The Best Carry-On Backpacks To Travel With This Year, Based On Testing

Forbes

6 hours ago

While they can also be used in addition to other luggage, carry-on backpacks are designed to replace your suitcase should you find yourself in a situation where you can only bring one bag. The best carry-on backpacks comply with airline luggage size restrictions and offer space and organization for multiple days' worth of items. After testing over a dozen backpacks, we selected the Peak Design Travel Backpack 45L as our top overall pick, thanks to its thoughtful design that keeps tech and other valuable products protected in transit. For organization, the Topo Designs Global Travel Bag 40L also scored high marks, thanks to its numerous pockets and spacious interior.
The best carry-on backpacks are designed to replace your suitcase, keeping your belongings organized ... More on both short and long trips. ILLUSTRATION: FORBES / PHOTO: RETAILER
Our winners were chosen based on their materials, dimensions, weight, volume and interior organization. (Your backpack's interior volume and organization is especially important if this is the only bag you're traveling with.) For other key insights and recommendations, we also spoke with Lexie Alford, a travel content creator who has visited all 196 countries—many with a carry-on backpack. Below, the best carry-on backpacks to travel with in 2025.
Best Carry-On Backpack Overall: Peak Design Travel Backpack 45L
Best Value Carry-On Backpack: Coofay Travel Backpack
Best Carry-On Backpack For Organization: Topo Designs Global Travel Bag 40L
Peak Design Peak Design Travel Backpack 45L
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Dimensions: 22 x 13 x 9.5 inches | Weight: 4.5 pounds | Volume: 45 liters | Material: Nylon and polyester | Laptop compartment: 16 inches
Best for: A comfortable waistband for carrying heavy weights
Protection for cameras, tablets and other valuable items
Lengthier trips (more than 7 days)
Skip if: You want an external laptop pocket
Peak Design's travel backpack is comfortable, sleek, and holds plenty of gear, whether you're heading on a hiking expedition or exploring a new city with a camera in tow. It meets international carry-on size requirements and its expandable design provides up to 45 liters of space, which is more than enough room for a week-long trip. 'The main storage compartment is spacious and easy to access, and I was easily able to pack it with clothes, snacks and souvenirs,' says our tester. The interior also features an internal padded laptop sleeve and can be divided into two compartments with a mesh sleeve for better organization.
For photographers or content creators, this bag also stands out for its ability to safely and securely store valuable tech items. 'I used some of the brand's camera cubes to efficiently store lenses, bodies and accessories,' says our tester. 'It all packed very neatly inside, and it was comfortable to carry around thanks to the solid padding on the straps and back panel.'
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Forbes Vetted ratings are based on thorough evaluations by our editorial team to help you choose the best products with confidence.
Dimensions: 22 x 12 x 10 inches | Weight: 2 pounds | Volume: 35 liters | Material: 100% recycled 840-denier TPU-coated nylon | Laptop compartment: 15 inches
Best for: Interior design is similar to a suitcase
A durable, weatherproof nylon exterior
Mid-trip lengths (about 5 to 7 days)
Skip if: You're seeking a more minimalist design
The Cotopaxi Allpa 35L Travel Pack doesn't feature the same expansion as our top overall pick, the Peak Design Travel Backpack, but with enough space to hold up to 35 liters of items, it's an ideal size for mid-length trips of up to one week. It's also built with an impressive weatherproof nylon exterior that our tester found incredibly durable. 'I used this backpack on a week-long trip to Ecuador, and I felt confident that my belongings were protected (yes, even my laptop) when it was tossed into a small boat in the Amazon rainforest or carried to a remote cabin in the woods,' she says.
This bag is ideally sized for international airline cabins, and when it unzips, it lays flat like an actual suitcase, making it easy to find your belongings. There are also multiple mesh pockets (three in total: one large and two medium-sized compartments) to keep your items organized and easily accessible, as well as a separate laptop compartment and an external pocket for frequently used items.
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Forbes Vetted ratings are based on thorough evaluations by our editorial team to help you choose the best products with confidence.
Dimensions: 16.5 x 11.9 x 7.9 inches | Weight: 2 pounds | Volume: 25 liters | Material: Recycled nylon | Laptop compartment: 15 inches
Best for: Affordable price
Separate shoe compartment and wet pocket
Short to mid-trip lengths (about 3 to 5 days)
Skip if: You're heading on a longer trip
The Coofay Travel Backpack comes highly recommended by travel content creator Lexie Alford, who has traveled with it on her frequent trips that have spanned all 196 countries. 'It has so many different pockets,' she says. Aside from a laptop compartment, a shoe pocket with ventilation holes and several smaller mesh pockets on the interior, another benefit of this bag is its USB charging port, which allows you to charge your phone on the go (take note that the bag does not come with a charging port or cable).
At under $30, it's an affordable pick for travelers who want a solid backpack that doesn't break the bank. 'It has incredible capabilities for a fraction of the cost,' says Alford. With a 25 liter capacity, it's slightly smaller than others on our list, but it's a great size if you're headed on a three or four-day trip or plan to take smaller, domestic flights with limited overhead space.
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Forbes Vetted ratings are based on thorough evaluations by our editorial team to help you choose the best products with confidence.
Dimensions: 22 x 12.8 x 11 inches | Volume: 45 liters | Weight: 4.5 pounds | Material: Ripstop nylon with PU waterproofing | Laptop compartment: 16 inches
Best for: Weatherproof and durable exterior is ideal for outdoor-oriented trips
Clamshell design
Lengthier trips (more than 7 days)
Skip if: You're heading on a more city-oriented trip
For outdoor-oriented trips, we recommend the Matador GlobeRider 45 Travel Backpack, which offers 45 liters of space, a helpful harness system, and secondary shoulder straps to help balance and distribute the weight. It features a clamshell design with an internal shock cord to keep everything secure, as well as an external padded laptop compartment. An exterior pocket with smaller pouches provides an organized space for stashing cords and chargers that often get lost in larger bags.
What makes this bag stand out is its extremely weatherproof exterior, designed with PU waterproofing; thanks to its ripstop nylon material, it's also incredibly durable. 'I'm a chronic over-packer, but I managed to fit everything I needed for multiple activities and weather conditions all in this bag," says our tester. Read our in-depth review of this backpack here.
Forbes Vetted
Forbes Vetted ratings are based on thorough evaluations by our editorial team to help you choose the best products with confidence.
Dimensions: 22.5 x 14 x 7.5 inches | Weight: 3.6 pounds | Volume: 40 liters | Material: Recycled nylon | Laptop compartment: 15 inches
Best for: Organizational pockets; no packing cubes required
Rectangular shape that maximizes available space
Lengthier trips (more than 7 days)
Skip if: You're easily overwhelmed by pockets
Interior organization is one of the top features to prioritize in a carry-on backpack, and the Topo Designs Global Travel Bag offers it in spades. This backpack stands out for its impressive array of mesh pockets, including expandable side pockets perfect for a water bottle and umbrella. 'It was massive; it felt like the space kept going and going and you could put more and more in it,' says our tester, who used this bag on a recent week-long getaway to Washington.
Despite its capacity, the padded back panel and shoulder straps ensure you remain comfortable when on the move. Load-lifter straps and a sternum strap help balance the weight, making it more manageable. Plus, there are multiple grab handles on the sides and top.
The Forbes Vetted travel team has researched, written and published dozens of in-depth roundups on luggage , including the best luggage , best carry-on luggage and best lightweight luggage . Katherine Louie , the author of this piece, is a lifestyle editor with extensive experience covering travel and lifestyle topics.
, the author of this piece, is a lifestyle editor with extensive experience covering travel and lifestyle topics. The travel section is overseen by Vetted's senior travel editor, Astrid Taran , an eight-year industry veteran who has visited over 40 countries. Some of her recent work includes the best carry-on luggage and the best luggage .
, an eight-year industry veteran who has visited over 40 countries. Some of her recent work includes the and the . Louie also gathered key insights and guidance from Lexie Alford , a travel content creator who has visited all 196 countries and broke the Guinness World Record as the youngest person to travel to every country at the age of 21.
We relied on expert advice, independent reviews, research and personal experience to select our top recommendations for the best carry-on backpacks. Our travel editorial team evaluated more than a dozen different bags for this review. Our winners were evaluated based on their materials, dimensions, weight, volume, interior organization and durability.
We researched all the brands featured on this list to ensure each has a strong reputation and positive reviews, focusing on models with an average rating of at least four stars and a negligible number of concerning reviews, if any.
Forbes Vetted editors and staffers tested our top five selections for several months. They provided detailed feedback on the luggage, scoring each piece on a scale of 1 to 5. We narrowed our final selections by focusing on the luggage that scored higher than 3.
The final products on this list reflect in-depth research conducted by our writer and meticulous vetting by the editorial team.
When traveling with a carry-on backpack, it's essential to find one that can withstand frequent handling, accommodate all your essentials and still meet airline size requirements. Remember that an ideal carry-on backpack can serve as a replacement for your suitcase if you find yourself on a budget airline or other situation in which you can only travel with one bag. Dimensions
The most important consideration when selecting a carry-on backpack is its dimensions, as it should meet the airline's size requirements to avoid unnecessary baggage fees. Your bag should fit comfortably in the overhead bin and should not exceed 2 x 14 x 9 inches. However, be sure to check the size requirements of the airline you're flying before you begin packing. The Peak Design Travel Backpack 45L has an expandable design, which is helpful if you plan to pick up souvenirs on your journey, and the Coofay Travel Backpack is slightly smaller than the other options on this list if you're looking for something to bring on a smaller aircraft. Materials
Carry-on backpacks are available in a range of materials, but the most common are rip-stop nylon, polyester or a blend of the two. Both nylon and polyester are incredibly lightweight and durable, and can withstand rough handling. It's also a good idea to look for a bag that has a waterproof or water-resistant coating, especially if you plan on using your backpack for outdoor activities like hiking. Interior Organization
The best carry-on backpacks have thoughtful organization that makes it easy to find your belongings. Look for an option with multiple interior compartments, which can prevent smaller items from getting lost. A padded laptop sleeve is also a valuable feature, and an exterior pocket allows you to stash items you reach for frequently, such as a passport or wallet.
The Matador GlobeRider 45 Travel Backpack has multiple interior and exterior pockets to keep you ... More organized. HANNAH SINGLETON FOR FORBES
What Is The Best Size Backpack For A Carry-On?
Carry-on bags should be able to fit in the overhead bin and cannot exceed 22 x 14 x 9 inches. Always check the size requirements for the airline you're flying with ahead of your flight, as each airline has its own specific guidelines.
Which Brand Of Backpack Is Best For Traveling?
All the brands we highlight in this guide make excellent backpacks for traveling. However, after carefully evaluating more than ten different options, our top overall recommendation is the Peak Design Travel Backpack 45L. It's made from a durable blend of nylon and polyester, and has enough space for longer trips thanks to its expandable design.
What Is The Best Carry-On Backpack For Flying?
The best carry-on backpack for flying is the Topo Designs Global Travel Bag 40L, which features numerous organizational pockets (no packing cubes required) and a lightweight exterior that won't add extra bulk. Plus, the padded back panel and shoulder straps make it comfortable to carry through the airport and beyond. More Luggage Stories To Shop: