Backpack vs. small bag for food delivery: which should you choose?

It's one of the first decisions you make as a delivery rider. Most people don't give it much thought — they grab whatever looks right, or whatever the platform hands them, and get on with it.

But the choice between a backpack and a small bag comes down to one thing: how you're getting around and what you're carrying your gear on.

Get it right and your kit works with you. Get it wrong and you'll feel it before the shift is over.

On a two-wheeler with no box, or using a hire bike? You need a backpack. It goes on your back or mounts to a bare rack, stays stable while you ride, and comes home with you at the end of the shift.

Got a mounted delivery box, or delivering by car? A small bag is the smarter choice. It sits in the box, goes anywhere in a car, and you never have to wear it.

That's the core of it. Everything else is detail.

If you're on a bike, e-bike, or motorcycle without a mounted box — or you're using a hire bike and need to take your gear home with you — a backpack is the only option that really works.

Here's why. A small bag without a box to sit in has to go on your back. And a small bag isn't designed to be worn for a full shift. No real shoulder support. No weight distribution. No ergonomic fit. It just hangs off you.

A proper delivery backpack is built around your body. Two shoulder straps, a structured fit, and proper weight distribution mean you can ride for hours without your shoulders and back paying the price.

It also stays stable on the bike. A backpack strapped properly doesn't move around, doesn't affect your balance, and doesn't distract you mid-ride.

• Ergonomic fit — it should sit close to your back and move with you, not drag you backwards
• Proper shoulder straps — wide, padded, and adjustable
• Waist strap — moves weight off your shoulders and onto your hips, where your body is strongest
• Insulation — keeps food at the right temperature from collection to door
• Fast access — you're opening and closing this thing dozens of times a shift
• Waterproofing — non-negotiable in the UK
• Rack-mountable — webbing loops around the base mean you can mount it to a bare rack if you upgrade your bike, so you're not buying new kit every time your setup changes
• Visibility — more on this below

A small bag is versatile. It sits in a mounted delivery box, goes anywhere in a car, can be carried by hand for short distances, or even slips inside the RiDa backpack for extra thermal protection on longer drops or cold weather shifts.

For most standard food orders — a couple of meals, a drink, the usual — a small bag handles the job well. It's simple, effective, and purpose-built for keeping food hot and intact.

It won't go on a bare rack. A small bag is designed to sit inside a mounted delivery box or in a car — not to be strapped directly to a rack. If you don't have a box, you need a backpack.

Bigger orders need more space. Grocery drops and large orders often won't fit in a standard small bag. If you're regularly taking on those orders, you'll need a backpack or a larger bag alongside it.

If you're just starting out, don't rush that investment. Until you know how many hours you'll be doing and what kinds of orders you'll be taking on, it's fine to reject the orders that don't fit. Once you're sure this is something you want to do properly, then it makes sense to invest in kit built for the job.

If you've landed on the backpack side of this decision, RiDa is built for exactly that situation — riders on bikes, e-bikes, and motorcycles doing real shifts.

Shaped to sit right on your body and distribute weight properly, so you can ride longer without wearing yourself out.

If you start out on a hire bike and later upgrade to one with a rack, you don't need a new bag. The webbing loops around the base of the RiDa backpack let you mount it directly to a bare rack — so your kit grows with you without the extra cost.

The RiDa backpack is built with the capacity to take on bigger drops. Grocery orders, large meals, multi-item collections — it handles the job without needing a separate bag alongside it.

Fast access matters when you're doing multiple drops an hour. The magnetic closure gets you in and out without fiddling.

A top-overhang flap and waterproof materials keep deliveries dry whatever the weather throws at you.

RiDa is the only delivery backpack that combines reflective strips with fluorescent fabric. Reflective elements only work when headlights are pointed at them — at twilight, when traffic is at its peak and drivers haven't switched their lights on yet, they go dark. Fluorescent fabric stays visible in natural light, covering the window that reflection can't. For riders on two wheels in traffic, that matters.

Reinforced seams, strain relief where it counts, and materials chosen for longevity. Not something you're replacing in six weeks.

The small bag vs. backpack question isn't really about preference — it's about how you ride and how you carry your kit. Work out which camp you're in, get the right gear for it, and don't overcomplicate the rest.

If you're on two wheels without a box, the RiDa backpack is built for you — and it handles grocery and large orders too.

Shop the RiDa backpack

Shop the RiDa small bag

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