Today, Top10Gohere’re bringing you the scoop on the best travel backpack of 2023. These babies come with enough style, space, and unbeatable features to feed your wanderlust and make your travels a breeze.
So, fasten your seatbelts, and let’s get packing!
Top 10 best backpacks for travel
Asenlin 40L Travel Backpack
At number 10, we’ve got the Best Budget pick: The Asenlin 40L Travel Backpack.
If you’re a budget-conscious traveler who doesn’t want to skimp on features, this one’s got you covered.
With its excellent organization features like interior and exterior compression and three different packing cubes, you won’t struggle to find a place for all your stuff.
It may not have the design ‘wow’ factor of costlier brands, but it delivers on essentials like a laptop sleeve and a water bottle holder.
The chest strap could do with a wider adjustment range, but it’s a sturdy, durable and spacious backpack that provides excellent bang for your buck.
Nomatic Travel Bag 40L
Next up at number 9, we have the Best Convertible: The Nomatic Travel Bag 40L.
This versatile beast converts from a backpack to a duffel bag, giving you the freedom to pick how you wanna carry it around.
You can stuff your kicks into the two separate shoe compartments, and for the workaholics, there’s a padded laptop sleeve and small pockets to keep your work essentials like pens, glasses, and chargers.
And check this out, there’s even a laundry sack for your dirty clothes! This slim bag’s full zipper makes it a breeze to pack compared to those pesky top-loaded backpacks.
But hey, gotta keep it real. The straps can be a bit stiff and may rub against your neck, but the hip belt does a cool job distributing the weight evenly.
Despite the comfort being a bit of a letdown, we reckon it’s worth your bucks for its robust design and organizational efficiency, especially for work trips.
Samsonite Silhouette 17 Backpack
Coming in at number 8, for those who dig the classic suitcase vibe but crave a backpack’s portability, look no further than the Samsonite Silhouette 17 Backpack.
This beauty cracks open like a suitcase, giving you total access to all your stuff inside.
Even after packing it, there’s room to spare, and the old-school clamshell opening gets you to your stuff pronto, be it in the main compartment with compression straps or the zippered pockets inside the front flap.
There’s a ton of interior and exterior pockets, including a spot for your water bottle and a padded laptop sleeve – super handy for travelers.
Plus, you can wear this pack as a duffel or a briefcase, or hitch it onto a rolling suitcase. The straps adjust easily and distribute weight well, thanks to the pack’s structured style.
Sure, it picked up a tiny scuff during our durability test, but everything inside stayed safe and sound.
After six months of testing, including air travel, it slid into overhead bins and under seats with no sweat.
Bottom line: it’s a backpack that’s got all the handy compartments of a suitcase and then some.
Peak Design Travel Backpack 45L
Our number 7 pick for the Best Large backpack is the Peak Design Travel Backpack 45L.
Its main compartment is big enough to pack clothes for about four days, even fitting bulkier items like coats and boots.
We found the packing process smooth and efficient with its removable divider sleeve and compression straps keeping your stuff securely in place.
Designed with photographers in mind, this bag accommodates camera cubes, and gives you four access points to the main compartment – no more frantic unzipping to grab what you need.
They’ve even thought about your laptop with a padded sleeve, and side pockets stretchy enough for water bottles or a tripod.
Peak Design really squeezed every inch of this backpack, adding a pocket to the hip belt for extra storage which you can tuck away when not in use.
The straps adjust easily, keeping you balanced and pinch-free.
Crafted from weatherproof and water-resistant recycled nylon, this bag proved itself a tough cookie when we gave it a toss – no scuffs, no damage.
It might cost a pretty penny, but with its traveler-friendly features and robust performance, we’re confident it’s a long-term investment.
Tropicfeel Shell Backpack
At number 6, we have the Best Compression backpack: The Tropicfeel Shell Backpack. This all-in-one carry-on backpack is perfect for travelers of all stripes.
With the ability to store up to 42 liters worth of clothing and a padded compartment that can fit laptops up to 17 inches long, this backpack’s versatility makes it worth every penny.
Topo Designs Global Travel Bag 30L
Halfway through at number 5, we’ve got the Best Organization pick: The Topo Designs Global Travel Bag 30L.
This backpack features a removable packing system, complete with two compression bags, a pair of accessory pouches, and one toiletry bag.
The compression bags and toiletry bag are a perfect fit in the main compartment, while the accessory bags slide right into the zippered mesh pockets on the front flap’s inside.
You’ve got oodles of space to squirrel away cables, travel documents, gadgets, water bottles, and more.
The bag shines with a handy spot for your laptop, up to 15 inches, in a padded compartment at the back, plus two front pockets for your tablet or charger. And those adjustable shoulder straps?
They’re a godsend for even weight distribution, making lugging this bag around a cinch.
With its durable 100% recycled nylon material, this backpack is likely to stand the test of time, keeping its good looks intact.
Roam’s The Continental
Moving on to number 4. If you’ve been hunting for a backpack you can truly call your own, Roam’s The Continental is your dream come true.
You can tweak the front, back, sides, and straps in red, green, black, or blue, or opt for a single color for a uniform vibe.
In our testing, we were head over heels for all the exterior pockets – perfect for headphones, snacks, chargers, water bottles, and pretty much anything you’d need in the airport or mid-flight.
This bag is made of a light, water-shunning fabric and sports YKK zippers, making it your perfect partner for weather mood swings on the road.
Packing is a snap thanks to the front flap’s wide-opening design, easily accommodating clothes and shoes.
The laptop pocket at the back fits a 17-inch device, but it lacks padding, so you might want to keep your laptop in a protective case for peace of mind.
Nomatic Travel Pack 20L
At number 3, Look no further than the Nomatic Travel Pack if you’re after the carry-on backpack that screams versatility.
Thanks to expandable zippers, this bag’s storage swells up by an extra 10 liters, making it perfect for an overnight stay or a long weekend escape.
This pack comes loaded with various pockets and compartments to neatly arrange your clothes, shoes, accessories, and tech.
Sure, the inner pockets may seem a bit much at first glance, but ultra-organized travelers would definitely dig the separate padded laptop sleeve, glasses case, secret passport pocket, and a boatload of slip and zippered pockets in the main compartment.
The comfy handles and padded shoulder straps make toting around this pack a breeze. Its compact size ensures it never feels hefty or bulky – just right for those on-the-go moments.
Kühl Eskape 25 Backpack
Just missing the top spot at number 2 is the Best for Hiking: The Kühl Eskape 25 Backpack. This rugged carry-on backpack is perfect for outdoor adventures.
From a stowaway hip belt for extra support while trekking to durable TPU-laminated nylon, this bag is well-equipped for your hiking trips.
Cotopaxi Allpa 35L Travel Pack
And finally, drumroll, please… our number 1 pick, the Best Overall is the Cotopaxi Allpa 35L Travel Pack.
Cotopaxi, hailing from Salt Lake City, crafts colorful, long-lasting outdoor gear, with the Allpa 35L Travel Pack snagging our top spot as the ultimate carry-on backpack. It passed our tests with flying colors in every category.
Its roomy capacity won our hearts, and the flexible design is a godsend for stuffing clothes into every nook and cranny, optimizing the packing room in the clamshell-style compartments.
The bag sports a 1000D polyester shell, coated in TPU, giving it a rubbery texture, and while it seems to shrug off liquids, the pack includes a rain cover to keep your stuff dry during travels.
Handles on each side of the backpack make it a cinch to tote and stow in overhead bins from any direction.
The only bummer? There’s no water bottle holder on the sides, so you’ll have to hold onto yours or squeeze it into the top pocket up front.
We believe this sturdy Cotopaxi pack will hold up nicely, no matter the miles it travels. Even after several ground tosses, it emerged unscathed. The rubbery finish also seems super easy to clean and laughs off liquid spills.
After six months of regular use, we found this pack hits the sweet spot for long weekend trips, keeping all our gear neat, tidy, and within easy reach.
Conclusion
There you have it, folks, the top 10 best backpacks for travel in 2023. Until next time, happy travels!
