A woman mountain biker looks over her shoulder, a Mero Mero Piha bum bag at her waist

Mero Mero · Annecy, 2016

Mero Mero Bum Bags and Shoulder Bags

The Sunday gravel ride, the commute in the drizzle, the walk with a crossbody strap. Mero Mero bum bags and a roll-top messenger bag for the laptop: phone, keys and jacket with you, hands free. They do not replace a backpack.

From the phone to the laptop, hands free.

The bum bags

At the waist, on the handlebars or crossbody: the essentials on you.

The Piha, from 3 to 6 litres, straps to the handlebars, or goes round your waist or across your body; its roll-top sets the volume. The Mini Hoïan, about 1 litre, takes the essentials; the Hoïan, about 3 litres, has two zips and a back pocket for the phone. The Piha for cycling and hiking, the Mini Hoïan for going out with almost nothing, the Hoïan for every day.

3 to 6 L · 340 g · handlebars, waist, shoulder

Strapped to the handlebars, worn at the waist or crossbody, without emptying it.

About 3 L · 210 g · double zip

A mesh pocket inside, a back pocket for the phone.

A cyclist on a tree-lined avenue, a Piha Chaï Tea bum bag strapped to the handlebars

The messenger bag

A 14-inch laptop crossbody, a yoga mat under your arm.

The Norrebro is a 10 to 15 litre roll-top messenger bag: a padded pocket for the laptop, a front pocket for a yoga mat or a tripod.

10 to 15 L · 520 g · 14-inch laptop

A roll-top messenger bag, with a stretch mesh for the water bottle.

A woman in a doorway, a Norrebro Aubergine messenger bag across her body, a rolled yoga mat under her arm

Rain, model by model

The fabric copes with a shower; steady rain is a job for the rain cover.

The recycled nylon is PU-coated and water-repellent, PFC-free. In steady rain, anything that must stay dry goes in a pouch, rain cover or not.

Not waterproof

PU-coated fabric, 1000 mm, water-repellent and PFC-free

Water beads on the surface and a shower will not get through.

The rain cover

Mero Mero rain cover

Sealed seams, PU 4000 mm: the next step up for a rainy day.

The rain cover

One size per bag, sold separately.

See the rain cover

Two adults and some children watch the sun set over the Semnoz, above Annecy, with a Mero Mero backpack on their back

The brand, as Eiken sees it

Designed in Annecy, sewn in Vietnam, guaranteed up to 10 years.

Mero Mero is a French brand born in Annecy, between lake and mountains, in 2016. Its first bag, a messenger bag, was inspired by two children, Clémence and Léon. Since late 2018, the bags have been sewn in Vietnam, by a partner specialised in technical stitching: paragliding canopies, harnesses, backpacks. The main fabric is 100% recycled nylon, Bluesign-certified.

The factory is ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certified and passes the WRAP audit every year. Mero Mero is a member of 1% for the Planet and gives 1% of its turnover to environmental organisations.

Mero Mero guarantees its bags for 10 years against manufacturing defects and abnormal wear. The 2-year legal guarantee goes through Eiken. Beyond that, and up to 10 years, you contact Mero Mero directly. Zips are covered for 2 years.

Eiken's take

Why we chose it
For cycling and hiking, the Piha; for every day, the Hoïan; for a laptop crossbody, the Norrebro.
Worth knowing
No bag is waterproof, and of these bags only the Piha has a rain cover made for it. Bum bags travel light: for the whole day, a backpack.
Who it's for
For those who go out with little, by bike, on foot or in town, and want their hands free.

Baptiste, Eiken

Questions

Before you choose a Mero Mero bum bag or shoulder bag.

Piha, Hoïan or Mini Hoïan: which one?

The Piha (3 to 6 L, 340 g) for cycling and hiking: it straps to the handlebars or is worn at the waist. The Hoïan (about 3 L, 210 g) for every day, with two zips and a back pocket. The Mini Hoïan (about 1 L, 115 g) for the phone, keys and papers.

Which handlebar bag does Mero Mero make?

The Piha: two straps set 16 cm apart fix it to the handlebars. At the waist, its strap adjusts up to 107 cm round; crossbody, it goes over the shoulder.

Which laptop fits in the Norrebro?

A 14-inch, in a padded pocket. The front pocket takes a yoga mat or a tripod, and a stretch mesh the water bottle.

Are Mero Mero bags waterproof?

No. The fabric is PU-coated, 1000 mm, and water-repellent, PFC-free: it stands up to a shower, not steady rain. The Piha's rain cover, sold separately, has sealed seams.

What guarantee comes with a Mero Mero bag?

The 2-year legal guarantee goes through Eiken. Beyond that, and up to 10 years, you contact Mero Mero directly. Zips are covered for 2 years.