Today I’m writing about one of my all-time favorite bags: the Lo & Sons Waverley convertible fanny pack and crossbody purse. I’ve worn it in photos all over this blog and on my Instagram, so I thought it was time I did a proper review.
I appreciate this bag’s minimalist style. Someone in the reviews complains that it lacks distinctive styling, but that person and I have different tastes. Sure, it’s understated, but I find its lines and tapered shape pleasing.
I own the original version of this bag, version 1, circa 2018. Recently, Lo & Sons sent me the Waverley 2. I’ll take a look at both and show you how the first one has worn over time.
Lo & Sons gifted a bag to me and this post contains affiliate links. If you shop through my links, I may earn a commission. As always, I decide what to write about and all opinions are my own. Thanks for the support.
Sizing
The Waverley 2 vs. 1 (size large vs. small)
The Waverley 2 comes in two sizes: small and large. The original bag only came in one size, and I believe it’s the same dimensions as the current small.
Large: 8.3″w x 5.9″h x 2″d
Small: 8.0″w x 5.6″h x 2″d
As you can see, the large is only slightly larger, but that bit of space makes a difference. I carry my wallet, phone, Baggu reusable bag (reviewed here), tissue packet, lip balm, and a small bottle of hand sanitizer in my Waverley. With the larger size I can also squeeze in a pair of sunglasses.
What fits in my Waverley 2 (size large)
Lo & Sons has a handy size and fit guide showing how the two sizes look on different people. But if you’re on the fence, I’d just go for the bigger one.
Materials
The current Waverley comes in nappa leather, saffiano leather, and cactus leather. Between the exterior color, hardware, and interior lining color, there are 26 different options.
My Waverley 1 is nappa leather, a smooth and soft leather that does show wear over time. I did not baby this bag at all, and six years in, you can see evidence of that in the scratches on the bag. In the last year or so the rubbery edging on the strap has also started to come off. (If anyone knows the proper terminology, let me know.) I’ve tried gluing the edging down, but that doesn’t work. So, I’ve just been cutting it as it peels.
How my Waverley 1 looks after six years of heavy use.
After I took the above photo, I thought, “Hmm, I should really condition this bag.”
I used this to condition the bag.
Ah, much better!
For the newer bag, I decided to go with saffiano leather. With its textured cross-hatch finish, it’s more durable and scratch resistant.
Lo & Sons Waverley 2 in saffiano leather – $178 ($142 on sale)
Because saffiano leather is stiffer than nappa, the new bag also stands up more easily by itself. The stiffer leather also means that the strap takes more wrangling to adjust than the nappa leather.
I was tempted to get another black bag, but decided to branch out to plum.
The Waverley comes with minimal, tasteful hardware in silver, gold, or gunmetal. I like the gold, though I noticed that the hardware on the Waverley 1 had a matte finish while on the 2, it’s shinier.
The gold hardware of the Waverley 1 (black) vs. 2 (plum).
Price
At $178 for the large size, it may seem pricey for a little bag. (The small is $10 less.) But, the materials are quality, the bag is well-constructed, production is ethical — and you can snag it on sale. It periodically goes on sale and at the time of this writing, it’s on sale! This is a case of you get what you pay for.
Organization
As I’ve come to expect with Lo & Sons, the organization makes sense. The updated Waverley has even more organizational options than the original. Waverley 1 has a slip pocket inside, as well as a card slot area on the other side. In the updated bag the card slot area is also in a zippered pocket, creating a more secure space.
The Waverley 2 has a zippered pocket with card slots inside. On the other side is a large slip pocket.
The newer bag also has a slot on the back, which fits a card perfectly. If I were still using a Metro card, I would keep it here. (These days, I use my phone to pay for the subway.) It’s a handy space for something you need to access quickly, like a hotel room key.
My Waverley 2 bag ready for a trip to the library.
Ways To Wear the Waverley
The Waverley comes with two straps: a short one that’s about 15″, and an adjustable one that’s 42″ at its longest. You can combine both straps for a maximum length of 57″. Switching or adjusting the straps creates four different ways to wear it: as a belt bag, shoulder bag, crossbody bag, or wristlet.
Mode 1: Fanny Pack/Belt Bag
Allsaints Jacket [review] // Eileen Fisher Top [review] // Everlane Jeans [review] // Nisolo Boots [review] // Lo & Sons Bag
So many fanny packs look utilitarian, but the Waverley looks elegant.
Mode 2: Shoulder Bag
The Waverley makes for a lightweight shoulder bag.
Mode 3: Crossbody Bag
J. Crew Shirt // Oak & Fort Cardigan [similar] // Eileen Fisher Pants [review] [similar] // dr. Liza Shoes [review] // Lo & Sons Bag
Because the Waverley is slim, at just 2″ in depth, I can wear it under a coat as well as over one.
Mode 4: Wristlet/Clutch
Clip both ends of the the 15″ strap on for wristlet mode. Also wearing this ring.
Use just the short strap to create a wristlet. Or leave it off entirely to carry as a clutch.
Out of all the ways to wear this bag, belt bag and crossbody are my favorites. But I appreciate being able to wear it the other ways too.
Traveling with the Waverley
The convertible nature of the Waverley makes it an ideal bag for travel when you don’t want to pack too much. I’ve worn it as a belt bag for walking around town, then used it as a wristlet for a wedding.
But I also find the Waverley indispensable for the airport. You see, I usually travel with a backpack for my personal item (also Lo & Sons, reviewed here). But I want my essentials, such as my phone and wallet, in immediate reach. So, I also wear my Waverley as a belt bag. No one has ever counted the Waverley as an additional item when I’m boarding the plane. But if that ever happens, it’s easy enough to take it off and put it into my backpack.
An Asian American-owned Company
Since it’s Asian Pacific American Heritage month, I’d like to point out that Lo & Sons is an Asian American-owned company, founded by Helen Lo, an immigrant from southern China, and her sons Jan and Derek. Helen could not find stylish, lightweight travel bags, so she started developing her own. I’m so glad she did. And I’m not just saying this because they gave me a bag. I was a customer before I ever received any product from them. (Learn more about Helen’s story here.)
If you’ve read this far, I think you can tell that I heartily recommend the Waverley convertible bag. I mean, obviously, or else I wouldn’t own two of them. I value this bag so much that it made it into my capsule wardrobe when I wore just 16 items for 6 weeks!
Photo is from this post about the 16-item capsule wardrobe that served me for 6 weeks.
If you found my review helpful, please consider shopping through my link. Thank you!
The plum color is so beautiful! I missed the OG version the first time around, so it was fun to see what thoughtful updates were made to a bag that was already incredibly functional!
I do love how they keep iterating.