Choosing the right backpack is an essential decision for any college student. It’s not just about style; functionality, durability, and comfort are equally crucial factors to consider. Whether you’re trekking across campus or heading to the library for a study session, the right backpack can make all the difference in your daily college life. To help you in your quest for the perfect pack, we’ve curated a list of six top-rated backpacks in our selection for best backpacks for college students, each offering unique features to cater to the diverse needs of college students.
1. Topo Designs Daypack Classis
What we liked?
Topo designs is popular for its simplistic and durable daypacks. Their recycled and affordable daypacks is both the iconic and basic concept that offers all you can expect or need from a daypack. The classic heritage design offers fashion and a functionality in a seamless way. The material is quite durable and made to last, the exterior is made with 1000D Cordura which is one of the most durable nylon variants. It comes in about 11 different colours with a leather lash tab on the front top right corner, with a reinforced leather section at the bottom. The inside of the backpack has a packcloth lining with fluorescent colours to help you look for your things in the dark.
The spacious main compartment has a padded base and a back panel for enhanced support. The laptop compartment which opens on the side is padded and can house a 15 inches laptop. In addition, it has a front zipper pocket and a water bottle holder on the side. The 1000D recycled nylon fabric offers extensive durability whereas the coated 210D recycled nylon inner lining offers an easy clean up.
For its features, there are six nylon loops placed across the backpack to offer versatility and convenience. The loops allow you to grab the bag quickly where ever you can catch it, other than that it adds to the aesthetics of the bag and avoid it too look vey basic. The standard hanging loop at the top of the pack is strategically placed and is strong enough to offer durability while you hang it against the wall. The shoulder straps are intelligently designed, with mesh-lined and padded giving a comfortable feel while you are carrying it throughout your busy day.
In the inside, there is only one pocket apart from the main compartment that is the “slash pocket” in the front, it’s a deep pocket running all around the bottom giving you ample space to stuff the extra items for a quick grab. The main compartment has the glowing fluorescent lining, other than that it’s a spacious compartment for a 20 litres backpack and with using a few packing cubes, the overall organization can be great given the size of the backpack. There is a full-width zippered compartment in the inside that lays totally flat if unused, giving full use of the main compartment, the flat compartment can help you fit in small important documents that need to be safely placed and accessible like tickets or passport.
The overall functionality and features combined gives a great pick when looking for the best backpack for college students and we definitely recommend Topo daypack classic for your college days hustle.
What could be better?
The laptop compartment, although designed for a 15” laptop is slightly tight and you’d have to wiggle it while placing it inside. The side water bottle pockets aren’t too stretchy and you cannot squeeze larger water bottles if need be.
2. Herschel Supply Co. Pop Quiz Backpack
What we liked?
The Herschel Supply Co. Pop Quiz Backpack combines style and functionality with its signature design and practical features. It’s perfect for carrying your laptop, books, and smaller accessories in an organized manner.
The backpack is curated in numerous design options to suit any personality and choice, starting with Herschel’s signature red & white striped lining in the inside to the fleece-lined sleeve to protect the laptop from potential scratches.
The backpack has a single main compartment, but with enough space to house your laptop, a few textbooks, snacks, and electronic accessories etc. On the outside, there are two zipper pockets for small quick access items on the go. The zipper chain on the front pocket has a cover of a smooth waterproof material to give it a clean look.
The fabric is durable enough to sustain much of the wear and tear you can expect to have for a daypack, the sturdy canvas texture is smooth while maintaining its toughness. The reinforced bottom gives an extra strength in case you are carrying an extra load. The laptop sleeve inside is lined with a smooth velvet fleece lining to protect laptop from scratches, both from front and back. The front raised zipper pocket has an additional pocket with water-proof lined zipper.
The shoulder straps has a padded mesh that gives both comfort and breathability, even while wearing it on bare skin in case you’re wearing a tank top or took this one for a beach trip, the breathability outweighs the little scratchy feel it might give.
Another convenience is its size and weight, weighing around just 1.7lbs, and could be easily tucked under a desk or small storage areas in the airplane.
Customer Review: “This backpack is stylish and functional. The laptop sleeve is a lifesaver, and the front pocket keeps my smaller items organized.”
What could be better?
A few users noted that the fabric tends to attract lint and pet hair easily.
3. SwissGear 1900 Scansmart TSA Laptop Backpack
What we liked?
The SwissGear 1900 Scansmart TSA Laptop Backpack is designed for convenience and efficiency, especially for students who travel frequently. Its TSA-friendly design and organizational compartments make it a popular choice among college students.
SwissGear 1900 scansmart is not like any minimalistic compact daypacks, it is not the most light or sleek, then why do we put this in our list? It is one of the most carefully and intelligently curated backpacks that is meticulously designed keeping in mind the type of materials you’d need to put inside a backpack; hence the design elements support each such item and material.
The main outer layer is made of 1200D ballistic polyester fabric with a smooth texture, the sturdiness does not give a rough feel. Inside, it is lined with a smooth polyester to protect the belongings from any scratches.
The overall organization and compartments are extraordinarily designed – beginning from the laptop compartment that can house a 17-inch laptop, it also has padded arm to strap in the machine. A floating tablet pocket comes in between the main compartment adds to a layer of protection and its suspended nature helps protection against drops or slams.
The two side compartments are airy and zippered for all type of water bottles, at the bottom there are mesh pockets with elastic top to quickly stash a small item. A large centre pocket is divided into two sections, ideal for keeping documents safe and tidy. Inside this pocket, there is a zippered pouch to stash smaller items like cables or air pods. The front has two zippered pockets, the bottom one has a large compartment, coupled with a keychain above it and lastly at the top there is the second shallow pocket. Comprehensively, for our picks for the best college backpacks, the Swiss Gear 1900 Scansmart is the most versatile in terms of its functionality and organization.
The padded shoulder straps cover the slightly high weight of this backpack, which though weighs just 3.0 lbs which is just about a pound heavier than conventional backpacks, but the host of functionality and meticulous organization it provides, this can be ignored.
Customer Review: “This backpack is perfect for my college travels, especially when I need to fly home for breaks. It fits everything I need.”
What could be better?
Some users mentioned that the zippers could be smoother and tend to get stuck sometimes.
4. North Face Recon Backpack
What we liked?
The North Face Recon Backpack is a versatile option that offers both style and functionality. With its durable construction and ample storage space, it’s an excellent choice for college students with active lifestyles. This everyday carry backpack ticks many boxes that you’d have in mind while seeking out for the best college backpack for yourself.
The 20L backpack weighs just about 2lbs, and top of that, the broad shoulder straps are super durable and comfortable to wear around because of efficient weight distribution. In addition to this, it comes with a waist strap and a sternum strap for extra grip and usability. Coupled with the super comfortable shoulder straps and grips, the overall comfort, stability and manoeuvrability is exceptional.
In organization, it as two main compartments. One is primarily for the laptop, but also has extra storage for books, clothes or any travel or daily use accessories. This one is generally a basic main compartment but the second one is smaller, gives more little options in terms of organization. It has an internal organizer for loose and smaller items, and a zippered pocket to hold small items like air pod or a phone. One the sides it has two water bottle holders, and another clip access front pouch. The pouch can hold a relatively larger item, like a headphones case.
Overall, the Recon offers a good mix of storage and organization through its split of pockets can compartments and come out to be a good choice for our picks in best college backpacks. Lastly, another feature that is noteworthy is the water resistibility. It has a durable water-resistant coating, causing water to bead up and slide down immediately.
Customer Review: “The quality of this backpack is unmatched. It’s sturdy, comfortable, and has plenty of room for all my textbooks and supplies.”
What could be better?
The side water bottle has been found by some customers to be slightly snug, making it difficult to hold large bottles.
5. Adidas Prime 6 Backpack
What we liked?
The Adidas Prime Backpack is designed to meet the needs of college students who lead active lifestyles. With its durable construction and spacious compartments, it’s perfect for carrying your essentials to class, the gym, or anywhere else you need to go. The outside is made of durable polyester to last long and give it a sturdy nature, and to top it up, the nylon is recycled. The material is wipeable to easy clean spots and stains with soap and water.
The organization is simple yet useful, the main compartment has a laptop sleeve that can accommodate a 15” laptop easily. Moving on the comfort, the backpack has load spring shoulder straps to provide absolute comfort and ease of use, minimize load strain and help carry the backpack for longer durations. Load spring comes in handy when you are carrying heavy books and notes during your college days, hence this is an important aspect when picking up options for the best college backpack.
The front pocket has small sleeves and open pockets to stuff in pens, small electronics and accessories. The second compartment is separate from the main compartment, to store notebooks or documents to keep them from being wrinkled up and for easy access. The two side mesh water bottle holders can securely hold you bottles and help with a quick grab.
What could be better?
The zippers are relatively delicate and can get stuck while frequent use. Customers have complained about the zippers getting stuck in threads upon heavy duty usage.
6. Fjallraven Kanken Laptap Backpack
What we liked?
The Fjallraven Kanken Classic Backpack is a timeless classic known for its iconic Scandinavian design and durable construction. It’s a stylish and practical choice for college students who value both form and function. The classic design offers convenience yet sufficient functionality. The main compartment is spacious with its one slip pocket to keep your notebooks. The zipper runs through its three sides, allowing the backpack to simply open up like a suitcase for complete sneak peek and access. The laptop compartment has a separate zipper pocket for better organization, additionally a zipper pouch in the front is ideal for quick access items through your day.
The double top handle allows a comfortable grip and easy of carrying. You can easily switch between carrying the backpack on your back to grabbing it with your hand as you are travelling. Overall, the backpack is most suitable for medium loads, like a laptop, a few clothes, one or to notebooks, electronic accessories like charger or air pods etc. You can easily go on carrying it for 12-hours without feeling much strain on your shoulders with this much load, but stuffing it with heavy-loads can make it less comfortable for long stretches in carrying it.
Customer Review: “This backpack is a timeless classic. It’s lightweight, comfortable to wear, and surprisingly spacious.”
What could be better?
Lacked internal pockets for better organization.
Conclusion:
When selecting the best backpack for your college needs, consider your daily routine, storage requirements, and personal style preferences. While each of these backpacks offers unique features and benefits, it’s essential to weigh the pros and cons to find the perfect fit for your academic journey.
