Designed by luggage company LOJEL, the Niru City Sling is a cross-body bag made for travel. I’m on a permanent lookout for travel-friendly cross-body bags, and when I came across this one it immediately caught my eye.
The Niru City Sling has lightweight construction and interesting design, and after using it on two trips, I can safely say it’s a stylish and durable travel companion. Here’s my review of the bag—what I love, what I like, and the one thing I would change about the bag.
What I love
I usually travel carry-on only, which means I need a cross-body bag that can easily be stashed in a larger bag without taking up too much space since I don’t use a purse in transit. With a leather cross-body, this can get tricky, since they tend to add bulk and weight, but the thing I really appreciate about this bag is that it’s ultra lightweight and packs flat, taking up basically no room when I’m not using it.
The Niru City Sling is lightweight but remarkably sturdy, since it’s made from sturdy nylon (with chic leather touches that up the style factor compared to the typical nylon purse. Also very cool is that it’s a shape-shifting bag: The integrated snaps can give it two distinct shapes, a streamlined look for when you have fewer items and a triangular shape if you’re carrying a bit more. For travel, when it’s nice to have single objects that offer multiple looks, it’s a cool detail.
What I like
The City Sling comes in six subtle but interesting colors including Terracotta (the leather trim looks fantastic against the brick red), sleek black, and the hint-of-mustard Camel. I went for adaptable and got the neutral tan colored Sand, and it goes with everything.
I’m also a fan of the purse’s internal organization, which is not over engineered, but offers enough to be helpful. There are three internal pockets in the main zippered compartment (along with a little leash for keys). There’s also a small separate zippered compartment on the reverse side of the bag.
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The fabric repels basic stains pretty well; I had this bag with me in New Orleans and it sustained a direct hit by something greasy and delicious. I looked at the care instructions and followed the suggestion to wipe it with a damp microfiber cloth and mild soap, and it fixed it right up.
What I might change
When I first unboxed the purse, I was a little worried about the nylon strap. It doesn’t have any padding, and I wondered whether it would dig in or rub on my shoulder. It ended up being not a big deal because the purse is small enough that it’s not going to ever be super heavy, so the strap doesn’t rub. Part of the design decision might be precisely because it’s a crossbody bag (padding just at the top wouldn’t necessarily be the right place depending on whether you’re wearing it cross-body right or left).
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And while it is by no means a dealbreaker, if I were in charge of designing the next version of this cross-body bag, I might include just a hint of padding along the strap just for comfort. The existing strap is removable, so this is also an issue I could solve by swapping out the strap for a different one, but I like the look of the one it came with.
