Every review, ranked by score

One scale for everything we test, from suitcases to insurance policies. Scores are out of 10; the verdict under each one says why.

3 reviews in Travel Backpacks

Side view of the Farpoint 40 Travel Pack in Cascade Blue Torrent Blue on Osprey's product page, priced at $200

Travel Backpacks$200

Osprey Farpoint 40 Travel Pack Review: Wheels Not Required

The Farpoint 40 does what a wheeled bag cannot: it climbs stairs, crosses gravel, and rides on your back through a crowded platform without a single dragging wheel to catch on anything. At 3 lbs 8 oz it carries comfortably loaded past 30 liters, and the stowable harness genuinely hides behind its zippered panel for check-in counters. It is not a wheeled-bag replacement for someone who mostly rolls between smooth airport floors, but for cobblestone cities and multi-stop itineraries it beats a hardside outright.

Best for: Travelers doing multi-city trips with stairs, cobblestones, or unpaved ground between stops.

8.4

Peak Design's Travel Backpack product page showing front, side and back views of the expandable pack

Travel Backpacks$299.95

Peak Design Travel Backpack 45L Review: One Bag, Two Very Different Trips

The expansion zipper genuinely turns one bag into two sizes, and the build quality backs up the lifetime warranty, but 4.5 pounds empty and a premium price mean this is a bag for people who value structure over saving grams.

Best for: Photographers and gear-carrying travelers who need one bag to flex between a work trip and a lighter weekend

8.1

NOMATIC Travel Duffel Bag 40L product page showing the black bag from the back

Travel Backpacks$329.99

NOMATIC Travel Bag 40L Review: Does the Conversion Trick Actually Work?

The strap system that flips this bag from duffel to backpack genuinely works, taking under a minute once you've done it twice, and that alone makes it worth a look for anyone who hates wearing a backpack through a hotel lobby. What it costs you is nearly 3.5 pounds of empty weight before a single sock goes in, stiff zippers on our unit, and a back panel with no ventilation on anything past a short walk. At $329.99 it sits well above simpler 40L packs that skip the conversion entirely.

Best for: Travelers who genuinely switch between backpack and duffel mid-trip and don't mind extra bulk for the flexibility.

7.6