Best Laptop Backpacks For 2020

Who this is for: A practical city commuter who appreciates a mountain aesthetic.

Why it’s great: The Topo Rover Pack combines a campground aesthetic (in colors ranging from flashy to subdued) with a practical design perfect for subway commutes. Its main pocket is basically a large bucket, with a divider for your laptop, that can expand to accommodate a lot of stuff: notebooks, books, chargers, lunch containers, headphones. Once it’s full, you can cinch it closed and then buckle it from the top. The outside of the bag features two zippered pockets, one in the flap top and one on the front of the bag; both are big enough to fit a portable charger, a snack, some cables, and a Kindle. The bag also has two expandable side pockets for water bottles, perfectly sized for Zojirushi travel mugs and Hydro Flask water bottles.

Flaws but not dealbreakers: The pockets on the front of the Topo Rover Pack, outside of the main bucket, are a little small. Ideally, they would be large enough to accommodate a small book so that you wouldn’t have to unbuckle, uncinch, and rummage through the interior just to access something to read during your commute. This isn’t a problem if you use a Kindle or spend your commute listening to podcasts or looking at your phone.

                                      Buy Now On Amazon

Some of my colleagues and I love the bright, bold colorways of the Topo Rover Pack (we tested navy/red). I couldn’t help but smile each time I caught a view of my reflection off a dirt-caked subway window. Others found the patterns tacky and childish. “It’d make more sense in a Gymboree store than on someone’s back,” said staff writer Justin Krajeski. Frankly, I don’t see a problem with this. But if you do, consider one of the bag’s neutral color options or one of our more minimalist picks.

Dimensions: 18 by 12 by 3 inches
Weight: 1.6 pounds
Water bottle holders: two
Warranty: lifetime warranty against defects in materials and workmanship
Maximum laptop size: 15 inches
Colors: olive/navy, forest/kelly, natural/black, navy/red, navy, turquoise/clay, ballistic black, royal/black, silver/charcoal

Who this is for: If you’re living the dongle life or have the compulsion to carry every piece of tech with you on your back, the eBags Professional Slim Laptop Backpack does more than hold everything—this pack keeps stuff organized and available for you when you need it.

Why it’s great: This bag holds and organizes an impressive amount of gear without bulging or becoming disorganized. And although some people don’t like its techie aesthetic, its ultra-functional organization is great if you carry many small things and want each of them to have a dedicated spot.

Loaded down with gear, the Professional Slim was comfortable, even when I lugged it around Houston’s George R. Brown Convention Center during a four-day robotics competition. The wide shoulder straps and back padding distributed the weight well, and the large ventilation channel in the back panel did a decent job of fending off the inevitable back sweat.

Flaws but not dealbreakers: The Professional Slim leans into the tech aesthetic a bit harder than other backpacks we tested, and it is one of the heaviest bags we tried—more than 3 pounds when empty. Paired with its rigid body, this weight makes it inconvenient to take along if I have to carry only a few things; in those situations I find myself reaching for a knapsack-like bag or a briefcase.

This bag is large, and its tall, broad layout may not fit well on some people’s backs. Our testing panel didn’t have any complaints, but we were able to test the fit on only a few different body types, so your mileage may vary

Dimensions: 19.5 by 14 by 7 inches
Weight: 3 pounds, 7 ounces
Water bottle holders: one
Warranty: lifetime against defects in material and workmanship
Maximum laptop size: 17 inches
Colors: solid black, brushed indigo, heathered graphite, sage green, true navy

Also consider: Aer Day Pack

Who this is for: Anyone who doesn’t want to be so overtly techie but still wants some of the advantages of a tech backpack, or who doesn’t have quite as much small stuff to carry around.

Why it’s great: The Aer Day Pack offers a surprising amount of organization in its few pockets, all within a stylish, nondescript profile. It handled my laptop, my charger, my iPad, and everything else I needed on a day-to-day basis, but a fair amount of my stuff ended up getting thrown in and mixed up at the bottom of the main pockets.

Flaws but not dealbreakers: The front panel of this bag, a 900D polyester fabric with a polyurethane coating, was polarizing. Some testers (myself included) thought it added a bit of texture and depth to a design that was otherwise overly simple. Others hated the shimmery look and thought that it was cheap fabric masquerading as a premium feature or that it was needlessly flashy or bougie.

Buy Now On Amazon

The Day Pack has a water bottle holder, but it’s on the inside of the laptop pocket—which maintains the bag’s simple silhouette—and I found it annoying to have to unzip my bag to get my morning coffee. (I also wouldn’t trust anything less reliably leakproof than my Zojirushi mug in there.)

It would also be nice if the bag came in at least a few other color options, because we can’t all be super-stylish tech goths.

—James Austin, updates writer

Dimensions: 18 by 13.5 by 5.5 inches
Weight: 2 pounds, 9 ounces
Water bottle holders: one
Warranty: practical lifetime for materials and workmanship
Maximum laptop size: 15 inches
Colors: black

Also consider: Timbuk2 Authority Laptop Backpack Deluxe

Who this is for: People who want a bag that’s rugged enough that they can throw it under the bench at a softball game and not worry about it or its contents getting trashed, but still stylish enough that it fits in all but the most formal of offices.

We tested the Deluxe version of this bag for this guide, but if a rubberized bottom and a tough outer material aren’t important to you, the regular Authority Laptop Backpack should work fine and is usually slightly cheaper.

Why it’s great: Whereas the eBags Professional Slim prioritizes pure functionality and organization, and the Aer Day Pack has less internal organization but offers a slick aesthetic, the Timbuk2 Authority Laptop Backpack Deluxe keeps things organized and protected with a tougher, 1,200-denier polyester exterior that keeps looking good even after you accidentally drop the bag on a muddy street.

                                                      Buy Now On Amazon 

Flaws but not dealbreakers: The tablet/memo-pad sleeve was extremely narrow and stiff, which made getting stuff in and out difficult at times—and although the front pocket had a large zipper opening, two pieces of elastic fabric attached halfway down limited how wide it could open.

Dimensions: 18 by 15 by 3.5 inch
Weight: 2 pounds, 10 ounces
Water bottle holders: one
Warranty: lifetime on materials and workmanship
Maximum laptop size: 17 inches
Colors: titanium, black

                                           Buy Now On Amazon 

Who this is for: Someone who doesn’t need to pack much more beyond a small laptop, a light sweater, and a juicy novel—someone who cares about style and wants a bag that’s small, fashionable, and functional.

Why it’s great: If you’re going to be wearing a backpack to work every day, it needs to be fashionable but even more so functional—comfortable, smartly organized, and easy to commute with. The Rains Backpack Mini balances those seemingly opposed qualities in a slim package. It’s gorgeous: Sleek, minimalist lines keep it from veering into ostentatiousness, and even the pastel-hued color options feel professional. Unlike some of the other bags we considered , this Rains model looks good over business-casual office wear but also perfectly cute thrown over a pair of denim overalls (which is how I wore it the week of an apartment move after accidentally packing up every other article of clothing I owned). The days I carried it for testing, I even received a few compliments from strangers—an unheard-of event on the otherwise aloof streets of New York.

The Rains bag’s smart organization and petite size make it ideal for commuting. A back zippered section securely holds a phone and transit pass for easy access during rush hour, and its small, flat shape means it won’t cause you to bump into a grumpy subway rider who will certainly not be assuaged by your sincere “Ope! Sorry!” When the train is too crowded for backpacks (or when the aforementioned subway grump makes a comment), you can grab the bag by its comfortable top handle. The Rains doesn’t have space for much, but its laptop pouch and inner zippered pocket—perfect for your laptop and phone chargers—keep your basics organized, with room for a few more items if needed.

If you tend to lose umbrellas and forget to check the weather before stumbling out of your place late for work (not that I know anythingabout that), the waterproofing on the Rains is a gift from the subway gods. I tested this feature accidentally when walking from my favorite coffee shop through a brief lightning storm, and the Rains, true to its name, kept everything in the bag totally dry. In addition to weather security, the bag’s combination of magnetic flap snaps and a carabiner closure makes it hard for someone to reach in and steal your laptop.

Flaws but not dealbreakers: The thin straps on the Rains Backpack Mini are part of what makes it look so sleek and professional, but that design also means that it’s not as comfortable as other bags with thicker straps. Still, because the bag can’t fit too much anyway (it can hold a laptop of only 13 inches), your shoulders will be safe from strain unless you’re filling it up with sand (which we don’t recommend, at least until Wirecutter publishes its “The Best Backpacks for Transporting Rock and Mineral Particulates” guide). Jordan, reflecting on his six months of use, confirmed this, saying the straps sometimes burrow into my sides, but I’m willing to deal with a slight annoyance for a sleek and well-designed bag. Also, although we love the waterproof polyurethane-polyester blend for guarding against surprise rainstorms, we can see it getting warm on a hot day. We’ll continue to test the bag through the summer and update this guide with our findings.

Dimensions: 17 by 10.5 by 4 inche
Weight: 1.6 pounds
Water bottle holders: none
Warranty: two-year warranty plus 30 days to return
Maximum laptop size: 13 inches
Colors: black, light gray, lavender, mint green