What to look for

The most important consideration is ensuring the panniers will fit securely to your bike – but as they aren’t model-specific, this can be tricky. A set that fits one machine perfectly may touch the exhaust on another. A seat strap that’s the right length for a sportsbike might be too short on a tourer. A bungee mounting point can be perfectly placed on one bike or a paint-scratching pain on another.

This generally means you’re looking for panniers with plenty of fitting options. One key element is the seat strap. Most pairs of panniers are connected by two adjustable Velcro straps, which can be placed over or under the pillion seat as required (going under adds security, going over adds height to help clear high exhausts). Some sets also feature a slimmer third strap, specifically designed to go under the seat.

With the seat straps in place, check how the panniers can then be secured to the bike. Some have integrated adjustable straps using either basic buckles or handy push-fit clips. Without these, look for a good quantity and location of D-rings to help you pull the panniers into the bike’s tail using bungee cords.

Don’t pay too much attention to any capacity claims – in our experience, the number of litres quoted is rarely comparable, nor does it often reflect the amount of kit a set can actually swallow. More important is making sure panniers are the right size and shape for the stuff you want

to pack. It’s also worth considering that bigger isn’t always better: packing more things just to fill free space in your panniers means you’re just adding needless width and weight; leaving empty space means your stuff can be thrown around.

Other useful details worth looking out for are decent-sized side pockets (handy for storing rain covers), heatproof bases (especially if your bike has a high exhaust), and padding on the reverse side of the pannier to help protect bodywork.