15 Best Men’s Backpacks For Work (Review) In 2021

The Incase City Collection Compact Backpack is a high-security pack featuring hidden zippers, a durable rip-stop nylon shell, ergonomically contoured shoulder straps and plenty of internal pockets and compartments to organize your various work tech. There’s air mesh padding on the back to keep you cool, a dedicated and padded protective sleeve for your 15” laptop and a reinforced top handle. It’s an extremely handsome, secure, professional laptop bag with some of the most comfortable shoulder straps we tested. Make sure you also check our guide to the best waterproof backpacks.

The Q Laptop Backpack from Timbuk2 features a water-resistant nylon shell and 3 external carrying loops in case you get tired of slinging it over your shoulder. There’s a vista loop for hooking up a blinking light, (should you take it along on your bike commute), and numerous zippered pockets, including one for your cords and another for your smartphone and sunglasses that’s lined with soft, velvety tricot. Inside its somewhat austere exterior is a veritable compact office with sleeves and slots for cards, pens, notepads, headphones and all your essentials.

The Mancro Anti-Theft Business Backpack has plenty of internal space for all your work-related gear tucked neatly behind a skin of durable, lightweight, water-resistant polyester. Anti-theft features include locking zippers and a discrete pocket inside to hide your valuables. This is a good looking, well-made lightweight bag with an integrated USB charging port, ergonomically designed shoulder straps and a lined sleeve for carrying your 15” laptop. When the extremely affordable price point is taken into consideration it runs away with our Best Value tag. You can also use it as a college backpack.

Thule makes a lot of great backpacks for school, work and outdoors and their Subterra Daypack is no exception. With its generous internal volume, molded smartphone pocket, extensive molle webbing and overall build quality it’s going to serve the average professional well for years to come. There’s two good-sized external pockets and the interior is lined with soft, easy to clean polyester. If there’s a downside here it’s that the shoulder straps are going to start digging if the backpack is filled to capacity.

The Everyday Backpack from Peak Design is deceptively large as it expands upward to accommodate bigger loads. The overall profile is sleek and the look thoroughly modern with its nylon shell, anodized aluminum hardware and leather accents. Inside you have the option of opening the space for general use or installing the flex fold dividers and stacking your DSLRs and peripherals. The sternum strap is nothing to write home about but the multiple reinforced carrying straps mean you don’t always need to sling it anyway. It a really nice stylish backpack for men.

If you’re a fan of the minimalist modern look no men’s backpack for work on the market expresses it more effectively than the Kopack Slim Business Laptop Backpack. The clean contemporary lines conceal a wealth of useful features starting with the USB charge point and continuing on through the anti-theft zippers, the private laptop access and the tear resistant, water-resistant oxford shell. Recharge your smartphone while riding the subway and if you get streetside and discover it’s raining don’t worry, your Kopack has you covered.

If not the best rucksack for work the Little America is certainly in the conversation. The handsome leather straps are a Herschel trademark that helps secure your valuables in an effective and stylish fashion. Inside there’s a padded and lined laptop sleeve, numerous pockets for cables, chargers, XHDs, notepads and pens and the pack expands upward to accommodate a ridiculous amount of material. The zipper on the front pocket is discreetly tucked away to discourage weasels while the generous padding on the shoulder straps encourages comfort. Don’t forget to also check our guide to the best travel backpacks.

The Carhartt Legacy is a briefcase you carry on your back. Fashioned from ultra-durable 1200D water resistant polyester it’s not going to fail you in the rain and won’t easily succumb to everyday wear and tear. The contoured shoulder straps are some of the best out there, the air mesh back panel keeps you dry and cool and the 15” laptop sleeve is padded, reinforced and lined with a soft, fleece-like material. The real highpoint though is the insane degree of organization possible with the numerous internal pockets, sleeves and subcompartments.

With 31 liters of internal storage space the SwissGear Travel Gear 1900 is the perfect professional backpack to accompany you on overseas business trips. It’s checkpoint friendly with the ScanSmart technology able to protect up to a 17” laptop. Inside it’s the organizational equal of the Carhartt Legacy but offers even more storage space. The back panel features the company’s Airflow ventilation system and around the sides you have expandable mesh pockets for water bottles, umbrellas or what have you. For more great items like this, check out our guide to the best luggage sets.

A sleek, attractive piece of gear the Bopai Business embraces the notion that mens backpacks for work are more than just glorified bookbags. Bopai Business Backpack is a seriously beautiful, professional accessory with a rich, faux leather finish, a durable side carry handle and discrete high-performance lockable zippers on the main compartment. The real treat here however is that, with a simple flick of a zipper, the Business expands by 50%. Other features include the hidden card pocket on the shoulder strap, the USB charging port and the soft flannel lining.

This eBags Professional Slim Laptop Backpack is purpose built for the pro on the go with numerous zippered compartments arrayed across the Teflon-coated waterproof exterior. All of them lock to make sure your valuables stay with you yet at the same time the arrangement allows you to access what you need to get through security without delay. You can stow up to a 17” laptop, there’s a separate sleeve for your tablet and tucked in down below is a removable AC adapter garage. Our handy guide to the best overnight bags features more great products like this.

The Pacsafe Metrosafe LS450 is a sleek minimalist high-security men’s backpack that’s tough, convenient and will let you rest easy when you get on a crowded commuter train. All 3 exterior pockets lock down tight and are backed up with discrete zippered interior pockets for squirreling away valuables. The outer shell also features eXomesh Slashguard technology meaning no one can do a quick slash and grab. If you’re looking for a secure backpack you won’t find better.

Some may dismiss the PRVKE Travel and DSLR Camera Backpack as just another crowd-funded flash in the pan that’s too focused on camera transport and security. But the fact is the dedicated camera storage “cube” is easily removable which opens up the interior for more prosaic materials like laptops, books, notepads, charging cables and what have you. While the design isn’t what you’d call “office ready” it is nonetheless extremely practical and every form enables some necessary function, which is as it should be.

The Rogue from Timbuk2 provides lots of interior space to harbor your valuables, lots of molle webbing on the exterior to sling those things that won’t fit inside and an adjustable sternum strap to make sure that big load is secure. Inside there’s a padded compartment for your laptop but that’s about it. The rest of the interior is wide open space. But while it won’t win any awards for organizational capabilities whatever you decide to store inside will be kept high and dry by the waterproof polyvinyl shell.

The final item on our list of best men’s backpacks for work is this modest entry from Everki Versa. Everki Versa Premium Work Laptop Bag features a felt-lined tablet pocket, a compartment for your 15” laptop, what the company calls a “dangle-free” shoulder strap system and genuine leather handles. The Versa also features a water-repellent nylon shell and an outstanding patent-pending corner guard system that will protect your tech from bumps and thumps.