Reviews of Arkel Dry-Lites Panniers

Pros

Light weight

Cons

Not as easy to adjust for heel clearance

Other Thoughts

Great for bike packing rather than touring (AK trail riding)

Pros

1. Effortless to install and adjust on bike.
2. Blissfully lightweight.
3. Holds the extras I value on a bike day trip.
4. Resists rain.
5. Look great.

Other Thoughts

I am a senior with an e-bike so I like to bring a lunch, my ultralite chair, and a few other things to relax with when I'm not riding.

These panniers allow me to carry what I need without worrying about a lot of weight.

I'm happy with my purchase.

Pros

They're so light and inexpensive. Exceptional waterproofing. Soft attachment points mean that the panniers won't be slamming on the rack or otherwise causing issues for your bike. 24L of volume is huge, you barely need any other bike bags.

Cons

No good way to cinch them down means that you'll need to pack them mostly full, otherwise your gear will bounce around. Not ideal, but it's not hard to get them stuffed either.

Pros

These panniers are an awesome solution for bike packing if you are using a rack on your ride. I've never had an issue with water or rips or tears. Solid stuff. Highly recommended. Easy in and easy out with all of your stuff.

Other Thoughts

With panniers and a rack there is aways a tendency to bring stuff 'just in case' which means additional ounces quickly turn into additional pounds. While a seat post mounted bag would probably force me to pack lighter. If you are planning on using a rack anyway, theses bags are a great solution.

Pros

Small, lightweight, water-resistant, simple to use.

I used this for a 3-day bikepacking trip and on a few long commutes. Overall, it gets the job done and is not too expensive.

Cons

Not fully waterproof if you don't close it well, a bit of a difficult fastening mechanism, soft back.

If you don't pay attention closely when closing the bag, it can leave room for water to get into the bag. The velcro fastening mechanism is decent but a bit of a struggle to fasten and unfasten especially if the bags are full. The soft structure of the bag has resulted in the contents getting caught in the bike spokes a couple times.

Other Thoughts

Would recommend this still.

Pros

Light weight and hold alot.

Cons

Not yet.

Pros

28L storage capacity, Ultralight, quality construction, Excellent customer service, quick shipping, great price. These Panniers have been working wonderfully for daily work commuting and bike packing. I store lunch, extra cloths, bike lock, sleeping quilt, tarp, bugnet, cook kit etc. in these and they are stable and balanced.

Cons

None

Other Thoughts

Thanks for a great product!

Pros

Lightweight, great capacity for commuting

Cons

Does take a little time to take on and off

Perfect lightweight panniers for a daily 100 mile commute. So much more comfortable than a backpack.

Pros

Excellent.
It's a uniquely designed set of panniers, with by far the lowest weight of any pannier I tested. Quality looks sturdy enough for multi-week trips. I don't think they are designed or large enough for really long-haul trekking.
I am not sure why Arkel chose the somewhat weird strap contraption that requires the bags to be used as a non-separated double pannier system. The bags have D-rings that work perfectly well with double-loop clips, and I used that set-up to attach each bag individually to the luggage carrier. They should work with low-rider front carriers this way as well. If you are looking for lightweight panniers, I can highly recommend them.

Cons

A little on the small side.

Pros

Lightweight
Durable
Extremely waterproof
Fits a Tubus Fat Rack
Rides high and away from trail obstacles
Keeps your gear close
Deceivingly roomy
Solid fit and construction

Cons

Cannot Separate the Bags, but that isn't a con for me, just take it into account when making your purchase.

Other Thoughts

I have a Tubus Fat Rack and these Arkel Dry-Lites fit! The Arkel Dry-Lites are great if you are wanting to get away from traditional panniers for lighter trips, this doesn't mean shorter, I would do the Pan=American Highway using these at the drop of a hat!

They are a dream for bikepacking, just the right size to handle extra gear for longer trips or winter gear.

Don't hesitate, buy them! You won't regret it!

Pros

These panniers are very lightweight, quite waterproof, and relatively tough for their material. It took a solid 1.5lbs off my original touring rig, which really matters!

Cons

Strapping it down to the rack is mildly confusing, and I think some innovation is needed to get it down perfectly.

No pockets, so you have to organize it well.

Other Thoughts

A solid purchase for light-mid range tours. For a tour across the world, I'm not confident they'll hold up. Perfect for everything else.

Pros

This product is excellent. Lightweight, but sturdy and is easy to install. I go on many 500 to 1,000 mile trips and this is the best set up so far by far. We are biking through Canada this summer and I can't wait to use the new panniers

Cons

This is not really a con but a suggestion. Put some loops on the back of each pannier. When biking visibility is your friend and something to hang some lites on would be a great addition.

Pros

This really was a purchase out of necessity as the rear rack that I had special ordered when I purchased the Specialized Diverge touring bike would only accommodate certain rear panniers. More specifically, I needed a pannier that I could strap gear (tent & sleeping bag) onto. The Topeak bags could not accommodate such gear. The fabric is lightweight and during cross country transit when bike is being transported in the travel bag in the carriage bin underneath the bus, I use the packed panniers as the carry-on luggage.

Cons

It takes a little while to secure the bag onto the rear rack with the velcro straps, but this goes with the territory on this particular design which is not really a "con", but instead a slight inconvenience. I do sense that one will learn to streamline this procedure over time after repetitions of the task are experienced. Do not forget to secure the braces on the bottom of each bag to prevent them from flapping around. I really like the buckle on top of the bag which enables easy closing and quick securing of it.

Other Thoughts

Be particular in packing the tool bag as it must be secured inside the checked luggage, or bike bag in this case, as the NTSA does not allow potential weapons to be taken inside the bus where the driver and other passengers are located.

Pros

Really wonderful price

Folds down flat and small

Sturdy fabric

Waterproof, roll-down construction

Horizontal steel bars on top and bottom for lots of stability

Crazy Velcro attachment to the rack seems to be pretty strong and difficult to steal (I hope)

D-Rings on the top of the bags add places to lash things; can probably be used to attach the panniers without the Velcro.

Securely carries a lot of doughnuts and keeps them dry in the most impossible conditions.

Cons

Only comes in black

The crazy Velcro makes removal or front-rack use difficult

Didn't come full of doughnuts.

Other Thoughts

There is a reason these panniers are becoming a bikepacking standard, at least when riders use rear panniers.

Pros

I really like that these bags are medium sized (keep me honest in packing light), are very waterproof as I learned in a downpour recently, and are lightweight themselves. Also, the velcro attachments are superstrong and could be used on a variety of racks. Easy to use and carry on the bike and by hand off the bike.

Other Thoughts

The dark interior is hard to see things. Wish it were lighter colored.

Pros

Very light weight good for small bike frame easy to use high visibility stripe

Cons

small - good for an overnight tour but not days

Other Thoughts

seen on a lot of other bikes for overnight camp outs

Pros

Lightweight
Moderate Size
Easy to Mount on rear rack

Cons

Closure could have better design - difficult to close when full
Minor problem with heel strikes - had to modify hold downs
Be aware of size - OK for one person, but marginal for two persons on multiday trip.

Other Thoughts

Overall a very good set of light duty bags - we tried to use a single set for two people's "stuff" and they were a bit small for a three day ride where we each needed to carry two sets of bike wear, a set of "non bike" clothes, a dock kit and a pair of shoes... for each of us. Had a minor heel strike problem with my Specialized Roubaix - needed to modify the hold down system to bias it completely towards the rear - but then it was fine. However may have been due to the "hacked" blackburn rack I have on the Roubaix. When completely full the closure was a bit difficult - however if we had less in the bags it would have been fine. Did some riding in light rain and it kept everything completely dry.

Pros

Just getting ready to take these on their maiden voyage so haven't tested them yet, but they appear to be perfect for our needs. Flying with bikes and have no extra room for bulky panniers. Needed something to carry extra items just for the day, not a weeks worth of clothing, although they hold a sufficient amount. They roll up into a tiny roll, making them perfect for packing for traveling, are very light and appear to be waterproof. The Velcro is very strong and they securely attached to the rack with just Velcro tabs and the hook at the bottom. Not quite as easy to get on and off as they make it look, so I think we will just be unloading and leaving the bags on each night.

Cons

Top closure seems a bit bulky, but I'm sure it adds to the waterproof factor. Closes up like a dry bag.

Other Thoughts

They are so light, I can't see that a shoulder strap is really necessary. Seems that it may be a a bit awkward.

Pros

Extremely durable
Completely waterproof
Lightweight

Cons

None.
These bags are exactly what they are advertised as!

Other Thoughts

I would recommend these bags to anyone looking for ultralight tour gear, or just city commuting.

Pros

They are very lightweight, easy to get on and off the bike. Fold over the top twice and they are completely waterproof. They look good.

Cons

I used these with a older Blackburn rack, that is lightweight and I thought would be perfect for these panniers. The panniers keep their shape by a wooden dowel that goes along the bottom. The problem is these panniers if the very bottom is not filled up with stuff the pannier looses shape and in rough terrain or a speed bump have a tendency to fold into the back tire as the dowel does not go the complete length of the bottom. Thus I have had the rear of each pannier go into the spokes and have broken both of the dowels. The rack I used was slight and lithe, which exacerbated the problem. But why use a Tubus rack for the lightest pannier there is?

Other Thoughts

The panniers are attached to each other so you have to use both at all times. The instructions that come with them on how to attach are rather confusing but they attach quick and stable just putting them on the rack and cinching them down.

I've used these panniers on five tours in Thailand, I live here, and they are perfect for staying in hotels, and carrying light weights. The lack of stability can be overcome by compressing things towards the bottom of the pannier, but still, I feel this is a design flaw.