Sling bags have quietly replaced the backpack for a lot of city dwellers, and AULUMU wants to rethink the most annoying part of carrying one: digging for your phone. The accessory maker has added two bags to its Urban Gear Series, the B01 Urban Transit Gear Sling Bag and the smaller B02 Urban Quick-Access Phone Sling Bag. Both are built around the same idea. Instead of zipping your phone inside, you attach it to the outside.
Each bag carries what the company calls a Detachable Magnetic Metal Compartment, a magnetic mount on the exterior where the phone snaps on. AULUMU says you can pull the phone off, use it and put it back with one hand, without opening the bag. It’s a clever answer to a real everyday annoyance, especially on a train platform or at a ticket gate. It also raises obvious questions the company hasn’t answered. How firmly does the phone hold during a crowded commute or a quick jog for the bus, and how visible is a phone mounted on the outside of your body to anyone with quick hands? Phone compatibility and case requirements also aren’t spelled out, which matters for anyone not using a magnetic setup already.
The B01 is the commuter option, with expandable capacity of 2.5 to 3.5 litres and internal compartments for cards, keys, power banks and small gadgets. The B02 is closer to a phone pouch, holding roughly 0.3 litres, enough for a passport, cards and a few small items. It’s aimed at concerts, shopping and travel days when a full bag feels excessive.
The materials are genuinely premium. Both bags use X-Pac, a laminated technical fabric popular with ultralight hikers and boutique bag makers for its low weight and water resistance. Both also use Fidlock magnetic buckles, which snap shut and lock mechanically, plus YKK zippers. That component list puts AULUMU in the same conversation as brands like Bellroy and Peak Design, although the exposed metal and cyberpunk-leaning styling will split opinion more than those brands’ understated designs.
Pricing reflects that ambition. The B01 costs $145 in the US and £125.76 in the UK. The B02 costs $89, or £83.78, direct from AULUMU, with Amazon listings expected by the end of October. Founded in 2022 and a 2025 Red Dot award winner, the brand is clearly building a wider magnetic ecosystem, with stands like the G09 designed to work alongside the bags.
That ecosystem pitch is the real bet. The mount itself is simple, and whether it becomes a habit or a gimmick will depend on how well it holds up in a crowded commute.
