M-Wave Rear pannier bag, single or incl. rain cover

Pros: Well made with heavy duty 600 denier nylon. Reinforced sides and top carrier. Designed for light to medium carrying. Reflective strips. Quick snap-fit plastic buckles all round. Absolute bargain for the price. Cons: A bit of a rigmarole fitting the four plastic side inserts. If using a top box then they will get in the way. Won't last forever. I've only just received these but first impression is very positive. They are designed for carrying light-ish loads such as some shopping or a change of clothes and a few files for the office. They are not meant as touring panniers, you will need to spend a lot more money on a more robust substantial set. That said, they are very well made for the price. The panniers come flat packed in a massive box! The only downside is fitting the four plastic side strips but this is remedied by taking the edges off the strips and rounding the corners by chamfering the edges, I used a fine metal file but I think emery paper or a nail file would suffice. This will stop you cutting your knuckles and once done the strips slip in far easier and don't get caught on the seams. Don't skip this tip as many people have torn the seams by trying to force them in. I think it will also prolong the life of the panniers as the edges cut into the material where the stress points are. The strips have to be slid into two inside pockets, one at the top and one at the bottom which hold them in place. Another tip before fitting is to bend and flex the strips - especially the ends of the strip. Bend and flex the strip about a third of the way down its length so that it has a slight bend already in place before fitting. Then, bend and flex the two ends into a slight arch shape a long the width, the edges should point downwards. This will effectively shorten the width so you do not have to cut the strips down. When fitting the strips make sure they fit behind the front seams as they are a very tight fit, they can easily catch and this is the reason why people are forcing them in and ripping the seams. I started by siding the first strip into the bottom pocket (remember to arch the both ends) make sure you have slid the strip all the way in, take your time and don't force it, once in flatten it out slightly and make sure it fits behind the front seam. Then fit the strip into the top pocket in the same way. Next, make sure that the strip is behind the front seam all the way along its length and flatten it out completely, check it is still fitted properly in both pockets. Repeat for the other three strips and voilà, two nice looking and fairly large (office/shopping) panniers! They are attached to the rack by three snap-fit plastic buckles and straps, the type found on rucksacks, one at each side and one at the top. The bags are also closed using the same type of buckle. You can carry the two panniers using the top plastic covered strap and I think they would easily fit in a shopping trolley or find some way of securing them with a wire/chain lock, but then some idiot would probably cut them off! Don't know how waterproof they are but I think they would be okay for what they where designed for as they are made from heavy duty 600 denier nylon. The internal usable space is approximately 30x33x15.5cm (12x13x6"). Hope this helps, I looked at lots of panniers before choosing these, you won't be disappointed. UPDATE: I've been using these panniers for a couple of months now and so far they've been okay, no splits yet, still good value. I use them mainly for shopping, but not everyday, but I've had some really full loads. As I said previously, these are meant for light use a round town and not for a touring holiday. Having said that, I decided to upgrade and get a pair of Ortlieb Back Roller Plus panniers, expensive, but top quality. The reasons being, my bike is now my main form of transport; I also bought a lockable M-Wave Bicycle Rear Carrier Top Box from Amazon and I didn't know how it attached to the pannier - as usual there is never enough information or pictures on Amazon! The problem is, or rather was, the box attaches to a pannier rack using two threaded bars which you tighten up internally, which then also locks the panniers in position, good for security but a pain if you want to just use the box on it own. So, be aware of how these panniers attach if you decide to use a top box as well; the Ortlieb panniers attach on the side of the rack and come off with one pull of a strap, nice. I also tried the Mainstream SL 55 classic PLUS panniers from Amazon but they were a waste of time because of the poor quality fixings. I had to send them back to Germany for a refund!

The first one I received had a defect (it happens) but Amazon immediately sent a replacement - excellent service as always! The bags are a bit bulky with the plastic inserts but if you want you can leave those out to reduce volume & weight when empty. Personally, I don't mind, it was just a matter of getting used to it as I'd never had a pannier bag before. I'm very happy with it, fits all the groceries so I don't have to drive the car to the supermarket any more! (ok, if you're shopping for a family of 5 you'll still need the car - it's a 30-litre bag not a trunk!) Seems to be sturdy and well made, very easy to put on or take off the bike, easy to open/close and at a cheap price, what else do you need? Only thing that remains to be seen is how long it will last, although I know people who have had one for a couple of years and apart from a slight discoloration of the material (black slowly fading to grey - but I do live in a very sunny country and the sun will do that to most materials) I haven't heard any complaints.

The bags are spacious, but do not scrape the feet when cycling. They are easy to put together: inserts were easy to fit, and precisely the right size (contrary to claims by previous reviewers). I have put them to the test through heavy rain and hail, and the contents remained dry. One of the fasteners ripped off rather too easily when wet, and I sensed that the stitching on the handle was straining under the weight when I carried them, so care is required when removing the bags and carrying them around on foot. When walking with the bags, they are a cumbersome load. Despite these drawbacks, the bags are a good buy: perfect for a few days away on the bike.

As I am not a youngster, this has been a wonderful addition to my electric bike. Now I can carry all my shopping home easily, uphill too, without breaking my back or stretching my arms and without using petrol or worrying about parking - so no guilty carbon footprint! Keeps everything dry, and the firm base gives support. They are shaped such that you don't kick them whilst pedalling. Fitting the base into the internal sleeves of the panniers took a little ingenuity and strength, but once in, they are great and give good support, so that anything which needs to be carried and kept flat survives beautifully.

It's been almost a full year since I bought a set of these panniers. The price has risen, but otherwise they seem unchanged. The good: still a pretty good price for a semi-rigid double pannier set; body material is quite tough; capacity is excellent, perfect for my daily commute and just about adequate for a weekend cycle camping; layout is quite good, with convenient mesh pockets at the back into which I tend to put extra reflectors or lights in winter. The less good: quality control is only fair, with one of the internal sleeves for the (optional) rigid boards being a little too small for the board itself and the stitching on those seams coming free; the panniers are initially waterproof, but don't count on it since the waterproofness comes from the liner material of the lid, a plastic coating which quickly delaminates and comes away in pieces; the lower strap and buckle arrangement for attaching the bags to the bike rack could be less fiddly to use and needs to be checked or else you risk the strap catching in your spokes; there's no adjustment on the lid straps, so you can't cinch them tight or slacken them if you need to carry something bulky; awkward to carry when full, and the handle is tearing away from the material of the bag; buckles are generic, unbranded ones, expected at this price but they do tend to unclip under stress. Having changed my bike recently I'm now moving away from using these as they're just a little to big for it, causing my heels to catch the bag if I'm not careful. On my previous "roadster" style bike there was no such problem, so do be aware that they may not work well with smaller frames. Overall, recommended for the price and they've lasted fairly well for a year of commuting, but if you can afford to spend a little extra and don't intend to use these for relatively light duties I'd suggest looking for something a bit better.

Excellent product and quality...i recommend..

Initially bought for our swimming gear instead of both having rucksacks but great for anything while you're cycling, attaches easily value for money. 👍

where to start. Looks great as it has big pouches. That's where it ends. You have saddle bags/panniers because you need to carry 'stuff'. So long as it's not heavier than a couple loaves of bread, you will be okay. We put a bag of oranges and apples in one side, and 4 pints milk in the other - the side sheered off like butter - simply fell apart. Not only that, the release clips that hold it onto the bike on the reverse of each pannier are threaded through a rubber thingy - this split literally as it was being tightened onto the bike and broke before we had even finished installing it. Honestly, save your money and get something that can do the job it's mean to. This looks great - but incredibly poorly made. My old ones are so much better than this! This is NOT built to last. I would ask for my money back, but don't have the original box to put it in, and we have stapled the sides together to get our items home. I would give zero stars if I could. May be okay for carting around lightweight stuff like balls of knitting wool.