Vaude Aqua Back Light panniers

The Vaude Aqua Back Light Panniers are superlight, waterproof, and highly adjustable, with a PVC-free construction and climate-neutral manufacturing credentials. The roll-top closure system and external netting mean they work best when they're on the full side, which makes them more of a touring than commuter design.

For more options, check out our guide to the best bike panniers and racks – though our feature, 15 ways to carry stuff on your bike, has plenty of suggestions for other methods of kit carrying.

The Aqua Back Light panniers are – as the name suggests – a lighter development of Vaude's highly rated Aqua Back Panniers, but Vaude has dispensed with the hard back panel, replacing it with a lightweight one. The result is an impressively light set of panniers – just half the weight of the originals – something that is further emphasised by a similarly lightweight closure and retention system.

Vaude is very keen to flag up the eco-friendly credentials of these panniers. Historically most modern waterproof panniers have been made from PVC, which is a tough and waterproof material but is a chemical nasty that throws up all sorts of environmental issues as well as not being biodegradable. So, avoiding the use of PVC is a good thing. Vaude also says it has offset the manufacturing of the panniers for carbon neutrality, and also, with the panniers being made in Germany, that its supply chains are kept short. A win-win and then some...

I tested these with three different racks including the Elops I reviewed recently, and found the panniers worked without issue with all three. While there might be some racks out there that these aren't compatible with, I think it's pretty unlikely given the large amount of adjustability they offer.

The upper QMR – Quick Mount Release – attachment system is designed to work with racks that have a diameter of 8-16mm, using inserts to adjust to different diameters. And each of the top clips is adjustable horizontally through a 70mm range. Lockable attachment hooks mean you can also lock the pannier to the rack, though locks aren't included with the bags.

The lower guide hooks are adjustable through 360 degrees and can be moved through a 15cm range horizontally and 10cm vertically.

Both the upper attachment system and the lower hooks are adjustable by hand without any tools required. I found them easy to tighten and they stayed secure in use.

There are no external pockets so the panniers are non-side-specific and they have front and rear reflective logos, with the Vaude logo name picked out in reflective materials on the main body. I'd have preferred larger reflectives on the otherwise all-black bags, though they're also available in a brighter green colour. There are no light hooks, which is entirely forgivable given Vaude's drive to keep these panniers as light as possible.

They're pretty minimalist inside too, having a non-padded laptop sleeve and a small zipped pocket – and that's it. Otherwise it's a single section that measures around 18 x 31 x 44cm or about 19 litres.

The maximum claimed capacity for these is 5kg each, though I reckon I loaded them with more than that before I read what the maximum load was – which is written in very large letters on the box they come in, so I've really no excuse!

They felt stable and secure when loaded in spite of the lack of a particularly hard back panel. The main issue is that I think these are at their most effective when the panniers are full, or at least on the full side. This is because of the roll-top closure and the external net, both of which work best when the pannier is full or nearly so, because the external net isn't elasticated.

You secure the pannier by rolling down the top and clipping the two buckles together, and then you pull a thin cord from the top of the net through a loop at the top of the pannier and back down to the net, where it's secured by a clip. This is shown in a small illustration in the pannier, and while not the neatest system I've ever seen, it does work – though you have to secure the clip or it flaps around – and the whole system is very, very light, which is presumably why it's used.

Apart from that, I found little to fault with these panniers. It means they're more suitable for touring than commuting, where your loads may be lesser – but Vaude says that touring rather than commuting is what these panniers are designed for. And for me personally, their low weight, while impressive, isn't that important.

Value

At £120 a pair these aren't an inexpensive set of panniers, but then again they are from one of the most highly regarded names in the business and come with impeccable environmental credentials, which is something that I'm very keen on, and they're cheaper than some rivals.

Ortlieb's Back Roller Classic Waterproof Panniers are just as waterproof, though at 1,797g per pair they're a fair bit heavier than the Vaudes. Rob called them 'bloody good' and rated them as a well-thought-out design, but they're £150.

The made-in-Britain Carradice Super C panniers are £135 a pair, though they have a larger, 54-litre capacity; the smaller Carradice Super C A4 Pannier costs £60 and is designed more for the commuter than tourer. Iwein found it a no-nonsense bag that's both tough and waterproof, thanks to its hardwearing cotton duck construction that also gives it a distinctive retro look.

If you're on a much tighter budget you could consider the £64.99 Oxford V32 Double Pannier Bag. As the name suggests this is a pair of panniers that are linked at the top, and though they're not light and have a rather stiff roll-top closure, Lara liked their waterproofing, their extreme toughness and their wallet-friendly price.

Conclusion

Vaude has created a set of high-quality waterproof panniers with excellent environmental credentials. If you're looking for super-lightweight luggage they're a good choice, though the closure system makes them better when they're fully loaded or at least near to capacity.

Verdict

High-quality waterproof panniers that major on a superlight weight and excellent eco-friendly credentials