I will be getting my bike ready for the commute to work soon and I was wondering what to look for in paniers and carrying bags for the bikes. Anything to stay away from or heads up? What works for you? What didnt work for you?

Look for solid attachment mechanisms! The all-in-one saddlebag style bags are cheap, stay on, and hold a decent amount, but they generally have cheap zippers and aren't water resistant. If you constantly ride in the rain, I'd recommend waterproof ones (though they're very expensive) as you can just throw your stuff in it and forget about it. I rarely ride in the rain, so I use the cheap saddlebag kind and made some plastic stiffeners to help them keep their shape.

I have my waterproof Axiom panniers for nearly two years now. On one of them the external pocket zipper started going bad but I hardly use these pockets anyway for anything but keys. Otherwise they work well, truly waterproof and inexpensive. The only drawback is that most waterproof panniers just have one large component inside, no pockets, dividers, etc.

Recently installed Ortlieb Classic Rollers on my rear rack and they're excellent. They're a little expensive but they're worth the money.

Quick rundown:
+Completely waterproof. I rode about 13 city miles in a heavy, heavy downpour last week and everything was bone dry inside the bags.
+Spacious. I can easily perform a grocery run with these.
+Excellent attachment system. You can literally hook them and remove them from the rack with one hand in less than a second. Completely adjustable system.
+Good to carry off of the bike with the included shoulder strap. It's not a proper messenger bag by any means, but decent enough for grocery shopping.
+I think they look great. And they're available in lots of colors.

-Expensive.
-They work so well that you might end up carrying more than you should.

I was surprised how little I notice the weight when loaded up while riding. Obviously, steep hill climbs are a little more challenging but the overall handling changes haven't been negative. Carrying the bike upstairs is a different story...

For the record I'm using a $12 Delta rear rack that I purchased from REI outlet. It wasn't the greatest install process on Earth, but it works.

As nice as you can (or want to) afford. As for me I got a pair of old Cannondales off CL for $20. They are actually fronts but the carry my clothing & lunch with plenty of room to spare in case I need to take any work home with me or I want to restock my drawer o' food.

They are just slightly more waterproof than a screen door, therefore I run a couple of large kitchen garbage bags as liners - Works great, and I have ridden through some bad stuff this summer.

I may upgrade them at some point but it will be based on aesthetics rather than function.
My bargain basement panniers do everything that I need from them.

I have three pannier types from Axiom for different uses. I think they are a good value, simple. Something to watch out for, small racks and short chain stays may carry the bags too far forward and you'll have a heel strike problem. Long racks, like Jandds, allow you to move the bags pretty far back if necessary.

I commuted for several years with an old milk crate on the back of my bike. The milk crate held my backpack very well and was great for carrying grocery bags too. Then I moved and got a newer bike on the other coast. Used an old set of Nashbar panniers with lots of small accessory compartments. These worked fine, but were small enough that I couldn't carry a grocery bag very easily. Eventually, the zippers broke and the attachment mechanisms broke several times. The panniers essentially disintegrated, but I did get two solid commuter years from them. Now I am riding with Carradice canvas Super C panniers. These are great thick canvas, don't have zippers, and can carry a good load. I have been very happy with them, though they are a bit expensive.

In summary, I have been happiest with thick canvas panniers with strong attachment hardware and no zippers to break.

Depending on your bike's geometry, panniers may not work for you. You could have the nicest set of bags on the planet, but if you suffer from heel strike, you'll be frustrated.

I'm a fan of Topeak racks and associated bags for commuting. They have fairly roomy bags with panniers that fold out when you need them, but aren't an issue when you don't. If you can fit your daily haul into the trunk bad without messing with the panniers, then putting it on the rack and taking it off is super fast and easy. If you'll routinely carry more then fits in the trunk, I don't know if I'd recommend it because it's much more awkward to carry and attach and detach when the panniers are in use, but having the panniers available for the occasional extra big load is great. Lately I've been using plain, old satchel, though. So the trunk bag hasn't been getting much use. But I also have a wire Topeak basket that fits on the Topeak rack with the same attachment system, so I just drop my satchel in there. Only issue there is that I don't take the basket in to work with me, so if I don't run my cable through the basket when I lock up, it could wander off. So far, though, no one seems to want to run off with my basket, so all is well.

Important note: Not every bike/rack/pannier combination is going to fit. Since you already have your bike, ensure that the rack & prospective pannier work together. For example, my Arkel pannier hooks above and below the top rail. If a cross bar is @ that attachment point then the pannier is not solidly attached. Bring along some heavy objects & stuff the bag. Once mounted, ride it around a bit & see if you have heel strike or bike balance issues.

A lot of people will push Ortlieb but I've had success commuting through Oregon winters with the Arkel + rain cover (no leaks yet). In short, a waterproof bag is not a requirement. If you're carrying electronics and are paranoid about leaking then stick them in a ziplock bag.

OP, given no bike type is mentioned, ILL say.. :

the Big single front bag, like on my Brompton ,
on its own Quick remove rack & frame clip,+ a shoulder strap,
is easier to cope with off the bike,

than the pair of panniers I use on my Bike Friday's front pannier rack.
though the pair of front bags (Older Ortlieb Sport packers)
do have welcome additional volume ..
I improved on their performance, somewhat, by strapping them together ,
and interweaving the webbing handles ..

one thing I find a peeve with Ortlieb is they make loose bags.
and off the bike are always the several individual loose bags,
you have to deal with.
rather than strapping or snapping together as pairs,
to only have 1 handle between them..

What doesn't work for me are fussy attachment systems.

I have a set I no longer use that have Velcro attachments on the top, and a hook on a bungee on the bottom. Seems simple enough, but it's a lot of fuss and bother every day, twice a day on and twice a day off.

The attachment systems used by Arkel and Ortlieb (I have sets from them both) make using the panniers a joy.

I also strongly prefer waterproof to water-resistant. In the rain, the Ortliebs are completely worry-free. Everything stays dry, even in the rain of the 40 days. Yeah, I suppose I could fuss and bother with waterproofing lesser bags, and re-waterproofing them when they start to leak, but why bother?

i have a giant defy mt bike with city slick tires. I will post pictures when I get home from traveling on Thursday.

I use cannondale panniers shown in the pictures at the bottom of my post.

The panniers are not water proof. Whenever I go into a store like Publix or Walmart, I grab a couple of umbrella bags from the rack on the way into the store. I put my stuff in these bags, tie it in a knot, and throw it all in the panniers. These umbrella bags are thicker and more durable than the plastic bags they use to put groceries into. My stuff is always 100% dry when I arrive at work even though me and my bike are drenched.

These panniers are waterproof and they hold a bunch of stuff.

Of course, I may have been smoking something during the installation process, which might explain why the one marked 'R' is on the left, and the one marked 'L' is on the right. But in any event, these Tidy Cat buckets are perfect. I have several bikes with racks, and when I want to use another bike, I just pull the buckets off of one bike, and quickly attach them to another bike.

Fabric: Tough, not floppy, as waterproof as possible.
Ortleib style PVC and Carradice canvas are both good. Quality cordura is OK, cheaper stuff delaminates and frays after a few years.
Stiffening: Light plastic board in the back and base. Avoid heavy card, wood or metal stiffeners.
Shape: A heel cutout profile allows mounting further forward for better weight distribution.
Closure: Zippers are the first to fail. Rolltop and flaptop are reliable. Extendable collars permit overloading with bulky items.
Mounting: Quick-release, locking systems are the way to go, avoid hook and elastic and velcro.
Ortleib and Rixen&Kaul are the best systems; you need a solid, one-piece hook + a rotating lock widget. Some systems have a hook with a built-in hinge that is spring loaded. If the hinge fails, the hook fails and the bag falls off.

Locking hooks require a tube or rod of round profile. They do not work on twin, welded sections and at cross-bars. Look of a rack with plenty of free, single-section rod.

I have a set of Ortlieb rear classic rollers. They are waterproof - I spent five solid hours in a straight down pouring rain. Everything was perfectly dry in the bags. I can set them back far enough on a Racktime TourIt rack to avoid heel-strike. Worked very well for me.

I started commuting with Trek panniers. Not too much ($50), and they worked for a couple of years. They weren't waterproof, but putting clothes in a plastic grocery bag worked in light showers. At the end of two years, give or take, the shock cord at the bottom attachment had lost its stretch.

Ortlieb panniers (Sportspacker Plus) were next. And last. They're not cheap (www.thetouringstore.com has decent prices), but they are great. I've had them for about five years so far, and after a cross country trip, the tops look bleached (I have red ones). Secure attachment, easy on-off, with an annual dab of oil on one side of the latches. Convenient to pack and carry on and off the bike.

I crashed once in Kentucky on the TransAm trip; before, they were waterproof through massive downpours, afterward, there's a little dampness coming in the one I crashed on during torrential rains (say 2" rain in an hour, or 5 hours steady rain), but not for normal commuting, light showers max. The other bag is still dry even through the worst rain. Never have found that leak!

Either solution will work. If you keep commuting for a long time, the Ortliebs will pay for themselves.

I have these:

https://www.bontrager.com/model/07726


Pros:
* They have a simple clip mechanism, 2 on each side, which attach to the rack easily and are removed just as easily; literally takes 1-2 seconds to attach.
* They come with a shoulder strap so when I commute to work I can simply lift it off wholesale, attach the strap, and carry it in with me.
* 4 zippered compartments, 2 main compartments, and 2 water bottle holders can hold everything I need for commuting.

Cons:
* $100 was a little bit expensive, but I needed them in a hurry so I sprang for it.
* The main compartments are not waterproof, and are simply covered with the flap. Water can get in if it's heavy enough. Having said that, I have cycled twice in the rain with these, and didn't notice anything getting wet.
* They don't have enough room for loaded touring, probably not even enough for light touring, it's simply a commuting bag. Probably not enough room for groceries either, depending on what you buy.


So they're perfect for commuting, but when I begin touring next year I will most likely be getting something bigger and more waterproof.

+1 for the buckets!
I've got 4gal buckets from the grocery store bakery department (free), and made some mounts with J-hooks from the hardware store ($8.00). I use a tie-down from my Thule rack over the bucket handle as the rack bungee to hold it in place.

I use a Bontrager trunk with fold out panniers that fits my Bontrager rack. Not the largest panniers, but perfect for me. Today I carried my small brief on one side and a lap top on the other.

I think it's fine to use cheap panniers for commuting. My grocery bike/bad weather commuter has a pair of Nashbar ATB panniers I paid less than twenty bucks for. They're black nylon and have plenty of pockets and expandability. I've used them for several years and they're holding up fine. Plus, if somebody jacks them while the bike is parked, I'm not out a bunch of money.That being said, my Carradice Kendal panniers will likely last a lifetime, and I have the satisfaction of knowing they were handmade by some nice English lady. :-)

I'll admit up front that I've only used one brand and model (Ortlieb Backrollers), but I can say that there are two attributes I'll henceforth require in any panniers: 1) waterproof fabric, and 2) no organizing compartments. The former because I'm a four-season commuter in Boston, I tote my laptop around, and I can't be bothered to trouble with enclosing every moisture-sensitive object in its own protective covering; the latter because, it seems to me, the absence of cells and dividers makes the bags vastly more versatile. On grocery runs and other errands, for instance, I just stuff my bags full of whatever I want, including watermelons, six-packs of beer, and (once) a typewriter.

I agree I have Just started riding with Both a Topeak Rack and bag....The rack is easy to install and the system is quite secure....I do recommend that you check the bag before you though your leg over but...the bag adds 5 Lbs so...when off the the bike I think the bag is solid, Zippers are not Military Grade but are not Ykk either...I am not used to carrying a bag yet but....
https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...=#post12935465

you would think they would make a divider to insert into the bags for dviding stuff.