6 Best Carry-on Travel Backpacks of 2024, Tested & Reviewed

✔️ Size and capacity: Carry-on backpacks can refer to backpacks in a wide range of sizes. Before purchasing, make sure to consider the bag’s dimensions and internal capacity to ensure it’ll work for your travels. Most airline’s carry-on size limit is 22″ x 14″ x 9″, but it can vary by an inch or two depending on the airline. Confirm the airline’s bag-size restrictions before arriving at the airport. As for the capacity, carry-on backpacks are sized in liters:

Under 20L: This is a good everyday backpack that works well as a personal item, great for commuting to hold your lunch, laptop, water bottle and a change of clothes.

20–30L: This size is best suited for weekend trips. Some backpacks in this range may qualify as a personal item.

30–40L: These backpacks are designed for about a week-long trip. Because these packs can get quite heavy, make sure they have supportive features like a chest and hip strap. This range is the most common for carry-on backpacks.

40+L: Designed for multi-week trips, these large bags tend to get heavy, especially 70–80-liter packs. We only recommend traveling with this size bag if you are prepared to carry the weight long term. Bags larger than 45 liters tend to not fit within carry-on dimensions and must be checked when flying.

✔️ Packing style: When packing clothes, you want to be able to see everything you have packed for easier loading and unloading. We recommend opting for a clamshell or front-loading style carry-on backpack.

Clamshell backpacks open like a book with packing space on both sides.

Front-loading backpacks unzip all around the front panel for one large packing space.

✔️ Material: Look for durable materials like nylon or high-denier polyester to ensure the pack can withstand consistent use and heavy loads. If you plan to use the pack backpacking, opt for styles with water-resistant or waterproof finishes.

✔️ Weight: Check the weight of the backpack and avoid heavy designs. Extra straps, pockets and organizational details can add weight to a pack.

✔️ Organizational features: Living out of a backpack requires excellent organization. Look for helpful features like a padded laptop sleeve, easily accessible front pockets, water bottle holders and interior pockets.

✔️ Strap design: Padded shoulder straps are key to avoid back pain when traveling with a heavy pack. Some styles have backpack straps that unhook and stow away, so you can carry the backpack as a duffel bag too.

✔️ Lumbar support: If you suffer from back, neck or shoulder pain, look for a backpack that comes with chest and hip straps to help distribute the weight. Some backpacks allow you to adjust the height of these straps to better suit your frame.