The lululemon Everywhere Belt Bag has been nearly impossible to buy throughout summer 2022.

I've never seen a product quite like the lululemon Everywhere Belt Bag. Or, more accurately, I've seen a product like it—photos exist of me wearing a similar neon bag at Walt Disney World in 1991—but never one so popular.

It's a fanny pack. Let me repeat: It's a fanny pack.

But boy is it a popular fanny pack. SFGATE first wrote about the Everywhere Belt Bag back in May as it ascended on TikTok. Then it sold out everywhere. Then it was briefly in stock. Then came the dupes. Then I went on a quest to find one.

Now comes the logical continuation: A review of the lululemon Everywhere Belt Bag I finally snagged. Not a novel concept by any means, but this is worth noting: I'm a 37-year-old guy that nobody would dub "fashionable." I don't use TikTok. The term "ross body bag" just makes me think of Karate Kid.

I am not the person who comes to mind when anyone says, "Everywhere Belt Bag." And that's precisely why I tested it.

As previously chronicled, the Everywhere Belt Bag is the most popular item at lululemon in 2022. That doesn't mean it's the best-selling item; in fact, that's unlikely, seeing how lululemon can't seem to keep them on the shelves. According to one lululemon store associate in Brooklyn, New York, the bag shipments come in twice a week and sell out within a few hours. The company had even stopped doing online store fulfillment, meaning that you can't buy one online if it's in stock in a physical store somewhere.

The Everywhere Belt Bag has been in such high demand since Spring 2022 that flippers are easily selling them for twice the $38 MSRP on eBay — several listings in early September had sold for upwards of $75.

The bag can be worn on the hip like a traditional fanny pack, over the shoulder, or fashioned comfortably as a sling across the chest (which appears to be the preferred style amongst trendsetters). It is also less cumbersome than a traditional fanny pack or crossbody bag, as it is a smaller bag with many functional interior pockets.

Not to go all "man yells at cloud" as I near 40, but blame TikTok. And to a lesser degree, blame Instagram. They're the forums for modern popularity: A product gains steam, influencers talk about it, and voilà. A sellout is born.

According to the second lululemon associate I spoke with, it's routine for teens to enter the store, saying they'd like the Everywhere Belt Bag in a specific color because they saw it on TikTok. Much to said teen's chagrin, there are frequently no Everywhere Belt Bags to be had, let alone in their desired color.

Part of the Everywhere Belt Bag's success is its versatility, which ties into its size:

It also has two compartments: The main zipper runs across the top half of the bag for the main pouch, while a zipper on the back accesses an inner pouch. Mesh dividers provide organization to the main pouch, with one elastic-tipped mesh divider running along the inside lining, and a second such divider running along the front lining, with that divider split in half to make for three separate mesh compartments.

The Everywhere Belt Bag easily fits keys, a wallet, a phone and an earbud case.

Originally, I planned to give the Everywhere Belt Bag a whirl on a weekend or two, test it on a flight to visit my parents, and then give it to my 12-year-old niece, who fits more in line with what I assume is the bag's main user base.

All of that happened... except I didn't give the Everywhere Belt Bag to my niece (sorry, Liv. I'll get you something cool for Christmas). It proved most useful while I was traveling; normally, I'd wear a jacket and throw my keys, phone and ID into the pockets while going through airport security. Or, if I'm not wearing a jacket, I'll throw all that stuff into my backpack.

Since it was 80 degrees out on this trip, I forwent a jacket and relied on the Everywhere Belt Bag, using it as a crossbody. That made it easy to put all my personal effects into the bag, slip the bag off, and pass through security. 

An action shot of me in the airport wearing the lululemon Everywhere Belt Bag.

My wallet and keys fit best into the main pouch; I also liked that my headphone case can fit into one of the small mesh dividers, so everything inside wasn't just a tumbling mess. I easily fit an N95 mask, keys, wallet, phone, and headphones without the bag feeling too bulky or in the way.

The inner zip pouch is best suited for thinner items; my wallet didn't sit great there. But extra cash, credit cards or Chapstick would do just fine. 

The Everywhere Belt Bag has plenty of positive traits. 

Despite all the positive things to say about the Everywhere Belt Bag, there are some drawbacks.

Those aren't overwhelming cons, but certainly points to consider; I attended a few concerts within the two weeks after I'd bought an Everywhere Belt Bag, but didn't use it at any of them because I'm not in the habit of carrying much with me to venues, and I didn't want to run the risk of having to ditch it at security.

Yes, it's worth it (please don't tell my niece). At $38, this bag feels sturdy, comes in a bunch of colors (when it's even available), and is sleekly designed to not make you feel like you're The Rock-level of dweeb for wearing a fanny pack. 

Here's a caveat: You shouldn't camp out overnight, pay twice the price on eBay, or drive your parents nuts to get your mitts on the Everywhere Belt Bag. It's plenty useful and ultra-popular for now. But there are plenty of other crossbody bags and fanny packs that'll do the trick.

I can also easily imagine a world where 12 years from now we look back at ourselves wearing Everywhere Belt Bags and say, "Oh my god I can't believe we were obsessed with THAT."

If you can find one, the Everywhere Belt Bag is a solid product. But that's a big if.

Ryan Craggs is the Director of Content Marketing for Hearst Newspapers. He has previously worked for The Huffington Post, Thrillist, and Condé Nast Traveler and was also a roofer and shoe salesman once upon a time. In his free time, he enjoys competing in pushup contests, cooking and teaching poetry to neighborhood kids.