The best travel backpacks, tested by experts
The best travel backpacks are weather resistant and have multiple storage compartments.
Calpak Laptop Backpack
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$138.00
To pick the best travel backpacks we consulted travel bloggers and experts. Here is what they recommend keeping in mind as you shop:
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To help you find the right travel backpack for your needs, we asked our experts for their favorite picks. We also included options that either have high ratings or have been tested by NBC Select editors.
The Lo & Sons Rowledge is a favorite of Maggie Espinosa, a travel blogger and journalist. “This backpack is both stylish and useful, “ she says. “It has leather handles, a separate laptop compartment and fits under an airline seat." The luggage comes in small and large sizes, though the small size can only store electronics that are nine by 12.75 inches, so your laptop may not fit. The zippers and nylon exterior are water-resistant too, so a simple coffee spill or light rain shouldn't damage them, according to the brand. The backpack is also available in several colorways.
Material: nylon | Weight: 2.9 lbs (small) 3.2 lbs (large) | Water resistant: yes
The Wandrd Prvke 21L comes recommended by Nadine Sykora, a travel video content creator who’s been traveling for more than 13 years. She calls it her “go-to camera bag” as it has removable cubes for holding gear during her adventure-style shoots. She’s also used it for several years and finds it durable. It has a passport pocket, a water bottle sleeve and a fleece-lined pocket for your sunglasses or tech. The bag, which comes in three sizes, has both a removable sternum strap and magnetic tote handles, should you want to hold your bag instead of wearing it as a backpack.
Material: waterproof tarpaulin and nylon | Weight: 2.8 lbs | Water resistant: yes
This travel backpack comes with a detachable day bag ideal for shorter day trips or excursions during your vacation. It’s also convenient: “This backpack opens like a suitcase for easy packing and access to items, and is very comfortable for wearing for long periods, “ says Sykora. The handles are padded for comfort and there are two internal compression straps to protect your electronics and other items. There’s both an adjustable sternum strap and a hip belt to keep your bag snug during any activities, and an included rescue whistle on the sternum strap if you’re lost or in danger. There are multiple internal zipped pockets for extra storage and external attachable loops, to clip your portable speaker to.
Material: polyester | Weight: 4.5 lbs | Water resistant: n/a
Sykora loves this bag for its multiple compartments that make it convenient to organize your travel essentials, like your passport, sunglasses and e-reader. There are expandable side pockets to store your water bottle, a zipped top pocket for your passport and internal zippered mesh compartments for any electronics. There are padded waist and shoulder straps for comfort and padded foam surrounding the exterior to protect it from scratches. a waterproof bottom and a weatherproof exterior build, according to the brand.
Material: nylon | Weight: 4.5 lbs | Water resistant: yes
This Calpak backpack earned its spot as best overall backpack in our 2024 Travel Awards because testers found it to be a large, durable bag that could hold essentials of all sizes, as well as a laptop. The backpack has exterior and interior pockets, a water bottle holder and a trolley sleeve so you can slide it onto your luggage. “Calpak’s backpack has completely changed how I travel,” says Bianca Alvarez, an NBC Select associate reporter and former super commuter. “I tossed my old backpacks after using this one because it makes my travel days easier,” she says.
Material: nylon | Weight: 1.8 lbs | Water resistant: yes
Another winner from our 2024 Travel Awards, Dagne Dover’s Dakota Backpack is ideal for commuters or as a bag one would use as their personal item when traveling by plane. “I’ve been using this backpack for two months as my work bag and it’s been a major upgrade from my last situation,” says Rebecca Rodriguez, NBC Select editorial projects manager. The backpack has padded straps, making it comfortable to wear for long periods of time, and it has compartments and pockets to store whatever you’re traveling with. “The backpack got dirty a couple of times while I used it, but the neoprene material was super easy to clean with soap and warm water,” says Rodriguez.
Material: neoprene | Weight: 1.10 lbs | Water resistant: no
This travel-friendly backpack from Bagsmart made our list of best backpacks of 2024 and is a good choice for anyone in need of a compact carry-on bag that has enough room for essentials like a laptop, pockets for wallets, keys and passports, clothing and toiletries. It has a laptop sleeve on the back, as well as a section in the middle for keeping things like folded t-shirts and full-size bottles of shampoo, conditioner and body lotion. It also has a trolley strap so that it can be placed over the handle of your rolling suitcase and interior mesh pocket for smaller items.
Material: polyester | Weight: 1.83 lbs | Water resistant: yes
While shopping for the best travel backpacks, our experts recommended considering the following:
At NBC Select, we work with experts who have specialized knowledge and authority based on relevant training and/or experience. We also take steps to ensure all expert advice and recommendations are made independently and without undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.
Nishka Dhawan is a former associate editor at NBC Select. For this piece, she interviewed travel bloggers and journalists on what to look for in a travel backpack, and the best travel backpacks to shop for in 2024.
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