Going for a weekend trip but still need to be connected with work? Realistically speaking, leaving behind your laptop is not much of an option most of the time. Regardless of your specific situation, having a backpack that works for both laptop and travel can be of great utility whether you are planning a weekend getaway with family or friends or if you have to head out of town for an urgent office meeting.
Your backpack is almost like a backbone for these trips whose comfort, safety, and sense of ease highly depends on the quality of your backpack. A broken zip can leave you feeling unsafe about your belongings, a broken strap can make your travel difficult and painful, and so on. As such, a quality backpack is an essential investment which needs to be considered carefully.
Before checking out the different backpack options out there, it is good to go through the factors to consider in such a backpack. These factors work like a buying guide and can help you decide which factor is most valuable to you as a user and also allow you to weigh in other factors which you may have thought were not so necessary or important. Once you have gone through this, our list of the best backpacks for laptop and travel will guide you in choosing which backpack is the best for you.
Now what shall you look for in such a Backpack?
Weight
This really depends on the amount of luggage you intend to carry on your journey. More luggage means a larger backpack and larger backpacks are simply heavier. If you are carrying a heavy laptop, or other heavy luggage in your backpack, your backpack would be heavier, requiring you to invest in an adjustable design with adequate straps that can distribute the weight sufficiently.
Durability
It goes without saying but if you are investing in a laptop or travel backpack, make sure it is a high-quality durable product that can last you a considerable number of years while staying healthy. Keeping this in mind, it’s a good idea to invest in a backpack whose material is wear and tear resistant. Additional factors such as padding are also important as they will allow your laptop to stay safe and secure while also providing your backpack some protection.
Size
The size of your backpack depends on your laptop and all its accessories, your body type and size, as well as any additional requirements you need to be cautious about such as airplane travel requirements. Moreover, backpack dimensions are important to check if you want to keep your backpack under the seat or in the overhead bin on an airplane.
Ease Of Carrying
Backpacks are designed to offer you mobility and flexibility. Ease of carrying them is among the greatest advantages they yield. Whether it is while you are making your way through busy airports or public transport zones, or you are on a trip, a backpack that is easy and comfortable to carry can have a significant impact on the quality of your trips.
This can only be ensured if the backpack weight is adequately distributed. Backpacks achieve this by the presence of a hip belt. If this is not available, well-padded shoulder straps and sternum straps are an important feature to watch out for. Similarly, well ventilated back panels usually make the backpack much more comfortable to carry as it prevents sweaty backs.
Pockets
Backpacks with ample pockets are great for many reasons. Interior pockets simply mean better organization of your personal items and belongings while external pockets can come in handy in keeping bottles, food items, and items that need to be accessed immediately. While pockets are a great idea, it is important to consider that external pockets should have some security such as zippers or a mesh covering over a zipper. Lastly, zipper inner pockets are also important if one wants to keep their belongings organized properly.
Apart from pockets, it is also important to watch out for the quality of zippers used in the backpack. A broken zipper can essentially render your backpack useless during the trip, sabotaging your plans and significantly harming your trip.
Our Recommendations for Best Backpack for Laptop and Travel
- eBags Pro Slim Weekender
- Timbuk 2 Uptown Backpack
- Bopai Super Slim Waterproof Laptop Backpack
- Nomatic Travel Bag 40L
- TIMBUK2 Authority Laptop Backpack
1. eBags Pro Slim Weekender
Whether you have a business trip coming up or need to leave town to meet friends or family, you would want to consider a backpack that is good for carrying tech. Among these options, the Pro Slim Weekender is a great option.
This backpack is a great laptop bag and can easily fit in heavier laptops as well up to 17 inches. Not just that, it comes with an additional fleece-lined compartment for a tablet as well. Suitably compartmentalized, this backpack is a really slim and secure option for your various tech gadgets. Moreover, the backpack features padded, lockable compartments that offer great security as well as organization for your belongings. This keeps all your belongings safely organized as well as protected.
Similarly, a zipper bottle pocket is one of its external pockets that are of great utility. These features make the backpack a secure, stylish, and organized option, which is especially suitable for business trips.
Pros
- Plentiful compartments, well-organized
- Stylish; can easily blend into different settings
- Secure and safe
Cons
- A little thicker and heavier than mainstream backpack options.
2. Timbuk 2 Uptown Backpack
The Timbuk 2 Uptown is a slightly smaller option as compared to mainstream laptop backpacks. Its laptop sleeve can fit in a 15 inch laptop and is ideal if you have a smaller laptop. Apart from this constraint, the backpack is a great option for many reasons.
Made out of durable and sturdy 400D Nylon Faille, the laptop’s design makes it convenient at airport security checks. Apart from the laptop sleeve, the backpack also comes with a tablet compartment making it a well organized backpack that gets into no hassle at security checkpoints.
While the main compartment is spacious, the one in front of it has three smaller compartments. External pockets are helpful for keeping items that need to be accessed immediately such as passports, tickets, and boarding passes.
A mess panel on the backside keeps the backpack ventilated and aerated such that it is comfortable to carry around. Adding to the comfort and convenience is an adjustable front strap.
While the backpack has plenty of features that will definitely make your journey comfortable and safe, it does suffer from one drawback which is that it is not big enough to take on most long backpacking trips. However, it rates pretty well for a backpack for everyday use or short weekend trips. As a sleek and low profile backpack, it keeps all your luggage well organized and safe.
Conclusively, this backpack is a great lightweight option, especially if you are a minimalist.
Pros
- Five year warranty.
- Has a dedicated zipped compartment for laptop
- Additional tablet pocket
Cons
- Slightly smaller for longr trips.
3. Bopai Super Slim Waterproof Laptop Backpack
Designed to give a stylish look while offering protection to your laptop, the Bopai Super Slim Waterproof Laptop Backpack is a great laptop backpack. This backpack is ideal for commuting to the office or heading to a business meeting, even if this requires air travel. The backpack meets all air travel size and weight limits. It is lightweight and easy to carry around, weighing only 1.5 pounds.
It can easily fit in a laptop up to 15.6 inches which is protected by a dedicated compartment lined with soft flannel. Along with the main laptop compartment, the backpack also has six interior pockets of varying sizes that can hold anything from a tablet to a travel wallet. Ranking highly on style and organization, this Bopai backpack is also among the best waterproof laptop backpacks because it is made of a waterproof microfiber leather and ballistic nylon. This prevents any rain from wearing away at the backpack. As such, the backpack is also made from high quality and durable material and is a great option to travel safely and securely with your laptop.
Pros
- Unisex backpack that can work in different settings
- Travel and checkpoint security friendly
- Organized well.
Cons
- Can be incompatible for heavier laptops.
4. Nomatic Travel Bag 40L
Regarded as an ultimate backpack for travelers, this 40 liter spacious Nomatic Travel backpack is a great option for longer trips or for someone who does not want to compromise on their belongings. This backpack is not only very spacious and roomy but also ranks highly on durability, having a weatherproof exterior. More so, a number of innovative features support this backpack and make it truly one of a kind backpack.
Let’s look at one of these features: a patented strap design makes it possible to switch the backpack between a duffle bag and a backpack. This single feature immediately expands the possibilities that this bag presents which can now be used for a number of different occasions. For instance, the backpack can work whether you are commuting to and from the gym or the office, or whether you are planning a weekend getaway or an international trip that requires air travel. This is because the backpack meets most air travel carry-on weight limits.
The backpack can also be adjusted to make it more comfortable, convenient, and increased utility. For instance, the backpack has more than twenty innovative features: from pockets designed for shoes, liquids, tech, etc to a full perimeter zipper, an RFID sage pocket, water bottle pocket, and so on. Along with all of these pockets is a hangable laundry bag to keep dirty clothes separate while traveling.
Because of all of these great features, the Nomatic 40 L backpack ranks highly on the list of best backpacks for laptop and travel.
5. TIMBUK2 Authority Laptop Backpack
The TIMBUK2 Authority laptop backpack is particularly more suitable for office work and trips. This is because of its elegant and classy design that goes hand in hand with its compliance with air travel carry on baggage restrictions.
While it’s a convenient backpack, it does not compromise on space and comes with a spacious 17 inch laptop compartment that can also hold books and a notebook. The bag has a spacious main compartment that can be used to keep clothing items that may be needed by your travel, whether you are staying for longer or attending events that require multiple outfits. In the front, the backpack has a smaller pocket which can be used to keep writing supplies or slimmer books and so on.
The backpack also comes with some exterior features such as a separate water bottle stretch pocket. Lastly, it is a great durable product. Made of pure nylon with a lifetime warranty, this backpack is definitely a worthy investment. Its simple, elegant, and streamlined design makes it an appealing option from a professional vantage point.
Pros
- Convenient organization into three compartments
- Densely padded and comfortable harness system
- Secure and appealing design
Cons
- No false bottom in laptop compartment.
Summary
Travel and laptop backpacks are an essential and important investment to make. There are many factors to consider before making such an important decision. However, with the availability of so many options, you will easily find a product that works best to cater to your specific needs.
