The best college backpacks that carry everything but your course load
From bougie to basic, we have you covered.
From bougie to basic, we have you covered.
From bougie to basic, we have you covered.
College is great for many reasons, but one of them is that, unlike high school, you don't have to cart around all of your books every day — which means you don't have to tote around a ridiculously large backpack on campus. When it comes to shopping for a college backpack, you can choose a backpack that best fits your needs and has a slimmer design that isn't quite as bulky as the one you may have had in high school.
The Best Backpacks for College
- Best Overall - Dagne Dover Dakota Neoprene Backpack
- Most Popular - The North Face Borealis Backpack
- Best Laptop Bag - Luka Collection Laptop Backpack
- A Staple - JanSport Main Campus FX Black
- Great Nordic Style - Fjallraven Kanken Classic Backpack for Everyday
- Best Sporty - Adidas Excel 6 Backpack
- Best Large Capacity - Lululemon Everyday Backpack 2.0 23L
- Most Environmentally Friendly - Herschel Survey II Backpack
- Most Quirky - Cotopaxi Batac 24-Liter Backpack
- Best Bargain Tech Bag - MATEIN TSA Large Backpack with USB Charger Port
What to Consider
When you're buying a backpack for college, you want to think about a few major things: how you're going to use it, what you are going to carry, and if you'll want something that you'll also be able to use in your professional career.
How You’re Going to Use It
Is this going to be your backpack/work bag/soccer boot-carrying bag? If you need it to serve multiple arenas in your life simultaneously, you'll want to invest in something on the bigger side. If you're a lover of the organization or if you're taking courses with multiple disciplines within the study, a highly organized backpack with multiple compartments and pockets within those compartments is your best bet.
What Are You Going to Carry?
Are you just carrying your bag for a class or two per day? If so, you could opt for one of the smaller bags on our list (unless you're pre-med — those books are huge). If you're planning on shlepping several books, your college laptop, your tablet, and a ton of stationary, you will need something bigger, like the North Face's Borealis backpack, but you may not need something with a ton of compartments.
If you're into sports, or theatre, or dance — basically anything where you might need changes of clothing and shoes, you want a bag that can have a compartment just for that, like the Excel 6 by Adidas, so that the rest of your bag doesn't smell like sweat and feet. (I played soccer and I was in theatre — and I can promise you that those dreadful olfactory memories never leave you.)
Where Are You In Your Schooling?
Tons of students do internships in their senior year in professional environments. While you could get away with a more casual backpack for this stage in your life, you may want to consider getting something a bit less “outdoor trek to a frat party,” and more “I’m going to have your job in a few years.”
How We Chose
I spoke with college students, professors, and students who are about to start their freshman year. I watched all of the TikTok videos on what's popular, what's getting trashed, and what has staying power. I have tested some of these bags myself, and I curated a list that I think has a bag for every kind of student. Check out our top college backpacks below that are great for every type of student.
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