Buying guide — travel

How to choose a travel backpack

The litres printed on a backpack do not tell you whether it will fit the cabin. What decides the trip is its outside size against the airline's limits, its empty weight, and how it carries for an hour in a hot airport.

Published 2026-10-27

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Start from the airline, not the litres

Every airline sets the size and weight of cabin baggage, and they can differ by fare class. Saudia publishes its limits on its baggage allowances page, and flynas publishes on its cabin baggage page a maximum size and weight for one bag, plus an extra small laptop bag or handbag, noting that a bag over the limits goes into the hold. So write down the limits of the airline you fly most before you shop, and choose a backpack that stays within them when full.

Litres measure the inside capacity; the outside size is what is measured at the gate. Two backpacks with the same capacity can differ in depth or height enough to take one of them outside the cabin limits, especially when the front pockets bulge.

What actually makes the difference

• Outside size when full. Read the dimensions on the product page, and assume the depth grows when you fill the outside pockets. Measure an expandable backpack expanded.
• Empty weight. Cabin limits include the bag's own weight. Every bit of frame and fabric weight is weight you cannot pack.
• How it opens. A full suitcase-style (180-degree) opening makes packing and inspection easier; a top opening is lighter but makes the bottom harder to reach.
• The laptop pocket. A separate padded pocket that opens without unpacking saves time at security. Compare its size with your device in its case.
• Comfort in the heat. In Gulf airports and summer errands, a ventilated back panel, padded straps and a chest strap make a difference. A hip belt helps if the bag is heavy.
• Fabric and zips. Water-resistant fabric protects from rain at your destination and from dust; zips that can be clipped together make casual opening in crowds harder.
• Trolley sleeve. A back strap that slides over your suitcase handle spares your back in the airport.

The practical classes

Power bank and liquids: pack for what happens at the gate

IATA guidance says power banks and spare batteries travel in hand baggage only, never in checked baggage, with their terminals protected. Give your power bank an easy-to-reach pocket, so that if the gate staff ask to check your backpack because the flight is full, you can take it out in seconds. See the power bank guide for capacity limits.

flynas notes that liquids in cabin baggage are limited to small containers in a clear resealable bag. A flat outside pocket that fits that bag makes security faster.

Try it at home before the return period ends

When the backpack arrives, do not wait for the trip to discover its real size. Fill it with what you will actually carry: laptop, charger, clothes for the days you travel and the liquids bag. Then measure it full with a tape measure, and weigh it on a luggage scale or bathroom scale. Carry it briefly around the house, and notice whether the straps press on your shoulders. If it falls outside your airline's limits or is not comfortable, go to the store's return policy and keep its tags and packaging as they are; the E-Commerce Law's cancellation right depends on your not having used the product, as the returns and exchanges guide explains.

Common mistakes

• Buying a large backpack because it is "for travel", then finding it exceeds cabin limits when full.
• Forgetting the airline may weigh the bag, not just measure it.
• Putting the power bank at the bottom of the main compartment.
• Trusting "flight approved" in an advert instead of comparing sizes yourself; no backpack fits every airline automatically.
• Ignoring strap comfort because the backpack is "only for travel", when you will carry it for hours through airports and transport.

Before you pay

• I compared the outside size with my airline's cabin limits.
• I know the backpack's empty weight.
• The laptop pocket fits my device in its case and opens easily.
• There is an easy pocket for the power bank, and one for the liquids bag.
• The straps are padded and the back panel is comfortable for long carrying.
• I read the return policy and the warranty on zips and straps.

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Options from well-known brands worth a look in

• Bange 35-litre travel backpack — Mid-size capacity with a laptop sleeve up to 17 inches, as listed. Compare its outside size with your airline's cabin limits before buying.
• Slim expandable 15.6-inch laptop backpack — A slim, expandable design as listed, for a short trip or as a small personal item. Check the size when expanded.

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• No price appears here. Price, availability, shipping and tax are set by the merchant at checkout.
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