Best Lightweight Backpack for Travel in 2026

Best value

The Osprey Daylite Expandable Travel Pack 26+6 is so popular that it's had stocking issues for the past half-decade. No, seriously, it's that popular! You can typically find the pack somewhere, but you might not be able to get the colorway you're after, so be vigilant. Why's it so popular? Well, it's incredibly lightweight, coming in at 1.85 pounds (0.8 kg), and it expands from 26 to 32 liters quickly and easily, which is handy for travel. You can expand it for the journey, compress it when you arrive for use as a daypack, and expand it again when you're ready to go home. It'll work on budget airlines, too!

The pack has most of the features you'd expect from Osprey: a comfortable harness system, luggage pass-through, and basic organization, like an admin panel. Like most Osprey bags, it looks a little through-hiker-esque, but we dig a little pop of color from time to time. Plus, it has travel features like locking zippers and an emergency whistle on the sternum strap to add peace of mind for travelers (and their concerned parents).

• It expands from 26 to 32 liters
• The harness is comfortable all day long

• We’ve noticed it goes out of stock fairly quickly and can take a while to come back
• When expanded, it won’t work as a personal item on many airlines

Best budget

The Quechua NH Escape 500 32L is an excellent mixture of weight and price—they're both on the low end! The pack comes in at 2.43 pounds (1.1 kg), which is on the higher end of this list, but it's 32 liters, so we can't complain much. Quechua is made by Decathlon, a popular budget brand slowly making its way into the United States from Europe. The packs often feel cheap, but we've had good luck with them, including their durability and water resistance.

The pack is comfortable enough, though it'll start to give you back and shoulder discomfort after a few hours, so we wouldn't recommend this if you wear your pack all day long. That said, if you already have a packable daypack, you can bring it along for the ride as your daily driver! There are secondary compartments with solid organization for your quick-access gear and a dedicated space for your laptop and tablet, perfect for those working on the go or looking to stay entertained. The main compartment has little organization, leaving the segmentation up to you. This pack is perfect for a first travel backpack or someone who won't use it often. Once you figure out what you like or don't like, you can upgrade from there! As-is, it works fine.

• The pack is well-designed with solid organization
• It's one of the cheaper packs on this list

• The materials feel cheap
• It isn't very comfortable to wear for long periods

Best splurge

The Minaal Carry-On 3.0 Bag isn't necessarily designed to be lightweight, and it's one of the heavier packs on this list; however, at 3.12 pounds (1.4 kg), it performs well compared to other 35-liter packs and doesn't compromise on features. It looks incredibly sleek, and the harness system stows away. It has an external water bottle pocket, a detachable rain cover, and handy secondary compartments for your quick-use gear while traveling.

The water bottle pocket isn't our favorite, though it performs better with a carabiner to hold the top of your bottle. The main compartment has some lid pockets, but most of the space is wide open for you to explore, necessitating the use of packing cubes. The laptop compartment is unique and has lots of organization, which takes up space, but it offers solid padding and makes traveling with tech easy. If you typically have a small tech pouch, you can likely leave it at home and just use this compartment. If you're looking for a light travel backpack that doesn't compromise on features, this is the pack for you!

• The pack is designed like a standard bag; it's just lighter
• The laptop compartment has enough storage for most of your tech

• The water bottle pocket isn't the most functional
• It's one of the heavier packs on this list

Best small lightweight backpack for travel

The Bellroy Lite Travel Pack 30L weighs just 2.09 pounds (0.9 kg) thanks to the lightweight materials used in the design, which we've seen on other travel products from the brand. While Bellroy's gear is typically more focused on everyday carry, this pack takes their lightweight design and applies it to a bag that’s geared toward travel.

It has PU-coated zippers to help keep water and snow out, multiple secondary compartments for accessing your gear at a moment's notice without going into the main compartment, and attachment loops on the pack's front face to add extra gear that won't fit inside. If you're using this pack with Bellroy's rolling luggage or a suitcase from any brand, the pack has a handle pass-through to make the airport and other smooth-surfaced areas easier to navigate.

Inside, the design is more like a suitcase than a backpack, which makes it easy to pack large items and get to your items fairly quickly without fiddling with zippers and barriers. We find that the lightweight materials sag slightly more than other gear from Bellroy; however, the comfort and look offered by this pack are top-notch.

• The attachment loops on the front face are handy for bringing extra gear
• The main compartment is large enough to bring large items

• The materials are a little crinkly
• The pack can sag when fully packed

Best lightweight backpack for air travel

The CabinZero Military Backpack 28L doesn't look like it's lightweight; however, it's the lightest pack of all selected in the first round of testing, coming in at 1.81 pounds (0.8 kg). How did they do it? Minimalism! The interior lacks wholesale organization, so the exterior can still be rugged without weighing the entire pack down. The exterior has PALS webbing to attach extra gear to the outside, though you can also get versions of this pack without it. In testing, we used the attachment loops for a Bluetooth speaker, a lock for our hostel, and carabiner clips.

There are just two compartments—the primary one and a quick-access pocket on the front. There isn't much padding for your laptop inside, but we've found it works well enough, and you can likely fit a case on your computer if you're worried. This pack is so popular because it works for budget airlines like Spirit, which we can confirm after multiple flights on the carrier, and price, as this is one of the cheapest bags on this list. It's not the most comfortable or feature-heavy, but you'll be hard-pressed to find a bag that goes further for your money!

• It's budget-friendly
• The materials are highly durable

• There's little organization
• It’s less comfortable to carry than other backpacks on this list

The Tortuga Superlite Backpack weighs 1.1 pounds (1 kg), which is significantly lighter than the 4.5-pound (2 kg) Tortuga Travel Backpack Pro 40L. The Superlite has a smaller capacity (34L), yet it features the same build quality and thoughtful design as other Tortuga bags. It does so thanks to ULTRA™ 200TX fabric, a highly durable laminate with excellent weather resistance and an impressive strength-to-weight ratio. The material feels crisp and structured in hand, helping the pack maintain its shape while also contributing to its remarkably low overall weight.

You don't have to forgo organization, either. Along with a rear 16-inch laptop compartment, the Superlite Backpack has a front admin compartment that expands independently, allowing you to store chargers, cables, travel documents, snacks, and other quick-access essentials. Plus, the harness system is very comfortable, proving that comfort doesn't have to be sacrificed in the pursuit of weight savings. Tortuga has retained one of the brand’s strongest characteristics, and we’re glad of it.

• The harness system punches above its weight class, balancing cushion and flexibility
• The structured ULTRA™ 200TX fabric makes packing easier and helps the backpack maintain its shape

• It doesn't stand upright on its own when placed on the ground
• Strap management can become messy depending on adjustment preferences

The ULA Equipment ULTRA Dragonfly 36 weighs 1.94 pounds (0.88 kg), the third-lowest on the first iteration of this list, which is quite good considering the pack's large capacity. The materials are lightweight but durable, and a primary feature of this pack is the stretchy front and side pockets, which enable you to stow extra gear inside. The harness system is minimalistic, has dense padding, and is comfortable on long walks. That’s a must if your accommodations are a fair distance from public transit.

The laptop compartment can hold up to a 17-inch computer, which is ideal for those who work with large computers. It isn't the most padded compartment we've used, but it's worked well in testing. The clamshell opening makes it easy to organize your gear, and a lack of organization inside enables you to stow large items, like shoes, a camera cube, or big packing cubes. Plus, there are two compression straps inside to help save space.

• The pack is lightweight and spacious
• The front pockets are stretchy, so you can fit more gear inside

• The harness system isn't super padded, which won't be for all travelers
• The materials don't have much structure

The Matador SEG28 Backpack weighs 2.2 pounds (1 kg), which is in the middle of the road for the packs on his list. The materials are lightweight, which can cause some sagging when heavy gear gets stowed inside. However, the harness system is comfortable, and we appreciate the unique take regarding the multiple pockets on the exterior. Inside, the bag is designed like a suitcase, which makes stowing larger items easier than in the secondary compartments.

The hip belt is high, which can look awkward, but it works similarly to others we've tested. The sides of the pack have compression straps, which can help with the pack's sagging materials. The water bottle pocket can facilitate large bottles or accessories, like an umbrella or tripod. The pack has a large footprint for its 28-liter capacity, but we appreciate having both a sizable main compartment for oversized gear and secondary compartments for organizing smaller gear.

• It has a large main compartment and small storage areas
• The harness system is comfortable

• The pack is prone to sagging
• There are limited colorway options

The BAGSMART Blast Quick Access 28L Carry On Travel Backpack is budget-friendly and only weighs 2 pounds (0.9 kg), making it a solid shout for travelers looking to get into a new pack without breaking the bank. It comes in fun colorways, too, which we dig for identifying your pack in a crowd and customizing your carry. This pack has two versions—a standard 28-liter model and one that expands using a zipper. We dig the 28L pack for most trips, but the expansion version is handy for overpackers.

The materials have held up well in testing, though they feel cheap, and we're curious if they'll hold up for years. Still, the pack is a solid option for people who want to get started with one bag travel without breaking the bank. There are lots of secondary compartments, which work well for stowing quick-access gear for the airplane or while wandering around your destination. The main compartment has compression straps and little organization, so you can stow larger items, like a camera cube, shoes, or a large toiletry bag. For the price, the BAGSMART Blast Quick Access 28L Carry On Travel Backpack is hard to beat, though it likely won't last as long as other packs on this list.

• The pack is budget-friendly
• It has numerous secondary compartments

• The materials feel cheap
• We find the fabric tends to sag

Since you don't always need as much capacity as a heavier travel backpack provides, we like the flexibility of bags like the Almond Oak Expandable Travel Backpack 25L + 5L. It balances everyday carry with minimalist travel, letting you use one bag for both purposes instead of leaving your lightweight travel backpack unused for months at a time. At 1.86 lb (0.8 kg), it's extremely lightweight for a 30L bag, with 280D PU-coated nylon for weather resistance and a 100D nylon lining to keep things super light. You do sacrifice some structure for weight, but we think it's worth it. It has the organizational features you'd expect in a travel backpack, though, with a small pocket for your passport and other travel essentials, a very protective 16-inch laptop compartment, a minimal admin pocket, and a clamshell main compartment that's easy to fill with clothing or packing cubes.

The harness system sticks to the essentials: two thinly padded shoulder straps, a lightly padded back panel, a sternum strap on a sliding rail, and a luggage passthrough. Even better, the harness system can keep up, even when the bag is fully packed. The max capacity of 30 liters is not that demanding to maneuver, thanks to its featherlight starting point.

• Its expandability gives you extra room for longer trips and unplanned souvenirs
• The well-padded laptop compartment has a sizable false bottom

• The thin fabric can look saggy or lumpy, depending on how you pack
• Its clamshell opening and side pocket orientation may feel unintuitive, though it should make lefties happy

When you’re looking for a lightweight travel backpack, the options, from features to price, are seemingly endless. It’s easy to get carried away and spend more than you budgeted, but you don't have to with tomtoc. The brand is well-known for its affordability, yet still includes tech protection and organization you find on more expensive bags. The materials feel cheaper than those on more premium bags, and they sag slightly with a full load, but most of that disappears when you fill it for a trip.

The tomtoc Navigator-T66 Liteway Travel Laptop Backpack 40L weighs just 2.36 lb (1.1 kg), yet includes a comfortable harness system with four panels of mesh-covered, cushioned padding to blunt the feeling of what you’ve packed inside. It forms nicely to your back, but it still cushions the feel of a laptop when you bring one. The luggage pass-through creates a vertical air channel, the padding has another horizontal break to promote airflow, and it can even keep up in high Florida humidity.

It's easy to pack duffle-style and includes a few exterior pockets for easy access while you're traveling. You can also get to the main compartment through the laptop compartment, so you can reach inside and pull out your toiletry bag without dislodging the rest of your gear.

• It has easy access to the main compartment from the laptop area
• There are exterior pockets for small travel essentials and water bottles

• Some zipper pulls get caught in neighboring tracks
• It looks saggy when not fully packed