Best Travel Backpack (20-25L and Preferably Clamshell Style with Laptop Compartment) No Budget!

pumpkinpieblah on 06/01/2023 - 16:19

Hi folks - hoping that someone, somewhere can help me choose the best backpack for travel, preferrably one that opens clamshell, has a laptop compartment and can also be considered a personal item sized bag that fits under the seat in front of you. For this sort of portability, I am thinking 20-25L would be ideal in terms of capacity and also a plus if there is a dedicated water bottle holder etc.

The options I have found so far are the AER city pack pro, Evergoods CPL20 and the Bellroy Transit Workpack so price range from $100-350ish.

Does anyone have any thoughts on any of these or any other suggestions as to other brands that may fit this use case?

Additionally, as a side note I am 165cm so not looking for anything overly bulky either!

Travel

Comments

  • mrdean on 06/01/2023 - 17:56
    +5

    Consider the local brand One Planet as well. They make a range of small daypacks that might suit you. They manufacture them here too.

    One example is their Hitchhiker 25 model:

    https://oneplanet.au/product/hitchhiker-25/

    Osprey & Deuter are a couple of other well known outdoor brands. The ones you've mentioned look good too, more stylish than the outdoor/hiking brands.

    • Jimothy Wongingtons on 06/01/2023 - 18:10

      I always recommend Porter 30, as will comply to some Carry on restriction but may be a bit too bulky on a 165mm frame…

      • dasher86 on 06/01/2023 - 18:15
        +2

        165 mm 😂

        • Jimothy Wongingtons on 06/01/2023 - 18:18

          Cm - that’s what I get for relying on autocorrect

    • pumpkinpieblah on 06/01/2023 - 20:03

      Thanks gotta love the local brand, will check them out :)

  • psyren89 on 06/01/2023 - 18:11
    +4

    https://packhacker.com/

    • pumpkinpieblah on 06/01/2023 - 20:04

      I have watched soo many of there videos, makes choosing even harder as there’s always great bags in their videos!

  • TheMindsetTraveller on 06/01/2023 - 18:32
    +1

    I have one of these bags from Kathmandu - supposedly one of the largest carry-ons you are allowed (of course weight dependant on what you bring)

    • pumpkinpieblah on 06/01/2023 - 20:05

      I didn’t know Kathmandu made these sorts of bags, looks good though probably a bit too big for what I’m looking for. Thanks though will check out their range

  • metastable on 06/01/2023 - 19:43
    +2

    Crumpler Mantra Pro
    https://www.crumpler.com/au/mantra-pro-backpack-black/

    • pumpkinpieblah on 06/01/2023 - 20:17

      I love this! Do you have any experience with this backpack? Quality build and comfy etc?

      • metastable on 06/01/2023 - 21:20

        I have one. Crumpler build quality is always excellent and this is no exception. The Mantra Pro has a more refined look than the Mantra and for the black the overall look is excellent. It has an expandable zipper which isn't really shown in the video on the site, so you can even hold more in it. The cable organiser is removable, it just has a velcro patch on it.

        Pros - Great quality, refined look, LOTS of organisational pockets (almost too many, if that's even a thing). The key holder is actually useful, it's a beefy metal clip, dedicated powerbank sleeve and cable route to phone pocket.

        Cons - No dedicated water bottle holder, as you wanted. The front zipper under the protective neoprene can be annoying to open, as the neoprene can get in the way. You get used to angling the zip in such a way to do it. I personally would like a chest strap for walking around, but I understand that might give it a less business-like look. I feel it is also a little larger than it looks in the pics, the bottom is fairly wide, if that matters. I measured it to around 35cm.

        (Also, in Firefox the video/gif on the page doesn't run for me. It does in Chrome which showcases some of the features)

  • omguleh on 06/01/2023 - 23:20

    One Planet is great and light weight, sometimes it’s half the weight of some other brands.

  • CaptainHoltisDad on 06/01/2023 - 23:30

    Purchased the Aer Travel Pack 2 Small recently and it's absolutely phenomenal. Yes, it is expensive but only mentioning because you said you have no budget. At 28L, it's a bit bigger than your preferred range though. All the features are extremely well thought out. I use it as my office work bag and could see myself doing 1-2 trips onebagging with it. Took it overseas and it fit under an Easyjet seat snugly.

    • pumpkinpieblah on 06/01/2023 - 23:48

      I’ve never owned an Aer bag but definitely looking at a few. I was keen on the city pack pro - seems like it’s just a slightly smaller version of the travel pack?

      • CaptainHoltisDad on 07/01/2023 - 10:10
        +4

        They released that bag after I purchased by Travel Pack 3 Small (wrote "2" above oops). Just did a comparison of the features between the two and the City Pack Pro also looks a great buy. As it's slightly smaller, I think it would suit your build much better. I don't think any of the features "missing" from the City Pack Pro compared to the Travel Pack 3 are dealbreakers. As I plan on travelling a bit with my bag, the hidden AirTag pocket, loadlifters and ability to attach a lock through the zips are useful for me.

        I've owned a Crumpler bag in the past which also had decent build quality, but the Aer really is a notch above in terms of the bag material and not to mention the YKK zippers are amazing.

        • bargainerpro on 31/07/2023 - 11:05

          Hi, mate. I know it's an old thread, but where can you find AER bags here in Australia? No one seems to sell them, or they're WAY overpriced (yes, I know they're not cheap, but they're not supposed to be 600 bucks either).

          Thanks!

  • BugsBunnyAUS on 07/01/2023 - 00:43
    +3

    I bought a North Face Borealis about 2.5 years ago, I have been unbelievably happy with it. I was very surprised at how well made and comfortable it is - despite how much weight I pack in to it with work stuff/clothes/electronics/groceries, it hardly feels like I'm carrying anything at all. Almost daily use to/from work since I bought it, many flights and train trips etc it doesn't look any different to the day I bought it.

  • b18b on 07/01/2023 - 07:52

    Anyone bought on on these? Keen to know what the quality is like
    https://nordace.com/en/product/nordace-siena-smart-backpack

  • Essem on 07/01/2023 - 09:18
    +2

    I bought the Nordace Laval for my upcoming trip. https://nordace.com/en/product/laval-smart-travel-backpack/
    Was looking for 90* opening and adequate capacity to replace roller cabin case. While I haven’t used it yet, quality structure and feel, so confident will work for me.

    • pumpkinpieblah on 07/01/2023 - 13:20

      They seem really rigid and also mixed reviews on YouTube if you could call them reviews! The other bag I really like is Minaal daily

  • rrrogic on 07/01/2023 - 10:34

    Do you mean the Evergoods CPL24 or the PLC20? I have travelled with the CPL24 and there's nothing wrong with it, little bit heavy if gunning for a 7kg carry-on limit but not too bad.

    For water bottle holders with Evergoods you'd need to go to a CHZ22/26 but you lose clamshell opening (hardly a huge deal with such a small bag) and dedicated laptop access. There also exists a CTB26 with all of the above, but so far it's only been released as a collab so you can't buy it from EG (not sure when they'll release it as a regular version, but surely this year).

    • pumpkinpieblah on 07/01/2023 - 13:19

      I saw the new one but the one I was keen on is the PLC20, a slightly smaller footprint overall etc.

  • [Deactivated] on 07/01/2023 - 12:12

    Deuter Walker 24, has nice padded laptop section. Was once in Anaconda.

  • branners on 07/01/2023 - 16:44

    Pakt. Does everything you want and more, and a mere $574 on the Amazons

  • Hjshakenwin on 02/08/2023 - 11:52
    +1

    Osprey & Deuter are my go-to brands. I have compared them to ones at Kathmandu, Macpac, North Face and you can really feel the quality different in mesh material, zips, clips ect. Had a Osprey as a daily for 8+ yrs and still going strong.

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