REASONS TO BUY
Both a backpack and roller bag
Easy to compress
Great rollers
Carries well
REASONS TO AVOID
Less stable handle
Wheels less comfy in backpack mode
No laptop compartment
Osprey Farpoint Fairview Wheeled 36L Review
This crossover bag can be rolled or backpacked depending on where you’re traveling
Credit: Zach Lovell
By Zach Lovell ⋅ Review Editor ⋅ August 4, 2026
RELATED: Best Travel Backpacks
Our Verdict
Some travel adventures require you to drag a heavier bag, but the Osprey Farpoint Fairview Wheeled 36L has wheels and a backpack carrying system so you can keep going when the sidewalk ends. This spacious model meets many airlines' carry-on requirements and can be compressed to fit in a smaller plane's overhead bin. While the Farpoint doesn't have the sturdiest telescopic handle, its one-bar design keeps the bag lighter when carrying it on your back, though we wish the wheels were slightly further away from our hips. Besides these qualms, put this go-anywhere model in your cart if you want the ease of a roller bag and the carryability of a backpack.
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 This Product
Osprey Farpoint Fairview Wheeled 36L | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  Best Backpack/Roller Hybrid |  Best Overall Travel Backpack | Best for Ultimate Organization | |  Best Travel Backpack Under $100 |
| Price | $330 List Check Price at Backcountry | $230 List Check Price at REI | $249 List | $250 List Check Price at REI | $96 List Check Price at Amazon |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Bottom Line | This crossover bag can be rolled or backpacked depending on where you’re traveling | A travel backpack that’s easy to live out of for trips of all shapes and sizes | If you need to stay organized on the road, this is the ultimate travel companion | An upgraded bag that boasts plenty of storage capacity and a removable laptop attaché in a sleek package | A spacious travel backpack that’ll save you money for your next plane or train ticket |
| Rating Categories | Osprey Farpoint Fair... | Cotopaxi Allpa 35L | Aer Pack 3 | Thule Subterra 2 Con... | tomtoc Navigator T-6... |
| Storage & Protection (35%) | |||||
| Comfort & Fit (30%) | |||||
| Ease of Use (25%) | |||||
| Versatility (10%) | |||||
| Specifications | Osprey Farpoint Fair... | Cotopaxi Allpa 35L | Aer Pack 3 | Thule Subterra 2 Con... | tomtoc Navigator T-6... |
| Laptop Compartment | No | Yes: 15", padded and fleece-lined | Yes: 16" padded and fleece-lined | No; padded and removable attache, 16" | Yes; 17" padded |
| Carry-On Friendly | Yes. It fits within the standard 22 x 14 x 9 carry-on limit, though wheeled bags often get looked at more closely. | Tight fit. Length and width are within most airlines requirements, but depth is 2 inches over many airline dimensions. | Yes. All dimensions are at/under the common U.S. carry-on maximum, so it should fit comfortably overhead. | Yes. Matches most US airlines bag requirements | Yes. All dimensions are at/under the common U.S. carry-on maximum, so it should fit comfortably overhead. |
| Anti-Theft Features | Lockable sliders on the main zipper, hidden valuables pocket | Lockable zippers on main compartment, fabric loops to secure zipper pulls of laptop pocket, main compartment, and larger external pocket | Lockable zippers on main compartment, hidden smart tracker pocket | Back panel pocket with side zipper | Lockable zippers, |
| Carry-On Sizes Available | 36L | 35L, 42L | 28L, 35L | 40L | 28L, 40L |
| Carrying Options | 2 grab handles | Removable hip belt, 4 grab handles, luggage pass-through loop | Removable hip belt (sold separately), 3 grab handles, luggage pass-through loop | 2 grab handles, duffel strap conversion, luggage pass-through loop | 2 grab handles, luggage pass-through loop |
| Pockets with Exterior Access | 5 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 6 |
| Measured Weight | 5.77 lb (36L) | 2.96 lb (35L) | 4.14 lb (35L) | 4.0 lb (40L) | 2.43 lb (40L) |
| Max Dimensions | 21.5" × 14" × 9" | 22" x 12" x 11" (35L) | 21.5" × 13" × 9" | 22" x 14" x 9" (40L) | 20.47" × 12.99" × 9" |
| Features | Telescoping handle, large wheels, suspension cage for ease of rolling, padded grab handles, breathable back panel, retractable shoulder straps | Wrap around suitcase-style zipper, 3 internal mesh pockets, stretchy water bottle pocket, front accessory pocket, key clip, side/top/bottom grab handles, pass-through suitcase strap, webbing loops, stow-away shoulder straps and hip belt | Lockable zippers, exterior passport pocket, load lifters, magnetic compression straps, lay-flat main compartment, compression straps, felt sunglasses pocket, large laptop pocket | Multiple carry options, zippered mesh pocket divider, shoe & laundry area, water bottle pocket, side, back, and top carry handles | Spacious laptop compartment that also fits tablet, dual access to main compartment, padded back panel, compression straps on both sides |
| Materials | Main: bluesign® APPROVED, 100% recycled 210D high-tenacity nylon, DWR treatment made without PFAS Lining: bluesign® APPROVED, 100% recycled 200D polyester, DWR treatment made without PFAS Bottom: bluesign® APPROVED, 100% recycled 420D high-tenacity nylon, DWR treatment made without PFAS |
Shell 1: 100% recycled 840D TPU-coated nylon Shell 2: 100% recycled 840D ballistic ripstop nylon Lining: 100% recycled ripstop polyester |
1680D Cordura® ballistic nylon exterior (bluesign® approved) | bluesign approved 800D nylon/polyester | 1680D abrasion-resistant polyester on bottom of bag, 400D ripstop polyester for rest of exterior |
Our Analysis and Test Results
We've often complained about the weight of our travel backpacks, especially on walking-intensive trips, but options like the Osprey Farpoint Fairview Wheeled 36L offer the convenience of wheeled luggage with the versatility of a backpack. Impressively, Osprey created this hybrid bag without compromising on rollability, and still offers a high-quality back panel that's pretty comfortable when huffing up stairs.
From long airport lines to cross-town walks, the Fairview can be rolled or carried depending on where you're headed. Credit: Zach Lovell
Storage & Protection
The Osprey Farpoint Fairview Wheeled 36L is a great travel companion that's spacious enough for a weekend escape or longer adventures if you pack smart and light. However, it doesn't have a laptop compartment and only offers minimal tech organization, which lowered its storage score a bit. The Farpoint Fairview also offers excellent protection, with metal reinforcements along the bottom and back of the bag to keep it from dragging on the ground. Osprey boasts excellent backpack construction and spared no expense with this bag, mostly using 210 denier nylon, which keeps the bag a bit lighter, but bumping up to a robust 420 denier nylon for the bottom of the bag where it's more likely to meet rough surfaces. The entire bag has also been treated with a DWR finish to repel some water.
For a 36-liter bag, the Osprey Farpoint Fairview Wheeled offers lots of room, partly because it doesn't have many dividers or exterior pockets that eat into the space. Its spacious main compartment is great for carrying dress shoes or formal wear, and it still has a few organizational pockets for easy access to socks or T-shirts. This isn't the right option if you need to travel with your laptop, though we often paired this with a smaller laptop backpack that held our electronics.
While there aren't a ton of pockets, the Fairview has plenty of space for essentials and trip-specific belongings, such as formal wear. Credit: Zach Lovell
This is a very robust model for its bag category and should be added to your list of contenders if protection is a priority. Wheeled bags inherently require more rigidity than carry-only models, and the reinforced back of the Osprey Farpoint Fairview Wheeled 36L is even more protective when the backpack straps are retracted. The bottom of the Farpoint also has metal suspension, so you can set the bag upright without worrying about your belongings.
This model's blend of tough fabrics and a metal structure on the bottom makes it a trustworthy travel bag for rough transit and some lighter rain. Credit: Zach Lovell
Comfort & Fit
We couldn't believe how comfortable the Osprey Farpoint Fairview Wheeled 36L was to carry, given that it's also a roller bag. Osprey included one of their well-loved back panels with the Farpoint, and the padded shoulder straps rest well against the chest and shoulders, even with a heavy load.
In addition to being well-padded, the Farpoint Fairview includes a chest clip to keep the shoulder straps better connected. This chest strap can also be slid up and down the shoulder straps to accommodate smaller travelers barely reaching 5 feet tall, or can slide up to fit someone pushing 6 feet in height.
The chest strap and shoulder straps were surprisingly comfortable for a hybrid bag. Adjusting the straps was also easy. Credit: Zach Lovell
The ridged padding pattern of the Farpoint Fairview goes across the entirety of the back panel, and it curves towards the back in the lower lumbar to better support the back when packing heavy. This ridge pattern, when paired with the mesh cover, allows decent airflow when needing to hoof it up a flight of stairs. The adjustable load lifters at the top of the backpack straps also let you adjust where the weight is felt on your back.
From the lower back support to the load lifters, our team greatly appreciated the Farpoint Fairview's fit and adjustability.
The Farpoint's biggest setbacks were its lack of a hip belt and the way the wheels hit the hips. As long as you treat this option as a roller bag first and a backpack second, the wheel location shouldn't be a big issue, but it might not be the right fit if you need a backpack for long stretches off-pavement.
The wheels weren't super uncomfortable, but they did occasionally bump into testers' hips and backside. Credit: Zach Lovell
Ease of Use
The Osprey Farpoint Fairview Wheeled 36L has a smooth set of wheels that are large enough to roll over cracks and curbs, so when it comes to transit, it is super easy to use. The backpack system is very easy to deploy or stow, so you can quickly transition from the sidewalk to the stairs, and the grab handles are well-padded if needing to hand-carry the Fairview. However, when it comes to living out of the bag, it doesn't offer as much organization, and only a few pockets with exterior access.
Any piece of hybrid gear typically makes some compromises, but the Osprey Farpoint Fairview Wheeled 36L is an easy-to-use roller bag and carries well. The retractable handle is more wobbly than a roller-only model, but we were still able to slide a computer bag onto the handle; we just had to be slightly more cautious about it swinging around on the single-stem bar. The sunglasses pocket was a welcome addition, and the interior mesh pocket made it easy to find essential clothing without fully unpacking the Farpoint.
The Farpoint Fairview has a great roller system for bumpier surfaces and can be easily converted to backpack mode in under a minute. Credit: Zach Lovell
If flying with the Farpoint, it also fits cleanly within most airlines' carry-on requirements, and was easy to toss into an overhead bin throughout testing. If needed, you can also tighten the compression straps across the front of the bag to give it a smaller profile.
It was simple and easy to slide the Farpoint into an overhead bin on an airplane. Credit: Zach Lovell
Our largest issue with the Farpoint Fairview's ease of use was its lack of pockets. This bag only has 6 pockets, including 2 water bottle sleeves, the main compartment, a mesh pocket inside the main compartment, and two small exterior pockets. Without a laptop sleeve, many travelers will need to bring a second bag, and if flying, that second bag will need to fit under the seat in front of them.
The main compartment and the mesh pocket inside that main compartment were easy to pack, but it's hard to organize electronics or bring along a laptop. Credit: Zach Lovell
Versatility
Given that the Osprey Farpoint Fairview Wheeled 36L is both wheeled luggage and a backpack, this is an incredibly versatile model, but only for some shoppers who don't need to travel with their electronics.
As previously mentioned, the Farpoint doesn't have a laptop sleeve or organizational pockets, which made it less useful as a one-bag system. Bringing a small laptop bag worked well, but without that, we had to use a separately sold laptop sleeve or leave the computer at home.
This go-anywhere bag is very versatile if you don't need to travel with a laptop, but you might need to bring a smaller backpack with you if you need to pack a computer. Credit: Zach Lovell
Should You Buy the Osprey Farpoint Fairview Wheeled 36L?
This is the ultimate travel companion that might even fill the needs of two bags if you're leaving your laptop at home, though it's fairly pricey. Roller bags are more comfy for concrete slogs, especially if you've got a heavy load, and the Osprey Farpoint Fairview Wheeled 36L can still be backpacked up a long flight of stairs to your hotel room or terminal with more ease than traditional luggage, which opens up a world of travel opportunities. However, it's not without some caveats. This is best for shoppers who generally plan to roll the Farpoint more than carry it, and are willing to bring along a second bag for trips that need better organization.
What Other Travel Backpacks Should You Consider?
If you like the simple design of the Osprey Farpoint Fairview Wheeled 36L, the Osprey Farpoint 40 is a more affordable option that still offers the great construction materials Osprey is known for, and is one of the most comfortable travel bags we've ever carried. It doesn't have wheels, but with a waist belt, great padding, and internal suspension, you likely won't miss them. The Farpoint 40 also has a laptop sleeve.
The Osprey Daylite Carry-On 35 is a budget bag with a simple interior, but is made with quality materials that we expect to last. It does not have a hip belt and the size is a bit smaller, but it is a great option for long-weekend getaways.
Consider the Cotopaxi Allpa 35L for a go-anywhere bag that offers more organization than the Farpoint Fairview, but still offers a streamlined design that makes it easy to find your next outfit. Its hipbelt makes the Allpa comfy for walking-intensive trips, and it can fit multiple screened devices in its computer compartment.
—Zach Lovell
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