ROKA London Willesden bag

The stylish, practical and roomy Willesden sling bag is made from hard-wearing recycled nylon – created from pre-consumer waste by recycling fibres from unused garments, scraps and offcuts.

Designed to be used on the go, the Willesden has an interchangeable and adjustable cotton webbing strap. This allows the bag to be worn to the left or the right, and either close to the body or further down on the hip – you can also wear it on your back. This means anybody can find a comfortable position for the bag, while leaving both hands free for cycling, walking, travelling or shopping.  

Choosing a Willesden bag might take some time – the range of colours available is impressive. The bag comes in more than 20 colours, from bright orange to vibrant purple, with everything in between – including grey, black and brown.

We were sent a blue Willesden bag to review. We immediately noticed the high quality of the materials and construction – this is a sturdy, durable item that looks as though it will last for many years.

For such a neat and compact bag, the Willesden is surprisingly spacious. There's plenty of room in the main compartment for a mobile phone, wallet and other essentials – and we also fitted in a 500ml water bottle with ease. It's also spacious enough for a standard-sized iPad.

The main compartment has a zippered internal pocket for storing valuables, and there are two external pockets to keep everything organised. The small pocket on the front is just the right size for keys and personal items such as lip balm and tissues, and there's a hidden pocket on the bag which is just the right size for a passport and slim wallet.

We found the Willesden ideal for travelling. The bag felt very safe and secure, even in crowded situations such as city streets and public transport. It was useful to have everything close at hand – with passports stowed safely away, but still easily accessible – and still have both hands free for wheeling a suitcase, holding a holdall, or pushing a pushchair.

The Willesden bag is ideal for all sorts of other activities too. The weather resistant material means it's great for walking, cycling and other outdoor activities, and it's washable – simply wipe down with a damp cloth. It also looks smart, so is equally at home in the city or on a night out.

ROKA London is a certified B Corp business – meaning it has met high ethical, social and environmental standards. The company is serious about sustainability, using production methods that reduce energy and water consumption. One of ROKA London's brand values is to 'Have care' – and this ethos expands across the company's working practices, from good working conditions for employees to helping to protect the planet. ROKA London products contain no animal products, so are also vegan-friendly.

One of ROKA London's sustainable practices is reducing plastic. Every day, more than 100 million plastic bottles are used worldwide – around 80% of these never get recycled and end up landfill or the ocean. So ROKA London uses recycled plastic bottles to create the materials for its canvas bags ranges – resulting in a durable, attractive fabric.

Packaging is plastic-free too – all ROKA London bags and backpacks are packed up and delivered in cornstarch-based, biodegradable materials.

We love our Willesden bag, and this is a product that we can highly recommend.

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