The 21 Best Travel Backpacks to Take on the Go

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If your backpack has got space and style, it can go anywhere: commuting to work, getting to the gym, or flying for a short trip. Might we even suggest picking one with a large capacity to bring with you pretty much everywhere. A travel backpack that values form over function. Of course, not by a large margin—style doesn't sleep on trips, as far as we're concerned.

Any on-the-go occasion demands a travel backpack, from getting to the office to going through customs. It's the U-Haul of accessories—spacious and tough. And the good thing is that you don't always have to pack it to the brim. But not every backpack is a travel backpack; you might think you can trek around downtown in a Jansport half-pint or a Ferragamo leather good, but should you need a water bottle, some snacks, and a warm cardigan for the flight, a travel backpack with extra capacity and compartments is even better.

So if you’re someone who recognizes this travel gear’s compatibility for any mode of transportation from bicycle to spaceship, for any occasion from a night at the Ritz or a weekend in the backcountry—we’ve got 21 of the best travel backpacks for men to get you packing and moving.

The ReNew Transit Backpack

Everlane's backpack will go well with an afternoon of thinking about life on the subway or just trolling around the city. Not only does it simply look sleek, but it's sized for keeping a laptop, water bottle, sunscreen, lunch box, wallet, and some more stuff secure under the flap closure.

Rover Pack Classic

You probably want to pack light for a rock-climbing in Yosemite or an adventure in the Tongass. Smart. Leave the heavy work to the style then, Topo Designs' Rover pack, with its color-blocked, vintage-inspired exterior, is spot-on for a day enjoying Mother Nature.

Classic Little America Backpack

Herschel's signature backpack ain't, by any measure, "little," we can tell you that. Moreover, it's actually a mountaineering backpack reimagined for casual day-to-day stuff. That's pretty cool.

Subterra Convertible Carry-On Bag

Thule's minimalist, easy-to-pack bag makes for an ideal carry-on item. It opens all the way up like a suitcase, making it easy to pack smartly and not just shove stuff in. There's a separate and removable laptop sleeve, so your tech is always easy to reach.

Allpa Travel Pack

This Cotopaxi bag has one of the smartest designs around, done up in a durable fabric. This opens all the way up and unfolds into something that is best described as two slices of bread: one large compartment and one divided compartment on the other side for efficient packing.

Wunderlust Backpack

Wanna mount the Himalayas and make contact with the Yeti? Or trek to the subway to go to the gym after work? Yes? Great. Do that. Just make sure you fill some survival gear in a backpack that both looks and does the adventure part, like Lululemon's Wunderlust.

Metro Backpack

If you want a minimal bag that feels less like it's meant for a hike and more like you can bring it into a buttoned-up business meeting, this Monos is it. It has a roomy main pocket with an extra slot in the back for keeping your laptop and a removable Metro Kit on the front for storing your toiletries or whatever you've got.

Terra Large Duffel Backpack

Calpak's 50-liter Terra duffel backpack did not come to play. This bag is gigantic, and it also expands by two inches when you need it. There are a ton of easy-access pockets on the outside, and you can use it as a backpack or a duffel bag. If you're flying with it, though, keep in mind that it's likely too large to fit comfortably under most airplane seats and you'll have to keep it stowed in an overhead compartment.

The Packable Backpack

If you find yourself coming back from a trip with more items than when you started, you'd do well to have a packable backpack on hand. This zips up into a smart little pouch that tucks away in a suitcase, and opened up, works as a carry-on item for you trip back home.

Trail Cargo Backpack

Rains makes a backpack that keeps all your stuff organized in such a way that you never have to think about it. You've got a big main compartment with two roomy outer pockets to keep stuff you don't feel like digging for. Plus, the fabric is waterproof, meant to protect the inside stuff from light rain rather than a full storm.

Stratus Backpack

If you don't want a travel backpack that looks like a travel backpack, this Caraa backpack is clutch. It has a classic design but is way bigger than your standard school backpack likely was. It's made with a waterproof nylon. It has a 17” laptop compartment as well as a luggage sleeve for easy movement.

Twill Backpack

If you want something that feels nice to travel in, and not at all like something you just have left over from a camping trip, this one fits the handsome-but-not-ostentatious bill to a T. And there're so many interior and exterior compartments for really packing it in.

Black Hole Backpack

Oh, to carry 32 liters of your stuff—25L if you don't need quite as much—wherever your road takes you. Patagonia's Black Hole pack opens wide like luggage, has mesh sections like luggage, can fit clothes and toiletries and, certainly, snacks.

Dakota Large Neoprene Backpack

Dagne Dover makes a smart, easy neoprene backpack in three sizes, but this big one is the best for traveling. The main compartment is gigantic, complete with some pockets for organization, and the outer laptop zipper and stretchy water bottle pockets are easy to access.

Carrier 75 Duffle

Arc'Teryx's seam-sealed, weather-resistant backpack is more of a storage unit than it is a travel bag. But listen, sometimes you're not in a travel situation where a suitcase works, and this can fit just as much as a suitcase. It's well-made and virtually unbreakable but it is, clearly, heavy as all hell.

Large Travel Backpack

TikTok did indeed see this backpack first, and we thank the algorithms for that. This opens wide in way that lets you pack it like a suitcase, with outside pockets and buckles to keep it compact. Carry it like a backpack or use the top and side handles.

Large Nylon Backpack

If you need a back that can carry some stuff on a short trip, this one does it well. There are a ton of organizing pockets inside and out, as well as theft-proof compartments for keeping your passport and other personal items safe.

Travel Pack 3

A businessman with a platinum status always travels smart by ditching the wheeled luggage to avoid luggage delays. To top that off, enter Aer's Travel Pack, a suitcase-backpack hybrid. It's got a lay-flat main compartment, along with some top pockets for the quick stash before TSA checks. All it's missing is two wheels and a handle.

Alpha 3 Brief Pack

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Tumi rules business travel, hence my choosing it for my first travel backpack. This is the one I would've gotten if I really wanted to shell out. It doesn't just open up, it opens out to reveal the true abundance of pockets here, there, and, oh, there too.

Carry-On Travel Backpack

A life on the road goes better when you've got the basics down first before paddling into the stunting, features-packed realm. While you certainly won't take this travel backpack to parade around the lobby of MGM, for a casual weekend getaway it'll more than do the trick.

Rolling Backpack

Lots of pockets? Check. Business-friendly? Check. Snug and sturdy? Check. Large main compartment? Check. Ready for rolling it on a day-trip around Europe? You bet.

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