Travelon Anti-Theft Heritage Hobo Bag Review: A Superhero in Daytime Wear

Travelon Anti-Theft Heritage Hobo Bag Review

The term anti-theft gets thrown around a lot, but Travelon is one of only a few companies that enforce rigorous standards in the anti-theft technology that’s standard in its purses and packs. Travelon bags—including but not limited to the Heritage Hobo—have slash resistant body panels made of stainless steel body mesh on all sides and the bottom. They also have slash-resistant shoulder straps with embedded stainless steel cables, locking zippers, and RFID-blocking card slots. In short: These bags are not messing around.

Price and Where to Buy: The Travelon Anti-Theft Heritage Hobo Bag is $40 to $65 on Amazon and $65 on Travelonbags.com.

How the Travelon Anti-Theft Heritage Hobo Bag Rates:

• Usefulness: 9.5/10. The Heritage Hobo has a cotton-canvas exterior that looks stylish and wears well. Abundant interior pockets are lined with lighter fabric to make it easy to find things in a hurry. The bag comes with both a shoulder strap and a cross-body strap; you can remove the one you’re not using. If it has an imperfection, it’s that the cross-body strap has a buckle that, depending on how the strap is adjusted, can rub against your shoulder. But it’s easily remedied by adjusting the strap slightly.
• Value: 10/10. This purse doesn’t scream “tourist” the way many anti-theft purses do. As such, it doesn’t have to be relegated to your vacations; it’s a great everyday purse that happens to offer just the sort of extra protection you want when you’re traveling.
• Durability: 9/10. After a rigorous road-test, the bag remains as good as new. The cotton canvas exterior weathers bumps and scrapes without much obvious wear.
• Cool Factor: 9/10. Attractive enough to use every day, but still loaded with anti-theft features that will keep your gear safe on the go? The Heritage Hobo is a bit like a superhero in daytime clothes.

Final Verdict: This just-right purse offers travelers the ability to blend in rather than advertising themselves as tourists—or easy marks—in far-flung destinations. With its unfussy style, it looks natural in a variety of situations, all the while offering serious anti-theft protection.

Follow Christine Sarkis on Twitter @ChristineSarkis and Instagram @postcartography for more advice about making every vacation the best vacation.

Editor’s Note: Reviews are based on usefulness, portability, durability, value, and “cool factor.” Some review products are sent to us free of charge and with no incentive to offer a favorable review. We offer our unbiased opinions, positive and negative, and will never accept compensation to review a product. If you have any questions or comments concerning our reviews or would like to suggest a product for review, please email us at [email protected].