Americans call them fanny packs, Brits call them bum bags, and they were THE style accessory of the 90ies. These hip bags often look extremely tacky and often come in nasty neon colours, but (a big BUT) the fact is they are actually really handy for travellers. But Tammy, they are so ugly, I hear you say. Yes that’s true, but this is where the Happy Cow Leather Hip Belt comes in. Not only is it practical, but it also looks gorgeous, and one of you lucky readers can now win one of these beauties. But first I am going to tell you a little bit more about the bag and why you might want to win one…
The bag has plenty of room for all my little travel knick knacks
I usually don’t like travelling or sightseeing with a handbag, because a) it is always in the way of my DSLR camera which I usually hang around my shoulders and b) because it screams ‘steal me’ to any potential thief. My daypack is also too bulky to carry around for sightseeing and the things inside are also not very easily accessible as it is a top-loader.
For those reasons I thought about getting a bum bag but style-wise, they make me shudder. So, when I got the chance to review the Happy Cow Convertible Hip Bag, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the bag is not only big enough to store a mobile phone, purse, point & shoot camera, keys, my passport and my business card purse (see photo above), but it also looks beautiful. I have tested the bag for the past two months while traveling through Peru and Bolivia and I can say without any hesitation that I am in love with this bag.
It has five pockets in total, three secret zipped pockets and two slip pockets. This makes it really easy to organize and find your things. The zip-able back pocket is perfect for those moments when you are at a bus station, carrying your big backpack on your back and a day pack on your front, and you need to access your bus ticket or your passport quickly.
What I really like about this bag is that is it convertible, which means that you can either wear it on your hips or around your shoulders. If you wear it around your hips you can put the belt through the belt straps of your trousers which makes it pretty much thief-proof. It will also prevent you from ever forgetting your handbag in a taxi again. The only downside to putting the belt through your belt straps though is when you go to the toilet, you need to hold onto the bag :-). You don’t have to put the belt through the straps though, as the bag sits perfectly well on your hips too.
It is great to have your hands free when sightseeing as well, as you can take photos without having to re-adjust the handbag on your shoulder all the time. However, if you feel like wearing it around your shoulders you can do so by simply adjusting the length of the strap to suit your height. The bag is unisex by the way, so stylish men can wear it as a man-bag too.
The bag worn on the hips – photo by Happy Cow
What I also absolutely love about the Happy Cow Leather Hip Bag (and all of their other bags for that matter) is that they are made out of leather cut-offs or leftovers that would otherwise be thrown away by furniture manufacturers. Happy Cow uses these leftovers to turn them into beautiful bags. In a world where a lot of natural resources are being needlessly wasted, it is great to see a responsible bag manufacturer producing sustainable bags without contributing to unnecessary wastage.
So, do you like the look of the Happy Cow Leather Hip Bag? If so, then you have the chance to win one of these stylish accessories. All you need to do is to like us on Facebook, follow us on twitter, share this post on twitter, or leave a comment below. If you do all four you will quadruple your chances of winning! Please use the Punchtab widget below so that your likes, comments etc. get registered.
I will keep the competition open for 7 days from today and will contact the winner who will be randomly drawn via the Punchtab widget. I hope you found this review useful and if you decide to take part in the competition, very best of luck!
Disclaimer: Many thanks to Happy Cow for providing me with a bag for this review and for providing the give-away. As always, you get my honest review for any product I test.
To be honest, I was not convinced until I saw the third picture, where the lady had the bag around her hips. I mean that’s so cool! 🙂 Yes, it reminds us of those crazy 90’s bags, but this one is way stylish! I would wear it!
AkwaabaGolden recently posted…First time in Ghana
Yes, they are definitely so much nicer than those bags from the 90ies. 🙂 Good luck!
Oooh… this would be great for handsfree travel with kids!
Bethaney – Flashpacker Family recently posted…Kuala Lumpur or Singapore: Which City is Better for a Stopover?
Yes definitely Bethaney, the bag would be really handy for mothers. Good luck!
I really like that they use scrap material!
Emily recently posted…What to Know about Colombia
Me too Emily. There is so much wastage in the leather industry that it is good to know not everything is going to waste.
Love the style — would love to win!
Good luck Rust!
Nice bag – love it!
Andrea recently posted…What’s On Your Bumper?
Yes, me too! 🙂
Whether man can wear? how price?
ione recently posted…Beginner Blogger Mistakes
Yes, men can wear it too. The bag retails at USD 86.90, but you can win a free bag by entering our competition.
I’m looking for a replacement for my well travelled leather bum bag which has finally given up the ghost (probably not such a bad thing!). Looks like this would do the job perfectly !
Good timing then Debra! 🙂
This is SO cute, I love it! It would be perfect for small cameras or a phone. I like the hip idea too.
Laura recently posted…San Jose In Pictures
Yes, it is perfect for that Laura. Good luck!
What a cool idea! I can see the value in all the separate pockets. I own one purse (don’t gasp – I know I’m an anomaly as a woman 🙂 – simplicity!) but my one small bag won’t fit everything when we travel. This would be ideal…
Lori recently posted…51 Ways to Be the Reason Your Spouse Smiles Today
Only one handbag??? Lol, that’s good. I lost count of how many bags I have. But yes, this bag is big enough for all travel essentials, but not too big.
This is great, practical but stylish, love it!
Catherine recently posted…Mumbai: A City of Contrasts
Glad you like it Catherine. Good luck!
Hello, I love this bag and how you can wear it as a belt. I can see a lot of flea market shopping and festival going with this bag. Thanks for a great giveaway!
It is so handy that you can wear it as a belt, isn’t it? Good luck Trish!
I’d love to win this for my girlfriend!
How sweet! Good luck Austin!
Finally! The attractive version of a fanny pack!
I know, right? Where has it been all these years?