At first glance, the Side Effect, Side Kick, and Side Hustle could easily be mistaken for the same bag. They share the same family resemblance: compact silhouettes, thoughtful organization, and just enough pockets to keep your everyday essentials from disappearing into the void.
Lately, we've been hearing a familiar question: "What's the difference between the Side bags?" Fair question. Their names certainly don't make things any easier.
That got us thinking: it's the perfect time for a side-by-side look at what each bag does best. While they all serve as a compact everyday carry, each one was designed with a different approach to how — and how much — you carry.
So, what are the key differences between the Side Effect, Side Kick, and Side Hustle?
Capacity
Side Effect:
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Minimalist carry for your daily essentials.
Side Kick:
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Everyday carry with room to spare.
Side Hustle:
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The roomiest of the three, ideal if your everyday carry tends to grow throughout the day.
Organization
Side Effect:
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Front zippered pocket.
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Main compartment with 2 open-top pockets of equal size — ideal for a phone or wallet, sunglasses, small notepads, and pens.
Side Kick:
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Front zippered pocket.
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Main compartment with 6 open-top pockets of varying sizes — ideal for a paperback, A5 notebook, pens, and an iPad mini or e-Reader.
Side Hustle:
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Front zippered pocket.
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Main compartment with 7 open-top pockets — ideal for a tablet, phone, notebook or paperback, and pens.
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Back, open-top pocket that can fit a notebook or paperback.
What Fits
Side Effect:
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9.0" (w) x 5.5" (h) x 3.1" (d) / 230 (w) x 140 (h) x 80 (d) mm
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Phone, wallet, passport, keys, sunglasses, earbuds, and a few small extras.
Side Kick:
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9.6" (w) x 7.5" (h) x 2.8" (d) / 245 (w) x 190 (h) x 70 (d) mm
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Everything above, plus an e-reader, small notebook, or iPad mini.
Side Hustle:
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12.6” (w) x 7.5” (h) x 4.7” (d) / 320mm (w) x 190mm (h) x 120mm (d)
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Everything above, with room for a larger tablet, notebook, small water bottle, light layer, and more.
Best Use
Side Effect:
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Minimalist everyday carry, travel organizer, concerts, nights out, walks, or anywhere you only need the essentials.
Side Kick:
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Everyday errands, sightseeing, museums, coffee shop work sessions, or daily commuting.
Side Hustle:
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Daily carry for those who like being prepared, personal item while traveling, or anyone who appreciates a little extra breathing room.
Carry Style
Side Effect:
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Crossbody, shoulder bag, hip pack, and organizer pouch.
Side Kick:
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Crossbody, shoulder bag, hip pack, and organizer pouch.
Side Hustle:
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Crossbody, shoulder bag, and organizer pouch.
Total O-Rings
Side Effect: 5
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4 in the main compartment
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1 in the front zippered pocket
Side Kick: 5
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4 in the main compartment
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1 in the front zippered pocket
Side Hustle: 5
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4 in the main compartment
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1 in the front zippered pocket
Volume (Using ASTM Standard Measure Method)
Side Effect:
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1.7 liters / 105 cu. in.
Side Kick:
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3 liters / 185 cu. in.
Side Hustle:
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5.8 Liters / 354 cu. In.
Weight
Side Effect:
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630d HT Ballistic: 6.9 oz / 195 grams
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420d Spectron: 5.3 oz / 150 grams
Side Kick:
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630d HT Ballistic: 9.4 oz / 267 grams
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420d Spectron: 7.8 oz / 220 grams
Side Hustle:
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630d HT Ballistic: 13.2 ounces / 375 grams
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420d Spectron: 10.6 ounces / 300 grams
So, which bag is right for you?
All three bags are built around the same philosophy: keep your essentials close, organized, and ready for wherever the day takes you. The real question isn’t which one is better; it’s how much do you like to carry?
Choose the Side Effect if:
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You prefer carrying only the essentials.
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You want a bag that can double as a travel organizer in almost any bag.
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You like having multiple ways to carry the same bag.
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You appreciate traveling light.
Choose the Side Kick if:
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You want a little more room without jumping to a larger bag.
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You regularly carry an e-reader, small notebook, or compact tablet.
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You want an everyday crossbody that's comfortable enough to wear all day.
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You like keeping things simple but organized.
Choose the Side Hustle if:
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Your everyday carry always seems to grow.
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You like having room for "just in case."
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You want to carry a tablet, a notebook, and a water bottle, and still have space left over.
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You appreciate extra organization without moving into messenger bag territory.
Whether you’re carrying just the essentials or packing for a full day away from home, there’s a Side Bag designed to match your rhythm.
Have a favorite? Tell us why — we’d love to hear where your Side Bag has taken you!
I have a Side Kick and a Side Hustle. The Side Hustle is my ride-or-die everyday carry bag. If the Bag Fairy would grant me one wish, though, it would be the Side Car—same layout and style as the rest of the Side series, with a couple extra things:
1. Big enough to fit letter-size paper/full size iPad Pro inside.
2. Interior elastic-topped pockets on the thin sides—places to stick a water bottle, umbrella, or similar items.
3. Preserve the option to use the bag with a shoulder strap or to carry it crossbody via the gatekeeper loops. It’s how I have always carried mine and the ability to snug the bag tightly against my back is part of why I love it so much. That said, I think accommodating wider webbing would be more appropriate to spread the weight of the bigger bag.
4. Loops for the messenger strap or to fasten the bag towards the body, like on the Cafe Bags.
I’ve considered sewing a bag in this style, just for my own use. Given that I’m far less talented than the Tom Bihn team, I’d have to call my homage/knockoff the Side Piece.
I use a Sidekick every day. I also have a Remarkable Paper Pro Tablet. I have been looking for ways to get it out of my Brain Bag and with me all the time. I checked out the Side Hustle. I think it comes in at just a shade too narrow to accommodate the Remarkable’s width.
Don’t sidestep this side-by-side look at the side-bags.
“Oh the places you’ll go.”
Hillsides, mountainsides, riversides, seasides, ringsides, courtsides, lakesides, harborsides, quaysides, waysides, docksides, poolsides, tracksides. fieldsides, pitchsides and shipsides.
“You’ll find the bright places where Boom Bands are playing. With banner flip-flapping, once more you’ll ride high! Ready for anything under the sky.”
Side streets, side roads, side paths, side quests, sideshows, side doors, side views, side gates and side entrances.
“Oh, the places you’ll go! There is fun to be done! There are points to be scored. There are games to be won.”
Inside or outside, stateside then not, beside and alongside your sidekicks, side-effects, side-hustles.
I have all three, ballistic on all. Outside of work… I use these three. I fit out each as needed depending on the day. I do find the Side Kick the most generally useful and perfectly balanced of the three, I can get a simple camera, a wallet, pens and a notebook in there, even an iPad mini, perfect. I do like the Side Hustle, but the attachments for the strap are a bit low on the bag, and it can feel a little unbalanced at times, the additional dimension means it becomes a little more unstructured than the other two. I only use it if I need the extra space and I sometimes pop an insert in there to give it some structure. The Side Effect is great encouraging me to be minimal, and I’m always pleased if I can get about with just that.
I have two Side Effects and two Side Hustles. The Side Hustle is basically the carry-everything purse I spent a couple years looking for; I tried a Medium Cafe Bag but I prefer the horizontal orientation of the Side Hustle over the vertical orientation of the MCB. It’s the bag I grab for grocery and road trips, but I tuck a Side Effect, which is my minimal everyday carry purse, into the center! It’s a perfect fit!
