Whether you're a writer, photographer, or someone with a long commute to work every day, backpacks are the most efficient way to carry a full day's worth of gear without having to fuss with annoying rolling bags or messenger bags that wreck your shoulder. They're also a huge commodity, with thousands of tech backpacks to choose from ranging from plain empty bags to more specialized options with dividers, pouches, and pockets galore. These are the best backpacks that cater specifically to tech.
Best Overall: Peak Design Everyday Backpack v2
Peak Design makes one of the most instantly recognizable backpacks around. The San Francisco-based company makes bags that put an equal focus on both aesthetics and functionality. The result is a bag that many of us on the Android Central team use every day. The Everyday Backpack v2 is available in 20L and 30L configurations to accommodate different body types and carry needs.
The design is the same on either size bag, and starts with a magnetic latch on the top flap that allows for quick access and helps keep others out. That flap, along with the rest of the bag, is protected by a hydrophobic coating that keeps water away from your electronics. There are four metal bars along the front that you can attach the magnetic latch onto to adjust the storage capacity of the bag, doubling as a security measure that keeps passersby from easily getting into your bag.
No other bag is as easily adaptable as the Everyday Backpack.
Inside, there are several adjustable dividers that you can rearrange to fit your belongings perfectly, and the bag opens from the sides for easy access. The Everyday Backpack v2 is also covered in hidden compartments and expandable pockets that can hold everything from water bottles to small tripods. Peak Design even makes its own travel tripod that's specifically designed to fit in the Everyday Backpack's side pockets.
Compared to the original Everyday Backpack, the v2 brings with it a rounder, sleeker design with more flexible mesh compartments and smoother zippers that shouldn't break nearly as often. The straps have also been upgraded with considerably better padding, and new magnets keep the luggage passthrough and straps tidy when not in use.
The Everyday Backpack v2 isn't cheap by any means. But if you do a lot of travel and you need a durable bag that can hold up to regular use and adapt to your ever-changing carry load, it's a worthwhile investment.
Pros:
- Easily adjustable internal dividers
- Water-resistant coating
- Tons of hidden and expandable compartments
- Available in two sizes
- Plenty of theft-preventative features
Cons:
- Side openings are overly rigid
- Expensive for a backpack
Best Overall
Peak Design Everyday Backpack v2
The most adaptable backpack out there
The Everyday Backpack features expandable storage and adjustable dividers that let you organize your things any way you like.
Great Alternative: Lowepro ProTactic BP 450 AW II
Lowepro is one of the largest brands in camera bags, and the ProTactic is one of the company's flagship offerings with a heavy priority on camera storage. The front unzips to reveal one massive compartment, with plenty of rearrangeable dividers to fit your exact payload. You can also unzip the top of the back for quick access to your most important gear (say, your camera body or some over-ear headphones), and there's room in the back for a 15-inch laptop.
There are other convenient features like an included tech organizing pouch, additional compartments for essential items like SD cards, and breathable mesh padding to keep your back cool and comfortable. The ProTactic BP 450 AW II is considerably cheaper than the Everyday Backpack v2, and could be a better bag for some users.
Pros:
- Adjustable dividers
- Huge inner compartment with quick access up front and top
- Included tech organizing pouch
- Water-resistant coating
- Hardshell for protecting fragile items
Cons:
- Side access isn't as open as Peak's
- No side handles
Great Alternative
Lowepro ProTactic BP 450 AW II
Convenient and rugged storage for carrying a ton of gear
The ProTactic's entire inner compartment can be accessed all at once, making it a great straightforward bag for short trips.
Best Value: Lenovo Eco Pro
Lenovo's Eco Pro backpack is designed for sustainability. It's made almost entirely of recycled materials, including the equivalent of 34 plastic bottles, which keeps waste out of landfills. Lenovo repurposes those materials into a low-profile, sturdy bag with a soft, fabric-like texture and a breathable mesh to keep your back cool. The bag itself is chock-full of hidden compartments and pockets that make organized storage a breeze, and the padded straps help keep the bag comfortable, even with a heavy carry load.
There's plenty of space in the Eco Pro for a 15-inch laptop, a tablet, water bottles, and spare clothes. There's even a dedicated pocket for keeping track of your passport. Best of all, this bag is just as friendly on your wallet as it is on the environment.
Pros:
- Made of 83% recycled content
- Lightweight, durable, comfortable
- Tons of great hidden pouches and pockets
- Aesthetic will please minimalists
Cons:
- Water bottle pouches are too small
- Only one color option
Best Value
Lenovo Eco Pro
An eco-friendly bag with plenty of space
The Lenovo Eco Pro has a spacious main compartment, plus specialized pockets and comfortable straps.
Easily Expandable: Nomatic Travel Pack
The Nomatic Travel Pack is a gorgeous backpack that can expand from 20L to 30L, giving you the best of both worlds between small size and large storage capacity. With a quick unzip, the Travel Pack can go from a lightweight day bag for quick trips downtown to a travel-ready bag that can fit several days' worth of supplies with ease.
Along with storage expansion and great looks, the Travel Pack also features a laptop compartment that easily folds out to expedite TSA encounters, along with a protected pocket for tablets. There's a mesh dividing wall inside the bag for separating items, and the Travel Pack even supports compression packing cubes for storing things like small articles of clothing.
Pros:
- Expands from 20L to 30L
- Great-looking design
- TSA-ready laptop sleeve
- Mesh dividing wall for organization
- Cord passthrough for charging devices
Cons:
- Expensive
- Missing the useful removable panel of Nomatic's other bags
Easily Expandable
Nomatic Travel Pack
A stylish bag with expandable storage.
The Travel Pack can quickly expand from 20 to 30 liters and offers conveniences like RFID-safe pockets and a TSA-ready laptop sleeve.
Great for Students: Timbuk2 Authority
Timbuk2 has a wide range of backpacks at just about any price point, and the Authority offers a beautiful blend of affordability, style, and functionality. It's a reasonably slim bag with a variety of color options that, like many of the other packs in this list, is loaded with pockets large and small for organizing your things, including an expandable side pocket on the outside to hold a water bottle.
For added comfort, the Authority includes sternum straps that can be tucked back into the shoulder straps when you're not using them, along with a mesh back panel to help keep your back and shirt dry. Best of all, the Authority holds laptops as large as 17 inches, because — surprise! — not everyone owns a MacBook. There's also a spot for stowing away your keys while you're out, and compression straps at the bottom of the bag let you tote around a large jacket, blanket, or, well, whatever else fits.
Pros:
- Affordable option
- Stowable sternum strap and mesh backing for comfort
- Numerous pockets for organizing small items
- Holds up to a 17-inch laptop
- Compression straps for external carries
Cons:
- Fabric material scuffs easily
- No adjustable dividers inside
Great for Students
Timbuk2 Authority
A simple, efficient bag that easily accommodates larger laptops.
The Authority is a nice bag with a variety of color options and 28L of storage, with plenty of pockets for organizing small items.
If we were buying
Any of the backpacks in this list will serve you well, but if we had to choose, the Peak Design Everyday Backpack v2 remains at the top of our recommendations for best backpacks. Nearly half a dozen people on the Android Central team already use the Everyday Backpack because it's such a versatile bag, and works equally well as a camera bag or a light day pack.
For me, the collapsible dividers have been incredibly useful, since I can adjust the sub-dividers on the fly without having to remove and reposition the velcro walls, allowing me to safely stow away small lenses during travel and access them quickly when needed. The newly padded straps also make it dramatically more comfortable than the previous generation, which is especially nice when you're carrying loads of heavy gear.
There's no getting around that it's an expensive backpack, but that money is going toward a bag that you won't need to replace for years to come. If you're someone who uses their backpack a lot, and especially if you're a photographer or videographer who needs precise organization and quick access to their gear, the Everyday Backpack v2 is an investment well worth making.
Credits — The staff that worked on this guide
Hayato Huseman is a recovering trade show addict and video editor for Android Central based out of Indianapolis. He can mostly be found complaining about the cold and enthusing about prog metal on Twitter at @hayatohuseman.
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