Best Roll Top Bags: 6 Waterproof and Commuter Picks

Shop this category for ten minutes and you'll notice the results split into two groups that barely resemble each other. The first is the dry bag: a welded or coated tube with shoulder straps, built for kayaks, boats and beaches, usually with no laptop sleeve and often no pockets worth the name. The second is the commuter pack, which borrows the roll for weatherproofing and adjustable volume but keeps the organisation, the padded sleeve and the shape that doesn't look out of place in an office.

Both are on this list because both roll and clip exactly as the name promises, and buying the wrong one is the main way people end up disappointed. A dry bag will keep a change of clothes safe under a wave and then offer you nowhere to put a phone. A commuter roll top will organise your day beautifully and is not something to trust to a capsize. Three of the six here sit firmly in the first group and three in the second.

The seal is worth understanding before you spend anything. Waterproof on these bags comes from the construction as much as the roll: welded or heat-taped seams instead of stitching, because a needle makes a hole and a hole lets water in. Four of the six here have their water resistance level published as Waterproof. The tomtoc is listed water resistant, which means rain not submersion, and the Bellroy publishes no water resistance level at all. We've gone into the practical difference in our roundup of backpacks that survive a real downpour, and if the problem you're solving is wet kit going back in with dry kit, a dedicated wet bag may be the cheaper answer.

Fabric tells you which group a bag belongs to before you read another word. PVC and TPU are the dry bag materials, heavy and impermeable, and they're what these sellers use when the claim is full submersion. Coated nylon and high-denier polyester are the commuter materials, and the coating on the surface is what seals them. That split is the same one we work through in nylon versus polyester as pack fabrics, and it decides how the bag ages more than the brand does.

Treat the closure spec fields with suspicion. On five of these six listings that field says Zipper or Snap instead of roll top, even where the seller's own description says roll top three times. The field is being filled in with the hardware that fastens the roll down, or with a side zip somewhere else on the bag. Trust the description and the photographs; the spec field is close to useless here, and only the MIER has it filled in correctly.

The Earth Pak takes the top slot on weight of evidence. More than 33,000 buyers have rated it, over ten times the other five bags put together, and it does that at the lowest price here.

The closure is stated plainly: Earth Pak's copy says the "roll top and buckle closure allows for air-tight protection against water/liquids", and separately describes the bag as "made from abrasion resistant 500D PVC with a roll top seal". Five hundred denier PVC is a thick, hard-wearing material, and at 1.4 pounds for a 30 litre bag it's light for what it is.

What you're not getting is organisation. This is a tube with straps, 9.5 by 9.5 by 19 inches, and Earth Pak lists no laptop sleeve. That's normal for the format, and it's why this bag belongs on boats and beaches. An IPX8 rated phone case is included, which is the sort of accessory that's usually a throwaway and here happens to solve the "where does my phone go" problem the bag itself creates.

Of the six listings here, exactly one has the closure field filled in correctly, and this is it. MIER's Apparel Closure Type reads "roll top" where everyone else's says Zipper or Snap, and its Product Style field reads Roll Top Dry Backpack. Nothing else on the listing contradicts the description either.

Construction is the reason to want this over the Earth Pak. It's waterproof soft TPU with welded and heat-taped seams, which is the most explicit seam construction published on this list, and MIER states the combination directly, quoting "waterproof soft TPU + welded and heat-taped seams + roll top closure for better waterproofing". The company also describes the roll as a sealing system that lets you "pack tighter or expand larger depending on your needs", which is the adjustable-volume argument stated by the maker rather than inferred by us.

It's the most pack-like of the three dry bags. MIER lists a cushioned back panel, an adjustable chest strap and five compartments. Its 5.5 by 12.2 by 28.3 inch shape is tall and flat where the Earth Pak's is a deep 9.5 inch square tube, which makes it the easier of the two to reach into on the published dimensions alone. That shape costs weight, since at 900 grams it's heavier than the Earth Pak's 1.4 pounds for the same 30 litres.

A little over four hundred ratings is the number that holds it back: respectable in isolation, thin next to the Earth Pak's 33,000, so this is a pick made on construction rather than on consensus.

The Metron is the only pick here built around a bike. Osprey's copy is explicit about both the closure and the intent: "a secure roll-top closure seals the main compartment and its magnetically-secured, removable padded laptop sleeve", built for "dedicated, rain or shine bike commuters".

The bike-specific list is what separates it: glove-friendly buckles, so the roll works without taking your gloves off in February, plus a helmet LidLock, a loop for a rear light, reflective graphics and a bottle pocket. None of that is exotic engineering, and together it's what makes this a bag built for riding.

The fabric is the most heavily specified of the six: bluesign approved 100 percent recycled 400D nylon, double coated with a TPU laminate, welded seams, water resistance level published as Waterproof. The padded laptop sleeve takes a 16 inch machine and lifts out magnetically, so the bag becomes a plain 25 litre roll top when you don't need it.

It's the most expensive bag here by a wide margin, and it carries fewer than 30 ratings, so the case for it is the feature list and there's no crowd behind it yet. It's also the only one of the six sold by Amazon directly, which makes it the safest pick to actually receive.

The tomtoc is the commuter pick with real owner numbers behind it, more than 400 ratings against a few dozen each for the Osprey and the Bellroy, and it costs a good deal less than either. It's also the clearest illustration of what the roll does for volume: the capacity is published as a range, 17 to 20 litres, because the number depends on how far down you roll it.

tomtoc names the format in several places. The description opens with "tomtoc T61 Laptop Rolltop Backpack: this stylish rolltop backpack is adjustable in volume", the Product Style spec field reads Roll Top Backpack and the Item Type Name field says roll top backpack. That's three independent confirmations on one listing.

Fabric is 1680D polyester with Duraflex buckles, listed water resistant and not waterproof, and tomtoc is careful to claim only that it "withstands rain splashes". We'd take that at face value: this is a bag for commuting in weather, not for a canoe. The sleeve is listed for 13 to 15.6 inch machines and the spec field allows up to 16, and at 850 grams it's the lightest of the three commuter packs.

This is the bag that refuses to pick a side, and it's the most useful of the six if your day really does have both halves in it. It's a true dry bag, heavy-duty PVC with sonically welded seams, and it has a padded laptop sleeve inside rated to 14 inches. The Earth Pak and the MIER list no sleeve at all, and the only other pick published as Waterproof with a sleeve is the Osprey, at more than twice the price.

COR Surf states the closure repeatedly. The copy describes "sonically welded seams that ensure their 100% waterproof and dirtproof integrity, complete with a roll top closure", puts "roll-top design allows for 100% waterproofing" in its own line, and mentions an "adjustable compression top strap and roll top design" for oversized loads. For a category this vague about openings, that's about as clear as it gets.

At 40 litres it's the largest bag here, and the extra volume is the point if you're carrying a wetsuit and a change of clothes as well as a machine. The cost is weight, 2.9 pounds empty, which is double the Earth Pak and the heaviest on this list.

Its dimensions are published twice and don't match, given as 21 by 15 by 8 inches in the description and 18 by 15 by 21 inches in the spec table. Those two sets describe very different volumes, so don't measure a specific piece of kit against either one without checking with COR Surf first.

The Bellroy is the one here you can carry into a meeting. It's 26 litres of polyester in a slim 5.12 inch depth, and the design brief is visible in Bellroy's own phrasing: "the adjustable capacity and familiar shape of a traditional roll-top, enhanced with modern organization and access".

The detail that matters most is the second way in. Bellroy states it plainly: "if the roll top is out of reach, there's a side zip that gives you quick access to the main section." That directly answers the format's biggest daily irritation, which is unrolling everything to reach one thing, and it's the reason this is a realistic every-single-day bag and not just a weekend one. The listing also advertises a range of roll-top heights and a luggage pass-through for a suitcase handle. The sleeve takes a 16 inch laptop.

Its closure spec field says Zipper, which is describing that side zip and not the top, and with about 30 ratings there's very little feedback history here. Bellroy sells it directly and stock has been running low, so check availability before you set your heart on it.

Start with whether water is going to be on the bag or just falling on it, and the list halves. Submersion, spray and boats mean the Earth Pak, the MIER or the COR Surf, all three published as Waterproof, with welded or heat-taped seams named on the MIER and the COR Surf. Rain on a commute means the Osprey, the tomtoc or the Bellroy. Only the Osprey of those three is published as Waterproof; the tomtoc is listed water resistant and the Bellroy publishes no water resistance level at all.

If what you want is the classic flap-and-drawstring shape instead of a roll, our guide to the best top load backpacks covers the canvas rucksacks and two synthetic packs.

Then let the laptop cut it again. Two of these six, the Earth Pak and the MIER, have no sleeve at all. If you need one, you're choosing between the COR Surf at 14 inches, the tomtoc at 15.6, and the Osprey or Bellroy at 16. That single number removes more options here than price does.

Money settles what's left. The two cheapest bags on this list are dry bags, and either one costs about half the cheapest commuter pack; the Earth Pak is under a fifth of the Osprey. If the job is keeping a change of clothes dry, spending commuter money makes no sense. Going the other way, the Osprey is the most expensive bag here and the only one with bike hardware, which is either exactly what you need or entirely irrelevant. If you're still weighing formats before models, our roundup of commuter bag formats covers the alternatives, and the general fit questions are the same ones in our guide to choosing a travel backpack.

What is a roll top bag?

It's a bag whose main compartment closes by folding the opening over on itself several times and clipping the rolled edge down, instead of by a zip. The fold is what creates the seal, so the more times you roll it the more watertight and the smaller the bag becomes. That's why capacities in this category are often published as a range instead of a single number.

Are roll top bags waterproof?

The roll itself can be, but the roll is only half of it. A bag is waterproof because of how the body is joined as well as how it shuts, which is why the MIER, the COR Surf and the Osprey all name welded or heat-taped seams instead of stitching: every stitch is a hole. Four of these six publish a water resistance level of Waterproof: the Earth Pak, the MIER, the COR Surf and the Osprey. The tomtoc is listed water resistant, and its seller claims no more than rain splashes. The Bellroy publishes no water resistance level at all.

How many times should I roll the top?

Three folds is the common rule of thumb, though none of these six listings puts a number on it. The makers who publish adjustable roll heights are describing the trade directly: fewer rolls for more space, more rolls for a better seal. If you need the full capacity and the full seal at once, buy the next size up rather than rolling it once and hoping.

Can you use a roll top bag as an everyday backpack?

Yes, with one daily cost. A pure roll top has one way in, so reaching a charger means unrolling the whole thing whether or not you're standing in the rain. The bags that solve this add a second entrance, and the Bellroy is the only one here whose seller describes one: a side zip into the main compartment. The tomtoc's spec sheet lists a zipper too, though tomtoc never says where it goes. If a roll top is going to be your only bag, we'd weight that feature heavily.

Why do the spec tables say Zipper when the bag is a roll top?

Because the Apparel Closure Type field tends to get filled in with whatever hardware fastens the bag down, a snap in the Earth Pak's case, or with a zip that lives somewhere else on the bag entirely. Five of these six listings have a closure field that contradicts the seller's own description, and only the MIER has roll top written into it. Read the description and the photographs instead, and treat that field as noise in this category.

Do roll top bags work as carry-on luggage?

The capacities here run from 17 to 40 litres, and airlines size cabin bags by their dimensions, so the litre figure won't answer the question on its own. The thing to watch is that a roll top measures differently depending on how far it's rolled, so a bag that passes a sizer rolled tight may not once it's fully extended. Check your airline's published dimensions and measure the bag as you'll actually be carrying it.