While many brands make bags with one or two built-in security features, not all qualify as anti-theft. Hidden zippers are great and so are RFID pockets, but in order to be called anti-theft the bag should have the following: Cut-proof body panels and shoulder strap: Thieves can cut through the bottom of a bag if they can’t get their hand in from the bag’s opening. Or they can just cut through the shoulder strap and make off with the entire bag if you just piggyback it onto a wheeled suitcase and take your eye off it. That’s why anti-theft bags have wire mesh or cable running through the body panels and the shoulder strap so that even if someone attempts to cut through, they won’t be successful. Zippers should lock: You should always zip up all compartments after taking out whatever you need but that’s not enough if there’s a skilled pickpocket in the vicinity. When you’re engrossed in the sights or watching out for your next stop on a bus, someone can stealthily unzip your bag and remove your wallet or phone quite easily. That’s why zippers that lock to a fixed point via a lobster claw, Roobar lock or carabiner will deter anyone from trying. Shoulder strap can be anchored to an object: When you’re sitting at a restaurant there’s rarely ever a place where you can place your bag without it getting snatched if you don’t have your eyes on it at all times. If you want a stress-free meal, an anti-theft bag will have a shoulder strap with one end that’s detachable from the bag via a lobster claw or turn-and-screw lock, and you can anchor it to the leg of the table or your chair and lock it back on to the bag. RFID-blocking: Identity theft via RFID scanners occurs when someone gets close enough to read the chip in your passport or money cards. If your bag has pockets with inbuilt RFID-blocking layer then a scanner can’t read them.