Amazon Basics Travel Backpack, Carry-On with Laptop Compartment, 40L Capacity, Expandable for 10% Extra Space, Convertible Backpack & Shoulder Bag, Multiple Pockets, 15.8"W x 21.5"H x 8.3"D, Black

I’ve used this backpack for travel and was honestly impressed with how much it holds. I was able to pack a surprising amount of stuff into it without it feeling awkward or overstuffed. The layout makes it easy to organize everything, and the laptop compartment keeps things separated instead of all mashed together. I kept finding new pockets as I used it. What I liked most is that it doesn’t feel cheap. The fabric is sturdy, the zippers feel solid, and nothing about it gives off that flimsy budget-bag vibe. It held up well being stuffed full and carried through airports, and I never felt like I had to baby it. It’s comfortable to wear, works well as a carry-on, and just does its job without trying to be fancy. If you need a backpack that can haul a lot and still feels well-made, this one exceeded my expectations for the price.

I purchased the Amazon Basics Travel Backpack for my trips, and as a first-time travel backpack user, I’m really pleased with it. This backpack is surprisingly spacious, easily fitting clothes, essentials, and even a dedicated padded compartment for my laptop, which keeps it secure. The quality feels solid—no rips, loose threads, or zipper issues after multiple trips, which is reassuring for the price. The padded straps are a standout feature; they’re comfortable even when the bag is fully loaded, making long walks through airports or cities much easier. I don’t have other travel backpacks to compare it to, but this one checks all the boxes for functionality and durability so far. My only minor gripe is that I wish it had a few more organizational pockets for smaller items, but it’s not a dealbreaker. Overall, for the price and performance, I’d highly recommend the Amazon Basics Travel Backpack to anyone looking for a reliable, no-frills option for travel. It’s been a great companion on my journeys!

After YEARS of trying to find the perfect travel bag, this one has taken the #1 position in my arsenal. Typically I would use my duffle bag that has wheels and carry handle, but time and many travels have begin wearing that bag down. In preparation for my trip with a 2 year old in tow, I needed something easy and hands free. After reviewing EVERY option on Amazon, it was down to 3 different backpacks. Having not traveled airlines in 3-4 years, rules and regulations change often and I was pleased to see this backpack AmazonBasics Carry-On Travel Backpack, Black has all of the up-to date regulations required. Going down the list of things I needed in a travel bag: TSA Carry on size capable. Plenty of pockets and storage for little things Expandable main compartment Laptop/Tablet storage Sturdy straps/Handles Lightweight (Depending on what I pack inside) When I received this bag, I was extremely pleased to see the quality in the build! for a 50$ bag this has EVERYTHING Comparing this bag to the other bags on amazon. I was also looking at a very large price difference ranging from 129$ to 229$. Being budget minded, I opted to try this risk free due to Amazon's return policies. (Love you guys!), again, let me say this: This bag is IMPRESSIVE. It EASILY fit my very large and bulky Dell Precision M6800 (Normal 17" laptop bags are not actually a TRUE 17" laptop bag), over a weeks worth of clothes (Carefully packed of course), along with cables, chargers, and a few personal items. The few things I wish this bag had are listed below (Hint Hint Amazon!): A brighter color interior (Amazon Orange would have been nice!) instead of the gray insides. More "clip" locations for carabiners or water bottle storage of sorts, recommendations would be a plastic clip or two at the top or bottom corners of the bag, or a clip location on the front corner of the bag, or sewn band straps on the front or bottom corners of the bag for clips. A hardened/reinforced bottom on the backpack. *See explanation below * When using this bag as a backpack, i opted to have the bag sit upright. Having a reinforced or hardened bottom side on the backpack would increase the durability of the backpack quite a lot especially with lots of use. When using in suitcase style, this would need a reinforced back padding or bumper of sorts. Overall, I have and will continue to recommend this bag in the distance future. Opting for the choices of other bags, this bag was extremely comfortable to wear, and carry (I am 6'3", and 215lbs).

Amazing backpack/shoulder strap carryon or not bag for 40$ . It is lots of bells and whistles that allow it to convert on many levels. For example, it has two Internal straps. It has expandability and it has two front zippers deep pockets. It’s pretty well organized It is not a comfortable backpack. It is comfortable enough, and it does the job for the price. If you are, however, truly backpacking, then this is not the bag for you. If, like me, you are running around backpacking sometimes, shoulder strapping it other times, and using the handle, then it’s an excellent option that our competes with many bags several times it’s price. For future reference, I do think the bag can be a little bit more square at the top. I found the tapering at the top made it a bit difficult to manage my clothing cubes . The bag is flexible, though, and I was able to put other things in those spaces and make it work. I would also say that the quality of the bag is not up to par with many of that superior backpacks that are luggage. It’s just a simple fact, but you will get years of worth out of this and it serves really nice niche. It’s also good to know that Amazon cover if it rips or falls apart. Overall, it is been a great bag for 40 bucks. I can fit enough expendable front so can use it if I want or not. It’s also accepted everywhere- fits on Ryanair..

PROS: - Excellent design with large storage capacity and ample pockets/dividers for organization - Comfortable shoulder straps and back cushioning - Comes with shoulder strap, waist strap, sternum strap, backpack straps (can be tucked away), and two handles to allow multiple methods of easy-carrying - Includes internal padded laptop storage compartment placed nearest the back (ideal design for weight distribution) - Includes zippered expandable storage (unzip to expand the bag slightly, or keep zipped to keep the bag more compact) - Carry-on size! CONS: - DOES NOT include hide-away water bottle compartment or key ring clip, as described on the listing - Some loose threading here and there, and minor quality issues PERSONAL EXPERIENCE: My wife and I travel frequently (we have Southwest Companion Fly Free) on weekend trips across the state (often 3-4 night trips). I have been somewhat addicted to finding the best carry-on size travel bag/backpack. A few months ago, I purchased the eBags eTech 2.0 Weekender Travel backpack for my wife and myself, and I recently purchased the AmazonBasics backpack as well for my most recent two trips to see how they compared. Here are some of my notable comparisons: **DESIGN & ORGANIZATION** If I am not mistaken, eBags 2.0 started selling on Amazon towards the end of 2012 and has only had minor revisions since then. The design focuses on maximizing the amount you can carry within a bag that still fits most standard "carry-on" size specifications (which is usually 9x22x14). It utilizes hide-away backpack straps (they tuck away into a zippered compartment), a handle on the horizontal and vertical side of the bag, and a suit-case style main compartment and zipper opening for easy access. This has been a winning combination, and I have found this to be one of the most efficient designs for easy travel and maximum storage (better than clam-style zippered opening backpacks, in my opinion). With the use of packing cubes, my wife and I easily pack for 4 to even 5 night trips with both backpacks. In the attached picture showing the backpack filled, I easily packed two medium-sized packing cubes carrying 2 pants, 3 shorts, 1 belt, 6 t shirts, 2 button shirts, and 2 long sleeve shirts; one small packing cube carrying 6 socks, 6 underwear; one pair of shoes; toiletry bag; lightweight jacket in the mesh compartment on the lid; laptop w/ charger and documents; chargers; sunglasses; Kindle; battery pack; and earbuds. With that said, AmazonBasics released this backpack in September 2016, and clearly copied/mimicked almost the exact design of the eBags 2.0 in nearly every respect (AmazonBasics has all the features described directly above as well). The notable differences is that the AmazonBasics backpack has a dedicated zippered laptop storage compartment placed right on the back (best design for weight distribution because it keeps the weight closest to your body), zippered expandable storage option (unzip to expand the dimension of the main compartment by 10%, or leaved zipped to keep the backpack more compact; refer to attached picture), and has clips that allow for shoulder strap carry. If you want to carry a laptop in the eBags, you either have to place it in the front zippered organization compartment or in the main storage compartment (both are not the most ideal since weight is either distributed on the furthest point away from your body, making it feel heavier; or if in the main compartment, it's a pain to open it up and remove it for Airport Security). However, the eBags has a slightly better designed front storage area that utilizes: elastic cinches on its pockets (when travelling, it keeps the contents placed in these pockets in place; while with the AmazonBasics bag, I noticed that my items would easily slide out of the pockets during travel), a larger variety of pockets, and a key clip (the listing claims AmazonBasics backpack has a key clip, but it definitely does not). Both backpacks utilized a zippered mesh compartment located on the lid-side of the main compartment, but if you look at the included pictures, eBags has it extend the full length to maximize the size, whereas AmazonBasics for some odd reason has it cut off nearly 5 inches short of the full length. I see no point in why AmazonBasics decided to do that because it's just lost space. VERDICT: Draw. AmazonBasics has the well-designed padded laptop compartment, zippered expandable storage option, and shoulder strap capabilities, but eBags has the better designed front zippered organization compartment. Subjectively, I prefer the AmazonBasics backpack because it is important for me to carry my laptop with me and have the option to use a shoulder strap, while my wife prefers the eBags because she prefers the better-designed front zippered organization compartment and is fine always using the backpack straps. **WEIGHT AND COMFORT** AmazonBasics backpack weighs slightly over 3 lbs, while the eBags weighs slightly over 2 lbs. Honestly, the difference in weight is quite minimal when the backpack is actually worn, and I did not notice that the AmazonBasics bag was slightly heavier. With respect to comfort, the AmazonBasics backpack has slightly more cushioning in the backpack straps, and it adds cushioning along the entire length of the bag that rests on your back. The eBags backpack does not provide any real cushioning for your back, and while the shoulder straps are still comfortable, it has slightly less cushioning. However, the eBags has much more cushioned and well-designed side handles (the handles on the vertical and horizontal sides of the bag). eBags uses elastic under each handles to always pull the side handles closer to the bag (refer to attached pictures), and pads it with a soft neoprene. AmazonBasics uses the same nylon covering the entire bag over its handles, and you can feel the plastic material of the handles beneath. Both backpacks have adjustable sternum straps, and simple nylon straps that can be attached to the bottom to be used as waist straps. VERDICT: AmazonBasics slightly edges out eBags here. With the slightly more cushioned/padded backpack straps, and cushioning along the length of the portion of the bag the rests on your back, the AmazonBasics backpack is slightly more comfortable to wear. The eBags has better designed and more cushioned side handles, but ultimately these travel backpacks are made to be worn as backpacks, not primarily carried by the side handles. **QUALITY** AmazonBasics describes the material used as "durable polyester", while eBags states that the material used as "420D & 1680D Nylon". Nylon is generally a stronger & more durable material than polyester, and the 420D & 1680D Nylon rated materials used by eBags is highly rated/reviewed for its quality and durability. Based on feel and appearance, the Nylon material on the eBags backpack is of higher quality than AmazonBasics. Additionally, eBags uses higher quality components and materials on many of the finer details of the backpack, such as: Clips that attach the bottom shoulder straps to the backpack (has a cleverly designed release mechanism outside of the clipped area to allow for quick release); seams on the shoulder straps are sealed & hidden (AmazonBasics uses the simpler method of placing a separate piece of material that is stitched over; refer to picture of the shoulder straps); YKK zippers with a lifetime warranty (YKK are like the gold-standard for zippers; AmazonBasics uses strong & quality zippers, but not quite as nice as YKK); and quality side handles with neoprene padding and elastic pull-back mechanism (AmazonBasics wraps its side handles in the same polyester used for the rest of the bag, and the hard plastic of the handle can be felt). Lastly, I noticed that the AmazonBasics backpack had a few loose threads here and there, and somewhat sloppier stitching/finishing (refer to attached picture). VERDICT: eBags wins here when it comes to quality materials and craftsmanship. **VALUE** eBags is very reasonably priced at $99.99 (occasionally goes on sale too) for the quality & craftsmanship that you get with the bag. eBags also has an excellent reputation for customer service and warranty. The AmazonBasics backpack currently retails for $49.99, which is a steal. VERDICT: AmazonBasics takes the cake when it comes to value. eBags backpack is well-priced and uses some higher quality materials & craftsmanship, but the AmazonBasics backpack is literally 1/2 of the retail price. eBags is a great price at $99.99, but AmazonBasics is a steal at $49.99. **CONCLUSION** Both backpacks are incredibly impressive with respect to design, organization, comfort, quality, and value. You honestly cannot go wrong with either backpack, and both are excellent choices for your carry-on travel bag needs. Each backpack has slight pros/cons as compared to the other, and I wish I could combine some aspects of both to create the perfect combination. If you want slightly higher quality materials, durability, craftsmanship, and a better designed front storage compartment–and you do not mind not having a shoulder strap-carry option or a dedicated laptop storage compartment near your back–then eBags is a great overall choice for you. But if you want slightly more comfortable shoulder straps & back-cushioning, shoulder strap-carry option, dedicated laptop storage compartment near your back, zippered expandable storage option, and an unbeatable price; then AmazonBasics will be the travel backpack for you. To prove my point: my wife opted to keep the eBags because she liked the overall quality more, thought it was plenty comfortable, and did not mind that it lacked a dedicated laptop storage compartment near the back. I opted to go with the AmazonBasics backpack because I like having the option to carry the backpack on a shoulder strap, and I love having a dedicated laptop storage option near the back. **For the attached pictures, the olive backpack is the eBags and the black backpack is the AmazonBasics. I will update this review after my wife and I travel some more!

We purchased our Amazon Basics Travel Backpacks in 2018 and they have traveled on multiple international and domestic flights. We waited until now so that we could give a review of how they have held up over 7 years of travel. The material of the bag has held up well, not just from being shoved into the overhead compartment, but we tend to wear our backpacks, along with a smaller backpack on our chest (yes, we're those dorks). We tend to stay in locations that require long public transportation rides, walks down narrow stone alleyways where the bags bump up against the walls, and constantly being tossed on the ground as we stop to eat or get some coffee as we travel around. Has there been wear? Absolutely. Some marks along the sides, front and edges of the bag, but the edges are holding up great. Wear is mostly cosmetic at this point, so they are still holding tough. We don't like sling carry straps, so we couldn't say how that strap holds up. The shoulder straps however have been great! They easily slide into the back pocket if you don't want to use it as a backpack, but quickly come out and clip on. My wife's bag has had some issues develop with one of the clips that connects one of the shoulder straps to the bag, but we were able to fix it for a while, and now just have it permanently clipped. As for functionality, the inside main pocket is large enough to carry about a week's worth of clothing - depending on the season. I use compression bags, but my wife folders her clothes. I won't lie, it took some practice to figure out how to pack for a 3 to 4 week trip using just this carry on backpack, but once we adjusted, we quickly learned we've been overpacking! We have seen backpacks with designated shoe compartments, thankfully this one does not have one. In my experience they take up a ton of room and do not allow you to compress your shoes, so you lose a lot of space. We use a cinch bag for a pair of shoes, and they just go right into the main compartment. The zipper side is nice for smaller items you don't want to pack with your main clothing. The outside zipper pocket has been less then helpful and we would probably prefer if it was divided into two pockets, but it's not. It's great for items like books, cosmetics, quick access to liquids (remember we got these in 2018, quick access to liquids was a thing), etc... Comfort-wise these do nicely. I am not going to tell you they are the most comfortable backpack out there, but they are pretty decent. We've hiked up some pretty hefty stairs (one was 172 steps up an old Italian stairway up a mountain) and it's the weight of your bag, not the straps that will determine your unhappiness at the top! That said, walking around my wife and I both notice the straps starting to dig into our shoulders about an hour into a walk. If you tend to just wear your backpack from the car to the the gate, and then the gate to a Ride Share, the straps will do you just fine. If you wander around a town with your bags for hours before checking in, you'll want to break your walk apart to give your shoulders a rest from these straps. Style - What do you want me to say? You aren't walking around with a Gucci bag. We got red so that they are easy to see, and with the rubberized Amazon Basics badge attached to the bottom coroner, there's no avoiding the fact that we are walking around with bright red beacons of thrifty travel gear. Fortunately we are both old enough now we really don't care. :-) Aside from the color and badging, the style is pretty average. It's basically rectangular, which is great for functionality, and made of material to withstand wear and tear. Then again, if you are looking for style, you probably aren't backpacking your way through an airport and various international cities. Overall we have been tremendously happy with these bags, and would purchase them again.

I used this carry-on backpack for a month of domestic/ international travel. The zippered protective laptop sleeve compartment and two front pockets provided easy access to a lap top, travel documents and sun glasses while in transit. The main compartment has a split case opening, accessible with a dual, horizontal zipper vs a top loading zipper. The horizontal zipper system is easier for reaching contents without rummaging through the interior. However, the pack must be set flat, to avoid loosing contents. There are two interior compression straps which roughly hold contents of the main compartment in place. Packing cubes are required to organize the main compartment contents and avoid "spilling". The adjustable shoulder straps disconnect and store away. The adjustable shoulder straps failed to distribute the 7kg or 15 lbs packed weight on my shoulders compfortably, and strained my neck. The sternum strap is very short, narrow not useable for an average 125 lb, 5'4 frame. The two exterior handles, top and side make handling easier. The backpacks size when carrying the maximum weight of 14.5 lbs, and 3 days/2 nights of clothing and accessories, was too large to fit under the seats on both United Airlines international and New Zealand domestic service carriers. This defeated the ease of reaching noise cancelling head set, compression pillow, electronics, etc. and required overhead storage. This pack must be restricted to under packing the main compartment and "compressing" contents to fit under the seat in front of you. This pack weights over 3lbs empty. The compartments for an extra pair of shoes or sandals is too small to store size 8 shoes.

I miss side pockets for water bottles, but otherwise is so good I just will use mesh bottle holders to clip and velcro on to the shoulder straps or the side compression straps. I got it "used" (haha-seemed perfectly new to me) for $21, so that makes it seem so crazy good. This sturdiness comes at a heavy weight, but its perfectly acceptable for a "lifetime Luggage" piece. I wish they made it in many other colors so all family members could pick their own color!