9 Travel Totes for Any Trip | Best Travel Tote Bag

Best value travel tote

The North Face’s Borealis Tote is just as versatile as the other Borealis bags. Much more than a plain travel tote, we like the inclusion of a 13-inch laptop sleeve, an internal mesh pouch, and a pocket at the front for quick-grab items. It’s also fairly robust, with 300-denier and 600-denier recycled polyester options, plus 210-denier ripstop nylon if you choose to go for a solid-color design. There’s also a non-PFC durable water-repellent coating to keep water from soaking.

Oh, and have we mentioned that it could be used as a backpack as well? Yep, the tote handles, as thin-looking as they may seem, can be converted to a pair of shoulder straps, and they’re surprisingly comfortable, too. That said, the conversion isn’t perfect, as the back handle can catch against the back. Plus, you’ll want to learn from our mistakes and be careful to avoid grabbing the handle with the main compartment open because that can cause the whole bag to tilt and spill your gear.

• The external water bottle pockets and external bungees allow us to carry extra gear
• While the straps are minimal, they’re surprisingly comfortable to carry

• It can upend if you grab the rear handle on its own
• Seeing inside the front quick-access pocket is difficult

Best budget travel tote

The Standard Baggu Tote is about as barebones as it gets, and that's not necessarily a bad thing. Its super lightweight and thin construction makes it super easy to slip between packing cubes or even in tight security pockets, so we can have it handy when we need it. Compressibility like this comes courtesy of its plain ripstop nylon construction, though that means you'll have to handle this quite gently. Ripstop nylon will stop small rips from deteriorating, but even those minor ones can happen easily.

However, our biggest gripe about the Standard Baggu Tote is the way it carries. Unlike typical totes, which sit perpendicular to your torso, this one sits parallel. This means you have to sling it over your shoulder or carry it like a shopping bag—which makes sense given their similar designs. That said, this raw simplicity is sometimes all you need. It's a reusable shopping bag you can easily take with you on trips.

• It’s a market tote that’s lightweight and folds down small in case you need it
• There are tons of fun colorways and prints to choose from

• It’s awkward to carry over your shoulder
• There’s no structure, so it can’t stand on its own

When you want the best travel tote with plenty of space for a weekend's worth of gear, check out the EVERGOODS CIVIC Daily Tote. We love EVERGOODS for its durable materials, intentional design, and unique features, and this travel tote lives up to our expectations. There's no zipper sealing the top of the bag, though it looks like there is. Instead, two rows of stacked N52 cylindrical magnets span the entire top of the bag just like a zipper would. Pull it apart to access your gear, then let it fall back together to seal shut. It's amazingly convenient and makes you wonder why other travel totes don't incorporate the design. The front pocket includes admin-style organizational pockets and a key leash, and there's a large slip pocket on the back for gear you want to access even more easily. The internal 16-inch laptop sleeve floats in the main compartment, giving you flexibility to pack more in front or behind it, depending on what you need. The main compartment of this travel tote also has more pockets for bottles and accessories. It's comfortable to carry, though the handles can start to slip if you stuff it full and can't wedge it toward your back for a more secure carry.

• The extremely durable materials offer excellent structure and are easy to clean
• Innovative magnetic main closure offers fast, one-handed access

• While the shoulder straps have magnetic keepers, they're not very effective, so the straps can fall apart and off your shoulder
• Contents eventually spill out of the bag if it tips upside down and is shaken, so it might not be the most secure in an overhead bin

Best travel tote for airplanes

Best work tote

ALPAKA gear helps keep things organized, whether you're at home or on a trip, so if you're looking for the best travel tote to use as a personal item on the plane, the Bravo Tote might be it. It has a well-organized front admin pocket with slots for tech accessories and pens, plus a key leash so that you can find them easily when you need them. Keep your phone and wallet in the back pocket, and stow your laptop inside the main compartment. There's a well-padded sleeve for a 16-inch device, with a large slip pocket on the front for documents, a 14-inch tablet, or a magazine. There's plenty of room inside for a packing cube and toiletry bag, and the zippered top will keep everything in place if you need to lay it down under the seat in front of you.

You've got options for carrying it, too, from lightly-padded carry handles to a longer, removable padded shoulder strap and a pass-through for pairing it with rolling luggage. That's why we think this travel tote might also become your favorite daily driver.

• It's versatile, working well for daily use or overnight trips
• It has a sleek aesthetic, beefed up with materials that are durable and easy to clean

• Its external water bottle pocket is awkward and cuts into internal space
• Shoulder strap adjustment can be slow and slightly cumbersome

Best tote pack

The travel tote style is great, but it doesn't always work for more urban settings when you want to hop on a bike or scooter to get to the next destination. Enter the Matador 24L Tote Pack. It blends the convenience of a tote with the versatility of a backpack, with features you won't find on many other bags of either style. Its main compartment has a unique, water-resistant zippered divider pocket where you can stow sensitive gear to protect it from the elements. Then, you can use the space in front of and behind it for the rest of your items, from an extra layer to an extra outfit.

The back panel has a pass-through if you're taking it through the airport on a trip, along with a hidden pocket for your passport and extra cash, and a zippered side pocket to keep a bottle from falling out if the bag tips. Choose between tote handles or backpack straps when you're on the go. Neither is padded, but both are comfortable enough for everyday use, making this the best travel tote for city life, whether you live there or are visiting.

• Its convertible design adds genuine versatility for everyday use
• Thoughtful organization balances dedicated storage with flexible open packing space

• Neither carry method offers much padding for heavier loads
• A front bungee makes the quick-access pocket slightly less convenient to access

Best packable travel tote

The Peak Design Packable Tote has two things going for it. Firstly, it's a lightweight and compressible travel tote bag that you can stash away in your travel bag. Who wants to carry a 40-liter backpack to the beach just to bring a few towels and sandwiches? No one! We find that a tote like this will fill that role perfectly. Its lack of structure or liner does make it a bit too minimal for heavier duties, but for clothes, beach towels, and toiletries, it'll get the job done. But what if it snags on a seashell or—if you're really unlucky—a beach umbrella? Well, that's where its second headlining feature comes in.

Three words (and a hyphen): self-healing nylon. Although it won't survive getting torn to shreds, the fabric is able to heal small abrasions. Think of scratches from setting the travel tote on rough pavement or getting stepped on by careless beachgoers. It's worth noting that the handles are quite thin, and comfort is noticeably affected despite having light padding.

• Self-healing nylon takes care of light damage to the material
• This is the best travel tote if you’re looking for something compressible that works well as a secondary bag

• There’s no structure or liner material
• It has minimal organization, so pouches and cubes are handy to have

Best large travel tote

Even though Patagonia hasn’t stretched the limits of physics (yet), their Black Hole Gear Tote makes it seem like they’re close. With a rated capacity of 61 liters, you’ll have the freedom to fit just about anything that doesn’t require a forklift—including those bulky beach towels after they’ve picked up sand. Although its capacity is impressive, take note that it’s relatively bare bones, too. It has an open-top design secured only by two straps. The outside is lined with two daisy-chained loops, and there’s also a small front pocket for your everyday carry items. Other than that, you get very few frills and more features that matter.

The main compartment is a big empty space, unobstructed by dividers or small pockets. We like to use pouches or packing cubes to organize your gear, but you can also toss everything in willy-nilly if you don't feel like it. We really find the two compression straps at the top handy for locking gear into place when we pack it to the max. Regardless of how much you decide to carry, the Black Hole Gear Tote is tough as nails despite its simple design. The thick handles are bartack-stitched to the recycled polyester ripstop body. We also dig the glossy finish the TPU-film laminate provides, as well as the weather resistance it gives.

• The huge capacity will allow you to bring a ton or to use it for beach towels at the lake
• TPU-film laminate on the recycled polyester ripstop makes this bag extremely durable and weather-resistant

• Webbing handles could dig into your shoulders if you pack the 61L full of heavy gear
• You can also get it in a 25L capacity if you like the style but find the size just too much to fit on the plane or your car trunk

Since you don't always need a travel tote all of the time, we like having the option to stash one at the bottom of our carry-on luggage or travel backpack to pull out when needed, and the soft structure of the Trakke Messages Tote does that well. Its handles are soft and easy to slide over your shoulder or carry by hand. They lack padding, but we don't really miss it in a travel tote bag we bring to use just in case, and we like using the small exterior pocket to keep a phone and wallet within reach.

The main compartment of this classically styled tote lacks internal organization. However, its 17L capacity is enough to accommodate a packing cube of clothing and a Dopp kit for an overnight trip. It's the best travel tote for various outings, working just as well to carry towels, sunscreen, and a book to the pool as it does to carry food and wine home from the market. Its unstructured materials make it flexible enough to fit just about anywhere you want it to go, and the soft material means you won't mind carrying it everywhere.

• It has smaller secondary handles for quick-grab situations
• Even though it’s not explicitly a packable bag, it's still lightweight and easy to pack away

• The thin handles lack padding for long-term carry
• While we like the aesthetics, the worn, scuffed look of dry-finish waxed canvas isn't to everyone's taste

When we’re heading out for a day on the boat, there are always things we want to bring along. Snacks, primarily, but also extra sunscreen, a hat, towel, and maybe an extra layer if the wind picks up while we’re on the water; you get the idea. While you could toss all that in a standard travel tote bag, you’ll want something more water-resistant in case the pilot steers your vessel right into the wake of the yacht in front of you or the skies open up on a previously cloudless day. That’s why we like to bring the RUX Waterproof Bag along, whether we’re hitting the lake on a pontoon or exploring a local river in a kayak. The 840-denier nylon fabric is coated with TPU, making it extra water-resistant, and all of the seams are RF-welded to close any gaps. Plus, you can seal the top’s rolltop design.

We like that it’s so tall because it means we can bring along more gear without taking up precious floor space. Despite its thin appearance, the shoulder strap is surprisingly comfortable, although your mileage may vary as to how long you find that to be true. On the other hand, the tote handles are best carried by hand, as they feel too tight to sling over your shoulder.

If you need more space, you can pair it with the RUX 70L to create some waterproof organization in that big bag, and if you’re looking for something in a similar size with more flexibility, you may want to check out the RUX Bag 25L.

• The rolltop stows away easily when you don’t need it
• It’s nice being able to bring such a high-capacity bag along during water activities

• Its bulky size makes the rolltop difficult to use
• The included handles are very thin