I tested 5 of the best high-end EDC backpacks for techies – here's how they stacked up
Keep your laptop and gear safer than safe with these bags
Anyone who's ever tried to take their laptop, a camera, a tablet and perhaps the various chargers associated with them on a weekend trip, a busy day out, or even just to a work event, will know that a good backpack is more complicated than it might seem.
Whether it's proper drop protection for its laptop sleeve, a main compartment that's easy to open up really wide, side pockets that have some actual flexibility to them, or quick-access pockets that make your life easier, upgrading your everyday carry (or EDC, as it's become known) can change everything.
For the last couple of months I've been doing just that every week or two, trying out a new backpack as part of my daily routine, and it's left me with strong impressions of five absolute highlights that you should know about.
I've listed these brilliant bags below, and have categorised them for you so that you can get a sense of what each is best at. That said, I'm going to start with the one that stands just a little bit above the rest, my favourite of the bunch.
Best overall tech backpack: Aer City Pack Pro 2
Start researching EDC bags, and it won't take long for Aer to pop up. Its brand has attracted praise from customers and creators on all sides, and the City Pack Pro 2 was probably the one bag that was most widely recommended while I researched for this piece.
When Aer said it would send me one to test, the first big question was which material to pick, since you can get the City Pack Pro 2 in quite a few finishes. I went for the relatively new EcoPak version, which currently only comes in this interesting brown colour, and haven't looked back.
This is a backpack that feels like it's been designed to within an inch of its life, in the best way possible. Every seam and pocket has clearly had attention paid to it. In theory, it's a 24L backpack, but I found it easy enough to stuff more than that into it, thanks to how extraordinarily far its main compartment can open.
The front of the backpack has two pockets to offer up. The upper one is organisational, with sections and compartments, while the lower is bigger and open for whatever use you want. A third quick-access pocket right on the top of the bag is ideal for keys, earbuds or other small items.
At the back of the bag, there's a tech compartment that's completely separate from the main one, and it's a stunner. A laptop sleeve with a false bottom protects your tech nicely, while there's also another sleeve for a tablet or anything else you'd like.
The number of compartments makes this a dream to pack for a day, but it's worth knowing that it's pretty structured and isn't the lightest pack when empty. That doesn't stop it from being the bag that impressed me the most in my extensive testing.
Best design: Alpaka Elements Backpack Pro
If you want a backpack that keeps things stealthier, and has a little bit less of the tactical vibe to it, then Alpaka has a superb option in the form of its Elements Backpack Pro, which it sent to me for testing in the Black X-Pac VX42 version.
This is a backpack that has plenty of impressive design touches, but keeps things simpler than Aer's. One big example is its tech sleeve, which is at the back of its main compartment rather than being separate. It's suspended, though, and the orange material used inside the backpack makes visibility stellar.
The front has two pockets, and the main upper front one is the Elements Backpack Pro's best feature. It's a really big compartment with plenty of organisation, and it opens really deep for easy access. Below it is a lower-down small zippered pocket that's hard to spot unless you know it's there.
Finally, this too has a small quick-access pocket right on top of the backpack, though it's slightly bigger than Aer's. That makes Alpaka's bag a close match, and I also really liked its interesting arm padding and decent breathability on the back padding.
It's probably the sleekest backpack on this list, and was only pipped to the post by Aer because of the slightly better practicality from Aer's packability – and the fact that I was able to get a little more into the Aer backpack despite their stated capacities being the same.
For those who want something stealthy and refined, though, I think Alpaka's got a brilliant option, and it's basically a close runner-up in my eyes.
Best for capacity: Rushfaster EDC Pro Backpack
Before Rushfaster sent me its EDC Pro Backpack for testing, one of its designers stressed to me that its design was all about stripping back some of the complication that has become the norm in backpacks. That includes the likes of Alpaka and Aer, and in fairness my testing showed where Rushfaster has a point.
This backpack is one of the simplest that I tested from a user perspective, but not in a bad way – far from it, in fact. Rushfaster has designed a bag that feels like a backpack, rather than a more complex other category of everyday luggage.
That means its main compartment, which opens really deep, as I'd hope, isn't too multifaceted. Against your back there's a laptop sleeve (which isn't suspended as high as I'd like for protection) along with a tablet pocket and some other flexible pouches for gear.
In front of that you get a massive main compartment at 26L, including various bhits of internal pocketing for those who want it. I found I could properly stuff this bag full thanks to this huge compartment, and it made Rushfaster my leading contender for longer usage – like in one-bag travel, which it starred nicely in over a couple of long weekends.
On the front of the backpack there's a front compartment that's one of the biggest I've seen, again with a few pouches for organisation, and a quick-access pocket on the very top of the bag rounds things out. Except, that is, for the hidden passport pocket along the back of the backpack, which is great for travel.
Breathability on the back is very decent, although it's worth knowing that this has some of the thinner arm strap padding I tested. I didn't find that an issue, but if your taste is for more padding then it's something to consider.
A final ace up Rushfaster's sleeve is its Cargo Pouch. The EDC Pro Backpack has some cargo loops on its front that can be used with carabiners or other fasteners, but you can also get the official solution, which expands the backpack with a securely attached external pocket. This is a great idea with impressive implementation, although the pouch is currently a little too small to be hugely useful, in my opinion. Forthcoming iterations could well solve that issue, though.
Best for sustainability: Cotopaxi Allpa 26L Daypack
Cotopaxi is a huge name in the travel community, for good reason, and its Allpa line is a storied one – but it also has absolutely loads of bags to pick from. The 26L Daypack is the one that makes the most sense for everyday use, and this is probably the bag I'd most readily take outside on a day hike where I might want my tech with me.
To underline the fact that this is an EDC bag, though, Cotopaxi has separated out its compartments, so you get a distinct tech pocket in the bag. This features a nice suspended sleeve for a laptop, along with a thinner pocket for tablets.
The bag's main compartment doesn't open too deeply, which is a slight shame, but its capacity is pretty solid (albeit I couldn't get nearly as much into it as the Rushfaster EDC Pro). You get some decent organisation in the form of pouches and one zippered pocket.
The front of the bag houses two more pockets, with one large upper one and a smaller but still generous lower one. This is it, though, so Cotopaxi doesn't give us a quick-access pocket on the top or side of the bag, sadly.
The bag's really sturdy and well-made, though, and keeps things really simple, and Cotopaxi also scores major points for its commitments to sustainability. Every meaningful part of the bag (meaning the main body, the side and bottom panels, and the lining) is made from recycled material, which is rightfully a huge boast.
Beyond that, Cotopaxi's backpack is a great option for those whose plans are more complicated than just a daily commute, and it packs impressively flat to the point where you could pack it in a suitcase as a holiday daypack easily.
Best for style: Bellroy Venture Ready Pack 26L
Bellroy makes extremely high-quality stuff, and you don't have to handle the Venture Ready Pack 26L for long to see why it's developed that reputation – this is a bag that just feels great in the hands. It's made of a lovely nylon that might not be quite as hard-wearing as some alternatives, but makes up for it in style and beauty, especially in this crazy pretty green colour.
The bag itself isn't an afterthought, though. Its capacity is impressively huge with one main compartment that actually has the deepest opening of any bag I tried, which makes it easy to really stuff the bag. Only its narrow design stopped it from matching the Rushfaster EDC Pro for sheer packability, in fact.
That main compartment has a tech sleeve that's braced on the back of it, and its padded laptop sleeve is nicely suspended against drops, with a second sleeve for a tablet or anything else in front of it with less padding. The rest of the compartment's organisation is on the inside of the opening flap, in the form of two zippered pouches.
On the outside of the bag there's just a single pocket at the top, which has the interesting feature of being split in two vertically, making for two small pouches. I'll be honest, I think it's a really odd choice that massively limits what can be put in the pocket, and it underlines that the Venture Ready Pack 26L isn't a dream from an organisation point of view.
It does have a hidden side pocket on the left that can fit an extra water bottle, but I that still leaves it a little lightweight in my view.
That said, it's comfortable and breathable, and I think it might be the most aesthetic bag on this whole list. If you don't care whether your bag draws compliments, then disregard it if you like, but I think there's a lot to be said for the fashion side of the buying question here.
As a final footnote, Bellroy accidentally sent me the smaller Venture Ready Pack 20L at first, and that bag is exemplary as a packable day pack for holidays – it weighs so little and packs so flat that you'll be able to fit it into even just bigger backpacks with ease. That's worth knowing, in my view!
