I often find myself stunned by the simple man I see out in public: He is really just out there, him against the world completely raw, with no backpack! Just a pedestrian on the avenue, hands in his pockets, with nothing but a phone, earbuds, keys, and some nice clothes to conquer the world.
Well, I’m not one of these simple men. In fact, I always carry a laptop with me in a travel-friendly backpack. Not that I’ll need to use it though. A workday in the office? Sure; maybe But, a Saturday morning at Astor Place’s Starbucks, I brought the laptop with me just in case. It never ends up happening, but it’s the assurance of “if you stay ready, you don’t have to get ready” that matters. With that, I can easily say that a good laptop backpack to safely—and stylishly—store my essentials is much needed.
Thankfully, the par for backpacks these days is having an interior padded sleeve that locks in laptops of different sizes (often in 13”, 15”, and 16” at most). Nevertheless, some options are undeniably better overall and better-looking than others. Thus, we’ve picked 9 best laptop backpacks for men below that’ll match your life in and outside the office, and last you from a morning commute to a noon conference and beyond.
The Classic Laptop Backpack
Herschel
Pop Quiz Backpack
| Capacity |
22 L |
| Laptop Sleeve |
15″ |
Best Overall Laptop Backpack
Everlane
The ReNew Transit Backpack
| Capacity |
27 L |
| Laptop Sleeve |
15″ |
Most stylish laptop backpack
Topo Designs
Classic Rover Pack
| Capacity |
20 L |
| Laptop Sleeve |
15″ |
The Waterproof Laptop Backpack
Rains
Waterproof Backpack
| Capacity |
13 L |
| Laptop Sleeve |
15” |
The go-anywhere laptop backpack
Bellroy
Classic Backpack
| Capacity |
16L, 20L, and 24L |
| Laptop Sleeve |
13″ and 16″ |
The most versatile laptop backpack
Dagne Dover
Dakota Neoprene Backpack
| Capacity |
8L, 16L, and 20L |
| Laptop Sleeve |
13″ and 16″ |
Best travel laptop backpack for travel
Lo & Sons
The Hanover 2
| Capacity |
21.4L |
| Laptop Sleeve |
13″ |
Most utilitarian Laptop BackPack
Troubadour
Pioneer Backpack
| Capacity |
23.5 L |
| Laptop Sleeve |
17″ |
The luxury laptop backpack
WANT Les Essentiels
Econylon Rogue 2.0 Utility Backpack
| Capacity |
Unknown |
| Laptop Sleeve |
15″ |
What to Look for in Laptop Backpacks
- Capacity: Certainly, it’s not just a laptop that your backpack will store—no one’s life is that simple. Hence, this is why you should consider the capacity or volume of a laptop backpack: How much and what kind of stuff it can hold besides the laptop matter just as much.
- Organization: As defined by pockets and compartments, the organization inside a laptop backpack makes or breaks what you’ll carry it as and to: If it’s got a shoe compartment, you can carry it as a gym bag to Equinox; with water bottle pockets, it makes for an outdoor-friendly carry-all; and if it has a luggage sleeve, bring it to your next flight so you can work on your laptop in the air. And don’t forget the many small pockets that you’ll find for quick access of stuff—any organization that’ll save you from digging through your bag ever again.
- Laptop Sleeves: It’s what makes a laptop backpack a… laptop backpack. Inside the sleeve, padded for better protection or not, is where you’ll nicely slip your laptop in and out. The size of the sleeve is the game-changer here. If you have a 14-inch MacBook Pro, for instance, your sleeve should house at most that much. (Of course, sometimes a sleeve is more of a separate compartment itself, which is more than welcomed.)
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Maverick Li
Maverick Li is the Assistant eCommerce Editor at Esquire, where he covers tech, home, and all things related to lifestyle.
