of Back Rollers: first set, standard, as reviewed (older, though); City for up front; and XL as upgrade replacement for the first set.
I’d say decades. I’ve still got my first set. I got them about five years before my first child was born… she’s just graduated. In fairness, the seams have some gaps along the rolled section. If I thought that was critical, I’d put some tape/sealant along the gaps, because the bags work just fine. It’s just the upgrade to XL is more functional for my purposes.
As for security: I use the top strap around the pannier to deter snatch-grab theft. A cafe lock around the handles would do to prevent casual theft if I’m out of reach. More than that is irrelevant, because you could just open the pannier and nick the contents, if you were bothered; and that goes for any pannier.
There are copycat panniers. If you can’t afford the Ortliebs and don’t have time to save up, I suppose they would do, but they’re not Ortliebs, so beware buying cheap and buying twice.
I also would not recommend fording with them. Not because I think they would leak, but if submerged waterproofing becomes relevant, they will float-lift your wheel and you’ll lose traction and you’ll be carried down river and over the falls and you’ll die. They are, for most reasonable expectations, utterly waterproof.
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