We review Waterfield’s Marquis Crossbody Pouch, a minimalistic EDC
Need to carry a few necessities but don't want to overstuff your pockets? Throw them into the Marquis Crossbody Pouch instead!
When it comes to bags and cases to protect my tech gear, one brand has proven to be one of my more trusted options: Waterfield Designs. The bags from Waterfield are always top quality with full grain leather and ballistic nylon, and products from them always last years. I have several laptop bags (Field Muzetto, Executive Leather Messenger, Bolt Cross Body, Nintendo Switch Sutter Sling are a few products that I love) from them that I use often, and I know my oldest one is probably over five years old at this point, but it still looks brand new. The Marqui Crossbody Pouch is a great minimalistic bag that frees up your pockets for just the everyday essentials: your iPhone, AirPods, some hand sanitizer or wipes, keys, cards, and other small items.
Minimalist EDC carrying pouch
Waterfield Designs Marqui Crossbody Pouch
Bottom line: The Marqui Crossbody Pouch is a minimalistic and straightforward bag designed to hold just the essentials of your everyday carry. It's slim, sleek, and has premium, secure zippers to keep everything safe. The angled shoulder strap is easily adjustable with the cam lock, so you can adjust it easily even while wearing it.
Pros
- Enough space for the essentials, including iPhone
- Cam lock on shoulder strap means easy adjustment
- High-quality materials
- Secure zippers to keep contents safe
- Minimalist design frees up your pockets
Cons
- Feels a bit bulky and noticeable if packed too full
- Strap is sewn in, so no D-ring or removable option
- Pricey
Perfect for your EDC essentials
Marqui Crossbody Pouch: Features
Waterfield Designs is a company that's known for its high-quality premium leather and nylon goods, and the Marqui Crossbody is no exception. This pouch is made from 1050 denier ballistic nylon, and there's a leather panel accent on the front, which is available in five different colors. I received the Chocolate Leather color, which I think looks fantastic with the black ballistic nylon.
Like other Waterfield bags, the leather has a somewhat "distressed" look to it, since it has scratches and scuffs, but this is part of the charm. The patina on the leather will change over time (like any good quality leather), so it should look better the more you use the bag. They sew the leather accent panel into the nylon with quality stitching, and it feels soft to the touch (and smells like good, quality leather!)
The main compartment on the Marqui Crossbody is in the center, and the YKK self-locking zipper at the top keeps things safe and secure. Inside, you'll find Waterfield's signature gold lining, so it's easy to see and find the items you need. There are two organizational pockets as well, which is useful if you need to keep some things separated from the rest, like keys or a bottle of hand sanitizer. The rest of the main compartment is great for storing other items, such as a battery pack, earbuds, credit card holders or small wallets, travel documents, sanitizing wipes, and more.
The Marquis Crossbody Pouch is a minimalistic pouch that has enough space for all of your essentials, your everyday carry items, allowing you to free up those precious pockets.
There is a zippered pocket on the exterior of the bag, which can hold a large phone or a slim wallet. Once you zip the front pocket shut, it blends in seamlessly, almost like there's no pocket at all. On the back of the pouch is an open-top pocket, which is perfect for stashing away things like receipts and other pieces of paper that you need to keep.
Waterfield's Marqui Crossbody comes with an adjustable strap that is, unfortunately, sewn into the bag, so it doesn't have the option to remove it if you don't want to wear it. The strap's angled so that it sits comfortably on your body, whether it's against your chest, hip, or back.
The cam lock on the strap allows you to modify the fit of the pouch in real-time. All you need to do is lift the lever, then pull it up or down to tighten or loosen without having to take the bag off. The strap, fully extended, is about 48-inches long.
You'll also find two small exterior loops on both sides of the pouch — these were made to hold carabiners so that you can hook your favorite AirPods Pro case, or even a multi-tool, or whatever else you need.
While the Marqui Crossbody Pouch is a minimalist bag just to hold the essentials, you can fit a decent amount of necessities in here if you really want to. But if you overstuff it, the pouch can start feeling a little bulky.
And the best part is that the Marqui Crossbody looks and works great for both genders.
Just the basics
Marqui Crossbody Pouch: What I Like
I usually carry a purse with me when I go out, but these days, I feel like minimalism is best, and that's what I get with the Marqui Crossbody Pouch.
The cam lock on the strap is nice because it lets you modify the fit on the fly, even while wearing the pouch.
I can stuff the Marqui Crossbody with my iPhone 11 Pro, a pen, a battery pack, a small bottle of hand sanitizer, carry my face mask if necessary, a card holder with my essential cards (my regular Coach wallet fits but then I can't bring a battery pack), and hang my AirPods Pro in a case on the side. Despite the small size, I can bring along my essentials, especially when I go walk the dog around the neighborhood (my phone, a battery, and hand sanitizer is all I need), and not have to worry about overstuffing my pockets.
The adjustable strap is nice, because you can modify the fit on the fly thanks to the cam lock. It took a little getting used to compared to other crossbody bags that I own, but once you get the hang of it, you'll wonder why this isn't implemented more.
And finally, those side loops are much appreciated, because I love having a place to hang my AirPods Pro.
That strap is permanent
Marqui Crossbody Pouch: What I Don't Like
The biggest issue that I have with the Marqui Crossbody is the fact that the strap is not removable. This means you can't really just use it as a side pouch alongside your favorite bag, unless you tuck away the strap in the exterior open top pocket. I also feel that if the pouch had D-rings, it would feel even more conforming to the body as it's worn. I also usually wear crossbody bags on my right shoulder, but the pouch was designed to be worn on your left, making it a tad harder to adjust in my usual style.
The strap is not removable, which is something Waterfield Designs should consider revising in a future version of the Marquis Crossbody.
I also wish that the bag was a little taller. That's because if you want to use those organizational pockets for documents like a passport, it may stick out a little, resulting in it being impossible to zip shut. Plus, for some, the size might be a little too limiting — just having another inch to the height of the pouch could make all the difference. Perhaps there should be a size option for the Marqui Crossbody, like a lot of the other products that Waterfield offers.
Carry the essentials and free up your pockets
Marqui Crossbody Pouch: The Bottom Line
I have a lot of bags and purses in my collection, but the Marqui Crossbody is becoming one of the favorites. It is minimalistic and gives me enough space for just the essentials I need when I don't want to carry a heavy, bulky purse. The materials that it is made out of are premium and high quality, and the Marqui Crossbody works fine for either gender. The only improvements that could be made are having maybe a slightly larger size, and the option of removable straps in a future version.
Free up your pockets
Marquis Crossbody Pouch
Minimalistic EDC
The Marquis Crossbody Pouch is made from premium leather and ballistic nylon, and is big enough to carry just the necessities, like your iPhone, keys, hand sanitizer, earbuds, and other small items. The strap is easily adjustable with the cam lock, and you'll forget that it's even there, so your pockets don't need to hold everything.
