Best Travel Backpack: 4 Smart Picks for 2025

What is the best travel backpack overall?

The $79.99 Travel Backpack 40L is our best overall travel backpack for travelers who want one soft-sided bag for overhead-bin travel. Its stated 40-liter capacity is paired with a 20.47 x 12.99 x 9-inch exterior, a suitcase-style clamshell opening, seven compartments, and room for a laptop up to 17 inches. Unlike a rolling case, it has no wheels, trolley tubes, or telescoping handle to consume packing space or create an external hardware failure point.

Its construction details are unusually useful at this price: the pack uses 100% post-consumer recycled PET polyester and specifies YKK zippers on main entry points. A padded back panel, contoured shoulder straps, adjustable sternum strap, and rear trolley sleeve make it better prepared for airport transitions than a basic school backpack. It also has a laptop compartment that opens between 90 and 180 degrees for security screening.

The important caveat is carry comfort. This is a 40L pack without a dedicated load-bearing hip belt, so dense loads remain primarily on the shoulders. Its listed 9-inch depth is also close to strict carry-on depth limits; filling soft exterior pockets or overstuffing the main compartment can change its real footprint. Read our travel gear buyer's guide before treating any “flight approved” label as universal.

With a 4.6-star rating from 4,617 recorded reviews, it is the most balanced choice here for a traveler who values overhead-bin capacity, clamshell packing, and more specified hardware than the lowest-cost alternatives.

Read the reviews: Travel Backpack 40L, TSA Carry On Bag Flight Approved

Which travel backpack is best for a personal item?

The $19.99 Travel Backpack for Women is the best low-cost choice for travelers aiming to use a backpack as an under-seat personal item. Its stated exterior size is 16.8 x 11 x 7 inches, a considerably more conservative starting point than the 40L pack or the 50L SHRRADOO. It weighs 1.74 pounds empty and avoids the dimensional penalties that wheels and rigid carry-on handles can add.

The layout is notably travel-focused for the price. It has three primary compartments, sleeves for a 15.6-inch laptop and a 12.9-inch tablet, a separate wet compartment, an included shoe pouch, and a side pocket designed for beverage containers up to 30 ounces. The main section opens 180 degrees, which can make packing and security preparation simpler than digging through a top-loading daypack. Dual padded grab handles also give you another way to pull it from a seat or overhead bin.

There are limits to understand before buying. The pack has no internal frame, and the manufacturer does not specify fabric denier, zipper sourcing, or a dedicated load-bearing suspension system. It has a 10 kg maximum weight recommendation, but a pack can become uncomfortable long before that when the load is dense. Its soft construction protects organization and light weather exposure better than it protects crush-sensitive gear.

For airline-specific planning, compare its fully packed dimensions—not just its empty measurements—with your carrier’s rules. Our carry-on luggage size guide explains why airline sizers, including personal-item sizers, should be the final check.

Read the reviews: Travel Backpack for Women, TSA Carry On Backpack

What is the best budget travel backpack with laptop storage?

At $18.69, the MATEIN Travel Laptop Backpack is the best budget travel backpack for an occasional flyer, commuter, or student who needs dedicated storage for a laptop up to 15.6 inches. The listed footprint is 18 x 12 x 7.8 inches, which is oriented toward under-seat transit, and the bag includes three main compartments, six utility pockets, a rear anti-theft slip pocket, and a pass-through trolley sleeve.

This is a practical organization-first design rather than a technical travel rucksack. Its polyester/PVC build is described as water-resistant, while the ventilated back padding creates separation between the load and the wearer. The trolley sleeve is especially helpful if you sometimes pair a backpack with rolling luggage: it lets the bag sit over a suitcase handle instead of requiring you to carry both. Its 4.7-star aggregate rating across 114,792 recorded reviews is also the broadest buyer-feedback base among these backpack picks.

However, its low price reflects some meaningful trade-offs. The zipper tracks are unbranded coil hardware, and the review identifies minimal ergonomic harness support. There is no stated internal frame, hip belt, or published volume. That makes it a better choice for electronics, a change of clothes, documents, and daily essentials than for hauling a heavy one-bag travel load across a city.

If you need more compartmentalized packing, a small organizer can prevent cables and chargers from spreading through the main compartment. See whether packing cubes are worth it for clothing organization, but do not expect cubes to make an overfilled backpack comply with an airline sizer.

Read the reviews: MATEIN Travel Laptop Backpack, 15.6 Inch College

Should you buy a 50L travel backpack?

The $29.99 SHRRADOO Extra Large Travel Laptop Backpack is the volume-first choice, not the universal airline choice. It lists a 50-liter capacity, three primary zippered compartments, a laptop section for devices up to 17 inches, and an exterior measuring 19.5 x 15 x 11 inches. That is a lot of packing potential for the price, but it is also too large to assume personal-item compliance, particularly when fully packed.

There are useful features for one-bag travelers: the rear compartment opens between 90 and 180 degrees, deep side pockets and exterior mesh slots handle bottles or umbrellas, and the main opening includes an integrated password lock. The manufacturer specifies a 30-pound maximum weight recommendation and provides a one-year replacement warranty. With a 4.7-star rating from 43,776 recorded reviews, it has strong buyer feedback for capacity and pocket arrangement.

The trade-off is carrying mechanics. The harness uses mesh lining and sponge padding, plus a U-shaped ventilation channel, but it has no load-bearing hip belt or load lifters. As packed weight climbs, more force stays on the shoulders and upper body. The listing also does not establish long-term zipper hardware durability beyond its entry-level positioning.

Choose this model only if its actual packed size fits the transportation you use and you genuinely need the space. A smaller, disciplined bag is often easier to carry and less likely to trigger a gate-side bag fee. For more pitfalls, see our travel luggage mistakes to avoid.

Read the reviews: SHRRADOO Extra Large Travel Laptop Backpack for Men

How do you choose the right travel backpack size?

Start with the bag category your ticket allows. A personal item is intended to fit beneath the seat, while a carry-on is intended for the overhead bin. Neither category has one universal US size: airlines set their own maximum exterior measurements, and a soft backpack that fits when lightly loaded can exceed those dimensions when its pockets are stuffed.

Use the listed dimensions as a starting point. The Travel Backpack for Women is 16.8 x 11 x 7 inches, MATEIN is 18 x 12 x 7.8 inches, the 40L Travel Backpack is 20.47 x 12.99 x 9 inches, and SHRRADOO is 19.5 x 15 x 11 inches. Capacity figures tell you how much a maker says a bag can hold; they do not determine whether a bag fits an airline sizer. In this group, the 40L and 50L options are carry-on-oriented, while the 16.8-inch model leaves more dimensional margin for under-seat use.

Measure the packed bag at its widest, deepest, and tallest points before departure. Include bulging front pockets, bottle pockets, and any items secured externally. Do not rely on a “fits most adults” or “flight approved” marketing phrase as a substitute for those measurements.

A practical decision rule is simple:

• Pick a smaller 7-inch-deep pack when avoiding personal-item fees is the priority.
• Pick a 40L-style clamshell bag when overhead-bin travel is allowed and you want to avoid checked luggage.
• Avoid filling an 11-inch-deep soft pack to capacity unless you have confirmed its route-specific allowance.

For broader category comparisons, browse all our Travel gear and luggage reviews.

Read the reviews: Travel Backpack 40L, TSA Carry On Bag Flight Approved, Travel Backpack for Women, TSA Carry On Backpack, SHRRADOO Extra Large Travel Laptop Backpack for Men

What backpack features matter most for travel?

Prioritize fit, access, and serviceable components over a long feature list. A travel backpack should match your ticket allowance, carry your heaviest routine item securely, and let you reach documents, devices, and toiletries without unpacking the entire bag. For most travelers, that matters more than a headline capacity figure.

A clamshell or wide-opening main compartment is useful because it permits suitcase-style packing. Both the $79.99 40L pack and the $19.99 Travel Backpack for Women open flat, while SHRRADOO’s rear section opens up to 180 degrees. A separate padded laptop compartment is also valuable if you bring technology; the reviewed options accommodate devices ranging from 15.6 to 17 inches. A trolley sleeve, found on MATEIN and the 40L pack, helps when a backpack is paired with a rolling case.

Evaluate materials carefully. Polyester may be entirely appropriate for a travel backpack, but material names alone do not prove puncture resistance, weatherproofing, or long-term zipper life. The 40L pack specifies recycled PET polyester and YKK main-entry zippers; MATEIN uses water-resistant polyester/PVC with unbranded coil tracks. The other reviewed soft packs have water-resistant textile claims, but missing denier or component details remain unknown.

Finally, distinguish padding from suspension. Back padding can improve comfort, but a true load-bearing hip belt shifts substantial weight toward the hips. None of these four selections specifies a dedicated load-bearing hip belt, so keep dense loads reasonable and use the sternum strap where included. For side-by-side decisions, use our product comparison tool and build your spending plan with the budget planner.

Read the reviews: Travel Backpack 40L, TSA Carry On Bag Flight Approved, MATEIN Travel Laptop Backpack, 15.6 Inch College, Travel Backpack for Women, TSA Carry On Backpack

Frequently asked questions

Is a 40L backpack allowed as a carry-on?

Sometimes, but capacity alone does not determine acceptance. The reviewed 40L Travel Backpack measures 20.47 x 12.99 x 9 inches, which may work for many overhead-bin allowances, yet its fully packed shape matters. Check the airline’s published maximum exterior dimensions and measure the bag after packing, especially if exterior pockets are full.

What size backpack fits under an airplane seat?

There is no universal under-seat size because airlines set different personal-item limits. Among these reviews, the Travel Backpack for Women has the smallest stated exterior at 16.8 x 11 x 7 inches. That makes it a more conservative starting point than the 40L and 50L bags, but you still need to verify your airline’s current policy.

Is MATEIN a good travel backpack?

MATEIN is a strong low-cost option for commuting, occasional flights, and carrying a 15.6-inch laptop. At $18.69, it includes three compartments, six utility pockets, a trolley sleeve, and a rear anti-theft pocket. Its limitations are light-duty zipper hardware and minimal ergonomic harness support, so it is less suited to heavy one-bag travel.

Is a 50L backpack too big for carry-on travel?

It can be. The reviewed SHRRADOO has a claimed 50L capacity and measures 19.5 x 15 x 11 inches. Its 11-inch depth can be difficult to reconcile with stricter carry-on requirements, and it is not a dependable personal-item choice when full. Confirm the airline limit and avoid assuming capacity labels equal compliance.

Do I need a hip belt on a travel backpack?

A hip belt becomes more important as the pack gets heavier or you expect long walks. It helps transfer part of the load away from the shoulders. The reviewed travel backpacks offer padding and, in some cases, sternum straps, but none specifies a dedicated load-bearing hip belt. Keep dense loads moderate if choosing one of these models.

Are water-resistant travel backpacks waterproof?

No. Water-resistant typically means the fabric can offer some protection from light moisture, not that seams, zippers, and compartments will remain dry during sustained rain or immersion. The reviewed backpacks include water-resistant textile claims, but full waterproof construction is not established. Protect documents and electronics in suitable internal protection when needed.