The best travel backpacks, tested by experts

Packing can be hectic. Outside of your

luggage

, how can you best fit all your

essentials

in a way that’s easily organized, but accessible?

A travel backpack can help ease the load and is a versatile accessory for your adventures. They usually have various storage compartments, are adjustable and will keep your hands free to carry your other devices.

We spoke to travel bloggers to learn about the best travel backpacks and what to look for when buying one.

SKIP AHEAD

The best travel backpacks

|

How to shop the best travel backpacks

|

Why trust NBC Select?

Selected.

Our top picks

Editor’s pick

Calpak Laptop Backpack

$92.00

$115.00

CALPAK

Learn more
Best budget pick

Bagsmart Travel Backpack

$undefined

$34.99

Amazon

Learn more
Best splurge

Wandrd Prvke 21L

$undefined

$219.00

Amazon

Learn more

How we picked the best travel backpacks

To pick the best travel backpacks we consulted travel bloggers and experts. Here is what they recommend keeping in mind as you shop:

Multiple compartments

: Every travel backpack we recommend below has an easily accessible compartment for your laptop or tablet. There are also extra compartments on the inside for your passport or wallet.
Adjustable straps

: Every travel backpack has adjustable back straps so you can modify their length to your desired height for comfort.
Lightweight

: Every travel backpack weighs below five pounds.

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The best travel backpacks of 2024

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.

Lo & Sons Rowledge

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

Wandrd Prvke 21L

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

Osprey Fairview 70 Travel Pack

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

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Peak Design Travel Backpack 45L

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

Calpak Laptop Backpack

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

Dagne Dover Dakota Backpack

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

Bagsmart Travel Backpack

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

How to shop the best travel backpacks

While shopping for the best travel backpacks, our experts recommended considering the following:

Organizational features:

Look for multiple compartments on the interior, so you can store your devices, travel documents and cosmetics separately. “Separating electronics and gear from clothes, liquids, or items prone to getting dirty during travel is essential,” says Sykora.
Water resistance:

Prioritize options with a water resistant exterior.
Compression Straps

: If you’re prone to overpacking, a compression strap will help keep your bag compact.
Zippers

: You’ll want to choose a bag with zippers that can accommodate locks, this way you can add extra security to your belongings. You also want to avoid bags with open exterior compartments, as items may fall out.
Durable materials

: Look for backpacks with fabrics that are water and scratch resistant, like nylon, says Sykora.

Meet our experts

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.

Maggie Espinosa

is a travel journalist and author who has been featured on Travel Channel, NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt, USA Today, Huffington Post and more.
Nadine Sykora

is a leading travel video content creator with over 500k+ subscribers.

Why trust NBC Select?

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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