The 11 best laptop backpacks to travel with in 2019
You only have one back, you might as well get the best bag for it -- and your traveling needs.
Best all-around pick
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The Icon backpack is a favorite for its understated style and huge carry capacity (and well-padded shoulder straps for carrying it all comfortably). Incase updated the bag with weather and abrasion-resistant fabric called Woolenex. It feels somewhat like cotton, but it's lightweight and has the high-tensile strength of ballistic nylon.The bag is otherwise the same as the original. Four separate sections give you space for up to a 15.6-inch laptop and a tablet, plus one for flat files and another loaded with pockets for all your accessories. While water bottle/umbrella storage is absent on the outside, there is certainly room inside. One of my favorite features, besides the shoulder straps, is the zippered pocket compartments at the base of each strap. The right side has a charging cable pass-through so you can keep a power bank in there to charge your cell phone while you're wearing the stylish bag. .
Best basic pack
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It doesn't get much more simple than Ogio's smallest Alpha Convoy bag. Lightweight, durable and made from water-resistant material, it has just a zipper pocket in front and one large compartment. There is a large laptop pocket inside as well as a single drop pocket and pen holder, but that's it. However, if you do need more storage there are a couple of MOLLE straps on the front to attach things to or consider , which gives you a lot more organization inside and out.
Best budget pick
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Can't decide between a shoulder bag and backpack? Hybrids like the Duane solve this with a design that works as both. Detachable backpack straps stash in a pocket on the back when you want to attach its removable shoulder strap. There's enough room for books, your lunch and whatever else you need to get through the day including up to a 15.6-inch laptop. Plus, despite a price as low as $20, it carries Solo NY's five-year warranty.
Best for photographers
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If you like clean, streamlined designs and bags that can shrink or grow depending on your needs on any given day, you'll appreciate the . Peak Design got its start making camera accessories, which shows in the bags design and features like its origami-inspired removable dividers, but the stylish backpack is great even if you're not a photographer. Large zippered side panels give you easy access to everything inside regardless of where it is in the bag. Each side panel has separate zippered storage areas for accessories and a slim padded laptop compartment is accessible through a zipper at the top. It will snugly hold up to a 15-inch MacBook Pro. All the zippers are weather-sealed and the fabric is water-repellent, and a magnetic latch system lets you expand or shrink the top of the bag, so you can fill it to the top and still secure everything inside. External side pockets and hidden straps give you more storage on the outside. All of those features and the quality construction will cost you, though: The smaller 20L-size bag I tested costs $260, while a larger 30L version is $290. .
Best overhead carry-on
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Deceivingly large when it comes to storage, the Weekender's top front compartment has a bunch of organizational pockets while a bottom front compartment holds an included to make getting through security easier. The durable bag opens wide, splitting in half, with the front section made to hold your clothes and the back section for your laptop. Packed correctly, you can open it and leave your laptop in the bag when put through a scanner. Hidden in the lower back, underneath the lumbar padding, is a crush-proof garage for accessories or an AC adapter. And although it's designed as a backpack, the shoulder straps can be stashed in a pocket under the back panel padding so you can carry it like a suitcase.Priced at $150, the Weekender can regularly be found for less direct from eBags or on Amazon. .
Best gaming backpack
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Mobile Edge makes gaming backpacks for Alienware and Razer, but the $130 Core bag is all its own. It can hold up to 17.3-inch laptops (though superthick ones are snug) and it's TSA checkpoint-friendly, so you don't have to unload your system into a bin. Extra padding on the straps and back keep things as comfortable as possible. There are places to fit all your cables, headphones and a keyboard. There's a dedicated pocket for a large battery pack, too, with a quick-charge USB 3.0 cable that runs to the outside of the bag to charge a phone or tablet without cracking the bag open.Pockets on the sides let you stash anything from a mouse and cables to a water bottle and umbrella. The bag is also available in two styles: One with a molded front and another with a Velcro panel to display your team badges or other patches. And, they're both covered with a lifetime warranty. .