The protection comes from the position, not from a lock. The compartments sit at the front of your chest, close to your body and in your line of sight, whether you wear the sling under a jacket or openly over it. Reaching in there in a crowd is neither unnoticed nor quick, unlike a back pocket or a coat pocket. Under a jacket you also get cover; worn openly you get eye contact: you see every hand that comes near. No product protects against force, but it certainly protects against the classic grab in passing.

Both are intended. Hidden: the sling lies flat against your chest; the compartments are built to smartphone depth, not to volume, so nothing shows through a jacket, blazer or coat. Open: worn over a shirt, hoodie or jumper it is a visible piece of cowhide leather, with metal buckles and clean edges.

The same adjustment range covers both: tighter for under a jacket, looser for over a jumper. Only under a thin T-shirt will you see the outlines, in which case it is better worn over the top.

Black is the restrained choice: under a dark jacket or blazer nothing shows, and worn openly it still stays discreet.

Brown and light brown show the grain of the leather and the seams. Those two are made to be worn openly over a shirt or jumper.

All three are the same cowhide leather at the same price of €54.98. If you want both, take two: from 2 items the shipping flat rate is dropped and €15 comes off.

Yes. The patch flap pocket with a press stud is the smartphone compartment: 8.5 cm wide, 18.1 cm deep. An iPhone Pro Max and a Galaxy Ultra fit with their cases. On top of that there are two zipped compartments, one per side panel, and a flat slip pocket with a tab. Four compartments in total, and in practice that is enough for phone, card holder, keys and passport at the same time.

The surface is sealed and water-repellent. It stands up to crowds, and fine marks from use do not weaken the material.

We use reinforced industrial zips built for daily use. Zips are the point where cheap bags give up first, which is why there is no budget part here.

The surface is water-repellent from the factory; rain and splashes bead off instead of soaking in. Water-repellent does not mean waterproof: in hours of heavy rain moisture will get in eventually. Then dab the sling dry and let it air-dry, not on a radiator and not in the sun.

Day to day, wiping it dry is enough, with a slightly damp cloth if needed. No solvents, no washing machine, not on a radiator. The sling needs nothing more.