The 9 Best Backpacks of 2024

Best Everyday and School Backpack

Osprey Nebula 32

Volume: 32 L | Electronic Storage: 17" laptop compartment with sleeve

The Osprey Nebula 32 packs a punch with a streamlined, supportive fit and heaps of useful features that can seamlessly carry you from school and work to the multi-activity fun of the weekend. You may be surprised to learn a brand most associated with innovative backcountry backpacks also earned top honors among our favorite school backpacks. But this smart, hyper-versatile daypack offers what few others can: all the lightweight strength and support of a best-in-class outdoor pack paired with a smart, travel-friendly design, all wrapped in a compact, urban-ready exterior. Students will love the abundance of storage space and large, highly functional pockets, while the easy-access TSA-approved clamshell compartment will prove just as valuable for handling laptops in the classroom as at the airport. And, even under heavy loads, you can trust your back, shoulders, and stowed gear will be well protected. A super hard-wearing, water-resistant 420D nylon exterior is stretched over a sturdy Atilon frame with thick ridge foam across the back and shoulders. This, when paired with an equally admirable suspension system, delivers superior structure, padding, and stability for a super comfy all-day fit. Come the weekend, these same high-performance features easily transition to trail, bike, or farmer's market, including the option to switch out your laptop for a hydration pack (using the helpful pass-through port at the neck) for more rigorous outings.

Very few everyday backpacks can provide this high level of comfort, protection, and functionality. So the Osprey Nebula 32 is worth the price. Yet, we recognize it won't be right for everyone. For those with a lower budget and similar needs, many of the same great features can be found in the slightly less expensive Patagonia Refugio 26L. Or, The North Face Jester would also make a nice choice for anyone willing to sacrifice a little bit of convenience on the organizational side in exchange for excellent comfort and stability at a great mid-range price.

Best Low-Cost Everyday and School Backpack

Volher Travel

Volume: 30 L | Electronic Storage: 15" laptop sleeve

The Volher Travel is a high-performing yet deeply affordable, tech-forward daypack that is equally at home on a commuter train, at the airport, or in the classroom (winning a top place among the best school backpacks we tested). We wouldn't even be surprised if it made a regular appearance at the gym or as a diaper bag around town. At an impressive 30 liters of storage, with cushiony soft structural padding and a myriad of organizational pockets and tools of convenience, this is a backpack built for people on the go. Busy travel professionals, students, and travelers alike will gravitate toward its urban casual style. And all will appreciate the carefully curated set of transit-friendly design components, whether that be its built-in USB and headphone ports, a velcro-secured laptop sleeve, optional locking zippers on the main compartment, or an extra thick grab handle. It even has a handy back strap for easy attachment to the telescoping handle of a rolling suitcase.

Of course, sometimes when you save in cost, you lose foundational strength or performance benefits. We found this somewhat true with the Volher. Although it is built with generous padding, it lacks a correspondingly supportive suspension system to help avoid strain on the back and shoulders. For a bag that lends itself to large loads and tends to see weight settling toward its bottom, it could be vastly improved with a few additional options to adjust fit. Similarly, we have some doubts about the bag's long-term durability. Common themes across some reviews include poor stitching, holes in the fabric, and faulty parts. The bag we ordered was delivered with a broken USB port. But with a multitude of design perks and an extremely low price point, it remains a gamble some will be very comfortable taking. Two backpacks with a strong cross-over in design to the Volher include the Matein Travel Laptop and the Tzowla Travel Laptop.

Best Laptop Backpack for Most People

Timbuk2 Authority Deluxe

Volume: 20 L | Electronic Storage: 17" laptop & tablet

The Timbuk2 Authority Deluxe is our pick for the best laptop backpack for most people. It has an entirely separate padded pocket at the back of the bag for a 17-inch (or smaller) laptop. It also has a second padded laptop sleeve in the main compartment. We are big fans of the padding on the back and shoulder straps. They have enough cushion to keep this pack comfortable with a full load and also facilitate more airflow to stay less sweaty than the average pack. Water beads well on most of the exterior and this pack has a fully waterproof bottom for protection from wet ground.

Our primary issue with this pack is that it's not very deep. It fits flat items like folders, notebooks, and binders well but doesn't have a ton of capacity for clothing. For the hydration hounds among us, it can also only accommodate a skinny water bottle in its exterior pocket. These dings aside, this is our favorite option for high-protection, high-quality laptop protection that will more than satisfy the needs of most office-goers. If you really need extra organization and are willing to spend more to invest in your commuter bag, the Incase Icon is another backpack we love to use daily.

Read more: Timbuk2 Authority Deluxe review

A High-Quality Laptop Backpack on a Budget

The North Face Recon

Volume: 30 L | Electronic Storage: 16" laptop and small tablet

The latest version of The North Face Recon stole the hearts of our traveling and commuting testers with its impressive all-around performance and usability for a reasonable price. Easily fitting a 16-inch laptop, this 30-liter backpack is filled with pockets and sleeves in all the right places to keep us organized on the go. Great back padding and shoulder straps combine with a longer-than-average torso to provide all-day comfort. The ability of the Recon to stand upright on its own makes it that much easier to work from the train, airport, or library. And with the addition of some clever features like reflective loops, a sternum whistle, and a water hose port, this pack is ready for more than just the office.

The design of this ergonomic back panel works well for all but bending forward on a bicycle, where that unpadded center section can start to dig against your protruding spine. The third pocket is spacious but can be too easy to overfill, making it more challenging to access the main compartment, as this pocket protrudes into that space's opening. While we love the durable water bottle pockets, they can feel a bit stiff and are harder to access without swinging the bag off one shoulder. For a similar but slightly smaller and marginally less expensive bag, we also love The North Face Borealis, which fits a 15-inch laptop and swaps the external mesh pocket for a crisscrossed bungee cord.

Read more: The North Face Recon review

Best Backpack for A Lot of Tech

Incase Icon

Volume: 17 L | Electronic Storage: 15" laptop, second laptop, & tablet

The Incase Icon takes another top spot in our laptop backpack review for its ability to protect and carry multiple devices. It boasts great organization and protection with three separate compartments for keeping all your large items organized. There's a laptop pocket, an embedded sleeve for a second laptop, and a separate pocket for a tablet. The total volume of this pack is 17 liters, and it features a wide array of auxiliary pockets for other work necessities. This pack excels at keeping all your tech well-organized.

For everything this pack has to offer, it is highly specialized and compartmentalized. It is meant for a lot of technology, and those who like to stuff everything into one main storage compartment might not love the multiple main compartments and variety of pockets. However, we think this is a great, versatile option for carrying all your gadgets and more. If you want to carry a lot of photography-specific gear, we love the Peak Design Everyday, that comes at a pretty penny but has all the best protection and organization for your camera equipment.

Read more: Incase Icon review

Best Carry On Travel Backpack

Osprey Sojourn Porter 46L

Available Sizes: 30L, 46L, 65L | Pockets with Exterior Access: 5

If you are looking for a backpack to take with you on your next trip, and maybe even take the place of your standard carry on suitcase, consider a specialized travel backpack. The Osprey Sojourn Porter 46L is a backpack specifically designed to haul your clothes, gear, and other travel essentials securely and comfortably on your back. It's large enough to hold a week's worth of supplies, while internal and external compression straps help compact everything down. The 100% recycled and durable ripstop nylon is rugged and water resistant, which helps protect items from airport floors, train trolleys, and the occasional rain shower while walking to your hotel. Travel backpacks are designed to keep you mobile, and the harness system on the Sojourn Porter is quite comfortable. A supportive back panel, well-padded shoulder straps, and a firm waist belt all bear and distribute the weight of your gear comfortably. If you're traveling with electronics like a laptop or tablet, the dedicated laptop sleeve has protective padding and external access zippers.

We love that the Sojourn Porter can be the only bag we need to pack on a trip, but this does mean that it can get a bit bulky. The large main pocket and compression straps make it fairly easy to overload this bag. It can get bulky when crammed full of clothes. The external shell-style compression straps are quite stiff as well. While this helps give more structure, it also prevents the bag from laying flat when you unzip it, so access is a bit like digging into a duffel versus a suitcase. Still, we found the Sojourn Porter to be a very comfortable bag to live out of, whether it's a weekend trip or travel for work, and we highly recommend it for travelers looking to stay mobile. Another great option that is incredibly pleasant to live out of while traveling is the Cotopaxi Allpa 35L. This user-friendly travel backpack has integrated packing cubes and mesh pockets on the interior of the bag to keep all your items organized during travel, and it unzips completely flat for easy access.

Read more: Osprey Sojourn Porter 46L review

Best Simple and Affordable Daypack

REI Co-op Flash 22

Volume: 23 L | Weight: 0.8 lb

The trusty REI Co-op Flash 22 stands out for its value in our daypack review. This pack has evolved over the years and the latest iteration has a number of new pockets and ways to lash items to the outside while remaining very light. It's a versatile minimalist daypack that is surprisingly comfortable. We were impressed by how well this ultra-lightweight pack carried loads. It has a thin piece of foam padding for a frame, side pockets for water bottles, and an ice axe loop. It doesn't have much more than those features, but that's usually all we want in a daypack anyway. We've been using versions of the Flash for over a decade now, and the newest version sets the standard for affordable and lightweight daypacks. We've even used this pack for running. And while it bounces around a bit, the lightweight build makes it work well enough for moving quickly on the trail.

With a single layer of ultralight fabric, the Flash 22 isn't the most comfortable or durable pack out there. However, the ripstop nylon it's constructed with is durable and easily patchable if you do experience any wear. This pack isn't great for heavy loads, but we don't expect that from a sub-one-pound pack. If you want a little more comfort and durability, we recommend the slightly heavier and more expensive Osprey Daylite Plus. If you're looking for an affordable pack that works for hiking, commuting, travel, or bringing along backpacking as a day pack, both the Flash and Daylite are great choices. Both are available in multiple sizes and colors as well.

Read more: REI Co-op Flash 22 review | REI Co-op Flash 18 review

Best Hiking Daypack

Osprey Talon 22

Volume: 23 L | Weight: 1.7 lb

The Osprey Talon 22 is consistently one of our favorite daypacks, and every year it seems to get better. This year, we honored it as our favorite lightweight daypack in our best daypack review. This pack has a very versatile design that's loaded with useful features. It has a dependable, lightweight design that carries weight better than most smaller packs. Its suspension system is similar to those on larger packs, which makes it very comfortable for many different activities. The flexible frame and padded hip belt keep this pack securely in place while you move down the trail. Osprey's AirScape design on the back panel allows for plenty of airflow between your back and the pack, preventing your back from getting too sweaty. Other features include a hydration sleeve, an ice axe loop, trekking pole holders, a helmet-carrying system, and even a place to attach a blinking light.

As you might expect with a smaller volume pack, this isn't the best for carrying a lot of layers or extra items. For that, we would recommend the REI Co-op Traverse 32, which is more comfortable and has 50% more storage for a relatively modest increase in weight. The Osprey Talon 22 is great for light and fast day trips and moves well with you. For day hiking, mountain biking, and bike commuting, you'd be hard-pressed to find a better option than the Talon 22.

Read more: Osprey Talon 22 review | Women's version: Osprey Tempest 20

Best Women's Hiking Daypack

Gregory Jade 28L

Volume: 28 L | Weight: 2.6 lb

The Gregory Jade 28 is the best women's daypack for longer hikes. With a large 28-liter storage capacity, this pack will comfortably carry all your gear wherever the trail or the day takes you. The plush, supportive hip belt evenly distributes heavier loads across your hips. Although the larger storage capacity makes it easy to accidentally overpack, the plush padding and supportive frame easily absorb the additional weight.

Because of its larger storage capacity and supportive suspension system, the Jade 28 is definitely on the heavier end of the women's daypacks we tested. But, since the pack does such a good job of supporting and distributing the load, it remains comfortable even when it's fully weighed down. If you want a smaller pack, we recommend the Osprey Tempest 20, which scores nearly as well but is smaller and lighter. The Jade has all of the features you'd expect from a high-end model, including hip belt pockets, a FreeFloat mesh back panel, and plenty of adjustability. Whether you're hauling your kids' gear around town for the day or loading up a full day's worth of trail essentials, the Jade 28 is the ideal pick when storage capacity is important.

Read more: Gregory Jade 28 review

How We Test Backpacks

Over the years here at GearLab, we've tested more backpacks than we can count. We tested packs on the trails, on our bikes, at school, at the airport, during our daily commutes, at the crag… You name it, and we've been there. Additionally, we take empirical and quantitative measurements like volume, weight, and size to compare models side by side in each category. For example, we have purchased thousands of ping pong balls to measure volume: we don't just take the manufacturer's word for it as we find many companies measure volume differently.

For this review, we compiled test results from over 300 different models in total, all purchased at retail prices from many of the same popular merchants you likely shop at. You see more details of how we test in each of our backpack reviews. For example, see how we test travel backpacks.

Why Trust GearLab

To lead the extensive testing for this review, we have four contrinbutors well-versed in the world of backpacks. Myrha Colt lends her experience from a lifetime of travel. Having lived on 6 continents, working, playing, and studying, Myrha knows the value of being prepared for whatever the day brings and rarely leaves home without a backpack. She leads our school backpack testing and offers valuable insights into testing for other types of packs as well. Sam Schild is an avid backpacker with close to 10,000 miles of backpacking experience. His list of completed big trails includes the Grand Enchantment Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, Continental Divide Trail, and Colorado Trail. When he's not out on a backpacking trip, you can find him mountain biking or trail running in Colorado's Front Range or bikepacking somewhere in the American Southwest. He uses a backpack to carry all the essential gear on all his adventures. Hale Milano has lived life on the road as both a weekend warrior, global traveler, and weekday business traveler. He's logged hours in airports, trains, and other types of travel carrying gear on his back in everything from a satchel to a 100-liter duffel bag, to dedicated hiking backpacks and specialized travel backpacks. Ben Applebaum-Back is an outdoor guide and student and has used backpacks for everything from daily school and work commutes to thru-hiking trails in northern New England. In addition to these four, our team includes a host of experts who use different styles of backpacks for international travel, backpacking trips, and during their day-to-day commutes; each one maintains an eye for meticulous evaluation when putting these bags to the test.

Our teams tested and rated all these backpacks for different qualities depending on the pack type and its intended use. We tested for durability, comfort, weight, features, volume, ease of use, water resistance, style, accessibility, and more. We packed and unpacked them all. We hiked, we biked, and we went through airport security with them. We loaded up our precious laptops and tablets in them. In short, we put all these backpacks through the wringer to find the best of the best.

What Type of Backpack Is Best For You?

Choosing the right backpack for your intended use is important. You might be loading it up with heavy gear and wearing it for long hours, so you want to be sure it has the right features to organize and carry your gear and that it comfortably fits your body. Different types of backpacks can often be used interchangeably, but having the right design might make the difference in quickly accessing your camera to get that once-in-a-lifetime shot, keeping your valuables protected from the elements, or keeping your hips, back, and neck comfortable on long hikes. We'll walk you through all of the different types of packs available to help you decide which features are right for you.

Where Do You Want Your Pack To Go?

Before choosing a backpack, it's important to know what you're planning to do and where you're planning to go. If you want a pack that will organize and carry all of your essentials to work or school, that will be a very different size and shape compared to a larger backpack for travel or backpacking. If you're going to be hiking with your backpack, do you want something small for fast and light day hikes, or something heftier for multi-day adventures? Maybe you just need a hydration pack to carry water and a few essentials. Getting the right pack will make your hikes, commutes, or travels more comfortable and convenient.

Travel Backpacks

Travel backpacks are made to be efficiently carried on airplanes, trains, buses, and cars. The best travel backpacks are usually designed with a large, easily accessible main storage compartment, along with lots of pockets to organize gear and clothing while traveling. They also often have a number of adjustable carrying methods, like removable backpack straps, shoulder slings, and comfortably padded grab handles.

These packs will usually have minimal external features, so they can easily be stuffed into overhead bins, car trunks, or other tight spaces. They are typically moderate in size — somewhere between the size of a daypack and a large backpacking backpack — in order to meet airline carry on size requirements and to maintain a comfortable carrying weight. Our favorite models have great internal organization features, protective electronics pockets, and comfortable harness systems.

Laptop Backpacks

Laptop backpacks are typically small to moderate in size and have specific design features meant to carry a laptop and other electronic devices. They usually have a well-padded internal sleeve or multiple sleeves to protect your laptop or tablet. They might have specially designed compartments for things like extra battery packs or charging cords. Because these bags carry delicate cargo, protection is one of the most important and heavily weighted factors we consider in our testing.

Most laptop bags have a more sleek and stylish look that fits into an office or urban setting. However, there is a wide range of options available today, and you can find some that look more sporty, techy, or minimalist. Laptop bags are a great option for protecting your valuable electronic equipment, and many have enough extra space for things like textbooks, lunches, gym clothes, your favorite umbrella, and other essentials to complete your commute to work or school.

Daypacks

The best daypacks usually have fairly simple and versatile designs that make them ideal for any type of day trip. Those day trips can be on a hike, a bike ride, or even just a stroll around the city. Depending on your intended use, may value different specs in your daypack, but in general, the bags on your shortlist should be comfortable, versatile, and easy to use.

Daypacks need to be large enough to fit everything you'd need for a day out – snacks, extra layers, a first aid kit, and more, but small enough that they you aren't packing around a lot of extra fabric for just a few items. They're also great for commuters since they usually have multiple water bottle pockets, one for coffee and one for water, and enough to carry all your daily essentials. Many hiking-specific daypacks will have more technical features like a separate internal sleeve for a hydration reservoir, hip belt pockets, and additional external straps to secure things like helmets, trekking poles, an ice axe, or even skis.

We also have a best sling bag review with fanny packs, too. They provide a great place to store water, snacks, and your wallet, keys, and phone, but stay off your shoulders and back to reduce strain.

Bike commuters who want to reduce strain on their back, neck, and shoulders while riding can also use bike panniers that clip onto your bike rack. Some models even convert to backpacks.

Women's Backpacks

Many hiking daypacks and backpacking packs come in women's specific sizing, too. Although many women can and do comfortably wear men's or unisex models, women's packs are usually sized to more closely fit women's anatomy. This means a women's pack usually has a shorter torso length, narrower-set shoulder straps, and a wider hip belt.

How to Pick the Best Backpack for You

Once you've figured out the backpack style that best suits your needs, looking at the specific design features of different individual models will help you narrow down the field considerably.

Pack Size: Storage Volume and Weight

Choosing the right pack size depends on what kind of gear you need to carry and for how long you need to carry it. A bigger pack will obviously be able to hold more gear than a smaller one, but it will almost always weigh more than a smaller pack. This might not be so important if you're just carrying your pack on the bus or to the office, but it becomes more critical if you're hauling gear for longer distances or time periods — like around town for a full day, on a long hike, or on a multi-day backpacking trip.

Smaller and lighter packs usually have more minimalist features for supporting heavier loads and tend to get uncomfortable more quickly once you load them near their full capacity. Conversely, heavier packs with more robust suspension systems might feel awkward if they're only minimally loaded but will feel more balanced and comfortable when loaded with an appropriate weight that utilizes the hip belt and suspension system.

General Sizing Guidelines

Depending on your intended use, most packs will fall into these general size ranges:

• 5 liters to 20 liters: Most hydration packs and smaller daypacks; ideal for fast and light outings of a few hours.

• 15 liters to 30 liters: Most daypacks, school bags, and laptop backpacks; ideal for a full day's worth of gear for work, school, hiking, or around town.

• 30 liters to 45 liters: Larger daypacks, most travel backpacks, and smaller technical hiking and climbing packs; ideal for an overnight or weekend outing.

• 45 liters to 60 liters: Larger technical hiking and climbing packs and smaller backpacking packs; ideal for 2-4 day outings.

• 60+ liters: Most backpacking packs; ideal for 5+ day outings.

Comfort and Fit

All backpacks have shoulder straps and a back panel. What sets different packs apart from one another in terms of comfort and fit is a suspension system is what distributes the weight of the pack between your shoulders and hips. If a pack has no suspension, then all of its weight will rest squarely on your shoulders. This is okay for lightweight loads, but for heavier loads, it will be a pain in the shoulders.

The most comfortable and supportive suspension systems include an internal frame that supports the weight of the pack, a padded hip belt that transfers the load to your hips, shoulder straps that comfortably help balance the load, load lifter straps that help adjust how the pack sits on your back, and a supportive and ventilated back panel. Together, these pieces make for a comfortable pack capable of carrying heavier loads more efficiently.

A pack's hip belt is just as important as the shoulder straps. Generally speaking, the more cushioned a hip belt is, the more comfortable it will be. A hip belt should also be wide enough to not dig into your hips or stomach. But, if a hip belt is too wide that can also cause discomfort. Hip belt comfort is very dependent on body type. So, it's best to try a few different packs to figure out what works best for your body.

Lastly, a pack's back panel is what rests on your back. Not all back panels are created equally. A good back panel will have enough cushion to rest comfortably on your body. Our favorite back panels are made with some sort of mesh material to allow air to flow between the pack and your body. We've all had a sweaty back from wearing a backpack on a hot day; this mesh helps with that.

Other Pack Features

It's important to look for a pack that has the features that you need and doesn't have a bunch of extras that you don't need. Don't just buy a pack with a lot of features because it has a lot of features. Buy a pack with the specific features you need. These extras are usually simple in design but have a specific intended use.

If you plan to regularly carry a laptop in your backpack, then be sure it has a protective pocket or sleeve for a laptop. If you need to carry multiple drink bottles, get a bag with big, functional water bottle pockets. If you want to quickly access a rain jacket or other layers without opening your pack, then get a pack with a big enough outside mesh pocket.

If you're using your pack for travel, get one with enough compartments to carry what you plan to travel with and keep that stuff organized. If you want a pack that carries a hydration bladder, be sure it has a designated sleeve for that. If you need to carry a sleeping pad on the outside of your pack, be sure it has straps and buckles for that.

Conclusion

This guide should help make your backpack-buying decision a little bit easier. Be realistic about your goals and needs. The aforementioned list of packs is the best of the best. So, choose the one that fits your needs the best from this list and get out there. Rest assured that we will keep buying, using, and reviewing the best backpacks in the industry to keep this list current.