How To Pick a Backpack To Fit Your Laptop
Sep 08, 2022
Practicality over style is often the M.O for laptop backpacks.
With some backpacks falling short when it comes to comfort and capacity—some even lacking that all important laptop compartment. That’s where our laptop backpacks come in. They’re backed by our Lifetime Warranty and made from recycled materials making them both durable and sustainable.
Each of our backpacks with laptop compartments consider laptop safety, laptop size, durability, campus style, and the demands of the college lifestyle. Backpacks for laptops aren’t one-size-fits-all when it comes to features and functionality, so in this guide we’ve delved deep into the specifications of each laptop backpack so you can make an informed decision based on your needs.
Our Best Laptop Backpacks
Main Campus
Compatible Laptop Sizes: 15”
Capacity: 32L
Best For: All-round needs plus safety
The classic silhouette of the Main Campus gives it serious stand-out style against other backpacks with laptop sleeves. Plus, thanks to its extra-large capacity you’ll find plenty of space to stash your selfcare items alongside your textbooks and highlighters.
If laptop safety is your number one concern, the Main Campus could be the best laptop backpack for you as it has a dedicated zippered and padded laptop compartment that sits snuggly at the back of the pack. Made from 100% recycled 600 Denier Polyester, the spacious main compartment keeps textbooks and notes in check, while the internal organizer panel inside the zippered front stash pocket can house a small water bottle, and keep your pens and keys safely stowed.
Compression straps and quick release clips enable you to confidently pack-to-the-max, while the pack’s ergonomic S-curve shoulder straps with airmesh ventilation panels on the rear ensure a comfortable ride even when at full capacity.
Main Campus FX
Compatible Laptop Sizes: 15”
Capacity: 32L
Best For: Sustainability
Reap all the rewards of the Main Campus in this FX iteration, including its separate protective laptop compartment with the added benefit of our premium recycled Cordura® fabric which elevates this iconic style to sustainable new heights.
Gnarly Gnapsack 30
Compatible Laptop Sizes: 20”
Capacity: 30L
Best For: Gamers and larger laptops
The recycled and rugged fabrication of this 20” laptop Gnarly Gnapsack backpack is super durable thanks to its dual layered water repellent coating and 100% recycled 300 Denier Ripstop Polyester construction. Its contoured shoulder straps have breathable mesh panels and ports for a hydration tube, plus an adjustable sternum strap with a built-in safety whistle.
Dual stretch mesh 32oz water bottle pockets, that sit flat when not in use, can be found on each side, and clip compression straps keep your load close to your back to make this large laptop backpack comfortable to wear whatever weight you’re carrying. With a separate padded compartment at the rear of the pack that can comfortably fit a 20” laptop, the Gnarly Gnapsack 30 is the perfect option for college students in their last semester regularly carrying their laptop to the library or who use a gaming laptop for their studies.
Right Pack
Compatible Laptop Sizes: 15”
Capacity: 31L
Best For: Classic style
A classic pack with timeless campus style, the Right Pack is one of our best-selling laptop backpacks. Made from durable 915 Denier Cordura® recycled fabric with a super high quality suede leather bottom, it’s a failsafe option that will withstand even the most demanding class schedule.
The large main compartment is the perfect dump-zone for all your textbooks and notepads and contains a padded 15” laptop sleeve. While the middle pocket makes it easy to keep smaller items like pens and calculators in check thanks to its inbuilt organizer panel; there’s also a key-clip in here too. The smaller zippered front utility pocket with rain hood, side water bottle, and web haul handle at the top make this a super-functional laptop backpack that will perform well in any situation.
SuperBreak®
Compatible Laptop Sizes: 13”
Capacity: 26L
Best For: Smaller laptops/tablets
Ultralight and perfect for everyday use, the SuperBreak® is an affordable laptop backpack that’s best suited to carrying smaller tech like 13” laptops and tablets. Available in more than 30 different colorways and prints, it offers endless opportunities for self-expression and is made in part from recycled materials.
The pack’s simplistic 30% recycled 600 Denier Polyester construction consists of a single main compartment that is ideal for your laptop and textbooks, a front stash pocket for carrying smaller items like sunglasses and a portable charging pack, and a webbed water bottle pocket on the side. The 2/3 padded back panel ensures wearability whatever you’re carrying, while the sleek shoulder straps are also padded to enhance overall comfort.
SuperBreak® Plus
Compatible Laptop Sizes: 15”
Capacity: 26L
Best For: Medium size laptops
As functional as it is far-out, the SuperBreak® Plus is fresh take on the much-loved SuperBreak®. Inspired by the simplicity of its predecessor, this sleek laptop backpack is made in part with recycled materials and has the addition of a seriously convenient padded 15” laptop sleeve and a fully padded back panel for maximum protection.
Agave
Compatible Laptop Sizes: 15” laptop plus 10” tablet
Capacity: 32L
Best For: Outdoors and travel
Part of our outdoor series, the Agave daypack is a dual-purpose laptop backpack that performs even under the most challenging conditions. Made from rip-resistant and durable 420 Denier Polyester Dobby, it features a soft-touch mesh quilted back panel and ergonomic S-curve shoulder straps that ensure it will sit comfortably no matter whether you’re walking along a corridor or off-beat trail.
The Agave’s expandable main compartment with snap closure offers a fully padded 15” laptop sleeve which doubles as a hydration compartment for active adventures. Its secondary compartment is fitted out with a plush lined 10” tablet sleeve and built-in organizer panel (including carabiner clip and mesh pocket) to keep your keys, phone, ear buds, stationary, and/or trail snacks close at hand.
These are our most popular laptop backpacks for college, but how do you figure out which one is best for you? Treat the decision in the same way you considered which college to go to. Look at what you want from the pack and make a simple list of requirements.
So What Size Laptop Sleeve or Compartment Do You Need?
To ensure your chosen laptop bag provides adequate protection for your laptop it’s important to find a backpack with the right size laptop compartment. To do this you should first measure your laptop.
Measure the height and width, then diagonally from edge to edge to determine your laptop’s true inch size. It’s also important to take note of the depth of the laptop when closed as for maximum protection the width of the laptop sleeve should measure at least half an inch more than your laptop’s depth.
Best laptop backpack for small tech items – if you’re simply carrying a few textbooks and a tablet or small 13” laptop consider a lightweight pack such as our iconic SuperBreak®.
Best laptop backpack for mid-size laptops – for peace of mind that your laptop is safely stowed wherever you roam choose the Main Campus FX with its dedicated padded laptop compartment and premium recycled Cordura® fabric, or the Agave backpack which also has a padded media sleeve ideal for a 10” tablet.
Best laptop backpack for 17” gaming laptops – the Ripstop pPolyester construction and large padded laptop compartment at the rear of the Gnarly Gnapsack 30 make it the best laptop backpack for a 17” screen.
What’s Your Style?
When you’ve found a few laptop backpacks with the right specs to suit your tech, take some time to consider your college style and whether the new pack stacks up against your current favorite.
Want to make a style statement? Choose a pack like the SuperBreak® that comes in a range of colorways and prints, or the Right Pack which has a sleek suede leather bottom.
Prefer to blend in with the crowd? Our SuperBreak® Plus is a fresh take on a heritage design and comes in a choice of neutral colors.
What’s Your Lifestyle and Routine?
Need a durable and dual-purpose laptop backpack? Consider the Gnarly Gnapsack 30 or Agave daypack that will deliver on performance both on and off the trail.
Want a laptop backpack that doubles as a gym bag? Choose an extra-large capacity backpack like the Main Campus that can hold your laptop, school books, and gym kit all at once, without breaking a sweat.
Planning to use your laptop backpack as carry-on? Travel backpacks need to be super durable, comfortable to wear, and offer protection to things like your laptop and other valuables so if you’re planning a Spring Break adventure look at our Agave daypack, Main Campus FX, and Gnarly Gnapsack 30 that are all constructed from premium recycled materials.
Whatever your requirements, thanks to our commitment to sustainability you can be confident that our range of the best laptop backpacks for every laptop size are built to last, and that from pack to impact we’re working hard to reduce the carbon footprint of your favorite designs.
