We Tested & Reviewed the Best Carry-on Travel Backpacks on the Market. Here’s What We Found.

Tortuga designed this to be the ultimate carry-on backpack for urban travelers. Its outstanding build quality, thoughtful design, and superior comfort earned it the highest score of any carry-on backpack our team has ever tested.

It’s ideal if you want an easy-to-pack, easy-to-carry backpack that works for almost any trip to any destination. It’s ideal for city travel, but you can really take it anywhere.

Even when I was carrying a lot of weight, the Tortuga Travel Backpack felt comfortable and evenly distributed. This pack scored 9.2 for Comfort, which is the highest comfort score of any urban travel backpack we tested.

The main compartment fully opens like a book, which means you can pack it like a suitcase rather than stuffing things in from the top like a standard daypack. The external laptop sleeve made it really easy for me to pull my computer out for TSA checks, and I love the array of pockets. I was able to stay very organized during my trips with this bag.

Lastly, the backpack’s build quality is top-notch, scoring 9.5. The fabric is tough, the zippers are big YKK models, and every component feels durable.

The Tortuga Travel Backpack Pro isn’t perfect though. For one thing, at 4.5 lbs, it feels pretty heavy. I think the added comfort and support makes up for the weight, but if you really want a lightweight backpack, this isn’t a good option.

The price of this backpack is also on the higher end. You get what you pay for with the durable construction and smart design, but it’s not a great choice for anyone who only travels occasionally. This bag is an investment, and you want to be sure you’ll use it often enough to get your money’s worth.

The Tortuga Travel Backpack is ideal if you need a robust, high-capacity bag that organizes like a suitcase and carries comfortably across city streets and airports. However, if you tend to travel light or are concerned about price, this might not be the best choice. This backpack excels for frequent travelers who value organization, durability, and style.

If you like the Tortuga Travel Backpack Pro but want something lighter or cheaper, Tortuga offers an alternative option: The Travel Backpack Lite. It has a very similar design, but it is made of a less expensive 630D nylon, has less stiffness/structure, is less water-resistant, doesn’t have the adjustable torso length, and weighs a pound less.

The Peak Design Travel Backpack was an easy choice for the best carry-on backpack for photographers because it seamlessly transitions from packing for a trip to carrying camera gear on a photo shoot. It’s packed with features to keep your gear protected and easy to access.

This bag pairs perfectly with Peak Design’s Camera Cubes. These cubes are heavily padded and have removable dividers to keep cameras and lenses organized and safe from bumps or scratches.

The side and back panel access meant I could get to my camera and lenses in seconds without having to dig through other contents. I could swing the bag around on one shoulder, undo a single zipper, and grab my camera for the next shot.

If you’re a travel or adventure photographer who shoots on the go, this feature is awesome.

The Peak Design Travel Backpack 45L can adapt to whatever you need to carry. Its standard volume is 35L, but it can expand or compress. If you’re just heading out for a day excursion, the bag shrinks down to 30L—perfect for a large daypack. If you’re packing for a two-week trip, the expansion zipper gives you a larger 45L volume to pack in.

This pack can also do a lot more than just carry camera gear. Without any camera cubes, the spacious main compartment gives you space to pack for any trip. Because it is so adaptable and feature-packed, this bag scored 9.7 for Functionality—higher than any other backpack we tested!

For all its genius in design, the Peak Design Travel Backpack can feel like a puzzle box with its assortment of straps, pockets, and zippers. It’s not just a grab-and-go kind of bag; it’s got a bit of a learning curve to understand how to get the most out of every feature. If you prefer simplicity and ease over high customization, this might be overkill.

If you’re a photographer or a traveler who loves gadgets and values the ability to organize and access your equipment quickly and efficiently, this bag is a dream. The fact that it works perfectly with Peak Design’s Camera Cubes and other accessories make this a very capable and adaptable backpack.

International airlines typically have tighter carry-on size limits than US domestic flights. If you’re flying internationally, you need a bag that fits those limits.

The Aer Travel Pack is on the smaller end for travel backpacks (35L volume), and it works as a carry-on for virtually any flight around the world.

The 35L volume is ideal if you like to pack light. This is a bag for more minimalist travelers, so it’s not ideal if you tend to overpack.

It’s also great for traveling with a laptop and other tech devices. The  laptop sleeve can fit larger devices and it has a separate compartment for your charger. The front admin panel has an awesome array of smaller pockets for tablets, notebooks, pens, cables, headphones, snacks, and any other small items you want to keep organized.

The panel-opening design makes this bag easy to pack, though I still recommend using packing cubes. I like this design more than the clamshell opening of the Tortuga Travel Backpack because I can unzip either side of the bag without opening the whole thing.

The Aer Travel Pack 3 is built tough with burly 1680D Cordura nylon and chunky YKK zippers. This is essential for anyone who, like me, doesn’t go easy on gear. After our testing and research, this backpack has the highest Build Quality score of any travel backpack: an outstanding 9.7.

My main complaint with the Aer Travel Pack is that it doesn’t include a hip belt; you have to buy that separately. This pack is fairly comfortable on its own, but without a hip belt, it starts to hurt my shoulders if I have it fully packed. I hate that I have to spend extra money for an almost essential feature!

The Aer Travel Pack is great for international travel, and it is also stiff competition for the Tortuga. It’s more durable and less expensive, and I like the pocket layout more. The only reason the Aer Travel Pack didn’t earn our top pick is that it isn’t quite as comfortable and doesn’t include a hip belt.

Osprey is a brand that’s known more for hiking and outdoor adventure packs than travel gear. The Farpoint (or Fairview for women or any folks with shorter torsos) is a carry-on-size travel backpack that Osprey designed to combine their expertise in comfortable hiking packs with a travel-oriented design.

If you need a carry-on backpack that you can take on a flight around the world and then load up for a backcountry trek, this is it.

The Farpoint is inspired by Osprey’s hiking backpacks. It has a full-perimeter aluminum frame, a stiff frame sheet, a ventilated back panel, comfy shoulder straps with load lifters, and a structured, padded hip belt. This backpack earned a stellar 9.6 Comfort score in our testing, which isn’t surprising since Osprey is known for making some of the most comfortable hiking packs on the market.

While it has the comfort of a hiking backpack, the Farpoint is designed to be easy to pack for travel. The front has a full wrap-around zipper that lets it lay fully open. I loved that I could pull this open and quickly see all my gear.

The Farpoint 40 is not the backpack to get if you have lots of gadgets and accessories that you want to keep organized. It only has a few pockets, and I had a hard time keeping my tablet, charging cables, power bank, keys, and other smaller items from getting lost inside the main compartment.

Think of it more as a reliable gear-hauler that’s ready to go straight from a long-haul flight to an outdoor adventure.

Many travel backpacks are designed to be close to the maximum legal carry-on size to give you the most packing space possible, but not everyone needs that much room.

The Topo Designs Global Travel Bag 30L is on the small end for carry-on backpacks, and it’s my go-to choice for any short trip. I chose it as the best small travel backpack because it hits the sweet spot between portability and functionality. It’s ideal if you are a textbook minimalist traveler or usually take shorter weekend trips.

Most travel packs are in the 35-45L range, so this 30L bag felt significantly smaller. That was awesome when I carried it around—it was comfortable and slim on my back—but it meant I had to be more conscious of what I packed.

This bag is right on the line where you can use it as a personal item on most flights. That’s a huge bonus if you often fly with airlines that charge for carry-ons. Technically, it’s slightly too tall, but unless you have it packed to the bursting point, it’s easy to squish it down to fit under seats or into the size checker.

The Global Travel Backpack doesn’t just perform well; it looks good while doing it. The retro aesthetic is both stylish and functional, fitting seamlessly into urban and outdoor environments. It also comes in a wide range of color combos, so you can show some personality. Plus, since it is small, it doesn’t look like a travel bag, so you don’t stand out as a tourist.

My main complaint with this bag is that the shoulder straps, although padded, started to dig into my shoulders when the bag was fully loaded. If you plan to carry heavier loads or need a bag for longer treks, you might be better off with something like the Osprey Farpoint or Tortuga Travel Backpack.

If you like the design of the Topo Global Travel Bag 30L but want a little more space, they also have a larger 40L version.

Do you want a backpack with wheels? If yes, get this one. It’s that simple.

The Osprey Sojourn has comfortable shoulder straps and a supportive hip belt so you can carry it like a backpack. You can also stow straps away and pull out the telescoping handle to roll it around like a suitcase. It’s a backpack and a suitcase combined!

So why would you want that?

Rolling luggage is great for cruising around the airport or smooth city streets—you can keep the weight off your back, which is more comfortable. However, luggage falls short on rough surfaces. If you’re heading off the beaten path (or just going up and down a lot of stairs), a backpack makes way more sense. This bag has the advantages of both.

The Osprey Sojourn isn’t made like a typical flimsy spinner suitcase that will jam or break on rough surfaces. It has oversized wheels with chunky rubber tires that easily handle cobblestone streets or even dirt paths.

When carrying it as a backpack, this bag is surprisingly comfortable. No, it won’t be as good as something like the Osprey Farpoint, but it’s clear that carrying comfort wasn’t an afterthought.

The shoulder straps have decent padding, a contoured shape, and load lifters. The aluminum frame does a great job at transferring weight down to the padded, wraparound hip belt, so it’s easy to get most of the weight off your shoulders. Surprisingly, the wheels and telescoping handle didn’t dig into my back at all.

The Sojourn is heavy though (7.5 lbs), so I didn’t love carrying it for hours at a time. While I never had uncomfortable pressure points, the backpack did feel a bit bulky and cumbersome on my back, even when it wasn’t fully loaded.

If you want to carry this on your back most of the time, I recommend just getting a normal travel backpack without wheels. However, if you would rather roll your bag around, this is an awesome option that gives you the flexibility to carry it when you need to.

NOMATIC has built a reputation for creating versatile, durable, and stylish bags and packs. Their Travel Pack is expandable from 20 to 30 liters, making it perfect for both daily commutes and short trips. Whether you’re on a business trip or are a long-term digital nomad, this is one of the best backpacks for traveling with a laptop.

The NOMATIC Travel Pack is a sleek, professional-looking bag that is packed with features.

The external laptop sleeve is one of my favorite features. Unlike most backpacks, this laptop sleeve has a full perimeter zipper that lets it fold flat away from the main body of the bag. This design means you can go through airport security without fully removing your laptop, which is awesome.

The NOMATIC Travel Pack is also very versatile; you can use it both for everyday commuting to the office or as a travel pack. Its 20L standard volume is the perfect size for a daypack, but it can expand 10 whole liters (!) by undoing a wraparound zipper. The 30L expanded volume is still on the small end for travel backpacks, but it’s great for shorter trips.

That 30L max size is the main limiting factor of this bag. Unless you’re a really light packer, it isn’t a great choice for extended trips.

This bag excels for weekend trips or short jaunts for business meetings. It’s even great as a secondary laptop bag in addition to a larger carry-on suitcase. When it isn’t expanded, it’s small enough to bring aboard as a personal item.

The key advantage of the NOMATIC Travel Pack is its versatility. Standalone bag for shorter trips, daypack for everyday commuting, or personal item for longer trips—take your pick!

When you’re traveling around the world, a big, flashy travel backpack is pretty much a neon sign saying, “Hey, look at me! I’m a tourist!”

You don’t want to be that guy.

Minaal is our top pick for minimalist travelers exactly because it doesn’t make you stand out like a sore thumb. It’s slim and understated, and it’s got exactly the features you need without any unnecessary bells and whistles to complicate things.

The 35L size is ideal for minimalist packers. It’s on the smaller end for travel backpacks, but as long as you know how to pack light, it’s easy to use this bag for extended trips.

I can fit a surprising amount of stuff inside this bag, but the stripped-back design makes it look smaller than it is. I love that I can carry all my travel gear in this bag without looking like a tourist.

One of the unique features of the Minaal Carry-On is its laptop compartment, which is honestly one of the best and most useful that I’ve ever tested. There is a full wraparound zipper that lets the compartment lay fully flat, and you can pull your device out either from the side or the top. I found that to be very useful when pulling my laptop out for airport security.

The Minaal Carry-On is definitely most at home in urban settings; it isn’t a pack I would recommend for a trip into the Himalayas or the jungles of Southeast Asia. It’s sleek and well organized, but I think it would feel out of its element on more adventurous trips.

For minimalist city travel, this pack is perfect.

I love a good duffel bag. There’s something extremely satisfying about having a simple, functional bag that carries your stuff without any extra frills. It’s also the highest-scoring duffel bag we tested, with a 9.0 Overall score.

That’s exactly the kind of experience you get with the Db Roamer Duffel Backpack. It’s a durable, stripped-back, no-nonsense bag that gets the job done. While it certainly isn’t for everyone, it’s a utilitarian piece of gear that is perfect for the right kind of person.

If you’re an adventurous traveler who just needs a dead-simple bag to haul your gear, this is the ideal fit.

If you like having lots of pockets and compartments, you’ll hate the Roamer. This bag is as simple as it comes. There is a cavernous main compartment and a single small zippered pocket on the outside. That’s it. No laptop sleeve. No hidden passport pocket. No admin panel. You just toss your stuff in and go.

One feature that makes this duffel bag unique is that you open it through a big zippered panel right behind the shoulder straps. Db calls this “backsess” (yes, that sounds stupid). There’s one big advantage to this design: you can set it down on the ground—straps up—to open it. That means the part that touches your body never touches the ground, so it stays clean.

The opening is also huge! I love that I can rip it open and quickly see everything inside the bag.

The biggest downside of the Roamer Duffel is that it just isn’t that comfortable to carry for a long time. It only scored 6.4 for Comfort. The shoulder straps have nice padding, but since there isn’t much structure and no hip belt, all the weight goes right on your shoulders. It’s fine for quick jaunts, but you definitely wouldn’t want to wear it for a long hike.

I have some good news: even if you don’t have much cash to spend, you can still get a capable and stylish travel backpack for your next trip. The Coowoz Travel Backpack has been getting a lot of attention on social media, and for good reason. It costs a fraction of any other pack on this list, but it still works surprisingly well.

While this backpack doesn’t score well for Build Quality or Comfort, the Functionality score is a solid 8.3. Here’s the key takeaway: this backpack isn’t the nicest or most durable, but it functions just as well as more expensive bags when it comes to carrying your travel gear.

The overall layout of the Coowoz Travel Backpack mimics most higher-end carry-on bags. The main compartment has a full-length panel opening that makes it really easy to pack. There are tons of pockets, and the external laptop sleeve gives you quick access to your device.

To be clear, nothing about this backpack will match the quality or durability of anything else on this list. The materials are pretty cheap, and the bag is pretty floppy overall. Still, the Coowoz Travel Backpack hits way above its price point.

If you need a backpack on a budget, you won’t find a better bang for your buck.