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The following Pacsafe Citysafe 200 Gii review was submitted by Viktoria Urbanek in 2014. We’ve recently updated and refreshed this post.
When you travel, you want to feel safe, enjoy yourself, and not have to worry about whether your passport and cash are secure but it’s inevitable that you will find yourself in remote places. It might even be the side street of a busy city.
Luckily, Pacsafe has developed the Pacsafe Citysafe 200 GII. AKA a handbag that (should) prevent opportune theft. I got mine about a year ago and it has a lot of great features that you will love!
This exact bag is no longer made. An alternative is the 7L Pacsafe® LS200 anti-theft crossbody bag. This is the largest messenger-style bag that Pacsafe currently makes and it fits an 11” tablet.
If you’re looking for something bigger, try the 11L Pacsafe® CX anti-theft mini backpack or the Pacsafe® GO 15L anti-theft backpack instead.
Pacsafe Features I Love
1) Slash-proof material: I haven’t tried to cut or stab it, but it looks very resistant. The main bag is invisibly covered in an exomesh to better protect the belongings if a slashing is attempted.
2) Zippers: The bag opens and closes with safety zippers. Usual zippers can be opened pretty easily using a pen, but not this one. They would have to set the bag on fire to get inside. Additionally, the zipper can be fixed to a small carabiner and no one will get in your bag without you noticing!
3) Detachable Strap with a Carabiner: The strap is detachable on one side so you can unlock it and put it around something such as a table, bed, or chair. Before I had this bag, I just hung my handbag on my chair without thinking about how easy it would be for someone to grab the bag and leave. This great feature allows me to prevent that!
4) Reinforced Straps: Firstly, they are long enough to be carried cross-body, and secondly, they have steel rope inside so no cutting or slashing here either.
5) Compartments: The main compartment is divided into a big one, a smaller extra padded one for your tablet or small laptop, a zipped small compartment with a small carabiner for holding keys, and three small compartments for your passport, pens, and more. One of those compartments is RFID safe so no one can get your passport or credit card information if placed inside.
On the outside, there is a small compartment to fit your guidebook, Kindle, and smaller stuff. Additionally, there are two compartments to fit an umbrella and a water bottle.
What I Pack in My Pacsafe Bag
In my Pacsafe Citysafe GII 200, I pack a guidebook, 10″ tablet, phone, travel journal, water bottle, sunscreen, sunglasses, purse, passport, camera, kindle, and small snacks.
Pros and Cons
PROS
- Safe belongings.
- Super organized.
- It’s small so you don’t overpack it.
CONS
- It’s too small to fit my personal travel needs. I will probably sell it and buy the bigger bag sometime soon.
- The strap doesn’t hold its length – I have to readjust the length frequently.
The Pacsafe Citysafe GII 200 is a nice gadget that can help out a lot! But you will still have to look after your belongings and make sure you don’t leave the bag anywhere unattended.
Have fun traveling!
If you like Pacsafe products, you might want to take a look at these other posts:
- Pacsafe’s Slingsafe 300 GII Review: Love this bag!
- Pacsafe Anti-Theft Travel Bag Reviews: Travel Security Products
- Backpack Review: Meet Cristina, a Traveling Journo, and Her PacSafe CamSafe Anti-Theft Day Pack
About the Author: Viktoria self-diagnosed herself with chronic wanderlust in 2009 when she went on Exchange to Venezuela. Thereafter she couldn’t resist traveling to Mexico, China, Morocco, and all across Europe. Viktoria launched her website Chronic Wanderlust in 2013, where she gives advice about travel gear, moments abroad, and traveling itself.
Neat. I’ve always wanted one of those babies.
When traveling I don’t carry anything in a purse that I’m not afraid of losing – small amount of cash for the day, point & shoot camera, umbrella, water bottle, etc, I keep important things like my passport, tickets and credit cards on my person. When I do carry a bag I prefer a leather purse sized for my essentials and waterproofed with WOLY (search amazon for it). It’s true that leather is heavier than most of the “travel” bags but it is structured, sturdy and usually keeps your belongings dry. I use a purse organizer that I can move from bag to bag as needed so I don’t mind if my bag doesn’t have internal pockets. I also think leather bags look nicer and will outlast nylon bags thereby being cheaper in the long run.
I just got back from a 2 month solo trip in Europe and I can safely say that this is my favorite purse. I have many different bags but the PacSafe is easy to use at home and abroad. I extended the strap to its longest length as I am over 6′ tall and it didn’t look like it was too short for me (!) (so I can’t speak on the strap not holding it’s length). Even with (at home) with a 13” MacBook, charger, and my wallet the bag is still very low key and doesn’t scream “I have valuables!”. On an average outing I would have (at least) my passport, wallet, a Nikon D90 with a 35mm lens (and the PacSafe camera strap), an alternate & small lens, a water bottle, and umbrella and I would still feel like I wasn’t standing out as an tourist with my backpack, etc. The added knowledge that one could lock the zipper helped with walking with more confidence (helpful when you are alone) and allows one not to constantly check to make sure the zipper was closed, even though I would usually wrap my scarf around the lock for added security. If this bag ever wears out (I have put it through the ringer since Feb.) I will definitely buy a new one.
P.S. It also maintains is low key/profile look when it is packed with a 12oz can 6 pack of beverages with phones, keys, and wallet in the rain on the back of a bike. It’s pretty much amazing.
I’ve got a PacSafe CitySafe as well, but I think I’ve got the 100 which is nice as a purse but a bit too small for day trip.
Love that bag though.
Found your review about the Citysafe 200 GII handbag. We would like to make a correction on one of your points about the zippers. The Citysafe has the smart zipper security, which is the hidden hooks that locks your zip pullers to the bag so to prevent someone from easily sliding opening your bag to steal your belonging. The zippers are not made with the Puncture resistant ToughZip technology. It’s found on our luggage and larger bags that you would normally check in or leave behind. However, we do use durable quality zippers for our bags.
Thank you again for the review!
Thanks for the update! We’re a big fan of Pacsafe around this blog! 🙂
I’m curious… what of “your personal travel needs” doesn’t it fit? I’m looking into purchasing this bag and I just want to get a feel of how much it holds, so if you wouldn’t mind sharing! 🙂
I’ve had this bag for a little over a year, and it carries the perfect amount of items for me.
When using it as a personal item on a flight, I’m able to pack a wallet/cardholder, 7″ tablet, small e-reader, paperback, iPhone with hardcase, android phone with hardcase, glasses case, airplane comfort items, 3-1-1 bag, 16 oz water bottle, snacks, travel umbrella, hat, and a knitting project.
When I use it as a daily purse back home or for day trips, I’m able to pack everything I may need for the day including a cardigan, umbrella, Chico reusable tote, and a 16 oz water bottle. If I feel like carrying the extra weight, I have room to toss in a notepad or small camera. I also always carry an inhaler, chapstick, tissues, and hand lotion with me. With all of this, I still have room in the bag for small purchases and souvenirs. Hope this helps!
Thank you Gale that was very helpful.
I realise that this is a few years later, but I wondered if anyone had any advice.
I am thinking of purchasing this bag, I think it is the same one on Amazon UK.
I was wondering if potential thieves, can recognise this bag and therefore would it make me a target? Or is it low profile enough not to be recognised?
I would be grateful if someone could tell me if this is the same bag:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Handbags-Shoulder-Bags/Pacsafe-CitySafe-200-Secure-Handbag/B000ZPL5D6/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?s=luggage&ie=UTF8&qid=1487210410&sr=1-1-fkmr0&keywords=Pacsafe+Citysafe+200+Gii
Thanks so much if there’s anyone reading this. I love this site, it’s amazing! I’ve been reading for hours and hours, days and days! So much useful info!