Best Lightweight Backpack for Travel in 2025

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 Travel Backpack Lite weighs 3.5 pounds (1.6 kg), making it one of the heavier packs on this list. However, it is significantly lighter than the Tortuga Travel Backpack Pro 40L, which weighs 4.5 pounds (2 kg), and features the same build quality and thoughtful design as other Tortuga bags. The Lite pack has fewer features than we're used to seeing from the brand, but we think the compromise is worth it if your priority is saving weight.

Overall, it lacks an admin panel, shoulder strap adjustment panel, and laminated fabric; however, it has extra pockets to compensate for this, and most of the base features are the same as those of other Tortuga backpacks. It has locking zippers, a sizable main compartment, and stretchy water bottle pockets, all while feeling noticeably lighter than other travel packs we've tested. Plus, Tortuga has excellent customer service. Pack Hacker Pro Members have used the brand's warranty after two years, and customer service has always been responsive when we've interacted with them!

• There are enough pockets for gear storage without adding bulk
• The locking zippers are ideal for travel

• It lacks features we've seen on other Tortuga backpacks
• You can fit sizable bottles into the water bottle pocket

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

Alright, we know what you might be thinking. What is a 3.45-pound (1.56 kg) backpack doing on a lightweight pack list? At 46 liters, the Osprey Sojourn Porter performs incredibly well on a liter-per-pound ratio. For example, this backpack offers 13.33 liters per pound, while the CabinZero Military Backpack 28L (the lightest pack on the first iteration of this list) provides 15.47 liters per pound. Though this pack isn't light, it's light for its size!

It’s also extremely comfortable, with an adequate harness system to carry you through the day. Your shoulders and back might get sore from the weight over time, but we find that to be the case with any bag of this size. The main compartment is massive, offering a vast storage area for large items or a high quantity of items for weeks-long trips through an entire continent. The harness system is stowable, too, so you can carry it from the side handles more easily. Pound for pound, this is one of the most capable travel backpacks on the market!

• It's one of the heaviest packs on this list
• The harness system is incredibly comfortable

• The pack looks like a travel bag, so you won't blend in
• Stowing the harness system takes some getting used to

The Decathlon Forclaz Travel 500 Organizer 40L Backpack isn't the lightest pack on this list, but at 2.87 pounds (1.3 kg), it's significantly lighter than the average backpack, especially at 40 liters. Like other Decathlon packs, the materials feel cheaper than those on more premium bags, and they sag slightly with a full load. Still, we've had good experiences with the fabrics holding up durability-wise and against light weather conditions.

The internal organization inside the main compartment is like that you'd see in a suitcase, making it easy to stow large items but forcing you to rely on packing cubes and other pouches. We adore using packing cubes, but you might feel differently, so keep that in mind. The compression straps on the outside of the pack to condense whatever you stow inside are handy for controlling sag from lightweight materials. We wish there were more colorway options, but for such a budget price, we can't ask for much more than we're already getting—a reliable backpack with a comfortable design.

• You can stow large items in the main compartment
• The compression straps held wrangle sagginess

• The materials feel cheap and as if they lack durability
• The zippers don't feel high quality