Swagman Fat Basket

I have purchased 2 of these and they are not very strong and/or have poor quality control. On the first one, the bottom panel is permanently bowed due to carrying ~15 pounds on city streets. The weld that closes the loop of the frame of the bottom panel has broken. It still works but now I load it very lightly.On the 2nd one, the hook has separated from the bottom panel due to carrying ~15 pounds on city streets. It looks like the tack welds that hold the hook to the bottom panel frame loop is missing and the weld to next truss just failed. I'm returning the 2nd one and trying the Wald branded basket.Overall, the design is poor. The bottom panel frame loop closure is located in the middle of the frame which experiences higher bending stress when loaded. Moving the closure towards a corner would reduce that stress.The hook is tack welded on top of the bottom panel. Those welds in direct tension holds up the bottom. Putting the hook under the bottom panel would rest the panel on the hook and provide a lever arm to reduce the forces on the welds against the force of the hook.

Selected because it is sized perfectly to hold the standard (USA) paper grocery bag. It mounted easily and securely to my fat tire e-bike. It's great for errands and shopping. When folded, it's very slim, and offers no cross wind drag like a solid pannier bag. I like the finer mesh of the bottom panel for supporting the contents. Some competitors have a very open cage bottom. When opened, the rectangular shape locks in very solidly. As an added benefit, this insulated cooler bag: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08LGDGHYQ?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details (the 35-can (24 liter) version) fits perfectly in the basket to transport cold foods back home. With these two baskets, I look forward to biking with a sizeable picnic lunch to a scenic spot.

They worked great for me. Others complained about the clasps. It is folding wire panels...they must be manually aligned and held by hand while locking the clasp. Found it to be simple, easy, and nothing to complain about. Such criticisms is kind of like complaining how difficult it is to zip a cloth duffel bag. Holding it and zipping it is just part of the deal. Love them. Recommend. Why I bought them is pannier bags or saddle bags must be removed when the bike is mounted to my car's bicycle rack. Because solid bags hide the tail lights of the car. These are permanently mounted to the bike. They are see thru for my car's tail lights, and fold out of the way when nit used. The rubberized coating is nice. However, I presume it is bare untreated metal underneath. So I expect trying to treat and paint rust will be more of a challenge. Compared to if they were powder coated metal like most others.

These are great for the price. Other baskets go for two or three times as much. The included mounting brackets are rubbish. You're better off getting some 5/8" brackets (available at your local hardware store).The baskets aren't as deep as panniers, but it's enough to hold a carton of milk, and large enough to fit your standard paper grocery bagOpening and closing the baskets take about a minute per basket, as there are vdry specific steps to get them open and closed. To open the baskets, I have give the closed baskets a little squeeze in order to flip the "locking" bracket up. Then I have to pull the expanded basket out a little farther in order to get the bottom to sit flush. To close the baskets, I have reverse the process, but the added step is to push the bottom flap down a bit so the "locking"bracket can clear it. I made the process sound more difficult than it really is. Practical use is much more intuitive. Overall, I would rate the baskets 3.5/5. A three for installation, and a 3.5 for usage.

Hey y'allRead a bunch of reviews before I ordered and decided to to a chance on this basket.I have a folding mountain bike so a basket that would let me fold up my bike without removing it was the objective.Read lots of complaint about design. The latch was said to not work.I read the instructions for the basket before installing, i know I risk my man card but whatever.The instructions are minimal but adequate.Basket was installed with provided hardware in 10 minutes.Fold it up and latch won't engage, hmmmm.The bottom of the basket has 2, I say again 2 pivot points. So place your thumb on top edge of floor in folded position and press down about 5 lbs of pressure and hinge will pivot and floor will sink to clear the latch to close the basket up. Easy.Hope that helps y'allI think the basket is great. Extremely convenient.

I have used these in the past and keep coming back. They are pretty cheap, very sturdy, a little difficult to work, but they hold everything I need to hold like groceries, or plants or shopping bags of stuff. The clip that is supposed to hold it together when closed just plain doesn't work. It is in the wrong position and it isn't deep enough. Who cares? Just use a bungie cord to keep it closed and then the bungie cord will hold your huge mound of stuff from bouncing out of the basket if you've over-bought at Trader Joe's. Also, this is the first time I've gotten a black basket and I like it a LOT more than the bare metal ones. I hope it doesn't rust as fast. Only issue is that I bought 2 and only 1 arrived. Still awaiting delivery of the 2nd.

This basket is almost exactly the same as the one travelscoot sells. It’s a little taller and wider which makes it not fit the back of the Explore very well but it works perfectly in the front and would work for older models

I bought 2 baskets for my E-Bike. The baskets are awesome! The metal brackets are universal as they can’t expect to match every application. I bent them to work. I could have used the supplied zip-ties and that would have worked. The metal latch to keep them closed is wonky, but I got them to work. I read a review by a “mech engineer “ that couldn’t figure them out. They weren’t that hard. You need to be patient with opening and closing, but I love them. I carry a soft cooler w/12 beers on 1 side and beach towels/misc in the other. I also bungee 2 beach chairs on top. It transformed my bike into a hauling machine!

My partner loves using the E-Bike to run errands. This is just one of the Swagman products that were recommended to us, and have been incredibly useful.Installation: 4-5 heavy duty zip ties, and done.Use: the folding nature of these panniers is super user friendly.Are they pricey, yep, but quality can cost, and based on all those that personally recommended them, they have earned their reputation for quality.

I love this little basket. It fits perfectly as a folding basket on the back of my moms mobility scooter! It was easy to fold and unfold but I gave 4 stars because the metal clip to keep it folded was not able to work as it was too close to the clasp for the bottom of the basket. Easily fixed by moving the clip over 1 bar though....simple to do with a pair of pliers :)Fits exactly like the original basket at less then 1/3 replacement costThank you!

The clasp that holds the basket shut is located in exactly the same square as the tab from the base, which sticks up when the basket is folded. Because they line up exactly, the tab prevents the clip from closing.I phoned customer service at Swagman and spoke to them. They got a few baskets from their warehouse and experimented, and called me back to agree that it was a serious manufacturing error and they had no idea how it had not been found previously.Their suggestion was to use metal working tools to remove the clip and put it back on in a different location, but I don’t feel that it will be sturdy if I do this at home. I will return it and buy one that is manufactured properly. Do not buy!

I was really hoping the issues mentioned by previous customers had been corrected within the manufacturing line but it seems like they continue to exist.The clasp that holds the baskets close isn’t easy to use and interferes with keeping the basket in a closed position when the basket is folded.Additionally the brackets provided to attach the basket to a pannier are impossible to attach and force you to use zip ties on a very expensive basket.

A lot of people have complained about the capability of these to carry any amount of weight. If your are expecting to put the big block Chevy in here out of your street rod, you will be disappointed. They are more than adequate for quick trips to the grocery store.Another thing I have read, is people were having trouble with the clap which holds the basket in the folded position, while the clasp lines up with the hook on the bottom plate, with a little finesse, this can be closed with no difficulty.