Specialized/Fjallraven Seatbag Drybag

The Specialized/Fjallraven Seatbag Drybag is a fully waterproof option that, due to its tapered design, is meant to be installed with the Specialized/Fjallraven Seatbag Harness. It comes in two sizes, and has a valve built in which makes it easy compress. It does its job well, but it's very expensive for what it is.

For more luggage options, check out our guide to the best bikepacking bags.

Though Specialized/Fjallraven designed the Seatbag Drybag to work with the accompanying Seatbag Harness (review to come), at the end of the day it's just a tapered dry bag. That means it could be used as a standalone saddle bag (with some creative strapping), or with an alternative saddle bag harness system, such as the Restrap Saddle bag, if you so wished.

The bag is made from polyamide 210D that's not only recycled, but PFC-free (PFC stands for perfluorinated compound, a toxic chemical used as a water-repellent coating), with taped seams on the inside. It's fully waterproof, so there's no worry about the contents getting wet in a downpour.

Even if it gets dropped in a stream, the closure system is a roll-top type so there's no way for moisture to find its way in.

Compressing the bag is very easy – you just stuff the bag until it's nearly full, roll the top until most of the air has come out, and fasten it using the meaty side release buckle. Then, because Specialized/Fjallraven have incorporated is a valve, you can compress the bag even further to release any remaining air. Operating the valve is simple, twisting it anti-clockwise to open it, and clockwise to close it.

The bag comes in 10L or 16L capacities, so you can choose the one that suits your bikepacking duration, though an extra option somewhere between the two sizes wouldn't have gone amiss. It's available in either black or green.

Even though the 10L version isn't the biggest on paper in terms of capacity, I managed to stuff a sleeping bag, insulated jacket and some clothes into it without issue. It's perfect for an overnight trip; the 16L version would have probably been overkill.

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In terms of weight, at 112g it's pretty light. Restrap's 8L offering comes in at about 140g, by comparison.

Value and compare

The only real criticism you can level at the Seatbag Drybag is the price. Even with the handy compression valve, £45 is really rather inflated. The 16L version costs £50 (from Fjallraven, £55 from Specialized).

Though a 10L option isn't available, Restrap offers 8L, 14L, and 18L tapered dry bags. The 8L tapered dry bag costs just £17.99, a saving of over £27 – you could buy another size and still have change!

Similarly, Alpkit's Airlock Tapered 13L is only £15.99, though it looks shorter and fatter than both the Seatbag Drybag and the Restrap dry bag, so it might not work as well with the Specialized/Fjallraven Seatbag Harness.

Conclusion

The Seatbag Drybag is very good at what it does. It's completely waterproof, and the nifty compression valve means you can get everything as small as possible. There's no way around that price tag, though.

Verdict

Great under-saddle drybag, but the price needs to be much lower