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Keeping track of clothes, electronics, and crucial travel documents can be chaotic, but the Aer Travel Pack 3 offers top-notch organization. The roomy laptop compartment provides padding for your most sensitive screen devices, whether traveling with a tablet or a 16" MacBook, and is easy to access even in a crammed seat on a bus. For long weekends or out-of-state work trips, the Travel Pack's main compartment packs a lot of punch for its moderate 35L capacity. It feels huge without being overly bulky, so you don't have to spend precious time wrestling with your toiletry kit or business casual clothes during packing. This model is a great fit for one-bag travelers and commuters for trips up to a week long, and it even works well as a designated computer bag alongside roller luggage, and is slim enough to use as a daypack once you arrive at your destination.
REASONS TO BUY
Incredible number of pockets
Large laptop sleeve
Spacious main compartment
Comfy to carry
REASONS TO AVOID
Must buy hipbelt separately
Pockets can get confusing
Straps aren't stowable
Update August 2026: The Aer Travel Pack 4 was released at the time of testing. Changes include the removal of the compression straps at the sides, and the bag can now sit upright when using the luggage pass-through. The Travel Pack 4 also has two exterior water bottle pockets now made of stretchy nylon, and a removable and repositionable keychain. We plan to test the Travel Pack 4 this fall and will update this review with our findings.
Our Analysis and Test Results
The Aer Travel Pack 3 is the quintessential organizer backpack for any traveler who wants a pocket for every pen, charger, and notebook. Whether you're headed to your employer's headquarters or enjoying a European vacation, this chameleon backpack will fit in just about anywhere and works great for trips around 5-6 days. If you're going for a longer trip, simply use it as one of your carry-on bags to complement your checked luggage.
In addition to a large main pocket, the Aer Travel Pack 3 boasts excellent organization across its exterior pockets and tech compartments. Credit: Zach Lovell
Storage & Protection
The Aer Travel Pack 3 is much larger than it might look at first glance, boasting 35 liters of capacity. We love that the main compartment is large and wide open, making it easy to fit bulkier jackets or an extra pair of shoes. The front “admin” panel is where things get interesting. It has 8 pockets to keep pens, charging cords, and notepads separated, so you can grab what you need mid-meeting. If that weren't enough, there are an additional 9 pockets across the exterior and interior. Including a water bottle pocket, a softer glasses pocket at the top of the bag that can accommodate a couple of pairs of sunglasses, and a hidden pocket inside the laptop compartment for sensitive documents like a passport. The zippers are lockable if you want an extra measure of security.
There isn't as much padding around most of the Travel Pack, but the laptop compartment is cushy on both sides to reduce the chances of your expensive electronics getting damaged while traveling. Aer also built this backpack with 1680 denier ballistic nylon, which is several times thicker than most of its competition. This made for a very tear-resistant backpack that was unfazed even when dragged across gravel (we wouldn't recommend this, but we did for the sake of testing).
The material also repels light precipitation, but is notwaterproof. If you do need to travel to a wetter climate, you can purchase a separately sold rain cover specifically made for the Travel Pack 3.
We appreciated the simple main compartment design of the Travel Pack 3, though some might want a packing cube for better separation of clothes. Credit: Zach Lovell
The exterior of the Travel Pack has an abrasion-resistant fabric that held up well throughout testing. Credit: Zach Lovell
Comfort & Fit
This is a cushy backpack that'll fit travelers of many sizes, and unlike many of the bags we tested, it doesn't feel overly bulky. While we missed having a hip belt when carrying loads over 20-25 pounds, you're less likely to overload this pack due to its more moderate capacity. Aer does sell a hip belt separately for the Aer Travel Pack 3 if you tend to pack heavy. Tech-oriented bags don't always offer as much comfort and adjustability, but this thoughtfully designed bag includes load lifters and a height-adjustable chest strap for longer walks across the city or trans-terminal connections.
The padding on the back of the Aer Travel Pack 3 runs the full length of the back panel, with a single air channel along the spine. The mesh-covered foam on the back and shoulders kept us comfy, but we still got sweaty on summer trips. If needing to hand-carry the Travel Pack, the side handles use thinner webbing construction, while the top handle is much more plush.
The well-padded shoulder straps were great, but with heavier loads, you might want to buy the separately sold hip belt. Credit: Mark Lovell
Load lifters help adjust the weight of the Travel Pack closer to your body, keeping you more balanced. Credit: Zach Lovell
Ease of Use
The main packing compartment of the Aer Travel Pack 3 is wide open and feels very spacious, allowing you to build your own packing system, whether that's stash-and-go or neatly organized packing cubes. The pocket layout in the front panel of the Aer might be a bit overwhelming at first, but if you need a place for all the bits and bobs that go along with packing tech, the layout makes it easy to reach cords, pens, sunglasses, and documents without digging through the main compartment. Once you learn the system, access is fast and practical even in tight travel situations.
The backpack has a grab handle on the top and one on each side. If using the Aer Travel Pack 3 with a roller bag, it's easy to slide the bag onto the telescopic handle via the luggage passthrough strap on the back. The hidden AirTag pocket is a nice bonus for anyone who wants extra tracking security.
The front pocket of the Travel Pack 3 is great for organization, whether on a business trip or on a vacation. Credit: Zach Lovell
There are several outside pockets that make it a breeze to access chapstick or travel documents while in a queue. Credit: Mark Lovell
For those who like to travel with a water bottle, the exterior bottle compartment is adjustable, which prevents it from eating into the space in the main compartment, leaving more room for clothes and such.
We didn't have an issue fitting the Aer Travel Pack in any of the overhead bins during our testing process. Credit: Zach Lovell
The Aer Travel Pack 3 meets domestic airline overhead bin requirements, though it's likely too large to be considered a personal item, which usually fits under the seat in front of you. But if you don't use the full 35L of space, you can cinch the bag down with the external compression straps, and it just might fit.
This was an easy backpack to slide onto roller luggage when needing a two-bag system. Credit: Mark Lovell
Versatility
From weekend wedding outings to business trips, this backpack is likely to meet your needs. To make the Travel Pack 3 the ultimate do-it-all bag, a hip belt will make it more comfy for travel that requires long walks, but it is otherwise a go-anywhere bag. The style is clean, urban, and polished enough for business travel. It looks more professional than many outdoor-leaning travel packs.
The Travel Pack 3 leans towards travelers who want organization when they're on the go, but the main compartment isn't cluttered by dividers, so you can fit sandals and a towel, or dress shoes and suit. And we love that it has a slimmer profile that doesn't feel overly bulky or conspicuous when walking down the street or riding public transport. It gives the bag great crossover capability as a daypack at your destination, and you won't feel like a menace on the subway.
The Aer fit neatly into the overhead bin on all the flights we took it on. Credit: Mark Lovell
Should You Buy the Aer Travel Pack 3?
The Aer Travel Pack 3 is comfy, feature-rich, spacious without being bulky; almost everything our testers want to see in a travel backpack. It is a great choice for all-around travel for those who can't seem to leave their laptop behind. Its front “admin panel” is one of the best in the game, and the 35L size fits comfortably within common U.S. carry-on allowances, so you don't have to worry about gate-checking your bag. The only thing we miss is having a hip belt, which would hugely improve its comfort when hoofing it for several miles across town, or through long airport terminals.
Killing time at the airport before our flight takes off. Credit: Mark Lovell
What Other Travel Backpacks Should You Consider?
The Tortuga Travel Backpack Pro 40L is likely the closest match to the Aer Travel Pack. It is a bit larger and heavier, but includes a waist belt to better accommodate the heavier load. It's also significantly more expensive.
The Patagonia Black Hole MLC 45L is priced similarly to the Aer, and also has an excellent admin panel that is separate from the main packing compartment. This 45L bag packs the biggest punch in terms of capacity (MLC stands for maximum legal carry), though you may risk getting gate-checked on some airlines with a bag this big.
The Cotopaxi Allpa 35L offers a very different take on one bag travel, but is another of our favorites all around. It has a neat organization system akin to packing cubes in the main compartment, but it doesn't offer as much protection for tech like laptops or tablets as the Aer.
Side-by-Side Comparison
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