We independently evaluate all of our recommendations. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Travel Products Luggage + Bags Backpacks, Totes + Small Bags The 11 Most Durable Backpacks for Every Style and Adventure Rain, dirt, drops, and falls — these backpacks will keep your items protected. By Taylor Fox Taylor Fox Taylor Fox is the Commerce Outdoor Gear Editor at Travel + Leisure where she tests, researches, and writes about travel products. Taylor holds a Master’s in Geography and has been a writer and editor for over nine years. Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines Updated on March 11, 2024 In This Article Expand In This Article Our Top Picks ReviewsOur Testing Process Tips for Buying Frequently Asked Questions Why Trust T+L Photo: Travel + Leisure / Jessica Juliao The best durable backpacks look good, fit all of your essentials, and are reliable for protecting all of your essentials. Many are loaded with abrasion-resistant and waterproof materials that still look new even after months of use. Our favorite durable backpacks are also protective on the inside with padded laptop sleeves, separate compartments to keep gear away from clothing and personal items, and linings that are moisture-proof, yet breathable. To find the most durable backpacks out there, we tested almost 100 bags in our New York City lab and during our own travels across the globe. Each backpack was evaluated with emphasis on durability, portability, design, and overall function. Whether you’re a frequent camper, international traveler, or daily commuter looking for a backpack to last you a lifetime, these are the best durable backpacks. Our Top Picks Best Overall: Kühl Eskape 25 at Kuhl.com ($269) Jump to Review Best Convertible: Away The Outdoor Convertible Backpack 45L at Awaytravel.com ($220) Jump to Review Best Carry-on: Cotopaxi Allpa 35L Travel Pack at Amazon ($200) Jump to Review Best Mini: Carhartt Mini Backpack at Amazon ($35) Jump to Review Best Waterproof: Tortuga Travel Backpack at Tortugabackpacks.com ($350) Jump to Review Best Sustainable: Troubadour Orbis 1-pocket Backpack at Troubadourgoods.com (See Price) Jump to Review Best for Commuters: Solo Re:Define Backpack at Amazon ($83) Jump to Review Best for Hiking: Gregory Women's Swift 22 H20 Backpack at Amazon ($129) Jump to Review Best Expandable: Peak Design Travel Backpack 45L at Amazon ($300) Jump to Review Most Versatile: Yeti Crossroads 27L Backpack at Amazon ($281) Jump to Review Best Overall Kühl Eskape 25 PHOTO: Kühl $269 at kuhl.com Our Ratings Capacity 5/5 Design 5/5 Comfort 4.8/5 Durability 5/5 Value 5/5 Why We Love It It’s incredibly spacious and fully weatherproof. What to Consider The backpack is on the longer side, so may be less comfortable for shorter users. The Kühl Eskape 25 Backpack is not only incredibly durable, it’s also spacious with top-tier organizational features. The main compartment is perfect for storing shoes or gear while the back pocket unzips like a clamshell suitcase for easy access to all of your items. It also features a padded laptop sleeve, small internal pockets, and water bottle pockets on both sides of the outer frame. When it comes to adjustability, we love that the sternum strap can be moved up and down to comfortably fit any chest size and tightens like a standard sternum strap to keep you secure. Overall, it’s a very sturdy backpack with great weight distribution. There is also a luggage sleeve that makes it a great personal item for flights and a plush side handle that is great for grabbing and putting it in the overhead bin. At 20.5 inches tall, this pack is on the longer side, so shorter users may find it less comfortable to wear for long periods of time, depending on their back length and preferences. During testing, we threw this bag off a counter multiple times and, while it picked up some dirt, it didn’t suffer from any scuffing or scratches. As a water and weatherproof bag, we found its outer nylon to be incredibly durable and all of the hardware to be high-quality. The thick, well-constructed design, number of storage options, and additional features show a true understanding of traveler needs went into the design of this backpack. The Details: TPU-laminated nylon | 25 liters Travel + Leisure / Jessica Juliao Travel + Leisure / Jessica Juliao Travel + Leisure / Jessica Juliao Travel + Leisure / Jessica Juliao Travel + Leisure / Jessica Juliao Best Convertible Away The Outdoor Convertible Backpack 45L PHOTO: Away $220 at awaytravel.com Our Ratings Capacity 5/5 Organization 5/5 Design 4.5/5 Durability 5/5 Value 5/5 Why We Love It The interior padding protects laptops and other tech items even from hard falls. What to Consider It's a long bag, so may not be comfortable for those with shorter torsos. This sleek bag may look compact, but we were surprised at just how spacious it is. It easily fit our entire packing list and extra items, and we still felt like we could've stuffed more inside — making this an ideal backpack for anyone who loves souvenir shopping. The backpack features multiple large compartments, compression straps, and small pockets that are ideal for organizing clothes, gear, and accessories. The additional laptop sleeve is also very well padded and our tester laptop sustained zero damage after throwing the backpack off a ledge three times. We recreated an airplane set in our New York City lab, where we also tested this bag, finding it easy to lift into the overhead bin and maneuver under the seat. While the backpack is rather long, it sports well-cushioned shoulder straps that makes carrying a breeze, even when walking for long periods of time, and the side handle adds the ability to hold it like a duffel bag for extra convenience. The Details: Recycled polyester | 45 liters | 3.32 pounds Travel + Leisure / Joy Kim Travel + Leisure / Joy Kim Travel + Leisure / Joy Kim Travel + Leisure / Joy Kim Best Carry-on Cotopaxi Allpa 35L Travel Pack PHOTO: Amazon $200 at Amazon $200 at REI $200 at backcountry.com Our Ratings Capacity 5/5 Design 5/5 Durability 5/5 Value 5/5 Comfort 5/5 Why We Love It The inside mesh pockets make it easy to organize your items, even when you’re on the go. What to Consider The boxy shape may take some getting used to. For a durable backpack that’s perfect as a carry-on or hiking pack, look to Cotopaxi’s Allpa 35L Travel Pack. Made with TPU-coated polyester, this bag showed no signs of wear after we tossed it multiple times, and we’re confident the thick material would hold up against the elements, even if you took it camping. It also comes with a built-in raincover to add extra protection. The structured shape of the bag makes it easy to pack and the interior mesh pockets help keep all of your items separated and organized. We especially love how comfortable this backpack is and found the straps to contour to the shoulder and chest area the more you wear it. The Details: TPU-coated polyester | 35 liters | 3.5 pounds Travel + Leisure / Jhett Thompson Travel + Leisure / Jhett Thompson Travel + Leisure / Jhett Thompson Best Mini Carhartt Mini Backpack PHOTO: Amazon $35 at Amazon $35 at Dick's View on Carhartt.com Our Ratings Capacity 5/5 Design 4/5 Durability 5/5 Value 5/5 Comfort 4.5/5 Why We Love It It’s the perfect size for everyday use. What to Consider The straps don’t have any added padding. This light, mini backpack is perfect for day trips. Like most Carhartt bags, it’s designed for long-term use with the outer polyester fabric treated with Rain Defender durable water repellent. The straps are adjustable and the back of the pack is lightly padded to enhance your comfort. While we love the size of this bag for everyday use, it's only 11.75 inches long and won’t fit most laptops. Still, no items were damaged after throwing this backpack off a counter multiple times, and the outside still looked brand new. Going the extra mile for protection, this backpack is designed with a fleece-lined eyewear pocket that protects your lenses and makes it easy to access your favorite shades. The Details: Polyester | 5 liters | .6 pounds Travel + Leisure / Tamara Staples Travel + Leisure / Tamara Staples Travel + Leisure / Tamara Staples Travel + Leisure / Tamara Staples Travel + Leisure / Tamara Staples Travel + Leisure / Tamara Staples Travel + Leisure / Tamara Staples The 10 Best Backpack Brands for Travelers, Tested and Reviewed Best Waterproof Tortuga Travel Backpack PHOTO: Tortuga $350 at tortugabackpacks.com Our Ratings Capacity 5/5 Design 5/5 Comfort 5/5 Durability 5/5 Value 5/5 Why We Love It It’s made with 100 percent recycled materials. What to Consider The bag alone is quite heavy. When it comes to durability, the Tortuga Travel Backpack is built to last no matter how you use it. We tested this bag over a period of four months, including on multiple camping trips, and it’s still in perfect condition. We carried this pack through everything from intense sunlight to stormy rain and even dropped it in the mud, and it kept all items protected and dry and was easy to clean with just a wet cloth. The inside is spacious and the main compartment opens up like a clamshell suitcase for easy access — it even fit a tent, camping pillow, and sweatshirt all in the one main compartment while the built-in compression pocket kept base layers organized and away from dirty gear. The bag itself is quite heavy, but the adjustable hip and sternum straps help take the weight off your back so you can comfortably wear this backpack hiking, camping, or on an airplane and never worry about fatigue. The Details: Shell200 | 40 liters | 4.5 pounds Travel + Leisure / Taylor Fox Travel + Leisure / Taylor Fox Travel + Leisure / Taylor Fox Travel + Leisure / Taylor Fox Best Sustainable Troubadour Orbis 1-pocket Backpack PHOTO: Troubadour View on Troubadourgoods.com $295 at equinox.com Our Ratings Capacity 5/5 Design 4.3/5 Comfort 4.8/5 Durability 5/5 Value 5/5 Why We Love It It has more pockets than other laptop backpacks we tested. What to Consider The tapered top zipper can make it difficult to pack. Part of Troubador’s Circular Collection, this backpack is made of recycled materials and is itself recyclable. We absolutely love the plush, padded straps and back panel that resemble the comfort of a high-quality hiking pack while still looking like a designer laptop bag. It also features 11 pockets inside and outside of the backpack for peak organization. We especially love the water bottle sleeve that fits up to 24-ounce bottles and the padded tech compartment that is large enough to fit 17-inch laptops. After we dropped it seven times during tests, the backpack looks good as new without any scuff marks or damage. The thick padding did a great job of absorbing all of our tosses, so we’re confident it will remain durable whether you’re using it as a travel bag or commuter pack. The Details: Recycled polyester Travel + Leisure / Jessica Juliao Travel + Leisure / Jessica Juliao Travel + Leisure / Jessica Juliao Travel + Leisure / Jessica Juliao Travel + Leisure / Jessica Juliao Travel + Leisure / Jessica Juliao The 16 Best Laptop Backpacks of 2024, Tested and Reviewed Best for Commuters Solo Re:Define Backpack PHOTO: Solo $50 at Amazon $44 at Walmart View on Solo-ny.com Our Ratings Capacity 5/5 Design 5/5 Comfort 5/5 Durability 5/5 Value 5/5 Why We Love It The zippers run smoothly even when the backpack is packed to capacity. What to Consider It’s water-repellent, not waterproof. This backpack may look small and unassuming, but we found this to be similar to Mary Poppins’ magic bag when packing — all items from our packing list fit easily as though this were a much higher-capacity backpack. We fit a laptop and tablet in the back panel sleeve; a pair of shoes, a large toiletry bag, a shirt, a pair of pants, and a quarter zip in the main compartment; and a book, wallet, keys, lotion, and headphones in the front zippered compartment. We also love that there are two additional water bottle pockets on each side of the backpack as well as a battery pack pocket that allows you to feed the charging cable to a USB port on the outside of the bag for on-the-go charging. Plus, the bag is made of recycled PET bottles for a durable, water-repellent exterior. The Details: Recycled PET polyester | 14 liters | 1.43 pounds Travel + Leisure / Jessica Juliao Travel + Leisure / Jessica Juliao Travel + Leisure / Jessica Juliao Travel + Leisure / Jessica Juliao Travel + Leisure / Jessica Juliao Travel + Leisure / Jessica Juliao Travel + Leisure / Jessica Juliao Best for Hiking Gregory Women's Swift 22 H20 Backpack PHOTO: Gregory $129 at Amazon $130 at REI $98 at backcountry.com Our Ratings Capacity 5/5 Design 5/5 Durability 5/5 Value 5/5 Comfort 5/5 Why We Love It We tossed this backpack off of rocks and into the snow several times, and it didn’t show any signs of damage. What to Consider The hydration pack can be difficult to clean and dry. For a durable hiking pack, you can’t go wrong with the Gregory Swift 22 H20 Backpack fitted with a 2-liter hydration pack that connects to a straw that’s easy to use mid-hike. At 22 liters, the size is perfect for a long day or even weekend on the trail. The Swift 22 is lightweight, yet sturdy with plenty of padding for comfort. We also tested this backpack on three different body types and each person was able to adjust the shoulder, chest, and hip straps so the bag fit comfortably for long periods of time. In addition to taking the pack out on long hikes in the snow, we tested the backpack over a period of three months and there are still no rips, stains, tears, or snags in the outer fabric. The Details: Nylon | 22 liters | 2.2 pounds Travel + Leisure / Anna Popp Travel + Leisure / Anna Popp Travel + Leisure / Anna Popp Travel + Leisure / Anna Popp Best Expandable Peak Design Travel Backpack 45L PHOTO: REI $300 at Amazon $300 at REI $170 at backcountry.com Our Ratings Capacity 5/5 Design 5/5 Durability 5/5 Value 4.5/5 Comfort 5/5 Why We Love It This bag is clearly built to last and includes a lot of unique features that make traveling a breeze. What to Consider The straps aren’t very comfortable when carrying the full pack. For a utilitarian backpack that’s also sleek enough to use off the trail, consider the Peak Design Travel Backpack. This large pack is easy to organize and features multiple zippers that allow you to access your belongings without fully opening the entire bag. It had no marks or scuffs from being tossed around during our tests and would be a great investment bag for frequent travelers. We also loved the number of carrying straps featured on the bag. In addition to the adjustable shoulder straps, this backpack can be carried by handles on all four main sides of the bag, making it super easy to maneuver, especially when putting it in the overhead compartment of an airplane or train. The Details: Recycled nylon canvas | 45 liters | 4.5 pounds Travel + Leisure / Conor Ralph Travel + Leisure / Conor Ralph Travel + Leisure / Conor Ralph Travel + Leisure / Conor Ralph Most Versatile Yeti Crossroads 27L Backpack PHOTO: Yeti $230 at Amazon $230 at Dick's View on Yeti.com Our Ratings Capacity 5/5 Organization 5/5 Design 5/5 Durability 5/5 Value 4/5 Why We Love It It has plenty of pockets and multiple access points to the main compartment. What to Consider It doesn't include a hip belt for support. The Yeti Crossroads backpack is great for those who want a durable bag that still shows off their personality — with eight different colors to choose from, you can certainly choose a style that suits you best. The main compartment features plenty of pockets for organization including a laptop sleeve with some of the best laptop protection we’ve seen in a backpack. While the backpack is on the heavier side, the heft is due to the thick padding that helps make this bag so durable. The outer material is abrasion-resistant and didn’t sustain any damage during our drop tests. We love that the durable zipper holds up even when the bag is nearly overflowing with contents. This is a durable, multi-use pack that would be great as a personal item, carry-on, or even hiking pack for anyone who wants to make sure their items are well-protected and organized. The Details: TuffSkin Nylon | 22 liters | 3 pounds Best for Business Trips Samsonite Elevation Plus Backpack PHOTO: Samsonite View on Samsonite.com Our Ratings Capacity 5/5 Organization 5/5 Design 5/5 Portability 5/5 Durability 5/5 Why We Love It It has an expandable zipper that adds extra space when needed. What to Consider We wish the main compartment opened fully on three sides for easier packing (instead of just two). This durable and high-quality backpack was clearly designed with travelers in mind. It is designed with plenty of pockets including a padded laptop compartment that can easily fit two laptops or a laptop and a tablet. The external water bottle pocket is also one of the most durable we have ever seen and held the water bottle firmly in place even after we threw the whole backpack off of a table. We love that the front pocket has a magnetic flap to conceal the zipper for extra security while traveling as well as the handy luggage sleeve that allows the backpack to slide over standard luggage handles. The backpack itself is lightweight with plenty of padding along the back and shoulders for all-day comfort. Because of it's high capacity, and the fact that it easily fits underneath airplane seats, this would be a perfect personal item or carry-on backpack. The Details: Recyclex RPET | 2.2 pounds Travel + Leisure / Joy Kim Travel + Leisure / Joy Kim Travel + Leisure / Joy Kim Travel + Leisure / Joy Kim Travel + Leisure / Joy Kim Travel + Leisure / Joy Kim Our Testing Process We tested dozens of different backpacks both in our New York City lab on an airplane set we created and during real-world travels to determine which are the most durable backpacks. Our set included a row of airplane seats from a real plane as well as real overhead bins, so we could thoroughly and accurately access each bag's storage abilities. Each tester began testing by adjusting any straps so that the backpack fit comfortably, noting how many straps there were and if the straps were easy or difficult to adjust. We also examined the pockets, zippers, buckles, and materials of each backpack. We then packed each backpack following a set list to ensure each one’s capacity was tested in the same way. Testers were asked to use the various compartments and pockets featured in the backpack as they normally would. Travel + Leisure / Joy Kim After the backpacks were packed, testers closed them up, noting how easily all zippers and/or buckles closed. With the bags fully packed and zipped closed, we pushed them off of a counter and let them fall to the floor. We repeated this test three times total per bag and aimed to have the backpacks land at various angles. After tossing, we checked the inside of the backpacks to see if anything was damaged and noted if the backpack itself was scuffed or showed any signs of wear-and-tear. Next, testers lifted the backpacks into our real overhead bins to test whether or not it would easily fit. We made sure to pay attention to any handles or straps that helped lift the bag and maneuver it overhead. We also tested whether or not each bag fit underneath the seats of our airplane to test if they would work as a personal item. After our lab test, the backpacks were sent home with testers for real-world evaluations. Travel + Leisure / Joy Kim Tips for Buying a Durable Backpack Consider organization When traveling, it’s important to have a bag that includes organizational features to easily access your items. Designs that emphasize pockets or small compartments can be extremely helpful when packing, especially if you will be frequently moving from place to place. You may even want to prioritize a backpack with a clamshell opening so you can easily see all of your items and/or a backpack with external pockets for quick access to important items like your passport, wallet, keys, and phone. Know the difference between waterproof and water-resistant If you know you’ll be traveling to a wet climate, it’s important to choose a durable backpack that can fully withstand the elements. Waterproof bags will offer the highest level of protection against moisture, while water-resistant backpacks will prevent leaks to a certain degree but may not keep the inside of your bag completely dry. Think about versatility Even if you are looking for a durable backpack for everyday use, you’ll want to consider one with a versatile design that can be used for various purposes. Some durable bags can look a lot like hiking packs, but may be too large for use during commutes or day trips. Think about a bag that’s large enough to fit all of your essential items but still durable enough to keep everything safe and protected. Frequently Asked Questions How big of a backpack should I get? The size of your backpack mainly depends on your personal preference; however, it is important to look at the height of your backpack, especially if it has a structured frame. You want to be sure that your backpack will comfortably fit along your own back without straining or hindering your movement in any way. How should a backpack fit? The frame of your backpack should comfortably fit from just below your shoulders to just above your waist. Any higher, and you risk compromising your neck and shoulder movements, and any lower, and you may have issues with mobility. Your backpack should also fit comfortably against your back without a lot of space in between. Backpacks with adjustable hip, shoulder, and/or chest straps can help make sure you get the perfect fit to keep you comfortable. Why Trust Travel + Leisure Taylor Fox is a commerce writer at Travel + Leisure where she researches, reviews, and writes about a wide range of products. To select the best durable backpacks, she called on her own experience as a traveler and worked with editors and T+L testers on a series of lab and real-world insights. 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