I’m Replacing My Mom’s Outdated Fanny Pack with This $20 Belt Bag That’s Perfect for Travel and Errands

It’s the hands-free bag she needs for sightseeing, working out, and grocery shopping

admin

Apr 16, 2025 - 06:21

It’s the hands-free bag she needs for sightseeing, working out, and grocery shopping

My mom is notorious for holding onto clothes and accessories so long that they come back in style. Coatigans, peplum tops, maxi dresses — you name it, she’s kept it for years. Unfortunately, her old school fanny packs look outdated sitting next to the fresh take on belt bags (what my siblings and I exclusively call them) we’ve seen on celebrities like Cameron Diaz, Kate Hudson, and Joanna Gaines.

So this Mother’s Day, I’m replacing her ’80s throwback fanny packs (seriously, I think she actually bought them in the 1980s) with a handful of Pander belt bags. The trendy, nylon waist bags are lightweight and sleek, but large enough to hold everything she needs, including her George Costanza-style wallet. Since they’re only $20 at Amazon, I can afford to snag her one for every season.

Pander Large Belt Bag

$20

The lightweight bag has a roomy interior (2 liters to be exact), and can hold everything from my mom’s travel documents to her daily must-haves, like lip balm, reading glasses, keys, and her phone. She’ll especially appreciate that the strap is adjustable, so she can wear the bag across her chest, over her shoulder, or around her waist without discomfort, and stay hands-free. And the two way zipper means she can get her things in and out without fuss — which is especially important when you’re moving around a busy city like New York.

The interior mesh pockets also offer compartments to keep your stuff organized. That way my mom can avoid losing small things like pens, or find a phone charger cord without doing a ton of digging. And the flat, zippered exterior pocket is sort of hidden, making it the perfect place for her travel documents when we go to Barbados for her birthday.

Amazon shoppers also endorsed it as a great travel bag, with one saying, “The back zipper pocket was big enough to keep my passport safe. And the middle has good pockets to organize the inside space.” They also stated that the bag was comfortable to wear, while another shopper who bought it for trips confirmed its versatility, saying that they also use it for date nights and hangouts. They called it spacious “without looking bulky.”

Shoppers gush about its durability, too, and how the large belt bag makes accessing their necessities so easy when they’re on the go. It’s no wonder more than 1,000 bags have been purchased from Amazon in the past 30 days. Not to mention, it’s $28 less than a similar belt bag, with one reviewer writing, “The quality is perfect, probably on par or better than the more pricey [option].”

And even the little details stand out. One Amazon shopper said that the quality of the zipper was the biggest highlight for them. “I’ve purchased more expensive belt bags and have always had issues with the zippers. This one glides smoothly and has never gotten stuck,” they wrote.

Plus, I’m not alone in thinking that this would make a great Mother’s Day gift idea either; a customer loved their Pander belt bag so much they bought one for their mom, stating that it’s the perfect size and fits their “phone, wallet, keys, lipstick, mirror, and mace. There's even a back zipper pocket where you can hold your ID, money, and business cards.” They finished, “I liked this bag so much that I bought two more for my mom in different colors.”

I’m gifting my mother the bag in black onyx — because you always need a basic black bag — almond (beige), super trendy gray sage, and white opal. Plus, I’ll likely throw in one of the under-$20 belt bags below too, so she has a variety of sizes to wear for different occasions.