Ortlieb Vario Waterproof Hybrid Pannier Backpack Review - feat. Rollup Design + Laptop Holder

Ortlieb’s Vario line of bike panniers combine a versatile and innovative hybrid design that allows them to seamlessly switch between a bike pannier and a backpack. That allows the Vario bags to be used on the bike while commuting and then worn up while in the office or running errands. In this review we’ll be looking at the Ortlieb Vario waterproof hybrid pannier which retails for $215 for the 20L version and $250 for the larger 26L option. These bags are a hybrid pannier design which can be quickly removed from the bike and used as a backpack. The Vario bags are also fully waterproof so they can handle any weather and feature reflective detailing for additional safety while cycling.

Ortlieb offers the Vario bags in both the Quick Lock (QL) 2.1 and QL3.1 mounting systems. Our bag came with the QL2.1 system which we attached to our Ortlieb Quick-Rack Light rack on our Decathlon Triban RC520. The QL2.1 system uses two hooks that slide onto a rail and have a spring loaded handle to open and close the hooks. Ortlieb includes multiple reducers that can be attached to the hooks to accommodate different diameter racks. To prevent the bag from swaying, the QL2.1 system also includes a large plastic hook that is supposed to slide behind a rack’s strut. The position and angle of the hook can easily be rotated and even re-positioned by using a screwdriver. It’s a pretty simple design that makes it easy to install and remove the bag from a rack but lacks the sleekness of the available QL3.1 version that uses raised tabs.

While the Vario bags have been part of Ortlieb’s bike pannier range since 2010, they received a major update in 2022. With that update the Vario has retained the classic pannier design but added a clever hybrid design that lets it easily switch between bike pannier and backpack. Ortlieb offers the bag in two size options, 20L and a larger 26L version for more capacity. There are also three color options from a standard black to more unique colors like Petrol which is a teal color and Rooibos which is red. We have the 20L Rooibus version in this review which is a bright red shade with a solid color scheme that is only broken up by the black zippers and straps. Ortlieb has also incorporated reflective details which ensure even the darker colors are visible at night.

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00:00 Intro
00:12 Unboxing + Specs
03:01 Fit + Finish
07:06 On The Bike
08:34 The Final Score
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[alincj]

Hi, great review, loving the bike rack the bag mounts to. What product is that?

[MikeCopeland-cw]

Nice presentation! Like @alincj21, I was wondering about the rack mount inside of your bag at minute 7:14 in the video. Would you mind providing a link for that? Thanks again!

[evanmann]

7:47 Are you sure that a 26L version of this bag would make your heels hit the bag? I just ordered 26L from REI because it's the only one they had and I'm hoping to use it for communiting

[shamanand]

Nice review but you could get along with it a bit faster good on you and thank you