How to Choose the Best Travel Backpack

If you’re going to invest in a travel backpack, it should be comfortable enough to wear and well-organized to keep everything secure. Look for padded shoulder straps, compartments designed to organize your gear and thoughtful features like hidden zippered pockets positioned against your back during wearing.

Avoid travel bags that boast a zillion different systems and doo-dads. This usually adds weight, bulk and complexity to the pack.

Size

The best travel backpack should be a comfortable, supportive partner that feels like it’s helping you carry the load instead of pulling on your shoulders. But the size of your pack is going to depend on what kind of trips you’re taking and how much gear you’re packing.

For most travelers, a carry-on-sized backpack will work well. This will allow you to bring a weekend worth of clothes plus some tech, shoes, mens backpack and a few other personal items. Bags in this category are usually around 43-45 liters. It’s important to note that brands measure volume differently, so make sure you look at actual bag dimensions and not just liters.

Typically, these small bags will fit neatly underneath an airline seat. Some, like the Timbuk2 Never Check and Tom Bihn Synapse 25, also feel more stylish than other travel backpacks. Others, such as the Topo Designs Global Travel Bag 40L and Cotopaxi Allpa, have ingenious inner organization systems with large zippered pockets that keep belongings easily accessible.

The other end of the size spectrum are bigger backpacks that are better suited for hiking trips where you need to haul a lot of gear and food. These can be as big as 65 liters or more, depending on your needs. While these packs won’t be as carry-on friendly, they may work well for extended backpacking trips that last a few weeks or months.

Comfort

When you’re carrying a heavy backpack through crowded airports or on an extended trip, comfort is essential. That’s why the best travel backpacks have extra features to make the burden more manageable. Look for padding along the interior of the bag to promote structure and protect your gear, weather-resistant details like YKK zippers and DWR coatings, and padded straps that can be adjusted to suit your height.

Lastly, consider the design of your pack’s hip belt. A well-designed and sculpted one transfers some of the weight to your legs, which can alleviate back pain and fatigue over long distances. Look for a belt that’s well-padded and has multiple carry methods, like the Cotopaxi Allpa or Osprey Kyte and Kestrel, as opposed to thin nylon loops that only offer minimal relief.

Travel backpacks are ideal for anyone who doesn’t want to be weighed down by a suitcase or wants an easy-to-access daypack on their trip. A sleek option like the Peak Design Travel Backpack or Nomatic Travel Bag works great for digital nomads and remote workers, while a hiking-inspired model like the Osprey Farpoint or Patagonia Black Hole can handle adventure trips. And if you’re looking for a hybrid, the Herschel Little America or Timbuk2 Wingman travel duffel has the capacity of a backpack and the convenience of a duffel.

Organization

A good travel backpack needs to have a reasonable amount of organizational features. For tech-focused travelers, this may mean a number of thoughtfully designed electronics pockets and plenty of places to stash cords, chargers, and other items. For those who travel for work, a few small organizing pouches and spaces to stash papers and pens are also helpful. Cotopaxi’s Allpa is an excellent example of a pack that combines backpacking and travel-focused organizational layouts, with plenty of external storage options, vertical daisy chain webbing, and an ingenious interior that separates camera gear and clothing into their own sections. These designs aren’t cheap, but they’re extremely functional and worth considering if you regularly travel for business.

Design

Using backpacking-focused packs for travel isn’t new, but you don’t need to be planning an epic trek in Europe wholesale handbags manufacturers to reap the benefits. Many travel backpacks, such as the Cotopaxi Allpa and Topo Designs Global Travel Bag, utilize ingenious inner organization systems complete with large zipping “pockets” and an array of other storage solutions that make it easy to find things. Others like the Matador SEG45 split into five different sections that are accessible from the outside.

Other features worth checking out include a designated padded laptop sleeve, discrete passport pocket and an impressive number of slip and zippered pockets. Some models, such as the Nomatic Travel Pack, allow you to carry your pack suitcase-style or over the shoulder. This is especially helpful when maneuvering through tight airport security lines and cramped airplane aisles.

Finally, if sustainability is important to you, look for packs that use recycled fabrics or a minimum of virgin materials. The Tortuga travel backpacks do just that with their durable, waterproof liners and outer fabrics that are derived from recycled sail cloth used to race sail boats.

The Peak Design 45L Travel Backpack is the perfect example of a pack that blends high-performance features with thoughtful travel-ready designs. It’s expandable to hold 35L of cargo (meeting most international carry-on size requirements) and includes slots for camera cubes as well as four points of access. The sleek, aesthetically sharp design is also a standout.