Whether you’re flying across the country on vacation, meeting with an important client downtown or just heading to your local coffee shop for work, there is a good chance you’re bringing a backpack along, with a laptop squirreled away inside.
While you can toss a laptop into just about any bag, the best laptop backpacks are specially tailored to pamper what is probably one of your most expensive (and delicate) possessions. That means a padded pocket lined with soft non-scratch material, easy access to your computer without unpacking everything and lots of extra pockets for portable mice, chargers and other accessories. Add in all of the standard backpack considerations such as capacity, comfort and durability, and you have a lot of factors to consider.
To find the very best laptop backpack, I rounded up 11 of the top models and tested them over several months and many miles.
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The best laptop backpacks at a glance
Best overall:
Mission Workshop Meridian backpack
Best for travel:
Peak Design Travel Backpack
Best budget:
The North Face Vault
Best sling bag:
Tomtoc Navigator – T24 Sling Bag (Small)
Best rugged bag:
Pelican PX25 Aegis Travel Pack
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Why you should trust me
I’ve been a tech journalist for 13 years, and a frequent traveler – in 2025 I flew more than 70,000 miles, across 41 flights and a total of seven days and six hours in the air. I visited 12 airports and six countries, to say nothing of countless steps, ride shares and hotels.
As someone who tends to pack more than I really need and has a bad back, I’m uniquely motivated to find the perfect backpack, and it’s been an obsessive quest of mine for years. Backpacks also speak to my love for planning and organization, which the testing process let me fully indulge.
How I tested
The first thing I did to test these 11 backpacks was to pack for a trip. I put everything I typically carry for a work trip on to a table: a laptop that is anywhere from 13 to 16in, a tablet, several phones – because I have a weird job – multiple plugs, chargers, batteries and, of course, plenty of bungee cords. My loadout also includes three tech bags: one with video gear like a selfie stick and lav mics, one with flight essentials like snacks and battery packs and one with chargers, cables and adapters.
Then, I packed up each backpack using the various compartments and pockets as designed, threw each backpack on to my back and I walked a half mile each. Since water is the mortal enemy of laptops, I also tested each backpack (empty – and thank goodness!) in my shower for one minute to simulate getting caught in the rain. I fully let out all the straps and donned the backpack to see how easily the straps adjusted. I zipped and unzipped each zipper 25 times to see how easy it was to use. Finally, I put a deck of playing cards in an easy-access pocket (if there was one) and timed how long it took for me to get it off my back and the cards in hand.
Many manufacturers provided samples to test for this article, which I donated to my local library upon completion. It’d be a treat to see a school kid or even an adult strutting around town with one of these.
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The best laptop backpacks in the US
<em>Best overall:</em>Mission Workshop Meridian backpack
Mission Workshop’s Meridian backpack has pockets for days, a semi-modular design that lets you customize it with add-ons and tons of space.
Why we love it
This bag easily held everything I wanted to pack with room to spare, and a home for everything. All three of my tech bags fit in the main compartment, and everything else had its own pocket, making it very clear where everything lives. The sample I received included two add-ons: a slim side pouch that’s perfect for phones, battery packs or even a slim flashlight, and a bottle pouch. Laptop access on this bag is particularly nice because it has its own compartment, separate from the main compartment. It scored the highest on our waterproof testing, as well – everything inside was bone dry. The straps didn’t rest along my rib cage as well as I’d like, but it was definitely wearable.
This bag is probably overkill for a student just looking to tote a laptop and some books around campus, but it’s great for a professional who needs to schlep a bunch of gear comfortably and with easy access to everything.
It’s a shame that … It’s so big it might strain the personal item rules on most airlines. And there are no locks or hidden pockets if you’re worried about security. While it has a sleeve to slide over the handle on a roller bag, it’s situated sideways, which interferes with the side pouches and struck me as a silly design choice.
Max laptop size: 17in
Capacity: 28 litres
Empty weight: 2.74lbs
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<em>Best for travel:</em> Peak Design 30L Travel Backpack
This bag has an unusual design: to pack it you need to rest it on its face and open the back, which hinges 180 degrees and gives you easy access to the whole main compartment.
Why we love it
If you’re headed out for a weekend, this is a lovely bag to comfortably bring a few changes of clothes, your laptop and all the goodies that go with it. Aside from the large main compartment, you’ll find a good amount of organization around the periphery of the main pouch, smaller zipped pockets along the side and two larger zipped pockets on the inside of the front of the bag.
Loops along the periphery of the bag inside and out allow you strap even more gear to the bag, and Peak even includes tie-downs. With 30 litres of capacity, you probably won’t need to, though.
It’s a shame that … The unique design takes some getting used to. Adjusting the straps and fit is very difficult, and waterproofing was just OK. There was some water ingress, making the paper towels inside the bag damp, but not wet. The lining is also not absorbant, so it dries quickly.
Max laptop size: 16in
Capacity: 33 liters
Empty weight: 3.17lbs
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<em>Best budget:</em>The North Face Vault
While it’s the most basic bag I tested, the North Face Vault is a perfectly competent laptop hauler at a fraction of the cost of most other bags on this list.
Why we love it
Being basic isn’t necessarily a bad thing – not every backpack needs 700 pockets for every little item. The Vault has a generous main compartment and a smaller top compartment with a few pouches and pockets for very small items, such as pencils and thumb drives. The top pouch takes away a bit of room into the main pouch, but the latter opens wide enough to easily work around it if you’re digging around for something.
This bag is deceptively deep, and it holds a lot, if pressed into service. I found it very serviceable for most tasks – the Toyota Corolla of backpacks. It will get you from A to B with no complaints. Just please don’t get caught out in the rain.
It’s a shame that … It’s not waterproof at all – water quickly works its way inside. It’s also not terribly comfortable for extended periods due to thin straps and little padding on the shoulder straps and back.
Max laptop size: 15in
Capacity: 27 liters
Empty weight: 1.68lbs
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<em>Best sling bag:</em> Tomtoc Navigator – T24 Sling Bag (Small)
This isn’t technically a backpack – it’s a sling bag, but it’s delightfully small, it holds a ton of gear, and yet has enough space for a 14in laptop.
Why we love it
This is a great day pack, if you’re heading out for a day on the town. It only holds 7 liters, but those 7 liters are impeccably organized: there are pockets for your laptop, tablet and e-reader, plus smaller pockets for additional organization. An outer pocket is perfect for things you need to grab on the go, and a security pocket facing your back lets you safely stow your wallet, keys or passport in a tough-to-swipe location.
It’s a shame that … Adjusting the strap is very hard with the overengineered buckle. This is also the smallest bag on the list by a lot, and probably won’t hold everything you’ll want for plane rides.
Max laptop size: 14in
Capacity: 7 liters
Empty weight: 1.23lbs
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<em>Best rugged:</em>Pelican PX25 Aegis Travel Pack
Pelican is perhaps best known for its hardened cases used to carry delicate equipment, and the Aegis stays true to its roots with a super tough hard-shell design.
Why we love it
Unlike all the soft options on our list, this model has a rigid exterior built to shrug off impact and general roughhousing. I didn’t drop the bag from my roof or anything, but if you find yourself in a harsh environment with gear that doesn’t take kindly to impact, this should be your first choice.
The backpack is essentially one large compartment, except for one small compartment at the top for odds and ends, and a laptop sleeve. If you want to more, Pelican sells stick-on Velcro “ModPaks” that add various pockets. Personally, I would need three or more, but if you want a lot of open space to work with, this is a good bag to consider. Like the Peak Design bag, it has tie-down loops inside to ratchet down your gear with cord or bungees.
It’s a shame that … There is virtually no organization in the bag – plan to use packing cubes. It also has almost no water resistance. Also, if you have a dog with not-black fur, carry a lint roller with you!
Max laptop size: 16in
Capacity: 25 liters
Empty weight: 2.9lbs
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The best of the rest
<em>Best convertible backpack:</em> Helinox TERG Daypack 3-Way Bag
I prefer a messenger bag (AKA sling bag) when I need to dig into it frequently, like at a trade show, but a backpack is more comfortable for extended wear. Since I switch between them frequently, this convertible bag piqued my interest. It offers the best of both worlds: when you want to convert it, the backpack straps zip up into their own pocket, and you attach the shoulder strap to two loops and just like that, you have a messenger bag.
The main pocket is surprisingly large, and the two auxiliary pockets also hold a lot. When I was done packing in the items I used to test these bags, this one had a lot of space left over. But it didn’t reign in any one category, which knocked it down a few pegs from its competitors.
It didn’t make the final cut because … There is no organization nor security in the bag.
Max laptop size: 16in
Capacity: 25 liters
Empty weight: 2.09lbs
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<em>Best weekend bag:</em>Knack Medium Backpack
The Knack Medium Backpack has a highly unusual design that expands out to leap from 24 to 35 litres. You actually access the laptop sleeve from the side, rather than the top, which is a novel approach. While there are some smaller pockets around the periphery of the bag, the main pocket is just one big open space with a divider, which is designed to separate clothes from other gear.
It didn’t make the final cut because … It felt like the designers had a few clever ideas, but couldn’t quite bring them together coherently. It’s also not water-resistant at all.
Max laptop size: 16in
Capacity: 35 liters
Empty weight: 3lbs
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<em>Best secure bag:</em>Tomtoc Navigator-T71 Laptop Backpack 24L
If you’ve ever found yourself with the unexpected need to check a bag for a flight as I have, a lockable backpack provides welcome piece of mind. This Tomtoc has lock latches – holes where you can insert a lock to attach the zippers to each other – on both of its sets of zippers. You can’t lock up the front pockets, which is unfortunate, but you can secure the main pouch, which is probably where your most expensive goodies live.
Two zippers access the main pocket: one in the back that facilitates slipping a laptop into the sleeve, and a second one at the front that gives you a wide mouth to put other items in. They both open to the same space, which seemed a bit redundant.
It didn’t make the final cut because … It has terrible water resistance, and it’s not terribly comfortable to carry.
Max laptop size: 17.3in
Capacity: 24 liters
Empty weight: 2.2lbs
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<em>Best baby bag:</em>Huhu Everyday Diaper Backpack
If you’re a new parent, this bag is a no-brainer, but it’s also great for travelers. I’ve taken it on several trips with no screaming babies in tow and I really dig it. It offers tons of places to stick items like phones, a top pocket for quick-access items and a large stretchy pocket on the front of random odds and ends. If you’re using it as intended, there’s a space at the bottom designed to hold dirty diapers and one pocket designed for baby wipes.
It didn’t make the final cut because … There’s no security in the bag at all, and the baby features waste a bit of space for non-parents.
Max laptop size: 17in
Capacity: 20 liters
Empty weight: 2.1lbs
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Other bags we tested
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What else to know about laptop backpacks
What are some basic things to look for in a laptop backpack?
Think about capacity, organization, security, waterproofing and comfort. To prioritize, consider what you’ll be carrying and in what circumstances. A bag for day tripping to the coffee shop requires less capacity than a weekend travel bag, for instance.
What’s the best way to test backpack comfort before buying?
Obviously, nothing beats trying it on. Fully extend out the straps, put it on your back and then adjust the straps to fit. If you can, toss in some dummy weight.
If you’re shopping online, examine how the straps are sewn to the backpack. If they attach vertically, they’ll run along your torso more comfortably than those attached horizontally. Also, consider the zipper pulls. As you get older, zippers with fabric or cord loops can be much easier to pull than bare metal tabs. Also look for retailers with a good return policy in case reality doesn’t match expectations.
What should I look for in a backpack’s laptop sleeve?
Bottom padding matters more than anything. Backpacks will be slung down off your back and on to the floor hundreds, if not thousands, of times, and bottom padding is the only thing between your $2,000 laptop and a concrete floor. Also consider waterproofing – if the bag isn’t very waterproof and you get stuck out in the rain, the padding of the sleeve might absorb water and take a long time to dry out.
How can I organize if the backpack doesn’t have pockets?
While I prefer a backpack with a pocket for everything, others prefer the versatility of an open compartment. To prevent all your gear from mixing together, use packing cubes and specialized tech bags, like the Peak Design Tech Pouch I use, to hold cables and chargers. Many companies offering backpacks with open compartments also sell organizational packs to go inside.
What should I do if I have to walk with a backpack in the rain?
Some high-end backpacks shed water like ducks; others may as well be made of gauze. If you’re stuck in the rain with the latter, find a garbage bag to put over the backpack, making a slit for the straps if necessary (or just carry it by the handle if it has one, and most all of the bags in this list do). A friendly business may even let you have one if you ask nicely.
When you get home, empty the backpack completely, place it in a room with a lot of air circulation and place something inside the laptop sleeve to prop it open so it can dry out. If you don’t, water can get trapped in there for days.
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Adam Doud is a freelance product journalist and frequent traveler who carries a ton of tech with him wherever he goes. He’s been on a low-key quest to find the perfect bag/backpack since 2020, and he has strapped more gear to his back than Hannibal’s elephants – though not all at one time. He is also a compulsive organizer, so the more pockets the better
