5 Best Cross Body Bags for Teens Reviews – Buyer Guide 2021

Teens are always on the go from the time they wake up in the morning to those late-night pizza parties with their friends.

Despite their plans, a cross body bag can keep track of everything, blending functionality with cool teen style.

From a simple, one-color, leather purse to a more fancy design with multiple colors, sparkles, cool patterns, or gemstones, adding a cross body bag means added security, trendy elegance and extra storage space.

The Appeal of Cross Body Bags

Teens use their backpacks, messenger bags and satchels as little pieces of luggage, so they can take along everything they need or might need, from a lip balm, a cell phone or tablet, keys, a hairbrush, to a wallet full of ID and bank cards, so security is essential when choosing the best cross body bag.

Invest in one of these, and you can expect the extra security without sacrificing any style. Wear your bag across the body, and you can keep an eye on it, the added advantage being hands-free use. Pair with jeans and T shirt for a casual look or choose a leather bag if you are dressing up.

A full-size cross body bag might not be necessary for a quick trip to the mall or friend’s house, but these bags do come in various shapes and sizes, so you do not have to compromise by only having one cross body bag.

A smaller purse will offer sufficient room for a makeup bag, keys, cell phone, and wallet, while a larger one makes using the bag for school or college a possibility.

Consider a cross body style messenger bag if you want a larger size. This will offer the room for everything a teen needs to carry around, plus it will sit stylishly on the hip while the strap provides modern trend plus security.

Swap your backpack for a cross body bag, and you will be able to keep an eye on it and ensure nobody is tampering with it, plus you will be able to carry it hands-free and also have easy access to the contents.

How to Wear a Cross Body Bag

Although a larger chest can sometimes get in the way of a cross body style bag, it does not mean you have to forget about this style of bag altogether. Just ensure you choose the right design. Remember that not everything we choose to wear has to be the most flattering design and sometimes practicality is more important.

If you want to avoid adding bulk to your hips swivel the bag around from your hips, so it is sitting behind you instead. If you prefer to see your bag at all times, have it in front of you rather than to the side of the back.

The strap should not be too low else the bag will bang against your legs as you walk, and this is as annoying as it sounds, so simply shorten the strap or else choose a bag with the right length of strap for you.

If you are shopping, a cross body bag is really handy because you will have both hands free to carry your clothes to the fitting room and you will not have a bag sliding off your shoulder as a shoulder bag can. Choose a cross body bag for teens, and you can expect chic functionality.

Photo Credit: All product images are credited to Amazon

The SAK Deena Flap Cross Body Bag

You can get this gorgeous bag in blue leather, in tan leather with a stitched design, or in brown with a feather design. Some colors come with antique silver color hardware while the others have the darker metal hardware. The inside is nylon material, but the outside is genuine leather. It is a little stiff at first, but the leather softens with use.

Measuring 9 inches high by 9 inches wide, this cross body bag boasts 2 multifunction pockets on the inside and a back slit pocket, as well as a zippered pocket on the back wall. The 47-inch shoulder strap length gives a 23-inch shoulder drop, and the flap closure seals with a magnet. This gorgeous cross body bag is neither too big nor too small, and you can wipe it clean with a water-based leather cleaner.

Trendy enough to suit the style-conscious teen but well-made enough to also offer security and functionality, this is a great investment whichever color you choose. You will want to use this bag all the time, and it also makes a wonderful gift for a teenage girl.

The Sak Deena Flap Cross-Body Bag

What Kind of Cross Body Bag to Choose

There are plenty of bags on the market these days, such as satchels, cross body, messenger, extra-large bags, shoulder bags, backpacks, and more, and you can choose from all kinds of fabrics from suede and leather to faux leather, cotton, denim, and nylon. Choosing a cross body bag as your style of choice means you have decided which kind of bag to get, but then there are so many cross body bags out there, how do you pick the best one? You need to consider a few things from your likes and dislikes to what size bag you need, what you are using it for, and what fabric is best.

This season size matters when it comes to purses and bags. Supersize clutches are in the stores right now, but as they increased in size, the cross body seemed to get smaller, and not only more diminutive but also super-feminine, which makes the modern ones very different from the simple, tomboy-ish kind you would have seen a few years ago.

Woven wicker, perforated leather, lace, and even feathers and beads add interest to trendy, modern, cross body bags, and delicate colors like turquoise and coral have also been spotted on the catwalk lately. Pale colors are great for the spring or summer, but you might prefer to consider burgundy, brown or even black for the fall and winter.

A cross body bag offers cool credentials as soon as you put it on, and you will be able to walk, shop and live hands-free, so if you are used to a clutch or bag with a handle, you will be delighted to suddenly have the use of 2 hands, not just the one. Just thing how many more clothes you can take into the fitting room at the mall, or how you can text and hold your coffee at the same time. Choose a leather mini-satchel or woven duffel style cross body for casual days, or consider quilted leather or a box bag for going out in the evening.

Where to Buy a Cross Body Bag

The designers are offering plenty of choices this year, but if you already know what you want, then it is time to look online where you can snatch up a bargain, something gorgeous but cheaper than what you would find at the mall. Online stores have lower overheads, and more often than not their prices will reflect that. Some people will choose PU leather over genuine leather to save a few dollars, while others will go for quality and not mind paying a little more for a statement bag that will drive their friends crazy with envy.

STEVEN by Steve Madden Everly Cross Body HandbagSTEVEN by Steve Madden Everly Cross Body Handbag

This is a large cross body bag, one you can wear on your hip, or swiveled around to the back. The back is made from faux leather and has a fabric lining and zipper closure. Steve Madden is a very trendy bag, and shoe designer who is famous for his chic, funky designs, especially the ‘dressy sneaker’ and the bags are as much in demand as the shoes. This one comes in black or brown, not a dark brown according to reviewers but a lighter, earthy shade, almost terra cotta.

The fringe design is trendy, and you can pair this bag with casual jeans and a T shirt, or even with a summer dress and sandals if the weather is on your side. The shoulder strap is not adjustable on this bag, but the bag itself is gorgeous and trendy and perfect for a day bag.

You will be able to fit quite a lot in there because it is generously sized, even a tablet if you want to carry it around with you, and also a small umbrella and makeup bag perhaps.

STEVEN by Steve Madden Everly Cross Body Handbag

Roxy Golden Girl Shoulder Bag

This is a particularly cute cross body bag which is made of flax linen and cotton and has a cotton lining. The drawstring closure and trendy tassels add plenty of style to this sassy bag, and the cross body strop means you can wear it hands-free. The bag is red and has a metal Roxy logo on the corner. The medium size means it can carry everything you will need without being too bulky or large.

You will be able to get your headphone case and umbrella in there along with your wallet, cell phone and keys. The drawstring pulls very tight so even if the snap comes open the bag will stay closed until you release the drawstring.

There is a deep zip pocket inside the bag perhaps for smaller items like keys, lip balm and so on. Whether you are headed to the beach, the mall or a friend’s house, you will find this medium-size cross body bag both functional and stylish. The shape is especially trendy, and the drawstring is sassy as well. Buy this for a teenage girl, and she is sure to love it.

Roxy Golden Girl Shoulder Bag

Travelon Luggage Anti-Theft Cross-Body BagAnti-Theft Cross-Body Bag

Security is very important when it comes to luggage, whether you are shopping for a small clutch, a huge suitcase, or something sized between the two. That is why this cross body bag is especially worth considering. Made of durable nylon inside and out, and featuring a zippered closure, this bag comes in purple, black, light gray, or brown. It has a 28-inch shoulder drop, and you can adjust the strap from 15 to 28 inches. The total strap length is 55 inches.

There are 5 interior card slots and 4 exterior pockets, and the bag is a good size. You will be able to fit more in there than you first thing, especially since it is only 11¼ inches high by 14 inches wide. This is a great bag for traveling because you will be able to fit an iPod and book in there as well as your essentials.

The Velcro pouch near the top will hold your camera and keep it accessible while the front locking pocket is the one for money and travel tickets. A collapsible water bottle will fit into the back zip pocket when collapsed. This bag is secure and safe, but also very trendy and cool so a teen would wear it.

Travelon Anti-Theft Cross-Body Bag

Vera Bradley Hipster CrossbodyBuy Vera Bradley Hipster Crossbody

This is the cross body bag to choose if you want to go for a hipster look. Available in various colorful designs, this bag is designed by Vera Bradley and has a front slip pocket and adjustable shoulder strap. There are 2 pockets on the front (1 zip and 1 slip) and a zip pocket on the back too.

The layers of multi-textured quilting keep the bag fashion-forward while the slim shape means it sits close to the body keeping a low profile. You can machine wash and line-dry the bag. The size is great, and you can make the strap shorter for shoulder-carrying or extra-long for cross body wear, offering hands-free functionality.

The fabric is colorful and modern, and another bonus of that is it does not show up dirt. Keep your iPhone in the front pocket and your wallet, keys, makeup bag and other items in the main compartment. Some reviewers say they use their bag on a daily basis and it is durable. They also love how much you can fit into this bag, and it is still not bulky or unwieldy to carry.

Vera Bradley Women's Signature Cotton Hipster Crossbod

Cross Body Bags as a Fashion Accessory

Do you remember a few years ago when the bag of choice for the celebs was the ‘It Bag’ – an enormous, brightly colored Chloe or Balenciaga decorated with brass or chrome, and carried in hand or over the forearm? Costing near to a thousand dollars in some cases, these bags were seen as a status symbol.

Trophy jackets and shoes have largely overtaken fast forward to today and such bags. Bags, of course, are something we will always need, but bag fashions change just like clothing and shoe fashions do. What is cool this year might not be cool 5 years down the line unless you invest in a real classic.

Every girl from a tween to an older woman will always love bags (yes, bags plural) so choosing classic styles which will last for years makes sense, as well as some casual styles were chosen for fun which might or might not stand the trend test of time. Modern bags are not supposed to be carried. They are supposed to be worn. Yes, that is right. It means the cross body is one of the most popular kinds of bags, partly for functionality sake. You can wear it instead of carrying it, making it hands-free and comfortable too. Forget to carry an unwieldy bag in the crook of your arm and slip the strap over your head and neck instead to wear cross body style.

Instead of brandishing a huge bag like a weapon, you can simply wear a cross body bag, and of course, all the other options apply regarding shape, size, design, and color. Cross body bags range from a couple of dollars to thousands of dollars. Designers like Smythson and Jimmy Choo are designing cool cross body bags, and other designers are copying them, which means the humble cross body which used to be functional only is now both functional and stylish. While you might still want a sparkly clutch for the evenings, you cannot go wrong with a cross body bag for the daytime.

From Designer Boutiques to Bargain Online Deals

In the fashion world, trends usually begin with top designers and then filter down. What is initially only for the rich and privileged becomes something everyone can have similar looks appear in chain stores and online, inspired by the original ideas the top designers had. It happened with the huge bags of the early 2000s and is happening again with cross body bags, as they receive a high fashion makeover and become something you want to wear. Cross bodies are cool enough for a tween or teen, available in all prices, colors, shapes, sizes, and designs, yet still functional and safe enough to be a smart choice too.

Videos for Cross Body Bags for Teens
YouTube Videos for “Purse Styles for Early Teenage Girls: Handbags & Purses.”

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Sakroots Artist Circle Flap Cross BodyBuy Sakroots Artist Circle Flap Cross Body

Available in 5 different designs, each one cooler than the one before, this cross body bag is one the teens will be drooling over this year. The exterior is uncoated canvas while the interior is polyester-lined. The shoulder drops are 23 inches, and the flap closure seals magnetically.

The graphic print is modern, and the cross body strap is both adjustable and detachable. Depending on the design you opt for, the bag will have brushed copper, antique silver, or brass tone metal hardware. The price on Amazon is about $ lower than at the mall, according to reviewers who loved their online bargain.

The attached charms might jiggle a little as you walk but that adds to the appeal of the bag, and the craftsmanship is top-notch, so this bag should last a long time. You can fit plenty in here such as a water bottle, wallet, camera, hairbrush, gloves, and makeup bag too. The hardest thing is deciding which of the 5 gorgeous designs to buy since all 5 are really cute. Whether or not you are familiar with the Sakroots brand, rest assured this bag is beautifully made and reviewers love it.

Sakroots Artist Circle Flap Cross-Body Bag

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