Whether you're a writer, photographer, or just someone who has a long commute to work every day, the best backpacks are the most efficient way to carry a full day's worth of gear without having to fuss with annoying rolling bags or messenger bags that wreck your shoulder. These days, it's nearly impossible to go anywhere without at least one or two pieces of tech with you, and a tech backpack makes it easy to carry it all.
Tech backpacks are a huge commodity, with thousands of excellent options to pick from. These range from plain, empty bags to more specialized options with dividers, pouches, and pockets galore. These are some of the best backpacks that have been designed specifically to make carrying all your tech an effortless affair.
At a glance
1. Peak Design Everyday Backpack V2
Best overall
Say hello to the magnificent Peak Design Everyday Backpack V2. With plenty of pockets, slots, and all sorts of space, this 20L bag is the perfect tech backpack.
2. MOUS Extreme Commuter Backpack
Best heavy-duty
MOUS specializes in high-grade gear, like this robust Extreme Commuter Backpack. The sleek, waterproof backpack can hold all your things with ease and keep them intact, all thanks to its heavy-duty build.
3. BANGE Business Smart Backpack
Best value
Need something water-resistant well under $100? The BANGE Business Smart Backpack is a great value buy, with plenty of size options, configurations, and colors to choose from.
4. Matein Travel Laptop Backpack
Best budget
Matein offers the best tech and travel backpack under $50 that can fit laptops as big as 17 inches in screen size. It's not exactly the most robust pick out there, but it works fine.
5. Lowepro ProTactic BP 450 AW II
Best voluminous
The gigantic Lowepro ProTactic BP 450 AW II is designed to fit devices such as professional cameras, lenses, and computers as well. It also comes with a removable utility waist belt.
6. Fjallraven Foldsack No. 1
Best design
Looking for something less business-like and trendier? The eco-friendly Fjallraven Foldsack No. 1 is quite popular, looks good, and it's pretty spacious as well.
Best for travel
The travel-ready NOMATIC Travel Pack 30L is TSA-certified, so it meets international flight regulations for cabin carry-on sizing. It comes in a 20L size that can expand to a capacity of 30L.
8. Timbuk2 Authority Laptop Backpack Deluxe
Best premium
Timbuk2's Authority Laptop Backpack Deluxe is thickly padded and big enough to fit 17-inch computers and tablets. It features a simple look, with several easily manageable compartments.
9. Herschel Little America Backpack Classic
Best classic
Herschel's Little America Backpack is a well-loved backpack. The 25L Classic variant, in particular, has optimal space for all kinds of tech gear, such as laptops and accessories. That being said, it is not waterproof.
Best overall
Peak Design makes one of the most instantly recognizable backpacks around. The San Francisco-based company makes bags that put an equal focus on both aesthetics and functionality. The result is a bag that many of us on the Android Central team use every day. The Everyday Backpack V2 is available in 20L and 30L configurations to accommodate different body types and carrying needs.
The design is the same on either size and starts with a magnetic latch on the top flap that allows for quick access and helps keep others out. That flap, along with the rest of the excellent backpack, is protected by a hydrophobic coating that keeps water away from electronics. There are four metal bars along the front that you can attach the magnetic latch onto to adjust the storage capacity of the bag, and double up as a security measure that keeps passersby from easily getting into your bag.
Inside, there are several adjustable dividers that you can rearrange to fit your belongings perfectly, and the bag opens from the sides for easy access. The Everyday Backpack V2 is also covered in hidden compartments and expandable pockets that can hold everything from water bottles to small tripods. Peak Design even makes its own travel tripod that's specifically designed to fit in the Everyday Backpack's side pockets.
Compared to the original Everyday Backpack, the V2 brings with it a rounder, sleeker design with more flexible mesh compartments and smoother zippers that shouldn't break nearly as often. The straps have also been upgraded with considerably better padding, and new magnets keep the luggage passthrough and straps tidy when not in use.
The Everyday Backpack V2 isn't cheap by any means. But if you do a lot of travel and need a durable bag that can hold up to regular use and adapt to your ever-changing carry needs, it's a worthwhile investment.
Best heavy-duty
The sturdy MOUS Extreme Commuter Backpack fits everything and then some. This 25L backpack can store plenty of things without breaking a sweat. There's a huge main compartment with a thickly padded laptop compartment, zipped pockets, and more compartments inside. Everything is protected from the elements thanks to the bag's tough, impact-proof and water-proof materials.
The MOUS Extreme Commuter Backpack is perfect for carrying all your tech and gear. It has served me well and saved me the trouble of taking more than one bag on many occasions. You can attach speakers, keys, or other stuff to the loops. There's a side pocket that can accommodate a water bottle and a mini umbrella at the same time. The price is lower than Peak Design, but you get the same quality or arguably even better.
MOUS uses its proprietary AiroFoam technology to reinforce the whole Extreme Commuter Backpack. I've fit two 16-inch laptops, a 10-inch tablet, and a Bluetooth speaker, as well as other small accessories like a USB-C charger and Type-C cables in it. This tech backpack is both spacious and durable. Plus, the magnetic flap covers the main zipper completely, staving off pickpockets and thieves.
Best value
BANGE is one of my favorite brands when it comes to backpacks of all sorts. I travel internationally pretty often with my bags from BANGE and they've always served me well. This is why it's easy to recommend the Business Smart Backpack for all your needs.
BANGE's tech backpack is of excellent make. The entire thing is waterproof and there are plenty of pockets to store your knick-knacks. It has a hard shell with felt lining inside and there are plenty of sections. The soft lining combined with the outer shell provides solid protection for laptops and tablets. Bear in mind that laptops that are larger than 15.6 inches do not fit inside this tech backpack.
Just like Peak Design's bag, the BANGE Business Smart Backpack also opens up fully at a 180-degree angle. This not only makes it super easy to stuff all your gadgets and accessories inside, but also fastens up the process of finding something in a jiffy. There's a USB port on the outside so you can pop your power bank inside it and charge your phone on the go, without having to open it up.
You can choose from two size options, one which offers two pockets and another which comes with three. Between the black and gray color options, my personal favorite is the gray hue since it looks very classy. BANGE Business Smart Backpack is missing a side pocket to store a water bottle, but other than that this is a tech backpack that looks and feels premium, without costing the part.
Best budget
Not looking to spend hundreds of dollars on a mere backpack? Matein is here to meet your humble demands. The Matein Travel Laptop Backpack 17-inch costs less than $50 and still manages to provide quite a lot in its cheerfully cheap bag. You can open up the flap at angles between 90 and 180 degrees to fit your gadgets and accessories in there easily. It has plenty of compartments, pockets, dividers, and even a USB port. To add to that, it looks rather handsome and modern too.
Matein generously bundles a 17-inch laptop/Chromebook sleeve to stow away your portable computer. There are a few hidden pockets here and there, but not much else in terms of theft protection measures. The entire tech backpack is resistant to water, but Matein doesn't vouch for it to hold out against heavy rainfall. Bottom line is, don't live dangerously and drench this backpack.
You can grab the Matein Travel Laptop Backpack 17 Inch in gray, black, or yellow. In terms of sizes, however, there's only the one 17-inch model. If you plan on travelling with your tech, the Matein Backpack is quite useful as it's TSA approved. This also means that it will fit inside those tiny airplane storage cubbies perfectly. Folding the bag open at a wide angle of up to 180 degrees also makes for a quick bag check at the airport security.
Perhaps the most attractive quality of all is the Matein tech backpack's price. It is the most affordable bag on this list, and definitely the most budget-friendly tech backpack out there, period. The Matein Travel Laptop Backpack 17 Inch provides a nearly bare-bones experience, with some user-oriented features sprinkled here and there for good measure. We have no qualms naming it our favorite affordable tech backpack.
Best voluminous
Lowepro is one of the largest brands in camera bags, and the ProTactic is one of the company's flagship offerings with a heavy priority on camera storage. The front unzips to reveal one massive compartment, with plenty of re-arrangeable dividers to fit your exact payload. You can also unzip the top of the back for quick access to your most important gear (say, your camera body or some over-ear headphones), and there's room in the back for a 15-inch laptop.
There are other convenient features like a bundled tech organizing pouch, additional compartments for essential items like SD cards, and a breathable mesh padding to keep your back cool and comfortable. The ProTactic BP 450 AW II is clearly meant to sustain quite a heavy load without straining your shoulders too much.
The ProTactic BP 450 AW II is considerably cheaper than the Peak Design Everyday Backpack V2, and could be a better bag for some users. While it's not as cheap as the Matein bag, you do get a whole lot more for your hard-earned money. Think of it as a mid-range tech backpack. Much like a mid-range Android phone meets you halfway between the flagship experience and a mid-tier price, this mid-range bag brings you plenty of upper-tier features at an agreeable price.
Should you decide to go with Lowepro's tech bag to carry all your gear, you'll benefit even more by buying into the brand's 'ecosystem'. The company makes loads of companion accessories and add-ons to help you lug around even more stuff, if need be. These additional modular upgrades fit with the backpack as they are designed to pair well with the Lowepro ProTactic BP 450 AW II and other bags from the brand.
Best design
Fjallraven is a Swedish brand that has quite made a name for itself by prioritizing sustainable materials in its products. In line with that vision, its Foldsack No. 1 backpack is made of recycled and eco-friendly materials. The Swedish bag maker calls the stuff this backpack is made of 'G-1000 HeavyDuty'. It's a highly durable substance that can withstand water and wind, plus it can last for years and years.
The Fjallraven Foldsack No. 1 is a 16L tech backpack with buttons at the opening that pop open to make room for even more gear. You can fit a decent laptop that measures up to 15 inches inside. There are also compartments for your keys and other small tidbits inside. Externally, you'll find an extremely large, zipped pocket to stow away any more items that you want within your hand's reach.
Fjallraven's green backpack is designed to be comfortable as well as voluminous. Both the bag's shoulder straps, and its back panel are heavily padded to cushion the heavy carry load you'll bear while wearing it. In terms of security, you don't get clever mechanisms. However, the Foldsack No. 1 does have dual straps on the front that run down from the flap, tightly holding your backpack shut. If unfriendly hands wander into your tech bag, you'll surely feel the tug.
You can grab this eco-friendly tech backpack from Fjallraven for a lot lesser than anything from Peak Design or Lowepro. The Foldsack No. 1 may not offer numerous dividers or water bottle pouches, but it does bring a lot to the table. This lightweight bag looks fantastic, it has room for very many things on the inside, and it is long-lasting by design.
Best for travel
The Nomatic Travel Pack is a gorgeous backpack that can expand from 20L to 30L, giving you the best of both worlds between small size and large storage capacity. With a quick unzip, the Travel Pack can go from a lightweight day bag for quick trips downtown to a travel-ready bag that can fit several days' worth of supplies with ease.
Along with storage expansion and great looks, the Travel Pack also features a laptop compartment that easily folds out to expedite TSA encounters, along with a protected pocket for tablets. There's a mesh dividing wall inside the bag for separating items, and the Travel Pack even supports compression packing cubes for storing things like small articles of clothing.
You won't find any other color options, but we think the ashy hue looks fantastic as is. From a functional perspective, the NOMATIC Travel Pack leaves nothing to be desired. Your only complain about this elegant load carrying solution could be the cost, which is staggeringly high.
If you're not planning on upgrading your tech backpack for a long, long time after this purchase, it's a worthwhile investment. The NOMATIC Travel Pack fits nicely on an airplane and it has more than enough space to fit a 15-inch laptop, keys, phones, cameras, and just about anything else you'd carry in a tech bag.
Best premium
Timbuk2 has a wide range of backpacks at just about any price point, and the Authority Laptop Backpack Deluxe offers a beautiful blend of affordability, style, and functionality. It's a reasonably slim bag with a variety of color options that, like many of the other packs in this list, is loaded with pockets large and small for organizing your things, including an expandable side pocket on the outside to hold a water bottle.
For added comfort, the Timbuk2 Authority Laptop Backpack Deluxe sports sternum straps that can be tucked back into the shoulder straps when you're not using them, along with a mesh back panel to help keep your back and shirt dry. Best of all, the Authority Laptop Backpack Deluxe holds laptops as large as 17 inches, because — surprise! — not everyone owns a MacBook.
There's also a spot for stowing away your keys while you're out, and compression straps at the bottom of the bag let you tote around a large jacket, blanket, or, well, whatever else fits. Impressively, this brilliant tech backpack from Timbuk2 is made entirely of recycled materials. The brand puts its money where its mouth is by providing a lifetime warranty for all of its products.
Timbuk2's warranty is fantastic, allowing you to return the Authority Laptop Backpack Deluxe if falls short in any way due to defect. In compliance with this policy, the company will also repair your tech backpack for you.
Best classic
Herschel Supply Co. is based out of Vancouver and focuses on creating timeless pieces that never go out of style. The Herschel Little America Backpack comes in three different sizes, but the one that's best suited as a tech carryall is the Classic 25L variant. This lovely bag comes in over a dozen different colorways, but our favorite is the classic black option with brown saddles.
While the Herschel Little America Backpack Classic does miss out on water resistance, you get a generous amount of storage space. The backpack's straps are fastened magnetically, the back panel features a breathable mesh, and the shoulder straps are super comfy thanks to the soft padding. It is constructed with nylon and polyester, making it sturdy. You can fit a 15-inch laptop inside, and there's a built-in compartment to store it too.
There's a mid-sized pocket on the outside, but you won't find side pockets to store your water bottle. Hershel lined the insides of the Little America Backpack with fleece to keep your tech gadgets and accessories damage free. After some fiddling around, you'll find a few hidden compartments to secure your personal effects too.
The combination of drawstrings, straps, and buckles on the Herschel Little America Backpack Classic do a good job of warding off attempted thievery. Happily, this 25L tech backpack carries an attractive price tag, making up for its humble shortcomings here and there.
The best tech backpacks based on trial and experience
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Any of the backpacks in this list will serve you well, but if we had to choose, the Peak Design Everyday Backpack V2 remains at the top of our recommendations for best backpacks. Nearly half a dozen people on the Android Central team already use or have used the Everyday Backpack because it's such a versatile bag, and works equally well as a camera bag or a light day pack.
For me, the collapsible dividers have been incredibly useful, since I can adjust the sub-dividers on the fly without having to remove and reposition the Velcro walls, allowing me to safely stow away small lenses during travel and access them quickly when needed. The newly padded straps also make it dramatically more comfortable than the previous generation, which is especially nice when you're carrying loads of heavy gear.
There's no getting around that it's an expensive backpack, but that money is going toward a bag that you won't need to replace for years to come. If you're someone who uses their backpack a lot, and especially if you're a photographer or videographer who needs precise organization and quick access to their gear, the Peak Design Everyday Backpack V2 is an investment well worth making.
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