The 12 Best Carry-on Travel Backpacks, Tested and Reviewed

Known for its sustainable practices and colorful outdoor gear, Cotopaxi is one of our favorite backpack brands. We've talked about how much we love the Allpa 35L Travel Pack many times, which was previously our best overall in this article, but the upgraded 42L Travel Pack recently took the top spot as our favorite carry-on backpack since it's larger and can hold more. Cotopaxi refreshed the Allpa line in August 2024 with more durable materials, better weight distribution, and new features like air mesh shoulder straps, a luggage pass-through strap, and an exterior stretch water bottle pocket.

I personally tested this backpack in the Travel + Leisure lab, and I think the design is better than the 35-liter pack since it has more thoughtful features for travelers now. While the backpack is hefty and might be too large or heavy for some people, I thought it was very manageable to carry, thanks to supportive straps and a new hip belt. It's also generally easier to maneuver through an airport than a suitcase with wheels. While I'd love to see a few more organizational features inside, I was able to fit enough clothing for a five-day trip with room to spare.

This pack has a clamshell opening with a large, mesh zippered pocket on one side and two smaller zippered pockets on the other. There is a medium-size zippered pocket on the front of the bag, as well as a small zippered pocket at the very front for easy access to items like a passport or phone. The back of the bag also has a padded laptop compartment with a divider to hold more than one device. This isn't an everyday bag due to its size, but I think it's versatile enough for flying, work trips, camping, road-tripping, and more.

42 liters | 22 x 14 x 11 inches | 3.1 pounds | TPU-coated 1000D polyester, 840D ballistic nylon paneling | 15-inch laptop sleeve | Water-resistant

You'll be surprised by just how spacious this backpack is. The main compartment opens up like a clamshell for easy access to items that allowed us to fit an entire four-day packing list with ease—plus a few extra items. There are multiple large compartments, compression straps, and a few pockets in this backpack that are ideal for organizing clothes, gear, and accessories. While the 45-liter backpack can grow heavy when completely filled, the padded shoulder straps are supportive and keep you comfortable when walking for long periods of time. Plus, the convenient duffel handles allow you to switch up your carrying style if you do grow fatigued.

This backpack also sports a well-padded laptop sleeve that protected our testing laptop when we threw the fully packed bag off a counter three times. There was also no sign of rips, scuffs, or tears in the bag's fabric after our tests. This water- and abrasion-resistant backpack would be perfect for avid travelers who are looking for a sleek backpack to take them from city explorations to camping adventures.

45 liters | 21.7 x 13.6 x 9.5 inches | 3.32 pounds | Recycled polyester | 16-inch laptop sleeve | Water-resistant

If you’re not ready to invest in a pricier carry-on backpack, you can always dip your toes with this functional and spacious one for under $60. This 40-liter backpack has one large main compartment that can fit several tops, bottoms, and a toiletry case without any issues. We particularly loved the separate footwear compartment to prevent the bottom of your shoes from coming into contact with clean clothes—it can even fit pairs of shoes up to size 12.

In addition, there is a large laptop pocket and a front pocket with spots to put items like phone chargers, headphones, and other small accessories that could get lost easily. Compared to the pricier bags we tried, this one feels a bit lower in quality, but none of the nylon fabric tore and scuffed during our durability tests, so we still think this bag has a good lifespan ahead of it.

40 liters | 20 x 13 x 8 inches | 2.2 pounds | Nylon | 17-inch laptop pocket | Water-resistant

Perfect for travelers on a budget, the Asenlin 40L Travel Backpack impressed us with its packing features and comfortable fit. We thought the bag provided excellent organization thanks to the interior and exterior compression that provided extra room for packing. The backpack comes with three different packing cubes in small, medium, and large. We also like that this backpack includes both a suitcase strap and a handle to hold it horizontally. The backpack itself also features straps inside and a laptop sleeve to easily hold down items and pack electronics.

The design didn’t blow us away like those from some of the more costly brands, but it does have a laptop sleeve and a water bottle holder. We also liked the flexibility of being able to wear the Asenlin as a backpack, hold it like a briefcase, or use the trolley sleeve to slide it onto a roller suitcase’s handle. However, a bigger adjustment range for the chest strap would have been ideal. During our durability tests, the backpack didn’t scuff or show signs of damage. We think this budget pick is well worth the low price for those looking to get a durable, comfortable, and spacious carry-on backpack. 

The Details: 40 liters | 18.5 x 12.5 x 9.5 inches | 2.7 pounds | Polyester | 17-inch laptop pocket

The Nomatic Travel Pack is the ultimate versatile carry-on backpack thanks to its expandable zippers that add an extra 10 liters of space. Ideal for an overnight trip or a long weekend getaway, the bag has a variety of pockets and compartments to efficiently organize shoes, clothes, accessories, and technology. While the number of pockets on the interior was a bit overwhelming at first, travelers who like to be extra organized will appreciate the designated padded laptop sleeve, sunglasses case, discreet passport pocket, and plethora of slip and zippered pockets in the main compartment.

The handles and padded shoulder straps are comfortable for carrying the bag, and the small-to-medium size of the backpack makes it comfortable to carry since it doesn’t feel bulky or heavy. We used this bag on a variety of international trips throughout four months of testing, and it still looks new, despite rough handling and being shoved under airplane seats.

20 liters (expands to 30 liters) | 18.5 x 12 x 6-9.5 inches | 4.16 pounds | Nylon and polyester | 14-inch laptop pocket

Packing for a trip can often feel tedious, but the Topo Designs Global Travel Bag 30L helps make it easy and efficient. We loved how convenient it is to store a laptop up to 15 inches in the padded compartment in the back of the bag, and there are two front pockets for easy access to a tablet or phone charger. There are a ton of compartments and pockets that offer plenty of options for staying organized with small or loose items in the absence of packing cubes, with places to stash cords, travel documents, electronics, water bottles, and more.

The adjustable shoulder straps and straps that go across the chest and waist help evenly distribute the backpack's weight, making it more comfortable to carry around, although we noticed during our long-term testing that the bag can still feel heavy if you pack it completely full. The 100 percent recycled nylon material felt durable and would likely stay in good condition over time.

30 liters | 20 x 12.5 x 7 inches | 2.63 pounds | 1000D recycled nylon, 400D recycled nylon, 210D recycled nylon, 1680D recycled ballistic nylon | 15-inch laptop sleeve

After recently testing anti-theft backpacks, we picked this one from Pacsafe as our favorite carry-on option. Built with a generous 45 liters of space, it's designed to replace your carry-on bag and provide extra protection for your valuables with an RFID-blocking pocket, lockable zippers, and slashproof fabric. The clamshell compartment opens like a suitcase, and the backpack fit everything on our packing list during testing with room to spare. There are plenty of pockets inside for organization, but the safety features are what really stood out. The two main zipper pulls can be locked together in a built-in padlock, which took us some time to figure out but would definitely stop someone from opening the bag on the fly.

The outside of the backpack is made from recycled polyester with a water-repellent coating. We were able to slash through the pack's outer materials with a box cutter but found that a wire-reinforced inner layer prevented us from getting all the way through and damaging any contents inside. We also like that the padded laptop sleeve is on the inside, so it should stay safe even if someone slashed through the outer layers. We were not able to slash through the backpack straps. This backpack also has a stainless steel cable that you can secure to fixed objects, but we found it difficult to figure out at first. The backpack itself is also comfortable to wear—a little bulky and heavy but ultimately a versatile bag that is packed with smart, anti-theft features.

45 liters | 21.7 x 13 x 7.5 inches | 3.97 pounds | 750D recycled polyester | 16-inch laptop sleeve | Water-resistant

We love this backpack’s thoughtful features geared toward all types of travelers. The Tropicfeel Shell Backpack has the ability to store up to 42 liters worth of clothing for a weekend or week-long trip, but you can also use it as a 20-liter backpack for day trips, sightseeing, and everyday use.

After regularly using the bag for six months, we found it to be incredibly sturdy and durable. We had no issues fitting our full packing list and found that there was plenty more room thanks to the variety of adjustable buckled straps that allow you to adjust the size of the bag. You can loosen the front buckle to allow the roll-up opening flap to expand to fit more items, and there is a kangaroo pouch at the bottom of the backpack that provides an additional 6 liters of space for shoes or other items you want to keep separate. There’s also a padded compartment in the back of the backpack that can fit laptops up to 17 inches long and a removable, compressing wardrobe organizer that you can hang in a closet when you reach your destination.

We thought the backpack was comfortable to wear after adjusting the shoulder and waist straps, but we found that it might take some effort to get the buckles into your desired setting. The Shell Backpack didn’t show any signs of damage throughout testing, and the material is weatherproof. For travelers looking to add upgrades to their backpacks, the brand has an organization system and accessory pouches that you can add on for additional fees. If you need an all-in-one backpack, we think this backpack’s versatility makes it well worth the higher cost. Bonus, if you want a sustainable backpack, this one is made from made 100 percent recycled nylon and 64 percent recycled polyester. 

20 to 42 liters | 12 x 20 x 7.5 inches | 3.3 pounds | Recycled polyester | 17-inch laptop sleeve

If you’re traveling somewhere with a rainy climate, you’ll want a waterproof backpack like this one from Tortuga that can ward off the elements. It’s made with the brand’s 100 percent recycled and waterproof Shell200 or “sailcloth” material to protect your belongings and prevent bad weather from putting a serious damper on your trip. During a rainy overnight camping trip, the Tortuga Travel Backpack essentially sat in a puddle for hours, yet none of our gear or clothing inside got wet at all, and the bag was easy to clean with just a wet cloth.

This is a seriously spacious bag at 40 liters, so we found that you can seamlessly fit a week’s worth of clothing (or more) between the two clamshell compartments. Because of the split style of the bag, packing it up is hassle-free since it’s easy to see exactly how much space is left on each side. And if you run out of space in the main compartments, there are top, front, and side exterior pockets to store a laptop, accessories, water bottles, and more items that you’ll want to have handy while traveling.

40 liters | 21.7 x 13.8 x 7.9 inches | 4.5 pounds | Waterproof sailcloth | 16-inch laptop pocket | Waterproof

If you love having pockets to stash all of your different items, this Calpak backpack has a pocket for everything. Although the bag is medium-sized with a 26-liter capacity, it still has plenty of room to fit enough clothing for four or five days' worth of traveling thanks to the numerous pockets—an organizational design feature you'll find in many Calpak luggage pieces.

"I brought this as my carry-on for a four-day trip to Jackson Hole, and it was so easy to grab all of my necessities from the front pockets on the outside of the bag and to get my laptop in and out while going through airport security," says T+L testing editor Jackie Cucco. "I also like how you can zip the water bottle pocket closed when not in use, but it still held a large water bottle securely." The glossy material is water-resistant, though we found it collected black scuff marks after leaning up against airport windows, but they were easy to buff out.

If you need to carry the backpack long distances, the padded straps offer plenty of comfort to protect the shoulders from feeling the weight of the pack, and there are buckles and straps on the sides of the backpack to help compress it as tight as possible. You can also tuck away the backpack straps if you'd rather sling the backpack over your shoulder as a duffel bag. I also own this bag and prefer to use the backpack straps, but I love having the option to carry it multiple ways as my needs change on the go.

26 liters | 18 x 12 x 7.5 inches | 2.9 pounds | Recycled ripstop polyester | 17-inch laptop sleeve | Water-resistant

This expandable backpack has a main compartment that is spacious enough to fit clothes for at least four days, and its design is helpful for packing bulky items like jackets and shoes. Placing the clothes and shoes into the bag during testing was efficient and simple thanks to a removable divider sleeve and compression straps to hold everything down securely. Designed with photographers in mind, this backpack functions similarly to a camera bag. It can fit camera cubes, and it has four points of entry to the main compartment, allowing travelers to quickly grab clothes or accessories without unzipping the backpack. There is a padded laptop sleeve and stretchy side pockets for water bottles or a camera tripod. 

Though it's heavy, Peak Design didn’t let any space go to waste on its backpack—even the hip belt has a small pocket on it for storage and can be packed away when you’re not looking for extra support. It’s easy to adjust all of the straps to prevent weight imbalances and pinching. Made of weatherproof and water-resistant recycled nylon, the bag held up perfectly after we tossed it on the ground, showing no signs of scuffs or damage—exactly what you want in a durable backpack. Although the price of this bag is steep, it comes with plenty of helpful features for travelers, and the stellar performance leads us to believe that it would last a long time. 

30 to 45 liters | 22 x 13 x 9.5 inches (22 x 13 x 11 inches when expanded) | 4.8 pounds | Nylon and polyester | 16-inch laptop sleeve | Water-resistant

This convertible bag can be used three ways: worn as a backpack, carried as a duffel, or rolled as a suitcase. We found it to be a fairly spacious size, well-suited for weekend getaways or as a secondary bag with larger luggage. Organization features include a main pocket, an external side pocket for shoes, a small top accessory pocket, another small outside pocket, and an ID window. We recommend using packing cubes with this bag to help maximize space. We thought it would be heavy since it has wheels and a trolley handle, but we were surprised to find it pretty lightweight and easy to carry. We love the tuck-away backpack straps, although it’s not the most comfortable backpack to wear for extended periods of time. 

All zippers work smoothly, and we like the squeeze-to-adjust handle that adds some extra security to the bag. We also found that the wheels rolled well on different terrains without any sticking. This duffel backpack hybrid isn’t the most stylish bag in the world, but it’s impressively durable and functional. The exterior fabric is also water resistant, which makes it great for outdoor use or more rugged environments. While we wish the overall capacity was a bit bigger, we like its robustness and think it’s a good value for the money. 

40 liters | 21.5 x 14 x 9 inches | 4.94 pounds | Polyester | Two-wheel system | Water-resistant