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10 best carry-on backpacks of 2024
Dagne Dover
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
Away
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
Bellroy
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
Fjallraven
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
Amazon
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
Tumi
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
Travelpro
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
Monos
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
Dagne Dover
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
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
State
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.
TRENTON, N.J. — Democratic Newark City Council President LaMonica McIver has defeated Republican small businessman Carmen Bucco in a contest in New Jersey’s 10th Congressional District that opened up because of the death of Rep. Donald Payne Jr. in April.
McIver will serve out the remainder of Payne’s term, which ends in January. She and Bucco will face a rematch on the November ballot for the full term.
McIver said in a statement Wednesday that she stands on the “shoulders of giants,” naming Payne as chief among them.
She cast ahead to the November election, saying the right to make reproductive health choices was on the ballot as well as whether the economy should benefit the wealthy or “hard working Americans.”
“I will fight because the purpose of politics and the purpose of our vote is to give the people of our communities and our nation a bold voice,” she said.
Bucco congratulated McIver on the victory in a statement but said he’s looking forward to the rematch in November.
“I am not going anywhere,” he said in an email. “We still have a second chance to make district 10 great again!”
Who are LaMonica McIver and Carmen Bucco?
McIver emerged as the Democratic candidate in a crowded field in the July special election. A member of the city council of New Jersey’s biggest city since 2018, she also worked for Montclair Public Schools as a personnel director and plans to focus on affordability, infrastructure, abortion rights and “protecting our democracy,” she told The Associated Press earlier this summer.
Bucco describes himself on his campaign website as a small-business owner influenced by his upbringing in the foster system. He lists support for law enforcement and ending corruption as top issues.
The 10th District lies in a heavily Democratic and majority-Black region of northern New Jersey. Republicans are outnumbered by more than 6 to 1.
It’s been a volatile year for Democrats in New Jersey, where the party dominates state government and the congressional delegation.
Among the developments were the conviction on federal bribery charges of U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez, who has denied the charges, and the demise of the so-called county party line — a system in which local political leaders give their preferred candidates favorable position on the primary ballot.
Democratic Rep. Andy Kim, who’s running for Menendez’s seat, and other Democrats brought a federal lawsuit challenging the practice as part of his campaign to oust Menendez, who has resigned since his conviction.
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Sean “Diddy” Combs at same Brooklyn detention center that held R. Kelly, Sam Bankman-Fried, other high-profile inmates
A second judge refused to grant bail to Sean “Diddy” Combs on Wednesday and he could remain in federal custody at a Brooklyn detention center until his trial for sex trafficking charges. Combs joins other high-profile inmates, such as singer R. Kelly, fallen cryptocurrency mogul Sam Bankman-Fried, rapper Ja Rule —even Al Sharpton served a brief stint— who were held at the same federal detention center.
Notorious for its horrible conditions —inmates won a $10 million class action settlement after enduring frigid conditions during an 8-day blackout in 2019— the waterfront industrial complex, MDC Brooklyn, houses 1,200 inmates.
JOHANNES EISELE/AFP via Getty Images
Violence and corruption have long plagued the facility; U.S. District Judge Gary R. Brown of the Eastern District of New York wrote the detention center had “dangerous, barbaric conditions” in a recent sentencing opinion. Two inmates were stabbed to death in recent months and several correction officers have been convicted for smuggling contraband and accepting bribes.
Combs joins a list of high-profile personalities that have landed at the MDC Brooklyn, partly because the city’s other federal detention center, MDC New York, closed in 2021, also due to horrible conditions. The disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein died by suicide in his cell there in 2019. “Numerous and serious” instances of misconduct among corrections staff gave Epstein the opportunity to kill himself, a subsequent federal watchdog investigation found.
Kelly sued the federal detention center in 2022 for wrongly putting him on suicide watch after his sentencing. Kelly sought $100 million because he said the detention center knew he wasn’t suicidal after he was convicted in 2021 for racketeering and violating the Mann Act, which bars transporting people across state lines for prostitution.
Yuki Iwamura/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Former crypto billionaire Bankman-Fried survived on bread, water and sometimes peanut butter when he was in the MDC Brooklyn, his attorney said, because the detention center continued to serve him a “flesh diet” despite requests for vegan dishes.
Ja Rule stayed at the MDC Brooklyn for a brief time before being released after serving most of his two-year sentence for illegal gun possession. Most of his prison time was spent in a state prison in New York.
Sharpton served a 90-day sentence in 2001 and went on a hunger strike for protesting the U.S. Navy bombing of the island of Vieques, in Puerto Rico.
Combs was taken into custody on Monday and according to an indictment unsealed Tuesday he was charged with sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy and transportation to engage in prostitution.
His attorney Marc Agnifilo told CBS News, “It’s impossible to prepare for a trial from where he is,” after a first federal judge denied Combs bail on Tuesday.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robyn Tarnofsky agreed with prosecutors who argued the hip-hop mogul, who is accused of using his business empire as a criminal enterprise to conceal his alleged abuse of women, is a flight risk and poses an ongoing threat to the safety of the community.
Agnifilo said the part of the detention center where Combs is being held is “a very difficult place to be.”
contributed to this report.
