How to Choose a Backpack: Essential Tips and the Latest Trends

How do you choose a backpack? Start with what you will use it for, then find the size, comfort and materials that fit that use. A backpack you carry every day becomes part of your routine, so it is worth choosing well. This guide walks through the decisions in order, and ends with the features that are worth paying attention to right now.

1. Start with the purpose

A laptop backpack for the office needs a different layout from a hiking pack or a travel bag. Be honest about how you will use it most of the time:

• Everyday and commuting: a daypack or a slim laptop backpack.
• Work and business: a business backpack with organized compartments and a clean look.
• Travel: a larger bag that opens wide, ideally sized for airline cabins.
• Outdoors and hiking: a pack with a supportive back system and hip belt.

2. Choose the right size

Backpack size is measured in liters. As a rough guide:

• Commuting with a laptop: 15 to 25 L
• Weekend trips: 25 to 35 L
• Longer travel with one bag: 35 to 45 L
• Multi-day hiking: 40 L and up

If you carry a laptop, match the compartment to your screen size first. Our backpack size guide goes into more detail, including how to measure your torso.

3. Check comfort

Comfort makes the biggest difference when you carry a bag for hours:

• Padded, adjustable shoulder straps that spread the weight evenly.
• A breathable back panel to reduce sweat on warm days.
• Chest and waist straps on larger bags, which keep the load stable and take weight off your shoulders.
• A sensible empty weight: a heavy bag is heavy before you put anything in it.

4. Pick the material

• Nylon and polyester: light, tough and usually water-repellent. Ideal for daily use and travel. Higher denier fabrics, such as 900D or 1680D ballistic nylon, resist abrasion better.
• Oxford fabric: a dense woven polyester, durable and easy to clean.
• Canvas: classic and sturdy, with a vintage look, and often treated to repel water.
• Genuine leather: timeless and long lasting with care, but heavier. See our leather bags.

Not sure what the labels mean? Read the difference between waterproof and weatherproof.

5. Look at the organization

Good organization means less rummaging. Look for a quick-access front pocket for keys and phone, an inner organizer for pens and cables, side bottle pockets, and a separate compartment for shoes or gym clothes if you need one.

Backpack trends worth knowing

• Minimal design: clean lines, hidden zippers and quiet colors that work in the office and on the weekend.
• Anti-theft features: hidden back pockets, concealed zippers and RFID-protected card pockets. See our anti-theft bags.
• USB ports: connect your own power bank inside the bag and charge your phone through an outer port.
• Vacuum compression: travel backpacks that compress clothes to fit more into a cabin-size bag.
• Wheeled backpacks: 2-in-1 bags that roll through airports and carry on your back elsewhere. See our wheeled backpacks.

How to fit and adjust your backpack

Tighten the shoulder straps until the bag sits snugly against your back, with its bottom just above your hips. If it has a hip belt, fasten it on your hip bones so they carry part of the weight. Clip the chest strap to keep the straps in place. Pack heavy items close to your back.

How to care for your backpack

Wipe it with a damp cloth and mild soap, let it dry at room temperature, do not overload it, and store it in a dry place. A well-treated backpack stays with you for years.

Final thoughts

The right backpack balances purpose, size, comfort and style. Take a moment to think about how you will really use it, and you will end up with a bag that feels right every day. Browse our full backpacks collection to compare models.