10 best carry-on backpacks of 2024

A carry-on backpack can ease a lot of frustration during your travels. The right backpack will keep your most important travel essentials at close hand, even when flying -- most airlines will let you board with both a carry-on luggage piece (stored overhead) and a backpack (stored under the seat in front of you). But the wrong backpack can literally weigh you down en route, leaving you uncomfortable and exhausted.

To make your journeys easier this fall and winter, we recommend investing in a great carry-on backpack.

There are so many carry-on backpacks available online that trying to figure out which are the best may prove to be overwhelming, especially if you're currently preparing for a trip. To save you time and stress, the travel experts at CBS Essentials have selected the best carry-on backpacks of 2024 that will suit a variety of travelers, including over-packers, light packers, budget travelers and even kids.

Best carry-on backpacks for travel

All of our best carry-on backpack picks are customer-loved and from reputable travel and backpack brands such as Away, Tumi, TravelPro, Fjallraven and more. 

• Best overall carry-on backpack: Away The Everywhere zip backpack
• Best large carry-on backpack: Bellroy Transit backpack
• Best small carry-on backpack: Fjallraven Kanken
• Most affordable carry-on backpack: Amazon Basics carry-on backpack
• Best splurge carry-on backpack: Tumi Voyageur Celina backpack
• Most comfortable carry-on backpack: Travelpro Platinum Elite business backpack
• Most versatile carry-on backpack: Monos Metro backpack
• Most stylish carry-on backpack: Dagne Dover Dakota neoprene backpack
• Best value carry-on backpack: Beis The Backpack
  
• Best carry-on backpack for kids: State Bags Kane backpack

Best overall carry-on backpack: Away The Everywhere zip backpack

Away's The Everywhere zip backpack contains plenty of features that will make lugging your personal items en route a breeze. You'll find multiple organizational pockets within, including one for a reusable water bottle, your tablet, glasses case, snacks and more. There's also a key clip and enough catch-all space to store your headphones and a hoodie for the inevitably cold plane. 

Behind the handle is another large zipped compartment that can house laptops up to 15 inches. You'll be able to carry this comfortably while in transit thanks to the backpack's padded backing and straps. However, if you need a break, rest easy knowing that the backpack comes equipped with a trolley sleeve. 

The Everywhere has a lot going for it, but our favorite feature, and something we don't see often enough in other carry-on backpacks, is how the bag opens. The bag opens like a clamshell, making it so much easier to see all your travel essentials as well as access them quickly.   

Best large carry-on backpack: Bellroy Transit backpack

This extra roomy backpack is great for over-packers, as it's about double the size of your average carry-on backpack. The backpack has so much extra space that it comes with a compression strap in its main compartment. This is great, as it allows you to pack a change of clothes in case the airline loses your luggage, or you find yourself caught up in a long flight delay. 

There's also a large mesh pocket where you can store more clothes, and then a smaller mesh zip compartment on top of that that's big enough for small toiletries. The exterior is outfitted with a pocket for your water bottle, a slip pocket on the straps for AirPods, a zipped compartment on top of the bag specifically for your sunglasses, and a roomy front zipped pocket (outfitted with organization compartments, of course) to hold your phone, passport, wallet and pens. Traveling with your laptop? There's a dedicated space for that too.

And if you're worried about carrying such a heavy load, you may be relieved to know that the backpack has a contoured back panel, padded shoulder straps and a sternum strap to help with comfort. 

Regularly $259, you can get this backpack at Belroy for $179.

Best small carry-on backpack: Fjallraven Kanken

One of our favorite back-to-school backpacks also makes for a great carry-on backpack for those who pack light. The main compartment offers enough space for in-flight necessities, including a water bottle, a 15" laptop, snacks, a jacket and more, while the front pocket is great for storing personal items you need to grab quickly, such as your passport, wallet and smartphone. 

What we like about the Kanken is the fact that it comes with a padded foam backing, which will make carrying this Fjallraven backpack a lot more comfortable. And since the backing is removable, you can also use it as a cushion in case you need extra support while sitting on airport seats or the floor. 

Another perk? There are 39 color options available at Amazon, ranging from terracotta brown to flamingo pink. (Price varies by color.) Order from Fjallraven direct and you can fully customize the colors and accents on the backpack.

Most affordable carry-on backpack: Amazon Basics carry-on backpack 

Don't have an extra $100 plus to spend on a carry-on backpack? No problem. This affordable Amazon Basics carry-on backpack will get the job done. The backpack is roomy and built for comfort with its four zipped storage compartments, padded back and straps, sternum strap and waist belt. 

The four compartments include a laptop sleeve, a large front pocket and front top pocket and a main compartment that has some pockets on the inside for greater organization. We really like the compression features available, which aren't as common in other carry-on backpacks. These include interior and exterior compression straps as well as a compression zipper for the main compartment. 

Wondering what other travelers think of this backpack? Do know that it has a 4.4-star rating on Amazon. One customer wrote, "I bought this backpack before our trip to Europe for a couple weeks and it worked great. Considering the low price I was surprised with the quality and durability. It has plenty of pockets but not too many plus the zippers are very smooth. I'm glad I bought this one instead of the more expensive brands." 

Best splurge carry-on backpack: Tumi Celina backpack

If you've got money to spend, treat yourself to this luxurious carry-on backpack from Tumi. The Celina, part of the Voyageur collection, is stunning with its striking gold hardware and leather details throughout, including the top handle and the detachable charm that can be monogrammed with your initials. 

The backpack has eight compartments that'll fit everything you need on your jaunt, including two main compartments, one specifically for your laptops (a Windows 15" and Mac 16" specifically) and other large travel necessities. There is also a water-resistant side pocket for water bottles or small toiletries and a quick-access phone pocket at the top of the backpack. 

And don't worry about its good looks fading over time. The bag has been treated with a water- and stain-resistant coating to increase its longevity.

Pictured is the black model, but you can also get this in other colors, including olive, mauve (with silver hardware) and black with gunmetal hardware. 

Most comfortable carry-on backpack: Travelpro Platinum Elite business backpack

Although marketed for business travelers, this Travelpro business backpack will be appreciated by all with its impressive features. The backpack has six roomy zipped compartments that can fit plenty of personal items big and small. The two main compartments each have a padded laptop sleeve able to fit computers or tablets up to 15.6 inches, making this an excellent laptop backpack for everyday use.

You'll find a series of storage pockets in the small and one of the main storage compartments, giving you dedicated spaces to put your phone charger, laptop charger, earbuds and more. We appreciate the unique RFID-blocking pouch located in the front pocket, which should help protect credit cards and passports from identity theft. 

We also appreciate the padding throughout the back as well as the sternum strap and trolley sleeve. What's more, the handle and trim are leather, adding a level of luxury to such an incredibly functional piece of luggage. 

Most versatile carry-on backpack: Monos Metro backpack

This backpack was actually designed for more than just travel, with the brand recommending shoppers take this with them on their daily work commutes in addition to weekend getaways. The material can certainly hold up with daily use, as the vegan leather and nylon options were made to be scratch- and water-resistant. 

The backpack has two main compartments, including one for a laptop (up to 15") and another that contains the brand's "privacy compartment", a waterproof storage space for your water bottle, toiletries or damp clothes.

The Monos Metro also has a front pouch that detaches, allowing you to carry around your most important items without having to lug the backpack around. This can come in handy while waiting to check into your hotel room, or if you're exploring a city for a short amount of time and want to store your luggage in a locker. 

Most stylish carry-on backpack: Dagne Dover Dakota neoprene backpack

This Dagne Dover bag is a great option for people looking for a durable carry-on backpack that is also stylish. The Dakota neoprene backpack is quite trendy with its monochrome design and athleisure chic vibe. The colors also add to its allure, offering interesting hues such as a Piña, a light yellow with green undertones, Dune, a mauve with brown undertones, dark moss, and more. There are also three mesh options, which gives the backpack an even greater edge style-wise. 

The large backpack (pictured) comes with a main compartment that has a mesh laptop sleeve that can fit computers up to 16 inches. That laptop is made even more secure with an included fastener. It has two vertical interior pockets, two mesh slip pockets and a key leash. It also comes with a zipper pouch and a dust bag for your shoes. 

The exterior of the bag has two water bottle pockets and three small pockets (one on the top of the backpack and two on either side) where you can store your phone, passport and wallet.

Some may appreciate that this is an eco-friendly choice: The Dakota is made of 23 recycled water bottles. 

Best value carry-on backpack: Beis The Backpack

Beis The Backpack is a great mid-range option for shoppers seeking to get a quality carry-on backpack for less than $100. We can attest to Beis' quality, as one of our CBS Essentials shopping experts tested out the brand's The Medium Check-In for an international trip and loved the luggage. 

The Backpack is made of cotton, which is refreshing considering a lot of carry-on backpacks, even ones priced much higher than this Beis' bag, are made of synthetic fabrics. It comes with a padded laptop pocket, a trolley sleeve, two slip pockets for reusable water bottles and a front zipped compartment with organization pockets and a key leash.

The interior contains a compression strap and two large zipped compartments, including a PVC-lined one specifically for your toiletries. You can get these in one of eight colors, including navy, slate (a baby blue), olive, pink and beige. 

Best carry-on backpack for kids: State Bags Kane backpack

When buying backpacks for kids, you want to get them something that they actually want to wear. This is especially important for travel, as their excitement to wear the backpack may help cut down on the time that you end up having to carry it for them. State Bags' Kane backpack comes in a plethora of fun designs that will get them eager and willing to wear their travel bag. 

These include backpacks with 3D flowers and dinosaurs as well as ones that contain fuzzy patches of basketballs, lightning bolts and snakes. There are also fun patterns, including gingham (pictured), exotic, technicolor animals and even skeletons riding skateboards. 

The backpack has a main compartment, front pocket and water bottle pockets on either side. There are multiple sizes available, which are measured by age. These include backpacks for those ages two to four, four to eight, and seven and up.