The Ultimate Guide to the Best Laptop Backpacks in the US: Expert Tested Picks
While you can toss a laptop into just about any bag, the best laptop backpacks are specially tailored to pamper what is likely one of your most expensive and delicate possessions. These bags feature padded pockets lined with soft, non-scratch materials, easy access to your computer without unpacking everything, and numerous extra pockets for portable mice, chargers, and other accessories. Add in all the standard backpack considerations such as capacity, comfort, and durability, and you have a lot of factors to consider when choosing the right one.
Why You Should Trust This Review
I have been a tech journalist for 13 years and a frequent traveler, flying over 70,000 miles in 2025 across 41 flights, totaling seven days and six hours in the air. I visited 12 airports and six countries, not to mention countless steps, ride shares, and hotels. As someone who tends to pack more than needed and has a bad back, I am uniquely motivated to find the perfect backpack, making this an obsessive quest for years. Backpacks also speak to my love for planning and organization, which the testing process allowed me to fully indulge.
How I Tested the Backpacks
To test these 11 backpacks, I first packed for a typical work trip, including a laptop ranging from 13 to 16 inches, a tablet, multiple phones, plugs, chargers, batteries, and bungee cords. My loadout also included three tech bags: one with video gear like a selfie stick and lav mics, one with flight essentials like snacks and battery packs, and one with chargers, cables, and adapters. I packed each backpack using its compartments as designed, walked half a mile with each, and tested waterproofing by simulating rain in a shower. I also adjusted straps, tested zippers 25 times, and timed access to easy-reach pockets.
The Best Laptop Backpacks in the US
Best Overall: Mission Workshop Meridian Backpack
Priced at $395, the Mission Workshop Meridian backpack offers pockets for days, a semi-modular design for customization with add-ons, and tons of space. It easily held everything I wanted to pack with room to spare, providing a home for every item. All three of my tech bags fit in the main compartment, and everything else had its own pocket, making organization clear. The sample included two add-ons: a slim side pouch perfect for phones or battery packs and a bottle pouch. Laptop access is excellent with a separate compartment, and it scored highest in waterproof testing. However, it might strain personal item rules on airlines and lacks locks or hidden pockets for security.
Best for Travel: Peak Design Travel Backpack
Starting at $239.95, this bag features an unusual design where you rest it on its face and open the back, hinging 180 degrees for easy access to the main compartment. It is ideal for weekend trips, comfortably carrying clothes, a laptop, and accessories. With 30 liters of capacity, it includes organization around the periphery, smaller zipped pockets on the side, and larger ones inside the front. Loops allow for strapping extra gear. The downside is that the design takes getting used to, strap adjustment is difficult, and waterproofing is only okay with some water ingress.
Best Budget: The North Face Vault
Available from $45.50, the North Face Vault is a basic but competent laptop hauler at a fraction of the cost. It has a generous main compartment and a smaller top compartment with pockets for small items. Deceptively deep, it holds a lot if needed, making it serviceable for most tasks. However, it is not waterproof at all and not very comfortable for extended periods due to thin straps and little padding.
Best Sling Bag: Tomtoc Navigator – T24 Sling Bag (Small)
Priced at $61.99, this sling bag holds a ton of gear in 7 liters with impeccable organization, including pockets for a laptop, tablet, and e-reader. An outer pocket is perfect for quick-access items, and a security pocket facing your back safely stows valuables. The strap adjustment is hard with an overengineered buckle, and it is the smallest bag on the list, possibly insufficient for plane rides.
Best Rugged Bag: Pelican PX25 Aegis Travel Pack
Starting at $229.95, this bag features a rigid exterior built to shrug off impact, making it ideal for harsh environments. It is essentially one large compartment with a small top compartment and a laptop sleeve, offering open space for customization with Velcro ModPaks. However, it has virtually no organization, almost no water resistance, and may attract lint from pets.
Other Notable Bags Tested
Best Convertible Backpack: Helinox TERG Daypack 3-Way Bag
Priced from $149.95, this bag converts from a backpack to a messenger bag, offering versatility. The main pocket is surprisingly large with two auxiliary pockets, but it lacks organization and security, knocking it down from top picks.
Best Weekend Bag: Knack Medium Backpack
Starting at $235, this bag expands from 24 to 35 liters with a unique design accessing the laptop sleeve from the side. It felt like designers had clever ideas but couldn't bring them together coherently, and it is not water-resistant at all.
Best Secure Bag: Tomtoc Navigator-T71 Laptop Backpack 24L
Available from $87.99, this bag offers lock latches on zippers for security, though only on the main pouch. It has terrible water resistance and is not very comfortable to carry.
Best Baby Bag: Huhu Everyday Diaper Backpack
Priced from $195, this bag is great for new parents or travelers, with tons of pockets and a design for baby items. However, it lacks security and wastes space on baby features for non-parents.
What Else to Know About Laptop Backpacks
When choosing a laptop backpack, consider capacity, organization, security, waterproofing, and comfort. Prioritize based on your needs, such as day trips versus weekend travel. To test comfort, try it on with dummy weight if possible, and examine strap attachment and zipper pulls. For the laptop sleeve, look for bottom padding to protect against drops and waterproofing to prevent water absorption. If a backpack lacks pockets, use packing cubes and tech bags for organization. In rain, cover the backpack with a garbage bag or carry it by the handle, and dry it thoroughly afterward to prevent trapped moisture.
