Head back to school in style with these great laptop bags
- jul
- 31
Summer is never quite long enough; before you know it, it's time to get ready to head back to school. Whether you're a kid, a teen, a college student, or a graduate student, there is something about a new backpack that brings on the back-to-school excitement. If you're carrying a laptop to school, you'll need a bag with a padded compartment to keep it safe as well as room for your other essentials. Any of the backpacks on this list will fit that requirement. Find something for everyone on this list.
Popular brand
JanSport Big Student Laptop Backpack
Staff Favorite
The laptop compartment of this popular brand holds up to a 15-inch laptop. I've purchased several JanSport backpacks over the years; it's a great basic bag for school kids, teens, and adults. I love that they offer so many fun colors and patterns at reasonable prices.
Stylish and fun
Dakine Garden Backpack
This streamlined mid-sized backpack has room for a 15-inch laptop in a padded compartment and all of your other essentials in its many pockets. It comes in so many fun patterns and colors; I'll bet you can't pick just one.
Ergonomic choice
Bellroy Classic Backpack
This slim 17-liter canvas backpack can hold any laptop up to 15 inches in its padded laptop compartment. It's my daily driver for when I need to bring 13-inch Macbook and not too much else. The padded straps make it very comfortable to wear. The main compartment holds plenty of personal items, plus it has a couple of small zippered compartments for smaller things. There are six color choices.
Converts to tote
Solo Parker Hybrid Tote
This fashionable bag is a hybrid between a backpack and a tote bag. It has a fully padded compartment that holds up to a 15-inch MacBook Pro, plus lots of interior compartments and feet on the bottom for extra protection. This will be my daughter's bag for graduate school, since she will want something more professional-looking when she does her clinical work.
Bigger bag for women
Osprey Packs Nova Women's Laptop Backpack
Don't ask me why Osprey needs to make division by gender, but the women's version of this large bag is slightly smaller than the men's. As a medium-sized woman, this 32-liter backpack is perfect for my frame and is about as big as I could wear comfortably. The many compartments carry up to a 17-inch laptop and tons more.
Bigger bag for men
Osprey Packs Nebula Men's Laptop Backpack
The men's version of the Nova, called the Nebula, is slightly larger than the women's version at 34 liters. With so many large pockets, including a laptop compartment that fits a 17-inch laptop, you'll be able to carry all of your necessities and then some.
Full-featured bargain
MATEIN Laptop Backpack
Carry any laptop up to 15 inches in this fully featured bargain bag. It has lots of pockets and an external USB port you can connect to your power bank (not included.) Choose from seven different colors and patterns.
Wheeled design
High Sierra Wheeled Laptop Backpack
High Sierra is another backpack brand I've bought for my own children on several occasions, and we've always been happy with them. This version has wheels, so you don't always have to carry your laptop and other essentials on your back.
Slim, functional bargain
Mancro Laptop Backpack
With tons of features, this slim and highly functional backpack is sure to please. It comes with a combination lock, charging cable, and many compartments including a padded laptop compartment that holds any laptop up to 17 inches. Choose from seven different colors and patterns.
Luxurious style
Waterfield Sutter Slim Laptop Backpack
For a professional, business, or graduate school student, this would be a fantastic laptop bag. It's crafted locally in San Fransisco from ballistic nylon or waxed canvas with full-grain leather accents. It's slim, and yet it will hold up to a 15-inch laptop in its padded compartment. This classy bag will take you from student to professional.
Designer bag
Kate Spade Nylon Tech Backpack
If you want a backpack with Kate Spade's signature adorable style, look no further. This nylon cutie has leather trim and 14K gold-plated hardware. The laptop compartment holds up to a 15-inch laptop.
Trendy and colorful
Fjallraven Kanken Laptop Backpack
Don't ask me to pronounce it, but I see this brand sold in all the cool stores. It holds up to a 15-inch laptop in its dedicated compartment, plus it has a main compartment and three other pockets. A huge part of its appeal is the tons of gorgeous colors you can choose from.
Purse combo
S-ZONE Leather Backpack Purse
This pretty bag is a cross between a backpack and a purse, and it comes in five colors. Smaller than a typical laptop bag, it can fit up to a 14-inch laptop and a few essentials.
Vintage style
Modoker Vintage Laptop Backpack
This modern, functional back has a fun retro look. Its padded laptop compartment holds up to a 15-inch laptop. It has an external USB charging port and built-in charging cable, so you can charge your smartphone on the go.
Which one should you choose?
If you just need a simple laptop backpack for any student heading back to school, the JanSport Big Student Laptop Backpack is an easy pick. It covers all the basics with a padded laptop compartment large enough for a 15-inch laptop. There are plenty of color and pattern options, so even the choosiest student will find one to love. The quality is good, and the price is right.
However, if you're looking for something a bit more sophisticated and upscale, you can't beat the Waterfield Sutter Slim Laptop Backpack. It will hold both your 15-inch Macbook Pro and your 12.9 iPad Pro with the Smart Keyboard Folio in two separate padded compartments, plus your other tech gear. This is an investment piece that will take you past your school years and into the professional world.