Best Backpack for Travel (2026)
The MATEIN Travel Laptop Backpack ($20.89) is the best budget travel backpack — the anti-theft hidden pocket keeps passports and cards away from pickpockets, the padded 15.6-inch laptop sleeve meets carry-on requirements, and water-resistant fabric handles rain without a separate rain cover.
See Today’s Price →At a Glance
| # | Product | Award | Price | Our Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  MATEIN Travel Laptop Backpack Anti-Thef… |
Best Budget | $20 | 8.2 | Buy → |
| 2 |  BAGSMART 40L Laptop Backpack |
Best Value 40L | $38 | 8.5 | Buy → |
| 3 |  Osprey Daylite 45L Duffel Backpack, Black |
Best Daypack | $84 | 8.4 | Buy → |
| 4 |  Osprey Farpoint 40 Travel Backpack, Bla… |
Best for Men | $110 | 8.8 | Buy → |
| 5 |  Osprey Fairview 40L Women's Travel Back… |
Best for Women | $111 | 8.7 | Buy → |
Backpack for Travel (2026) Buying Guide
Photo by Ketut Subiyanto / PexelsA great travel backpack eliminates checked bag fees, fits the overhead bin without a fight, and keeps your gear organized across airports, hotels, and day trips. The wrong one gets gate-checked at boarding or leaves you digging for your passport in a security line.
Carry-On vs. Personal Item: Know the Difference Before You Buy
How we picked these. We compared 5 home products across build quality, ease of use, durability, and value, cross-referencing expert reviews from Wirecutter, Good Housekeeping, and The Spruce and verified buyer feedback.
Most airlines allow one carry-on (typically 22" x 14" x 9") and one personal item (typically 18" x 14" x 8"). A 40L backpack fills the carry-on slot. A 20–25L backpack slides under the seat as a personal item. Budget carriers (Spirit, Frontier, Ryanair) enforce stricter limits and charge separately for overhead storage — check their size rules before purchasing, as a 40L that's free on Delta costs $70 on Spirit.
Panel Loaders vs. Top Loaders for Travel
Panel loaders (clamshell opening like a suitcase) let you lay the bag flat and access everything at once — ideal for packing and unpacking at hotels. Top loaders require digging to the bottom for items you packed first. For travel with multiple hotel stops, panel loaders win decisively. The BAGSMART and Osprey Farpoint/Fairview all use panel-loading designs.
Suspension Matters for Long Transit Days
Budget packs skip padded hip belts and internal load-transfer frames. For short airport sprints, shoulder-only suspension is fine. For long walking tours, overnight bus rides, or 3-hour layovers in a busy terminal, a padded hip belt that moves weight off your shoulders is the single biggest comfort upgrade. The Osprey 40L packs include this; the BAGSMART and MATEIN do not — appropriate for their price points.
Organizational Features That Actually Matter
Look for a dedicated laptop sleeve accessible from outside the main compartment (so you don't unpack at security), a top quick-access pocket for passport and boarding pass, and side water bottle pockets on both sides. Internal compression straps keep clothes from shifting. Packing cube compatibility — essentially any bag with a rectangular interior — lets you maximize the available volume efficiently.
Related: Best Travel Umbrellas 2026: Compact, Windproof & Auto · Best Travel Pillows 2026: Memory Foam Picks for Long... · Best Travel Mug (2026)
Watch Before You Buy
Our Picks
MATEIN Travel Laptop Backpack Anti-Theft 15.6 in Water Resistant Grey (Best Budget) — $20 See Price →
BAGSMART 40L Laptop Backpack (Best Value 40L) — $38 See Price →
Osprey Daylite 45L Duffel Backpack, Black (Best Daypack) — $84 See Price →
Osprey Farpoint 40 Travel Backpack, Black, Small/Medium (Best for Men) — $110 See Price →
Osprey Fairview 40L Women's Travel Backpack, Night Jungle Blue (Best for Women) — $111 See Price →
Showing 5 of 5 products
MATEIN Travel Laptop Backpack Anti-Theft 15.6 in Water Resistant Grey
“A practical anti-theft laptop backpack for commuters and students — the USB charging port and organized compartments make it genuinely useful for daily urban use.”
See Today’s Price →What we like
- 15.6 in fit
- Anti-theft zippers
- Water-resistant
- USB charging port
Watch out for
- MATEIN is a mid-range brand
- padded compartment basic for premium laptops
- shoulder straps thin for heavy loads
BAGSMART 40L Laptop Backpack
“BAGSMART's 40L backpack is the best travel laptop bag — airline carry-on approved, TSA-friendly for security lines, and spacious enough to replace both a laptop bag and overnight bag on short business”
See Today’s Price →What we like
- 40L capacity fits a 17" laptop plus a weekend's clothes
- Airline carry-on approved
- TSA-friendly laptop compartment opens flat
- Water-resistant
- Expandable zipper
- Includes packing cubes and shoe bag
Watch out for
- Large size makes it bulky for daily office use
Osprey Daylite 45L Duffel Backpack, Black
“The Osprey Daylite 45L converts between a duffel and a backpack seamlessly, with Osprey's signature torso-length adjustable harness making the backpack mode genuinely comfortable — not just usable. At”
See Today’s Price →What we like
- Converts to a true backpack with adjustable harness
- Carry-on friendly 45L capacity
- Osprey All Mighty Guarantee (lifetime repair/replacement)
- Multiple organizational pockets
- Compact and lightweight for its capacity
Watch out for
- More expensive than basic gym bags
- Backpack harness is basic compared to dedicated hiking packs
- Less water-resistant than North Face Base Camp
Osprey Farpoint 40 Travel Backpack, Black, Small/Medium
“The Osprey Farpoint 40 is the most popular carry-on travel backpack in the world for good reason. It meets most airline carry-on requirements at 40L, the LightWire framesheet creates a supportive stru”
See Today’s Price →What we like
- Meets most airline carry-on requirements at 40L
- Padded harness stows behind zip panel
- LightWire framesheet for structural support
- Clamshell opening for easy packing
- Osprey All Mighty Guarantee (lifetime)
Watch out for
- Expensive vs. basic travel backpacks
- SML size is optimized for shorter torsos
- Not as organized as spinner luggage for business travel
Osprey Fairview 40L Women's Travel Backpack, Night Jungle Blue
“The best travel pack for women doing carry-on-only trips. The women-specific fit, organized interior, and detachable daypack make it the go-to for 1-2 week international travel.”
See Today’s Price →What we like
- 40L
- Clamshell opening
- Women-specific fit
- Osprey quality
Watch out for
- Clamshell opening means items at the bottom get buried
- hip belt is padded for travel but not for heavy hiking loads
- padlock not included for the lockable zipper
Frequently Asked Questions
What size backpack should I use for carry-on travel?
Is Osprey worth the extra cost over BAGSMART?
Can I use a hiking backpack for travel?
What's the best travel backpack for international trips?
How do I pack a 40L backpack for a week of travel?
How We Analyze Products
We analyze Amazon review data — often thousands of reviews per product — to surface patterns that individual buyers miss. Our process aggregates star ratings, review counts, and buyer sentiment at scale, identifying which strengths and weaknesses appear consistently across the largest review samples available. The 1,900+ reviews analyzed on this page represent real verified-purchase feedback from Amazon buyers.
Each product earned its placement through data: total review volume, average rating, and the specific praise and complaints that repeat most often across buyers. No manufacturer paid for placement on this page. Products appear here because buyers endorsed them at scale, not because a company asked us to feature them.
We use AI to summarize review sentiment — not to fabricate opinions, but to condense what thousands of buyers actually wrote into a readable format. The pros and cons you see reflect the most common themes found in verified purchaser reviews, paraphrased for clarity. We do not claim to have accessed Reddit, YouTube, or specific publications in generating these summaries.
Prices shown reflect Amazon pricing at the time this page was last generated. Click “See Today’s Price” to get the current live price on Amazon. Read our full methodology →