Laptops don’t come cheap and if you have one that’s dedicated to studying, work, or gaming (or all 3), it will no doubt be one of your most valued possessions.
It will also be a valuable piece of tech that you’ll be taking out of the house regularly, or at least from time to time.
It’s during travel that your laptop is most at risk from damage or being stolen.
So what about a backpack that’s specifically designed to carry your laptop? Can it help to keep one of your most prized possessions safe and is it worth getting?
Table of Contents
Is A Laptop Backpack Worth It?
If you travel regularly with your laptop and need to keep it safe, a laptop backpack is worth it. Unlike regular backpacks, laptop backpacks are tailored for carrying laptops. That means water resistance, theft resistance, stronger material, pockets designed for protection and organization, and pockets made to hold laptop peripherals and accessories.
If you are carrying around a $1,000 plus laptop that you are relying on for school or work, you’re going to…
A good laptop backpack will look sleek, offer plenty of additional storage, and a high degree of protection for your laptop and it will be lightweight, water-resistant, breathable, and comfortable for you to carry around.
However, there is more to a laptop backpack than meets the eye and there are a host of differences (some large and varied and others small and subtle) between a laptop backpack and a standard backpack.
What Are The Differences Between Laptop Backpacks and Regular Backpacks?
In general, laptop backpacks are more high-tech than a standard backpack and that’s saying something, as some school-ready backpacks today come with built-in charging ports and bolt locking zippers, but there’s more.
- Laptop backpacks are larger
- There are more technological variations with laptop backpacks
- Laptop backpacks are more “on-the-go” friendly
- They have more support options, such as ports and plugs (on available models, of course)
- The pockets are more protective, with more premium material
- Water-resistant or repellant
- Designed with more back support
- Some laptop backpacks come with anti-theft features
You will usually see more laptop backpacks that favor a locking system of some sort or another. It makes sense when you think about it as a thief is going to eyeball a bag with a laptop in it a whole lot more than a backpack with History 101 and the Hardy Boys part 87.
Back support is crucial as well. Most backpack designers know that, when it comes to kids, teenagers, and young adults, aesthetics are everything, so they design backpacks to look good, rather than for functionality.
Laptop bags, on the other hand, are usually more ergonomic. These designers know that laptops can be heavy, along with all of the other stuff that goes with them, including textbooks for college students and everything that a working person may need to cram in there.
Therefore, they spend some time designing laptop backs so that they fit you better and are ergonomically supportive, saving your back some trouble for those long work commutes on foot or having to walk clear across campus to get to class.
Are Laptop Backpacks Water Resistant?
Many laptop bags are water-resistant and some are not, so that’s something that you may want to pay attention to before you get to the cash register with one or hit the “order now” button on your laptop.
Even ones that aren’t necessarily made out of water-resistant fabric are made out of premium materials, such as nylon, which is pretty water-resistant. Even EVA has a good degree of capability when it comes to shedding off the water droplets.
There are several manufacturers that market waterproof or water-resistant laptop backpacks, including Swiss Gear, Pelican Elite, and The North Face. Some of them even come with anti-theft measures as well, so it’s like getting a BOGO deal at Winn Dixie or something.
Which Fabric Is Best For A Laptop Bag?
The best fabric for a laptop bag is often hard to consider, as some bags don’t even market the fact of whether or not they are water-resistant but probably are considering the material that they are constructed of. There are four primary materials that are the primary materials in laptop bag manufacturing, ranked from best to worst.
- Nylon: Nylon has been around for a long time and it’s probably one of the most recognized materials, however, it’s highly resilient, naturally water-resistant, and yet it remains breathable.
- EVA: This is a good second choice after nylon, especially considering the fact that it is the most environmentally friendly material in the group. Its water resistance has good durability and is very lightweight.
- Polyester: Polyester is the least breathable material on the list but it’s fairly lightweight, fairly water-resistant, and highly resistant to heat and sunlight exposure, so it won’t fade over time.
- Leather: Leather may make you look rich and famous and some of the leather laptop backpacks have some incredible features, however, it doesn’t do well in the rain and cracks when overexposed to heat and sunlight. It requires a lot of extra maintenance to keep it looking new and luxurious.
What Is A Canvas Laptop Backpack?
Canvas laptop backpacks are really growing in popularity and for a lot of good reasons. They are extremely durable, made out of 100% waxed canvas, and it’s very water-resistant. Waxed canvas is just what it sounds like, cotton that has been coated in a film of paraffin or bees wax.
The wax is what makes the material almost completely waterproof, although it does steal away most of the pack’s breathability and it also makes the backpack a little heavier than what you are probably used to seeing in a laptop backpack.
However, they can be fairly comfortable, with padded straps and variations in form, carrying around a canvas backpack is supposed to be comfortable. Many of them come with leather straps for either your shoulders (in the case of a backpack) or on the single strap carrying pack.
The aesthetic is really cool too and it has the advantage of tried and true longevity. Canvas bags have been in use since the 1400s after all. Thanks to the wax additive over the entire surface of the pack, it’s nice and slick, which makes it difficult to get dirty.
It holds out water extremely well so you know that your laptop is protected at all times, even if you get caught out in some severe rainfall. The leather straps that many canvas backpacks come with make it extremely durable and long-lasting, however, leather abhors water so you will have to practice regular maintenance on the straps.
| Pros | Cons |
| 1. They come in multiple sizes to suit your laptop 2. Durable enough to carry a ton of items 3. Straps are designed for long-term, comfortable use 4. The most durable and long-lasting laptop bag you can find | 1. The straps are usually leather, which requires more maintenance 2. No breathability 3. No real security measures unless you create your own |
There is plenty to love about owning and using a canvas laptop backpack. One of the biggest drawbacks for some will be the limits on securing the bag. Of course, the leather or fake leather straps are a bit dissuasive on their own, as they take more time to get into than a zipper will.
However, with a zipper backpack, it’s a simple thing to bring two zippers together and padlock it or place a combo lock on it.
Also, there is very little breathability, as the wax effectively seals the bag. While this may not affect much on the inside of your pack, it can make your back hot and sweaty if you’re wearing it for a long time.
How Big Is A Laptop Backpack?
Laptop backpacks are designed for 13”, 15”, and 17” laptops in general. The 17” laptop backpacks can seem pretty large and that’s mostly in terms of length.
A TSA Travel Laptop Backpack is a prime example of a longer, laptop backpack that is designed to accommodate a 17” laptop.
Then you have your small, more comfortable backpacks like the Bopai 15”, which is more than enough to accommodate the medium size or smaller laptops, but may not be worthwhile if you are planning on carrying a lot of material.
Like regular backpacks, laptop backpacks come in large and small sizes, depending on what you need at the time.
Some may be bulkier than others, if for no other reason than to carry all of the expected peripherals and accessories that come with any laptop.
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Is A Laptop Backpack Worth It For Students?
Students will be more than happy with a premium laptop backpack and it is certainly worth the time and expense. There really is no reason not to purchase one.
If you have to carry a laptop around for schooling purposes, a laptop backpack is designed to accommodate that, along with all of the other school supplies that you may need.
Laptop backpacks aren’t designed just for laptops, after all, and you should have plenty of space for your stationery, notebooks, class books, folders, files, laptop, peripherals, and any additional accessories or tools that you may need to bring with you.
Is A Laptop Backpack Worth It For Gaming?
Not only is a laptop backpack worth it for gamers, but they also have gaming brand manufacturers that make them. Asus, Acer, Lenovo, HP, and Razer all put out their line of laptop backpacks and while they are priced with a premium tag, some of them are worth the expense.
Laptop backpacks for gamers allow you to not only carry your primary gaming rig around with you, but they also allow you to bring along all of the peripherals that are necessary to get your best in-game performance.
One of the best-looking laptop backpacks made exclusively for gamers is the Mobile Edge Core Laptop Backpack. Not only can it carry laptops in it, but it’s also designed to carry game consoles.
It’s not quite big enough for the newest Playstation and Xbox models, but it’s certainly big enough for the last-gen and all of your portables.
Do Laptop Backpacks Cost More Than Regular Backpacks?
If you are looking at laptop backpacks like the ones that are designed by PC brands such as Asus, Acer, and Lenovo, then yes, you can expect them to cost quite a bit more than regular backpacks.
However, if you just need a laptop backpack for carrying around a work or school laptop, along with any additional supplies, textbooks, are work materials, then you shouldn’t expect any more or less cost than regular backpacks.
What To Look For In A Laptop Backpack?
In a laptop backpack, you should look for something that’s water-resistant, and big enough for your laptop, and the other items you’ll want to carry in it. It should have sturdy construction, rugged zippers and zipper pulls that feel like they’ll last, and a generously padded liner to help protect the laptop.
The Right Size
If a laptop backpack is designed to fit a certain size of laptop then it will pretty much always fit the laptop size that it is rated for. However, some laptops will barely fit in while others will have loads of space.
It’s all down to the manufacturer of the backpack and how much space they want to allow for the size of laptop their bag is rated for. Some give very little extra space while others give loads.
So if your laptop already has a protective sleeve, it may struggle to fit in some backpack compartments.
If this is the case, it may be worth buying a laptop backpack that’s rated for a 15-inch laptop, just to ensure that you have enough room.
Protective Features
If you’re not putting your laptop into a protective sleeve before you put it into your laptop backpack then you are going to want a separate laptop compartment that has plenty of protective padding.
You’ll also want your laptop to be held inside of a suspended compartment inside your backpack. That way, if you drop your backpack and the bottom of it hits the floor, there will be a false bottom between your laptop and the hard concrete pavement.
Water Resistance
There are many types of water-resistant laptop backpacks, but the good ones usually have some kind of coating on them – like wax or polyurethane – to help keep the rain out.
Good water-resistant laptop backpacks should also have water-resistant zippers, as the zips are an easy way for moisture to seep into your bag.
Organization
Some backpacks have lots of compartments and modular organization while others will have a padded compartment for your laptop and just wide open space after that.
Both these types of laptop backpacks after pros and cons. If you already have individual padded cases for all of your devices, a backpack with lots of space to just throw everything in might suit you the best.
But if all your devices are without their own individual padded cases, you might want a backpack that comes with a ton of organization built-in and lots of different sized compartments for all of your devices and peripherals.
In general, the best laptop backpacks will have pockets for cables, peripherals, and other small items necessary for your travels.
Mostly, it is going to depend on what you want to carry. If it is for gaming on the go, work, or school. There are a few, core features that you want in any laptop backpack, though, regardless of what it’s for.
- Water-resistant material is a must
- Durability since laptops and associated gear can get pretty heavy
- A laptop compartment that is suspended in the center of the bag
- Anti-theft locking mechanisms and built-in GPS trackers are a good choice too
- Plenty of pockets because laptops come with plenty of peripherals, especially for gamers
- Prewired for power banks (not essential, but a great advantage to have)
- Ergonomic support
- Padded straps
To help get your bag back if the worst comes to the worst, you may want to add a luggage tag with a GPS tracker to your backpack.
That about does it in terms of what you want in a laptop backpack. For the most part, you will find most, if not all, of these features are prevalent when you are shopping for a good laptop backpack. Just keep in mind what you are going to be carrying and what you want it for.
All Things Considered
Laptop backpacks are more than worth it for both gamers and those who commute with a laptop to work or to school. They have so many advantages that you just won’t find in a standard backpack.
Since most laptop backpacks are also ergonomically designed, you can expect to carry your most important gear comfortably and for a long time.
