17 Travel Backpacks Put Through Years of Editor Testing

Condé Nast Traveler editors tested 17 travel backpacks across planes, trains, cars, buses, cruises, cities, hikes, and safari trips. More than a dozen editors spent months or years carrying the bags, packing them full, lifting them into overhead bins, and judging their weight, space, features, price, and durability.

The selection includes Away’s Large Featherlight, which weighs 1.2 pounds and holds 18 liters, with a laptop sleeve, passport compartment, two bottle pockets, and a washable design. Monos’ Metro offers the same capacity, fits a 15-inch laptop, and includes a detachable pouch for small essentials. Calpak’s Luka Laptop is roomier at 22 liters, with a flexible, spill-resistant exterior and a dedicated computer sleeve. Editors also highlighted a waterproof option that proved useful during a flash flood while catching an Amtrak train toward Connecticut. Across the group, luggage sleeves, padded straps, laptop storage, and carry-on flexibility help the bags work for both transit days and short stays.