📅 July 24, 2026 · ⏱ 8 min read
A good travel backpack is the one bag you'll actually use every single day of a trip — the personal item under the seat, the day pack on the ground, the thing that carries your laptop, passport and water bottle from the taxi to the terminal to the trail. Get it right and it disappears onto your back. Get it wrong and it's a sweaty, strap-digging reminder every time you put it on.
We've pulled the standout travel backpacks in our range for 2026 and sorted them by the job you actually need them to do — from a featherweight packable that lives inside your suitcase to a proper 16-inch laptop fortress for work trips. Here's how to choose.
In this guide
What makes a good travel backpack
Five things separate a travel backpack from an ordinary one. Fit comes first — a padded, breathable back panel and proper shoulder straps matter far more than any feature list once the bag is loaded. Laptop protection is next: a dedicated, padded sleeve that suspends the device off the bottom of the bag. Then carry-on friendliness — a shape that slides under the seat in front and doesn't count against your main cabin bag. Organisation keeps passports, cables and chargers findable instead of floating. And weight, because every gram of empty bag is a gram off your cabin allowance.
Key takeaway: Buy the backpack for the trip you actually take. A packable daypack, an everyday carry and a laptop-first work bag are three different tools — match the bag to the job and it'll feel invisible on your back.
Best packable daypack
The single most useful travel backpack is the one you didn't know you'd need — a lightweight pack that folds into its own pocket and rides inside your suitcase until the moment you want to head out for the day. The Wenger Packable Backpack ($57.95) weighs almost nothing, collapses to the size of a paperback, and springs into a genuinely usable daypack for the beach, the market or a hike. If you buy one bag on this list as a "just in case", make it this one.
Best everyday travel backpack
For the pack you'll wear from the airport to the cafe to the museum, you want something light, comfortable and smart enough to not look like a hiking bag. The Wenger Urbanone Light Backpack ($74.95) nails that brief — clean lines, a padded laptop pocket, and a low carry weight that keeps it comfortable through a long day on your feet. It's the do-everything option for city travel that doesn't shout "tourist".
Best laptop backpack for work trips
If your travel is work travel, the laptop compartment becomes the whole point. The Wenger MX 16-inch Laptop Backpack ($86.03) is the value champion here — a proper suspended 16-inch sleeve, tidy organisation and a professional look for a very fair price. Step up to the Victorinox VX Sport EVO Compact ($155.05) and you get Victorinox's tougher materials, better hardware and the kind of build that survives a few hundred flights.
Best for tech-heavy travel
Carrying a 17-inch laptop, a tablet, a camera and all the cables? You need volume and protection. The Wenger Ibex 17-inch Laptop Backpack ($153) is a long-standing favourite of the flying-office crowd — triple-layer laptop protection, dedicated tablet storage, and enough organised space to keep a full mobile setup in order without turning into a black hole.
"The best travel backpack isn't the one with the most pockets — it's the one that's comfortable full, fits under the seat, and protects your laptop. Everything else is a bonus."
Your backpack as a personal item
On most Australian flights your backpack is your second cabin item — the smaller bag that goes under the seat in front of you, alongside your main wheelie bag in the overhead. It still counts towards your cabin weight allowance, though, so a light pack matters twice: once on your back all day, and once on the check-in scales. If you're travelling cabin-only, a slim backpack plus a carry-on case is the classic combination — see our guide to carry-on vs checked luggage for how the two bags work together.
Our top pick
For most travellers, the Wenger Urbanone Light is the one to reach for — light, comfortable, smart-looking and priced so you're not precious about it. Work travellers should size up to the Wenger MX or the Victorinox VX Sport EVO for the better laptop protection, and everyone should keep a Wenger Packable stashed in the suitcase. Both Wenger and Victorinox are Swiss sister brands built to the same standards — if you're weighing them up, our Victorinox vs Wenger guide breaks down the difference.
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What size travel backpack should I get?
For a personal item and daily use, 15–25 litres is the sweet spot — enough for a laptop, layers and essentials without tempting you to overpack. Go larger (30 litres+) only if the backpack is your main bag rather than a second one.
Does a backpack count as carry-on in Australia?
Usually as your second, under-seat item alongside a main cabin bag — but it still counts towards your total cabin weight allowance (7kg on Virgin and Jetstar, up to 14kg total on Qantas jets). Keep it light and you won't get caught at the gate.
Are Wenger and Victorinox backpacks any good?
Very. They're Swiss sister brands — Wenger owns the value-to-quality sweet spot in laptop and travel backpacks, while Victorinox sits a step up on materials and hardware. Both are built to last years of regular travel.
What's the best backpack for a laptop?
Look for a dedicated, padded sleeve that suspends the laptop off the base of the bag. The Wenger MX handles 16-inch devices for a great price; the Wenger Ibex takes 17-inch machines with triple-layer protection for heavier tech loads.
Do I need a packable backpack as well?
If you like a day bag on the ground without carrying a second full-size pack, yes. A packable backpack folds into its own pocket, weighs almost nothing and lives in your suitcase until you need it — ideal for beaches, markets and day hikes.
Hard-sided luggage or a travel backpack?
They do different jobs. A wheeled case carries the bulk of your clothes; a backpack carries what you need to hand and doubles as your day bag. Most travellers use both — a carry-on case plus a slim backpack as the personal item.
Pairing a backpack with a suitcase? Read our best carry-on luggage guide and the Wenger range guide.