What is as important as the material inside your bag? The bag itself. We have made for you a selection of backpacks that are perfect for laptops, but also for other everyday devices.
It’s great to have devices, but you also need to be able to transport them safely every day. Whether it is to go to work, school or the weekend, nothing better than a backpack to carry your laptop, a tablet or any type of device such as a bluetooth speaker or a action camera.
Choosing the right one, on the other hand, is not so simple. The choice is really plethora and there is something for all uses and especially for all tastes. And if you can be tempted to choose your bag based on its design alone, it’s rarely a good decision.
For this reason, we have made for you a small (not exhaustive and very subjective) selection of backpacks to carry your laptop. Feel free to mention your favorite bags in the comments!
Best Laptop Backpacks:
Peak Design Everyday Backpack: the backpack for photographers
Impossible not to mention Peak Design when talking about a backpack. In just a few years, the Californian brand has become a benchmark in the sector, with particularly excellent bags for transporting mirrorless cameras.
The best known is the everyday backpack, which came with a simple but ambitious promise: a good camera backpack that is also capable of being a good everyday backpack. All this with a look for once not too ugly, something still rare in the world of photography. This last point is quite successful if you like modern and refined designs.
Available in 20 and 30 liters, the bag is roomy and full of pockets. Photographers will greatly appreciate the dedicated photo compartment accessible from both sides of the machine. If the latter suits the highlights perfectly, however, it will be a bit too roomy for more compact hybrids that risk floating.
We conclude this summary with the absolutely impeccable build quality. We really appreciate the use of magnetic closure mechanisms that are both stronger and more resistant. It comes with a lifetime guarantee.
Excellent services that, however, come at a price: €300 for 20 liters and €315 for 30 liters. A salty bill, but the quality is there. If you’re looking for an alternative, the Wandrd PRVKE is one of our little favorites with its large, flat accessible photo compartment.
Chrome Industries Buran III: For Cyclists
Do you spend a lot of time on your bike and are you allergic to panniers on the luggage rack? so try a Messenger bag. Originally used by bike dealers, these panniers hang easily on the back without being as bulky as more traditional backpacks.
Made by US-based Chrome Industries, the Buran III is a capacious briefcase, accepting laptops up to 17 inches (not too thick, mind you) in a separate, protected pocket. Its total capacity is 24 liters, which allows you to go out for the day without being cramped. As you’d expect, there’s a collection of easy-access pockets to store all your accessories.
Among the great strengths of this bag, we highlight its impeccable manufacturing quality. The combination of a 1050D nylon fabric on the outside and a waterproof lining makes it absolutely indestructible. Unlike many bags of this type, it is also able to stand on its own (it is more practical than you imagine). We also love the shoulder strap that removes with a seatbelt-style buckle—it’s puncture-proof and easy to use. And the icing on the cake: it doubles as a bottle opener.
If it’s not the best looking on the market, the Buran III offers excellent value for money, usually around €135.
Wenger Reload: a reinforced laptop bag
The Swiss brand Wenger has made a name for itself in the world of backpacks. Renowned for the strength of its products, it offers a wide range of business-oriented luggage. Their backpacks are especially well padded and reinforced to protect devices such as laptops. We have chosen the Reload 16 model here, which shines with its particularly minimalist design.
In this model, without tabs, pockets and nets everywhere: the Wenger Reload stands out as a bag specially designed to transport a laptop, of course, but while remaining very sober.
Opt for a rectangular format that is perfectly adapted to the storage of a laptop PC (maximum 16 inches), thanks to a dedicated and padded compartment. There’s also a dedicated pocket for a 10-inch tablet, as well as an organization system for accessories like chargers. Obviously, the back and straps are padded for comfort. It is available in black and gray, as well as in a 14-inch format.
Eastpack Out of Office: an updated classic
We all (or almost) had an Eastpak bag (more or less decorated with white) in high school. But what many people don’t know is that the American brand offers models with much less gritty adolescent connotations, like the Out of Office.
Available in a multitude of colors and fabrics, it is sober and you will have no problem finding one to your liking. Eastpak does not seek here to offer an ultra technical product, but something simple and effective.
Thus, there is a large main pocket accompanied by a padded slot for your laptop, as well as the everlasting front pocket. However, be careful, it will be suitable for small models. This backpack cannot fit 17-inch laptops.
Officially sold for 63 euros, it can be found everywhere for around 40 euros. Add to that a 30-year warranty against manufacturing defects and you’ve got excellent value for money.
Timbuk2 Classic Shoulder Bag: For Those Who Travel Light
Want a slightly more compact (and affordable) messenger bag? The Timbuk2 classic shoulder bag is, as its name suggests, a safe bet. Available in various formats, it is size S that interests us here. It can accommodate a 13-inch laptop. With 14 liters of total capacity, we stay in a compact model, you will not spend your whole life charging, but it is enough for essential objects.
The bag is simple and uses strong fabric. If the design is not very original, the presence of a dozen available colors is greatly appreciated. Its small size makes it comfortable to carry as long as you don’t try to overload it. Among the few criticisms we can make of it, we highlight a scratchy closure that wears a little quickly and a front pocket that opens downwards. If you forget to close it, you risk losing its content.
The classic Timbuk2 crossbody bag is not the most technical of this selection and that’s why we love it. At $80, it’s a steal, especially given the lifetime warranty.
Wenig backpack: for small budgets
Don’t want to spend a lot of money on a backpack? There are interesting models for beginners like this classic Wenig backpack. Let’s say it once, you will not choose it for its design or its finishes, for less than €40 you will have to settle for a basic water-repellent fabric and a design that we will classify as forgettable, but which has the advantage of being discreet. .
On the other hand, we appreciate the attention paid to the features, some of which are even downright interesting. For example, there is an external USB port that allows you to deport the connector of an external battery. Convenient to easily recharge a device in transport. A small padlock is also present, if it does not stop a motivated thief, it will limit the risk of opening the main pocket.
Its capacity is 22 liters and it comfortably houses a laptop up to 17 inches. Wenig was also generous in the many and varied pockets. While not as durable as other models in this selection, this backpack is a good budget option.
Choosing the right laptop backpack
What size for your laptop backpack?
The right backpack is above all the one that best suits your needs. Start by making a small list of what you will take daily, add some “unforeseen” items (books, clothes, etc.) and you will have a good starting point for knowing what to bring. Choosing a larger bag “just in case” is usually a pretty bad guess, as it will be bulkier and heavier than a proper bag. Generally speaking, a volume of 15 liters will be more than enough for daily use. A 30-liter bag will have enough capacity to go on weekends with spare things.
How to properly organize your backpack?
Without going to extremes of organizing hikers, here are some tips for using your bag well:
- Start by loading the bulkiest and heaviest items (such as laptop), keep them as close to your back as possible and at the bottom of the bag for better balance
- Use and abuse storage bags, especially for accessories like chargers or cables. This not only makes them easier to find, but it will also prevent their metal parts from damaging other objects.
- Invest in a sleeve for your computer or tablet. While all of the models picked here have a dedicated padded slot, a dedicated pocket costs just a few bucks and prevents accidental damage, especially to the screen.
- avoid keeping valuables such as a wallet in an easily accessible outside pocket, as they are targets for pickpockets, especially if you take public transportation.
- Empty (and clean) your bag regularly, you will be surprised at the amount of useless things or small pieces of debris that can be forgotten at the bottom of a bag.
- Invest in a tracker like the Apple AirTag or Samsung SmartTag+. Well hidden, they make it much easier to recover a lost or stolen bag. We tell you more in our guide to the best connected keychains.
How to correctly adjust your backpack?
Adjusting your bag well can prevent you from hurting your back, luckily this is very easily done:
- Load your bag with a typical load, then loosen all straps
- Put the bag on and then adjust the straps, they should not be too tight. The top of the bag should not exceed the shoulders and the bottom should not exceed the buttocks. You should be able to get your hand between your back and the bag.
- Use chest or waist straps if available. They allow better weight distribution.
- It’s a bit cliché, but wear BOTH straps…
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