Best Laptop Bags and Backpacks – Complete Review
If we were to ask you to let go off your laptop, we’re sure that you’d swat our hands at the first try. Wouldn’t you? In fact, everyone in their sanity would do so. After all, the laptop does hold a dear place in our hearts and lives. Such is the extent of care for laptops that we are always on the lookout for things that can protect and bolster the life of our dear piece.
What if we were to say that laptop bag would the best piece of investment that you can make to extend the life of your laptop. Let go off all the software updates, encryption and all, then think of it, wouldn’t the physical safety of it matter the most? We bet it does. Maybe that’s a reason why the sale of best laptop backpack is skyrocketing.
But therein lies the rub. With so many laptop bags and backpacks available out there, one is bound to get confused. So would that mean that you’d have to swim through the adversary all alone? Nope, my friend. We thought of profiling the best laptop bags and good backpacks around the market and line them out for you so that you have an easy job on deciding upon one or more of them.
We’ll first help you around with the buying guide and let you know of the parameters set by us while reviewing these backpack for a laptop. We’ll further quantify the different types or variants of the laptop bags available around and provide details on how each of these different options has their own sense of importance.
Let’s start off the show, then! Shall we?
Table of Contents
The Buying Guide for Best Laptop Bags (The Major Factors)
A perfect laptop bag would help you carry around your laptop with ease and even keep it safe. In fact, these days’ laptop bags have themselves evolved a long way from their yesteryear’s history. You can lay your hands on next-gen laptop bags that come equipped with charging stations within it. Isn’t that a great option to have around.
Here’s us with a basic overview of the guidelines set by us about the laptop bags making the cut on our list. We’ll follow with the brief descriptions of the set guidelines along with that.
Basic Requirements:
- Need for designated laptop sleeve or compartment
- Ample sleeve size to fit the laptop
- Sturdy cushion and support
- Easy to carry around or commute with
Here’s us with brief explanations of these aforementioned parameters of laptop buying guide. Read along.
Need for designated laptop sleeve or compartment
- Think of it. Would you designate a bag as a laptop bag if it didn’t have the basic of the things? A laptop bags needs to have a designated sleeve or compartment where one can keep our pretty piece of machine safe and protected. A backpack with laptop sleeve allows you to set your laptop apart and not get it mixed along with other items like notebooks, cables, other devices and water bottles if any.
Ample sleeve size to fit the laptop
- Many would discount this factor, but if you’re to look closely this one is one of the biggest hunches of laptop bags. Although laptops bags come predominately with dedicated sleeve or compartment, not many can fit the laptops of every size. We’ve seen quite a few laptop bags which scores heavily on other aspects but are limited to the size that it can hold. Normally laptop bags should come with sizable compartments of at least 16-inch.
Sturdy Cushion and Support
- Since laptop bags come with a responsibility of providing your laptops with the best piece of care and handling, it needs to have a sturdy cushion underneath that shall provide enough support against any bumps and rides. To be fair, every once in a while, your laptop bag is bound to take a hit. A sturdy cushion and support will help you greatly in regressing the impact of the hit.
Easy to carry around or commute with
- Laptop bags aren’t meant to be kept inside the closet, are they? They are meant to help you traverse around or commute with the laptop on your back or on your side. A laptop bag should possess the sturdy cushion whilst at the same time offering enough comfort to help you ease your way. The straps and the carrying pattern affects quite a lot of how we use the laptop bags.
Other factors that you should take Care off
We talked about the functionality in the above cordon. We’ll look at the other aspects that make the difference while going for a laptop bag down below.
Price
- Price remains one of the key factors when going for a laptop bags. Many times, we tend to compare the features against the price and decide the best value factor of the same. Usually, the market offers a great bunch of options of which some tend to on the high note of price while some come at an affordable tag. We’ll look through both sides of the story when going for the best laptop bags and best computer backpack in our review down below.
Preferences
- Every individual out there possesses a different set of preferences. Someone might find a backpack laptop pattern more suitable for their needs while the other may find the messenger option the best. Then there are other traits like weight and all too. One may want a lighter piece of laptop bag while the other one may want a heavier model. Add to the list the additional options like charging stations within and you’re filled with potential for different preferences.
Different Types of Laptop Bags
Rather than looking at limited options around, we went further and lined up laptop bags as according to their different types. The types we’re talking about are commuting backpacks, messenger, charging backpacks, budget options, design-based and more. We’ll line them up for you so that you have an easy time when we finally take on these variety of options and review them around.
We will follow up with the good backpack brands among the market available at this date and also go through best backpack brands down below in this segment. Rather than going by a boring never ending list, we did a segregated version of the same with best picks under different heads. That way you can decide on the one as per your need and requirement. If you’re looking for where to buy backpacks, then as for reference we picked these from amazon.
Let’s head downstairs and have a glance at the laptop backpacks reviews. Shall we?
Best Buy Laptop Bag & Backpack
Commuter Backpacks
- Commuter backpacks need to be sturdy and be comfortable at the same time. Since these are meant to handle the daily traveling over around either in public transport or even on a personal piece of automobile, they need to hold their high up against any such adversary. These further need to be versatile and functional.
- Although a good many designate themselves as commuter backpacks, not many can hold the baton for long. We enlisted only the top backpacks of the lot down below in our list for you to reckon.
Winner: Booq Cobra Squeeze
Runner-up: Osprey Flapjack
1. Booq Cobra Squeeze (Best Commuter Bag-Winner)
Booq, a known name in the laptop bag niche, offers a great option when it comes to commuting laptop bags. Ranked as the best commuter backpack, this efficient piece is spacious and can hold much of the stuff whilst at the same time offering compactness. The bag does seem a perfect option and can be heralded as one of the best laptop backpacks for professionals.
The bag is manufactured by Cobra Squeeze and comes with a dome shape that can offer enough space without it ever creating weird bumps or raises. In fact, your bag won’t ever look like it has been overstuffed adhering to its design. It is made up of ballistic polymer and has herringbone nylon interior. It’s also one of the best slim backpack of our list.
The dedicated inner compartment can fit laptop up to 15-inch MacBook Pro or a 16-inch Ultrabook. It also has inner sleeve compartment for squeezing in your tablets. Add to it the presence of two easy-to-access zippers on the either side of the backpack where you can keep your smartphone, it spells great use. The side pockets also have extra padding to help you avoid any scratches or more. This could be the best option for college students with laptops.
The peculiar design of the bag allows it to redistribute the weight so that the shoulder and the back don’t feel the pain at the end of the day. It also comes with water-repellent fabric to help you battle those rainy sessions around. If that doesn’t keep you on your toes, then here something more for you. It comes with serial number tracking system which helps in recovering your bags even if it is lost. Doesn’t that spell as the best urban backpack.
- Dome design allows redistribution of weight.
- The presence of extra padding for safety.
- Comes with the serial number tracking system.
- Doesn’t seem overstuffed or shows weird bumps
- Does cost quite a few bucks
2. Osprey Flapjack (Runner-up- Best Commuter Bag)
If you’re looking for a laptop bags with a modern look and plenty of storage inside, then this one would be an optimum choice for you. Although Booq Cobra Squeeze takes the plaudits in this segment, this one does come a close second and is sure to offer your fine value for money. Add to it being a slim laptop backpack, and its set to hit the markets running.
It has a modern look and comes with a waterproof laptop case inside. The backpack has plenty of storage and provides enough space to squeeze in all your stuff. It also has reflective graphics and comes with blinker light attachment allowing you handy support when commuting even in the evening. The bag has the same reflective pattern on the front too.
The bag weighs just 2.01 pounds and is pretty lightweight to carry around. The main sleeve compartment allows you to tuck in your laptop in with ease. It can fit laptops up to 15-inch into it and has an additional protective shell offering greater security against any bumps and drops. The bag also has an additional compartment for tablets and other equipment.
The inside front pocket of the bag has small pouches along with a webbed pattern for storing cords and more. It’s a nifty piece of bag and is definitely a great one for commuting around. Add to that the added bonus of company offering a guarantee against any damage or defect and it spells a great deal.
- Pretty lightweight to carry around.
- Has water-resistant build.
- Comes with blinker light attachment.
- Has greater shell protection.
- Does pale around in comparison with others.
- Could see further improvements in the design and look.
Messenger Bags
- Messenger bags are one of its kind in a way that no other backpacks come close to replicating what a messenger bag offers. Messenger bag backpack are worn over a shoulder with the strap allowing it to across the chest and rest on the lower back. Messenger bags are often used as part of the corporate world and by people who don’t want those two straps going down on their backs.
- We’ll also look to line up briefcase kind of laptop bags under this segment. And as for starters, we have got three options under best laptop briefcase with us down below.
- These are also quite durable and come with a thicker gauze of straps and shielding. It allows a user easy access to the contents all the while ensuring comfort while handling.
Winner: The Messenger by Pad and Quill
Runner-up: Timbuk2 Proof
3. Peak Design Everyday Messenger Bag 13 inch
Placed as one of the top rated backpacks in the best laptop messenger bags , this one is from Peak Design. This bag is known for its high-value offering and comes with the highest grade of materials. The bag has taken grasp of the market when it comes to messenger bag variant and isn’t going to go down anytime soon. It’s certainly one of the best laptop bags for men.
For the first timers into messenger bag segment, it might feel a little odd just holding onto one strap all the while. But, let it grow onto you and you’ll never have a better laptop bag than this one. The bag has a relaxed feel to it and will allow you easy access to any of the compartments needed for the purpose. A fine choice as a best business backpack.
You can store your laptops up to 13-inch into the main compartment while the secondary will allow you to store our mobiles and other stuff. The bag is a great piece for office use and can suit your lifestyle with ample cohesion. It comes in two color options in form of Tan or Charcoal Grey.
- Is made up of high-grade
- Has parachute grade nylon stitching.
- Great to carry around
- Can’t fit laptops over 13-inch.
- Will take time for first timers to grow into it.
4. Timbuk2 Proof (Runner-up-Best Messenger Laptop Bag)
If you’re looking for more of a versatile option that can suit your official and casual needs both, then this laptop messenger bag is the one you should have around. It’s one of the unique messenger bags and is pretty nice looking bag that you can carry around as best daypack and proudly flaunt around. The bag has plenty of room around and yet doesn’t feel heavy, unlike others which makes it one of those cool computer bags.
This one, a backpack briefcase comes with a separate sleeve that can fit laptops up to the size of 15-inch. The main compartment still harbors space apart from the laptop sleeve and can fit an external keyboard along with your iPad Mini, mouse, notebook and more. The bag has an adjustable strap that allows it to be fitted as per the need of the person.
The bag has additional cross-body straps for providing ample stabilization which seems perfect for moments when you’re about to go gung-ho. However, this strap is fully removable and can be removed when not required upon.
The bag is made up of waxed canvas and has genuine leather trim along with it. The wax canvas adds up as a protective shell against rain. The zipper used therein with the bag is of premium quality and holds for a pretty long time. The bag also comes with lifetime warranty and that makes it a fine option to purchase by.
- Has ample storage.
- Is made up of waxed canvas which protects against rain.
- Uses high-grade
- Comes with a lifetime
- The shoulder strap might feel short for tall men.
Charging Backpacks
- Kind of like the new kid on the block, this one has been a recent revelation in terms of backpack genre. The times when you had to fear for your laptop draining off fast in absence of a charging point or access if long gone. The inclusion of charging ports within the bag allows you to just connect your device to the port and let it fill up.
- Charging Backpacks come with an inbuilt battery that acts as a power bank and allows you to charge your devices efficiently. However, the presence of battery does make it a little heavier than normal backpacks. But that shouldn’t be an issue if you trade in the benefits it offers.
Winner: STM Drifter Energy
Runner-up: North Face Resistor/Inductor
5. STM Drifter Energy (Best Charging Laptop Bag-Winner)
It’s time we introduced the coolest backpacks available around the market in our list in form of charging laptop bags. Currently listed atop as the best pick among the segment is the STM Drifter Energy. The laptop bag comes with rechargeable energy pack making it the best tech bag around.
The bag is a great upgrade on the previous normal bags and comes with more than decent protective layers. The battery pack of this one is 3500 mAh and comes with temperature sensing so as to prevent it from overheating. The device has secure storage to keep your smartphone safely inside all the while keeping it charged.
The main compartment of the bag has a laptop sleeve with a 15-inch capacity which would fit your MacBook Pro with ease. The sleeve is further padded making it a padded laptop bag and is attached to the backside of the bag rather than the bottom side. The attachment of the laptop sleeve to the back side will allow your laptop to remain suspended in the air as opposed to lay on the ground when you set your bag down on the floor. This way, the laptop won’t face a prospect of needing to deal with bumps and drops.
Other compartments of the bag have ample pouches and straps to keep your cords and other equipment safe. The phone and camera can be easily stored in the fleece-lined pocket which will ensure there’s no scratches and bumps on the same. Furthermore, it will also keep the laptop and the other equipment a compartment apart from themselves reducing the chances of bumps.
- The presence of 3500 mAh battery allows devices to be charged.
- Has separate compartments for laptop and other equipment.
- The laptop sleeve is attached to the backside rather than the bottom side.
- Does feel a bit heavy.
- Won’t score much on the design aspect
6. Mancro Laptop Backpack w/ USB Charging Port (Runner-up-Best Charging Laptop Bag)
If the above one doesn’t intrigue you much adhering to some compliance on their part, then this one will hint as for the best piece for you in charging laptop bags. This one here is part of the Mancro line up of products and comes with great functionality of which we’ll discuss further on. It’s a technician backpack and is meant to be used as such.
As of norm, Mancro are one of the best laptop bags manufacturers and are known for their hard resistance and a perfect option for outdoor trips. And having the same feature will make it hard to use for when traveling around. As a result, this one is made on a versatile line so that it can be used efficiently around.
It comes with a secure padded sleeve that can accommodate up to 17-inch laptops which make it a perfect fit for any laptop out there. The backpack can be laid flat open so as to open up the laptop sleeve. The front portion of the bag has a D-shaped compartment with zippers which allows access to the battery pack. That way you can reach the battery pack to charge your devices.
The fleece-lined pockets allow you to store your tablets and smartphones around. The bag also has a suspension system in the ilk of the state-of-the-art for shoulder strapping and has a mesh back panel that won’t get drenched in sweat even after using it for hours.
- Comes with multiple color choices.
- A 17 inch laptop bag.
- Has secure padding.
- State-of-the-art suspension system.
- A little heavy to carry around.
Fine Looking Laptop Bags
- Why would one devote a whole segment to the looks? Well, simply because it matters. Laptop bags come in different designs and orientation. There are quite a few options which although sturdy and great in functionality fall short on the designs and looks.
- We’ve seen many opt for backpacks for laptops based on how they look. We thus decided that we’d line up a new segment of best laptop bags by design. And we found quite a few options for this one.
Winner: eBags Professional Laptop Backpack
Runner-up: M.R.K.T Evan Backpack
7. eBags Professional Laptop Backpack (Winner-Best Looking Laptop Bag) 
If we were to classify the available laptop bags on the basis of best looks and design, then this one from eBags will win the game hands down, although there are quite a few able deputies. This bag bears great design aspect and has fine performance too making it one of the best backpack for laptop. Here’s us with an overview of this bag.
Also classified as the best office backpack, this bag has attractive looking design and is comfortable to use for. The bag comes with durable filament polyester material as the exterior. It also uses DuPoint Teflon fabric inside it making it a sturdier option. It’s surely one of the cute laptop cases around.
It comes with multiple compartments for storing a laptop, other equipment, notebooks, water bottle and more. It has a crush proof AC adapter garage along with a zipper based pocket for storing water bottles and more. The bag has a one of the best laptop cases that can hold laptops up to 15-inch. However, unlike other bags out there this one also allows you to accommodate 17-inch laptops too by removing the additional padding over there. That way it can be deemed to have capacity for 17.3 laptop bag. Not just that you can even make it as a computer backpacks if MacBook’s aren’t your thing.
The bag is equipped with a top loading tablet pocket that has a fleece lining and can fit tablets up to 11.5 inches in height and 8.1 inches in width. Then there’s a top handle fitted on the bag which makes it convertible option into a briefcase. That way you can turn the bag into a professional kind of setup.
The bag has horizontal luggage pass-thru panel that makes it easy to hook onto a piece of luggage when you’re transporting or traveling it into an airport. For those who want to use this bag as a normal backpack and not as a luggage or briefcase, its padded straps and mesh panels offer a great experience and won’t cause lethargy to you even when carried for long. The bag also comes with a removable shock-load strap that can be used in case you’re carrying a heavy load around.
- Uses high-grade
- Has great eye-appealing design.
- Can be turned into a briefcase when needed.
- Comes with removable shock load strap.
- Has ample space to fit even the 17-inch laptops.
- Bottle holder can be improved upon.
8. Incase Icon Pack (Runner-up-Best Looking Laptop Bag)
If you’re in dire need of something that would provide quite an impression and uplift your image around, then head over to this one. It’s one of the fine laptop cases. This stylish backpack is a great piece to have and comes with ample space around. It certainly is one of the best laptop backpacks for men around. Here’s what we make up of it.
The bag has a spacious feel to it and has a unique interior to it which makes it water repellent. One of finest backpacks with laptop sleeve, this bag comes with enough space to fit in your laptop bearing 15-inch dimension and has additional space for keeping tabs on textbooks, novels, water bottle, tablets, smartphones and more.
The bag will hold the shape even after using it on a rough mode for quite a while. In fact, even fitting all the aforementioned stuff into it won’t make it feel bloated or stuffed to the core. And that’s necessarily a good thing to have.
- Great design aspect.
- Comes with fine padding.
- Enough space to squeeze in your stuff.
- Holds the shape well for long.
- Does seem to have lesser space than other backpacks.
- The straps can be an issue if worn for a longer period of time.
Travel Bags
- What if you aren’t just limited to a short commute to office or home and would rather be involved in long duration travel around. In fact, think of the time when you’re out traversing around the country and need your laptop to be part of the itinerary.
- It’s at times like these that travel laptop bags come in handy. Rather than just limiting itself to small space like other laptop bags, these travel bags allows you to hold a lot more. We included quite a few of them too down in our list.
Winner: Incase EO Travel Backpack
Runner-up: Just Porter Sable Rucksack Backpack
9. Incase EO Travel Backpack (Winner-Best Travel Laptop Bag)
Incase, a known name in the backpack industry, they offer quite stylish and top-notch products under their lineage. This one from them is a travel backpack and is the benchmark setter in the segment. As a result, it is placed at the top of the pile of travel laptop bags for us. Read along to know more about it.
The bag comes with a clamshell design so that it can be opened with ease at the time when required. The bag can fit in all your stuff required for a big trip around the country and still hold up tight. As for stats, the bag can be expanded up to 35% more when needed upon by releasing the compression straps placed on the side.
The bag has shoulder straps and with the padded support that helps in soften the load on the shoulders. The mesh lining on the back is breathable and helps to keep the sweat away in times of travel. The fabric used in the bag is water resistant and can be useful when traveling across stormy weather.
The bag’s inner compartment can fit laptops up to the size of 17-inch making it a 17 laptop bag. That way you wouldn’t need to worry about having to cramp your beloved 17-inch Ultrabook into it. Furthermore, it is also allowed as a carry-on luggage if you’re traveling via air.
- Best travel laptop bag.
- Can be expanded by 35% for added storage.
- Is a waterproof laptop backpack.
- Comes with the easily accessible clamshell design.
- Not suitable for daily use and commute.
- Does feel a bit larger than other options around.
Budget Laptop Bags (Added Bonus)
Rather than ending the list on a sour note, we thought of adding a new segment that shall offer another option for you all. Under this one, we’ll look through some of the fine value for money options available in the market.
Winner: Solo Pro Laptop Backpack
Runner-up: Samsonite Classic Business 3 Gusset Business Case
10. Solo Pro Laptop Backpack (Winner-Best Budget Laptop Bag)
Lined up as our first pick among the best cheap backpacks available around, we stopped by this one. Solo Pro Laptop backpack is essentially the best among the rest and features all that we need from a laptop bag. The Solo laptop bag is a classic notebook backpack and makes up for a best city backpack.
The bag is made with the polyester material making it a welcome water resistant piece. The bag has reliable padded laptop sleeve where you can place your laptop. The fit size for laptop differs with the editions as at the moment they have two products lined up in form of 15-inch ones and 17-inch ones. The bag has a main compartment where the laptop can be placed along with other compartments for storing items like tablets, smartphones, notebooks and more. The bag also has an easily accessible front compartment where you can place your smartphones too.
In comparison to the price that it comes at, the offering does seem unbelievable and that should work in its favor. The backpack is designed to offer to ample use but won’t necessarily last a lifetime. It’s the best backpack under 100.
- Best Value for money.
- Comes with durable material.
- Has ample storage compartments.
- Won’t last a lifetime.
11. Samsonite Classic Business 3 Gusset Business Case (Runner-up-Best Budget Laptop Bag)
This one is a modeled in the ilk of briefcase backpack and messenger pattern and we found it intriguing enough to include it on our list of best budget laptop bags. A bag is a perfect option and since it’s part of the deal, we thought why wouldn’t it be the best option for the budget seekers. However, do bear in mind of the price fluctuations of the same. But it still is one of the best mens backpacks amazon at present day. Here’s us with a review one of the side backpacks.
The bag comes with a business and professional feel and is part of Samsonite’s illustrious history. The bag has a ballistic nylon fabric and makes up for padded laptop backpack compartment for support. It has a perfectly fitting sleeve and is 15.6 inch laptop backpack.
The bag has smart pocket slides over on the upright for easy storing and retrieving of the smartphones and more. The inner compartment also allows for storage of cords, tablets, notebooks and more. The shoulder strap of the bag can be adjusted and even removed when not in use.
- Great piece of a laptop
- Offers enough protection for the laptop.
- Has enough space.
- Offers adjustable straps of the same.
- Won’t necessarily be available at cheap always.
Off we go to our list of best laptop bags then. We’ll profile them out under different heads and will provide you with options under each of them. We’ll rank the best along with the runner-up down in each segment.
Our Top Pick
Going through such an extensive list, we too were intrigued by the number of offerings around. With so many available around and with such illustrious features we had a hard time picking the best. Although, the segregation of the list allowed us an opportunity to look into the best pieces as per their designated use rather than placing them under one hood.
As such in our course of review, we found Booq Cobra Squeeze quite likable. The said bag is a perfect amalgamation of functionality and design paired at a great price offering. The bag is a perfect commuter option around and can even be used along in daily rituals around. Add the serial number tracking option for it and it clears the picture as to why we found it the best.
Here’s us signing off on this one with a promise to be back with another one the next time. What’re your thoughts on this one? We’d love to hear your views on it. Share it with us down below via the comment box and let us know about it. Till then, Adios.
