Inclusion Criteria Deep Dive
Secure interior compartment capable of phone storage
If you’re choosing to use a shoulder strap pocket, you might as well choose one that can fit your phone. When it comes to phone storage, most models in our roundup offer scrape protection, weather-protection, drop-protection, and convenience. A shoulder strap pocket can be used as your primary phone storage space, or as a secondary. They work particularly well when paired with trail running shorts, which are notoriously bad at carrying phones securely in stretchy, bouncy, shallow pockets.
Front mesh exterior pocket
From our perspective, there’s no reason not to choose a model with a mesh front pocket. The material mass adds roughly .1 ounces of additional weight, but offers a great space to store very frequently accessed items and snacks. It’s a huge functionality boost for a very minimal weight penalty.
Lightweight, durable, water-resistant, accessible
We expect our backpack shoulder strap pocket to have all of the right properties. Since plenty of models on the market do all four of those things, the bar is pretty high. That means weighing less than 2 oz, using proven durable and water resistant textiles like ULTRA or X-Pac, and creating an opening that is easily accessible for frequent in/out.
Securely fits most packs
Most shoulder strap pockets fit most backpacks, and near-universality of attachment is part of inclusion criteria. That being said, no one shoulder strap pocket can fit every pack ever designed, so always be sure to double check. Furthermore, we expect a secure fit, meaning minimal bounce and sway as you hike.
