With the rise in digital nomadism, business travel, bloggers, content creators or just those who can’t quite bring themselves to switch off, more and more people are traveling with laptops. When it comes to keeping their precious and expensive computer gear safe, it seem that many of these people take it for granted. Haphazardly shoving their laptop into their bag without any thought of what could be happening to it…
Well, this is a great way to destroy a laptop. And when you rely on that laptop for everything from making a living to editing photos of your dog in a hat, that’s a serious inconvenience, especially if you find yourself miles away from the nearest Apple Store!
If you travel a lot with your computer, you’re going to need the best travel laptop backpack possible. That way, you can keep your computer safe from harm while moving around. This article will help you pick from the best laptop backpacks for travel depending on your needs and preferences.
Whether you are bringing your laptop on a backpacking trip, a weekend getaway, or your regular commute, each of these backpacks prioritizes quality, versatility, organization, and comfort! Every rucksack on this list is a TSA approved, has a specific laptop compartment, and the correct dimensions to carry onto any flight.
Read on to find the best traveling laptop backpack for your next digital adventure!
Quick Answer: What are the Best Laptop Backpacks for Travel in 2024?
- Nomatic Travel Bag 40L – Top Pick: Best Laptop Backpack for Travel
- Tortuga Laptop Backpack – Runner Up – Best Travel Laptop Backpack
- Osprey Metron – Best Laptop Backpack for Commutes
- Gulu Made Inspire – Most Ethical Laptop Backpack
- Timbuk 2 The Division Deluxe – Best Small Laptop Backpack for Travel
- AER City Travel Sling 2 X-Pac – Best Laptop Messenger Bag
- Harber London Leather Backpack – Best Leather Laptop Backpack
- Incase EO Travel Backpack – Best Backpack for 17-Inch Laptops
- Stubble & Co The Roll Top – Best Hipster Laptop Bag
- Tom Toc – Hottest New Laptop Backpack
What Makes a Good Travel Laptop Backpack?
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For this article, we are focusing on travel backpacks that can accommodate laptops.
All of the bags listed below are travel backpacks with laptop compartments and are well equipped to organize your technical gear while you’re traveling.
Here are some features of the top laptop backpacks:
- Backpack with a laptop compartment: Obviously, a good laptop backpack kind of needs a separate padded compartment keeps your electronics secure. Of course, you can also use these zipped compartments for books, your travel journal, or many other things.
- Accessibility: In order to qualify as a good laptop bag, accessibility is very important. After all, its a royal pain in the arse if you have to dig deep and half unpack just to het your laptop out right?
- Weather-resistant: If you are going to be carrying your laptop and other valuables, you want a backpack that will protect your valuables! Make sure it’s weather-sealed or maybe includes a rain cover.
- Carry-on size: Carry-on travel backpacks save you from having to deal with lost bags and luggage fees. Most of the backpacks on this list are carry-on sized and abide by TSA guidelines.
Our Top Picks For The Best Laptop Backpack
As I mentioned earlier, this article is going to focus on laptop backpacks that are specifically good for traveling with. I have reviewed our favorite backpacks below, categorized by different types of travels to accommodate your travel needs.
#1. Nomatic Travel Bag 40L
Best Overall Travel Laptop Backpack
- Capacity: 40L
- Dimensions: 53.34 x 35.56 x 22.86 cm (21 x 14 x 9 in)
- Weight: 1.5 kg (3.25 lbs)
- Main Material: Durable water-resistant tarpaulin and ballistic nylon
- Size of Laptop Compartment: 15″
Nomatic is the ultimate bag for nomadic travelers, featuring a plethora of pockets and functional features. Now, this is a 40L bag which Nomatic advertise for 3-7 day trips so you will be able to fit an entire desktop computer with screen inside, not just a laptop! It includes detachable waist straps with water-resistant pockets, a 15″ laptop pocket, and a roller bag sleeve. Additionally, the Nomatic bag is proper weather-resistant, ensuring your previous previous laptop stays well protected.
While not recommended for extreme weather conditions, the Nomatic is perfect for casual adventurers. The bag is praised for its versatility and ease of organization, with its numerous pockets and zippers making it effortless to organize different gear for various trips.
To learn more about this sick piece of kit, be sure to read our in-depth review of the Nomatic Travel Bag to find out how it performed when we took it along with us on a 2 week jolly! By the end, you’ll see why we think it’s the best computer backpack for travel.
UPDATE for 2024: Nomatic sells in the EU as Gomatic owing to licensing issues.
- One of the best-crafted bags on the market
- 40L = lots of room
- Sleek and stylish
- Water resistant
- Tons of pockets and features
- Expensive
- Mixed reviews on straps/comfort
#2. Tortuga Laptop Backpack
Runner Up – Best Travel Laptop Backpack
- Capacity: 24L
- Dimensions: 48.5 x 27.5 x 18 cm (19.1 x 10.8 x 7.1 in)
- Weight: 2.1 lb (0.95 kg)
- Main Material: Shell 200
- Size of Laptop Compartment: 16″
The Tortuga Setout Laptop Backpack is the smaller version of their original Setout pack. This bag is a 24-liter masterpiece for anyone looking for a smaller laptop bag that feels and looks great. We might have rated it second best travel computer backpack but for many this will come out on top. The Setout Laptop Backpack has plenty of organisational features including mesh pockets and a super-secure area for your laptop. The Setout Laptop is marketed as a laptop bag for those who do lots of air travel and we find it to be a great bag to take onto planes as its easy to find our stuff, and it fits snuggly under seats (even on Ryanair).
Personally I love how compact this bag is – 24L is normally a little small for me but I make an exception for this. While I personally miss having a water bottle pocket on the side, the grab handle is a nice touch for those occasions when my back and neck needs a rest. The zips also open really smoothly. Its size made it feel great to wear day in day out and the quality of the materials felt like it would cope well with daily abuse!
Read our complete Tortuga Setout Laptop Backpack Review here.
- Durable
- Sexy, minimalist design
- Tons of features
- 24 liters
- Pricey
- Might be too small for some
#3. Harber London Slim Laptop Pack
Leather Laptop Backpack
- Capacity: 18l
- Dimensions: 43 x 29 x 9 cm (16.9 x 11.4 x 3.5 in)
- Weight: 1.5 kg (3.3 lbs)
- Main Material: Full-grain vegetable-tanned leather and waterproof cotton canvas
- Size of Laptop Compartment: 15″
The Harber London Slim Laptop backpack is stylish and functional. It is quite literally a laptop backpack and won’t fit too much more in (although they do make bigger packs so take a look at their site) and just perfect for minimalists who want something a little bit special. The pack is crafted from Premium Full Grain Leather which feels really classy, soft and supple to touch. The interior is nicely padded, there are loads of pockets for you cables as well as a handle if you want to carry it.
This pack is very different to the other pack on our list and isn’t really comparable to say the more versatile Tortuga. It is however perhaps the most classy and stylish and I felt pretty hip when testing out in my home city; it certainly has more sex appeal than the functional North Face.When they sent me this to try I was impressed. It is a niche product but that for the right person this would be the absolute perfect choice. What I really like is how minimalist it is – no unnecessary bulk and will look good if you’ve got a meeting to attend but want something more practical than a briefcase.
- Durable and comfortable
- High Quality Material
- Stylish
- Not cheap…
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Join REI Today!4#. Osprey Metron
Best Commuter Laptop Bag
- Capacity: 24L
- Dimensions: 19.29H X 12.99W X 11.02D IN
- Weight: 2.739 LBS
- Main Material: 500D recycled high tenacity nylon
- Size of Laptop Compartment: 16″
At 24l, the Osprey Metron is a well sized daypack which will accommodate your laptop, and lunch quite nicely. There is of course a padded laptop pouch along with enough pockets and pouches for keys, cards and pens. The compression straps are also a nice touch and we appreciated the way we could fasten the backpack down so it deint you won’t stick out like a tortoise and barge into people (as much) when you crowd onto the morning train.
TI personally used this backpack for day to use for a good while before I replaced it with an Osprey Quasar – the latter I found could also be used to double up as a hiking backpack. Though we’ve included it here as the best bag for commuters, our team really loved how versatile this bag felt. Osprey is known for their outdoor bags and our team felt this one was suited to just about anything you could throw at it, from hiking to biking into the office. All in, the quality of the materials, the solid build and integrated rain cover make this daypack tough enough for any adventure!
- Versatile
- Durable and comfortable
- Osprey offer a robust guarantee
- There aren’t any cons
5#. Gulu Made Inspire Backpack
Most Ethical Laptop Backpack
- Capacity: 25 liters
- Dimensions: 19 x 12 x 9 in
- Weight: 2.0 lbs
- Main Material: 500D nylon
- Laptop compartment size: 15.6 inches
The Gulu Made brand set up shop building a backpacking factory in Uganda and has entrusted the local community with making sustainable backpacks built to last. These bags are designed and built by local tribes. The women of Gulu took modern comfort features into account, adding on water bottle holders and ten different organization pockets with an extra computer sleeve.
Not only is this pack amongst the most stylish I have tried, it is also genuinely well made and the organisational potential is great – the Inspire is the most spacious Gulu-made pack on the market and offers everything you need to commute in a sustainable style. If you are after an ethical product, this is a good on and if you love ethical travel gear, we have a cracking vegan backpack round-up on the site.
- Ethical brand
- Pretty inner lining
- Good organisational potential
- Not waterproof
- Not cheap
#6. Incase Compass Backpack
Best Backpack for 17-Inch Laptops
- Capacity: 27 liters
- Dimensions: 18 x 11.75 x 5.25 in
- Weight: 1.39 lbs
- Main Material: Light-weight Flight Nylon
- Laptop compartment size: 16 inches
Incase is known for making stylish business and laptop backpacks. Expandable, easy to travel with, and well-padded, the Incase Compass is also our choice for the best 17-inch laptop backpack! The bag itself is made out of 300D polyester, and the black option has a triple-coated weather-resistant front panel. The shoulder straps are made with breathable mesh, and the back panels are padded too. The main compartment has plenty of storage space, and it expands by 35% to fit all of the clothes you may need. You can also maintain a slimmer profile if you are just using it for layovers and day trips.
While I personally don’t like the look of this one, we found it to be one of the best laptop bags for travel because of the way the laptop sleeve is set up. This backpack is smaller than others on this list, but the Incase Compass makes use of its space and we hardly felt the limitations. All in, what we loved most about this bag was how the laptop had its own dedicated pocket away from everything else.
- Great for on-the-go travel
- Fits up to a 16-inch laptop
- Padded back panels
- Zippable laptop compartment makes security checks a breeze
- Might be too small for long term travelers
#7. Gregory Rune
Best Commuter Laptop Backpack
- Capacity: 28 liters
- Dimensions: 19″ x 11″ x 9″
- Weight: 2.74 lbs
- Main Material: 210D nylon and 420D high-density nylon
- Laptop compartment size: 15 inches
The Gregory Rhune brings a durable and sustainable approach to the everyday backpack concept. All fabrics used in this pack are made from recycled materials resulting in a 51% in the production cycles carbon footprint. However, eco-credentials aside, this is a genuinely bloody good pack with an excellent attention to details. Designed for an active user the Rhune packs have an integrated shoulder harness pocket that is perfect for ear buds, transit passes, or mints.
The pack is accessed by a top-lid opening that pulls back – that’s not an opening style that I am too used to but it’s fine and actually makes packing and unpacking very easy. Inside the pack, the main compartment is split into 3 handy compartments including a very generous laptop compartment. To the touch, the material used in construction of the Gregory Rhune feels quite strong and durable and yet, the pack feels very light to carry. Overall, this is a great backpack for commutes and for day travel.
- 25 liters
- Mid-Weight 0.925 kg
- Made from recycled materials
- Not great for hiking
- Small water bottle pocket
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#8. Timbuk 2 The Division Deluxe
Best Small Laptop Backpack for Travel
- Capacity: 18 liters
- Dimensions: 10.6″ x 5.12″ x 17.3″
- Weight: 2.2 lb
- Main Material: Recycled Water resistant materials
- Laptop compartment size: 15 inches
Welcome a new snazzy laptop backpack onto the scene that is perfect for your daily commute. The Division laptop has a smart yet simple design with enough storage for your essentials and a 15” rear laptop sleeve and a high-quality finish.
These guys haven’t skipped comfort – it feels nice against the back and on the shoulders with an adjustable chest buckle for extra support. The drawback about this bag is that it’s not big enough to take on most long backpacking trips; however, if you are just looking for a bag for everyday use, and quick weekend trips, this is a swanky, backpack that will keep all your stuff organised.
- Laptop compartment zips away for easy security checks
- Dedicated tablet pocket
- 5-year warranty
- Great for weekend trips or quick getaways (or super light travelers)
- Might be too small for long term travelers
#9. LowePro ProTactic 450
Best Laptop Backpack for Travel Photographers
- Capacity: Not specified
- Dimensions: 13.78″ x 9.06″ x 20.08″
- Weight: 6.28 lbs
- Main Material: 900D and 1680D nylon
- Laptop compartment size: 15 inches
If you are a serious photographer or have aspirations to be – this bag is next-level.
The LowePro ProTactic 450 is far and away the most functional and stylish backpack for photographers and videographers. The most impressive thing of the ProTactic is how big it is and how well organized the compartments are. Fitting up to two DSLR’s, a 15″ laptop and some drones, this bag is versatile and able to handle all of your tech needs. It’s practically a mobile office! You can go out shooting, pull out your laptop, and begin editing right then and there.
I don’t use a DSLR and so didn’t actually use this as a camera bag. Still, it is one of the best laptop backpacks for many, many reasons. If you want to learn more about the Lowpro, be sure to visit our post on the best camera bags, where we go into more detail.
- Fits 1 or 2 DSLRs
- Four camera-access points
- Ventilation and back support
- Laptop pocket and additional accessories
- Pricey
- Only useful for photographers
#10. AER Travel Sling 2 X-Pac
Best Laptop Messenger Bag
- Capacity: 12 liters
- Dimensions: 16″ x 11″ x 4.5″
- Weight: 1.8 lbs
- Main Material: VX-42 X-Pac™ sailcloth exterior by Dimension-Polyant
- Laptop compartment size: 16 inches
AER has done it again! They’ve taken the same ergonomic principles that were used for their laptop backpack and applied them to a messenger bag. The result: an amazing laptop messenger bag that is very efficient, effective, and, above all, useful. The AER Travel Sling 2 X-Pac is very useful. It comfortably holds a 16-inch MacBook and can even hold a camera kit with a few lenses after some rearranging. The fact that the interior of this bag can be rearranged, much like a camera bag, makes it stand out from the rest as well. At the end of the day, this is more than a messenger bag.
We were quite intrigued about giving this a go as many are used to the traditional backpack setup. To be honest, this is a great bag but after a while I did start to feel the weight of my laptop handing around my neck. Still, I loved how compact and lowkey the bag was whilst also providing a surprising amount of storage and organisation and I was also impressed with how comfortable the padded strap felt on one shoulder.
- Customizable interior.
- Sleek, ergonomic design.
- Top-quality manufacturing.
- Not as big as the backpack.
- Like the backpack, straps can be awkward.
#11. Minaal Carry On 2.0 Backpack
Best Travel Backpack for Europe
- Capacity: 9.8 liters
- Dimensions: 16.5″ x 10.6″ x 4.7″
- Weight: 1.76 lbs
- Main Material: 1680D Cordura ballistic nylon
- Laptop compartment size: 13 inches
The Minaal Carry On has updated their original travel backpack to the 2.0, and it’s loaded with new features that improve its functionality, and make it one of the best laptop backpacks for travel! This backpack has the perfect dimensions carry-on any flight (22 x 14 x 9 inches), including those strict European budget airlines, which is one of the reasons why we chose it as one of the best backpacks for travel in Europe. The main compartment zips all the way open like a suitcase which I find some getting used to, but then found to be absolutely great. The larger side is perfect for packing your clothes, shoes, and other items.
All in, we loved this sleek and professional-looking bag, but one of the standout features they told us about what they particularly loved was the zippers. Not only are they super strong and smooth, but they’ve got built-in loops for locking them and keeping your laptop secure. The Minaal Carry-On is made from heavy-duty nylon, so the fabric does a solid job repelling water. The shoulder straps and removable hip straps pack away easily for transit, and the strap system and cushioned back panel foam allow for ultimate comfort.
- Perfect carry on dimensions
- Removable hip strap
- Rain cover that packs into itself
- Locking zippers
- Suspended laptop sleeve helps protect laptop if you drop your bag
- Pricey
#12. GoRuck GR1
Most Durable Travel Laptop Backpack
- Capacity: 35 liters
- Dimensions: 21.5″ x 13.5″ x 7.5″
- Weight: 3.4 lbs
- Main Material: Waterproof sailcloth and ballistic
Another one of the best-organized backpacks, 26-litre GoRuck GR1 was designed and built for war zones and cities alike by a former Army Green Beret to be extremely durable and adaptable. For one, this is the most durable backpack on this list, designed for any weather and climate. The YKK zippers perform in sandstorms, and the 1000 Cordura material is rainproof.
This bag is also extremely comfortable. The shoulder straps are padded to handle heavy loads (like 400 pounds), and this backpack is designed to sit high so the weight doesn’t hang on your shoulders. Above all we loved what just how bloody hard wearing these beasts are. What I loved less was the price tag though.
- Most durable backpack for laptops
- Waterproof and weatherproof
- Strength tested
- Can fit 17 inch laptop
- Pricey
#13. Fjallraven Kanken Laptop Backpack
A Simple and Easy to Use Laptop Backpack
Fjallraven is one of the most recognizable backpack brands out there. Seriously, you can’t walk a mile in the city and not see someone sporting one of these boxy bags as they appeal to just about every type of person. The Fjallraven Kanken, one of the company’s flagship models, can also be used as a traveling laptop backpack. They are spacious enough to a hold a 15″ computer, include a nice dedicated laptop sleeve, and are pretty resistant to the elements. If you’re looking for something quick and easy, not to mention in-vogue, then buying all Fjallraven Kanken wouldn’t be a bad idea.
Fjallraven’s do have their limits though. I personally find their boxy design is a little awkward sometimes, although these bags are still comfortable to wear. If you need an everyday backpack, and not JUST a backpack for traveling, it’s hard to go wrong with the Fjallraven Kanken. It’s proven itself over and over and will probably keep on doing just that.
- Rugged, water-resistant material
- Very easy to use
- Great for everyday use
- Boxy shape
- Less protective padding
#14. The Roll Top Stubble & Co
Best Hipster Laptop Backpack
We recently came across Stubble & Co and tried a bunch of their packs for ourselves – honestly we were seriously impressed by most of them. The Roll Top is a great hipster-style 20L bag perfect for carrying around your laptop as well as having heaps of room for your other accessories. What really makes it stand out for a day pack is that the laptop compartment is in a separate pocket on the back of the bag. This both makes it mega secure (especially for a roll top) and also saves the massive main compartment for everything else.
Internally the main compartment is one massive space with a selection of pockets and organisers attached to the other side of the laptop compartment/ back panel. This works well giving you some level of organisation whilst also being super roomy.
- Capable of carrying laptops up to 16”
- Roll top makes it expandable
- Durable and weather resistant material
- Could do with more internal organisation
- Would like an internal zip as well as the roll top
#15 Tom Toc T73-x
Hottest New Laptop Pack
The Navigator-T66 Travel Laptop Backpack is the perfect travel companion for digital nomads. It offers a large capacity along with many compartments for organisation. The size is generally perfect for 5-7 days of light packing and has fast become one of my favourite bits of travel gear.
I chose this backpack as my travel bag for all my weekend getaway trips while backpacking through Southeast Asia. It comfortably fits my stuff for weekend getaways and helps me stay organised with the handy laptop sleeve.
I really love all the compartments included; they help me stay extremely organised. It has a large capacity for longer trips and It’s easy to find most of my belongings.The only downside is its build for a woman. I find the bag to be a bit big and bulky on me. But I love the large capacity for longer trips. I find it easy to find most of my belongings.
- Capable of carrying laptops up to 16”
- Ace organisation capacity
- Durable, high quality and stylish
- Not large enough for long trips
- Maybe kinda bulky
Name | Capacity (Litres) | Dimensions (CM) | Weight (KG) | Laptop Size (CM) | Price (USD) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nomatic Travel Bag | 40 | 35.56 x 53.34 x 22.86 | 1.55 | 38.1 | 289.99 |
Tortuga Laptop Backpack | 24 | 48.5 x 27.5 x 18 cm | 0.95 kg | 38.1 | 125 |
Harber London Slim Laptop Pack | 5 | 40 x 28 x 4.5 | 1.3 | 40.64 | 349 |
Osprey Metron | 26 | 48 x 35 x 2 | 1.2 | 38.1 | 160 |
Gulu Made Inspire Backpack | 25 | 48.26 x 30.48 x 22.86 | 0.91 | 39.62 | 129 |
North Face Recon | 30 | 48.9 x 33 x 17.8 | 0.91 | 38.1 | 98.95 |
Incase Compass Backpack | 27 | 45.72 x 29.85 x 13.34 | 0.63 | 40.64 | 89.95 |
Gregory Rune | 28 | 48.26 x 27.94 x 22.86 | 1.24 | 38.1 | 129.95 |
Timbuk 2 Lane Commuter | 30 | 45 x 27.51 x 15 | 0.81 | 38.1 | 189 |
LowePro ProTactic 450 | 25 | 52 x 36 x 22 | 2.7 | 38.1 | 219.95 |
AER Travel Sling 2 X-Pac | 12 | 41 x 28 x 12 | 0.82 | 40.64 | 145 |
Minaal Carry On 2.0 Backpack | 35 | 55 x 35 x 20 | 1.41 | 40.64 | 349 |
GoRuck GR1 | 26 | 50.8 x 30.48 x 17.15 | 1.45 | 40.64 | 335 |
Fjallraven Kanken Laptop Backpack | 18 | 40.01 x 27.94 x 16 | 0.45 | 38.1 | 155 |
The Roll Top Stubble & Co | 20 | 29.97 x 43.94 x 14.99 | 0.91 | 40.64 | 145 |
Now, you could spend a fat chunk of $$$ on the WRONG present for someone. Wrong size hiking boots, wrong fit backpack, wrong shape sleeping bag… As any adventurer will tell you, gear is a personal choice.
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Buy on REI!Frequently Asked Questions about the Best Laptop Backpacks
Still have some questions? No problem! We’ve listed and answered the most commonly asked questions below. Here’s what people usually want to know:
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Final Thoughts on Backpacks For Laptops
There are countless travel backpacks on the market for every type of travel use, but these are the best backpacks for travelers bringing along their laptop and technical gear. Maybe you’ve already fallen in love with one of our top travel bags, but if you need us to make the choice, pick the best travel laptop backpack that best fits your purpose.
If you want a versatile backpack for a long-term travel vacation, look no further than the Nomatic Travel Pack 40L. If you are based in Europe, or on a multi-month adventure there, the AER Travel Pack 3 is an awesome bag. For us, these are the laptop backpacks for travel for most people.
For traveling minimalists, who still carry some gear, the Incase EO travel backpack and Timbuk 2 Lane Commuter are both great bags. Photographers should look at the Emblem V4, and outdoor enthusiasts should definitely get the NorthFace Recon.
No matter what your travel style is, there is a bag on this list to cover all of your needs!
Is there a laptop backpack that you particularly enjoy? Think that we’d enjoy it as well? Leave a comment below and tell us about it so we can try the backpack out too!
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I came here thinking there would be cheap backpacks cuz of the website name “thebrokebackpacker.com”. Hahah people get broke after buying these lol. But thanks regardless, I’ll come back when i have some more money i guess.
Hey Ana,
I really thankuful for guiding to buy the best laptop cases. It’s really helpful for me.
I am such a big fan of your blog I ever found great information here!!