13 listings · Two subgroups
Backpacks & Travel Packs
The job: weight on your back instead of in your hand
Moving the load from your hand to your back changes how the weight feels and changes nothing about how much of it there is. A pack you can carry down a jet bridge is still a pack that has to go somewhere once you sit down.
Two of these listings arrived filed with suitcases. They are backpacks, so they are here. The rest are daypacks, and the split between the two subgroups is really a split between bags meant for a day and bags meant for a trip.
Eight of the thirteen listings name a capacity, three of them as a choice of sizes rather than a single figure. None of the thirteen names an empty weight, in a category where the empty weight is the entire point of the format.
A stated size is the size of the body. Wheels, feet and an extended telescoping handle are not usually counted inside it, and the frame at a gate counts all of them.
Travel packs
Two listings
Two bags sold for the whole trip rather than the day. Both are larger, both mention expansion, and one of them puts a figure on it.
- Size:None of the 2 listings here states a full external size.
- Trade size:None of the 2 listings here states a trade size.
- Empty weight:None of the 2 listings here states an empty weight.
- Figures like these are said once above the cards rather than stamped on every one of them, because a label that reads the same on all of them carries no information. It holds for each group on this page.
| Listing | Capacity | Expansion |
|---|---|---|
| MATEIN Carry-On Travel Backpack, 40 L | 40 L | expandable, no figure given |
| Osprey Daylite Expandable 26+6 Travel Pack | 26 L | expands by 6 L, from 26 L to 32 L |
Largest stated capacity here
MATEIN Carry-On Travel Backpack, 40 L
- CapacityStated40 L
- ExpansionStatedexpandable, no figure given
Forty liters, the largest capacity stated in this category, and the words airplane approved sitting right beside it. A backpack does not weigh less because it is on your back; it weighs the same and you feel it differently. Like every other listing in this category, this one does not say what that weight is.
Why:Its listing states 40 L, the largest capacity stated in this category. Like all thirteen listings here, it never says what the empty pack weighs, which is the number your shoulders are actually asking about.
Empty claim:This listing points the words airplane approved at the bag itself. Nobody issues that and nobody checks it.
Best for
One-bag travel for a traveler who will measure and weigh the loaded pack themselves.
What is stated
- It states the largest capacity in this category: 40 L.
- Expandable construction is stated, so the pack is not fixed at one depth.
- It is described as a carry-on backpack, which names the intended role clearly.
- The capacity figure lets it be compared directly with the duffels and the one carry-on case that state liters.
What is missing
- The words airplane approved appear on the listing. No airline approves a bag in advance and the figure that decides it is your carrier’s.
- No external dimensions and no empty weight are stated, so 40 L cannot be checked against anything.
- Water resistant is unrated, and expandable is stated with no figure.
Only pack here with an expansion figure
Osprey Daylite Expandable 26+6 Travel Pack
- CapacityStated26 L
- ExpansionStatedexpands by 6 L, from 26 L to 32 L
The only pack here that quantifies its expansion: 26 liters, plus 6 more when you want them. That plus six is the part worth watching, because a pack sold as a personal item stops being the shape it was sold as the moment you use it. It arrived in the list filed with suitcases, and it is a backpack.
Why:Its listing states expands by 6 L, from 26 L to 32 L. It is the only listing in this category that attaches a number to the word expandable.
Best for
One-bag travel where the pack has to be small at the gate and larger afterwards.
What is stated
- It states both a base capacity and an expansion figure, which nothing else in this category does.
- Personal-item use is stated without the word approved being attached to it.
- A laptop sleeve is named.
- The base 26 L matches three other packs here, so the expansion is the only variable.
What is missing
- No external dimensions are stated, so neither the 26 L nor the 32 L shape can be checked against a published figure.
- An empty weight is nowhere on the listing.
- Expanded by 6 L, the pack is deeper than the one described as a personal item, and depth is what a footwell runs out of first.
Daypacks
Eleven listings
Eleven bags built around one compartment and a sleeve. Where a capacity is stated it clusters between 23 L and 30 L, which is roughly what a footwell will take.
- Size:None of the 11 listings here states a full external size.
- Empty weight:None of the 11 listings here states an empty weight.
- Expansion:None of the 11 listings here states an expansion.
| Listing | Trade size | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Nike Classics Heritage, 25 L, 23 L or 6 L | Not stated | 25 / 23 / 6 L |
| JanSport Cross Town, 26 L | 12 in device size | 26 L |
| JanSport SuperBreak One | Not stated | Not stated |
| JanSport Cross Town Plus, 26 L | 15 in laptop sleeve | 26 L |
| ZORFIN Backpack, 26 L | Not stated | 26 L |
| The North Face Borealis | Not stated | Not stated |
| Nike Gameday Brasilia X, 24 L or 30 L | Not stated | 24 / 30 L |
| Nike Gameday Brasilia 9.5, 24 L or 30 L | Not stated | 24 / 30 L |
| abshoo Classical Basic Backpack | Not stated | Not stated |
| PUMA Contender Backpack | Not stated | Not stated |
| Under Armour Hustle Sport 6.0 | Not stated | Not stated |
Most capacities in one listing
Nike Classics Heritage, 25 L, 23 L or 6 L
- Trade sizeNot statedThe listing gives no trade size.
- CapacityStated25 / 23 / 6 L
Three stated capacities under one listing, and the third of them is 6 liters, which is not a backpack in the sense the other two are. The spread from 6 L to 25 L is the widest inside a single listing anywhere in this catalog. Which one you receive is a variant choice, not a description of a bag.
Why:Its listing states a choice of 25 L, 23 L, 6 L. That is three capacities under one listing, more than any other here.
Best for
A buyer who wants one product line to cover a small pouch and a full daypack.
What is stated
- Three capacities are stated explicitly instead of being hidden in a variant picker.
- The 6 L option is the smallest capacity stated anywhere in the catalog.
- The 25 L option sits squarely in daypack territory alongside the 26 L packs here.
- Neither an approval nor a fabric claim appears on it.
What is missing
- A single listing covering 6 L to 25 L is describing three different objects.
- No external dimensions are stated for any of the three.
- No empty weight is stated for any of the three.
JanSport Cross Town, 26 L
- Trade sizeStated12 in device size
- CapacityStated26 L
Twenty-six liters with a twelve inch device sleeve and a bottle pocket, which is a specification you can actually act on. Padded shoulder straps are stated, and on a bag you carry rather than roll, the straps are the interface. No weight is given.
Best for
A day bag that also has to be the personal item on a flight.
What is stated
- A clear capacity is stated: 26 L.
- A 12 inch device size is stated, so you know what the sleeve is cut for.
- A water bottle pocket is stated, which is the pocket that decides whether the bottle goes inside.
- Padded shoulder straps are stated rather than shown.
What is missing
- No external dimensions are stated, so under-seat fit cannot be checked on paper.
- The empty weight is missing, as it is on every listing here.
- A stated 26 L tells you volume and nothing about the shape that volume comes in.
JanSport SuperBreak One
- Trade sizeNot statedThe listing gives no trade size.
- CapacityNot statedThe listing gives no capacity.
One compartment and one organized pocket, described without a single number. That is the whole specification, and for a bag whose job is to sit under a seat it is very nearly enough. What it holds and what it weighs are both left to you.
Best for
A second bag that lives under the seat in front of you and holds one day of things.
What is stated
- The compartment layout is stated exactly: one main space, one organized front pocket.
- A simple single-compartment pack packs flat against a seat back.
- No approval language appears on the listing.
- No fabric performance claim is made, so there is nothing unratable to discount.
What is missing
- The listing names no capacity in liters.
- No external dimensions are stated, which is what under-seat space actually cares about.
- What the empty pack weighs is not stated.
JanSport Cross Town Plus, 26 L
- Trade sizeStated15 in laptop sleeve
- CapacityStated26 L
The same stated 26 liters as its plainer sibling, with a fifteen inch padded sleeve instead of a twelve inch one. Same volume, larger footprint, because a sleeve that takes a fifteen inch machine has to be at least that long. The listing does not say what the larger panel costs in weight.
Best for
Carrying a full-size laptop as your personal item without a second bag.
What is stated
- The capacity is given plainly as 26 L.
- The laptop sleeve is stated as padded and sized at 15 inches.
- A water bottle pocket is stated.
- The 15 inch sleeve is the largest device size stated in this category.
What is missing
- No external dimensions are stated, and the 15 inch sleeve implies a longer bag than the number 26 L suggests.
- No figure is given for the empty weight.
- Same stated volume as the 12 inch model, so the liters figure does not distinguish them.
ZORFIN Backpack, 26 L
- Trade sizeNot statedThe listing gives no trade size.
- CapacityStated26 L
Twenty-six liters and the words water resistant, which is as far as this listing goes. Water resistant sits below water repellent and well below waterproof in ordinary usage, and none of the three carries a rating unless one is quoted. Here none is quoted.
Best for
A plain 26 L daypack where the only claim you have to discount is one word.
What is stated
- Twenty-six liters is stated outright.
- The fabric claim is the most modest of the three water words, which is at least the honest end of the scale.
- No approval claim appears anywhere on it.
- It shares its stated capacity with two other packs here, which makes it directly comparable.
What is missing
- Water resistant has no rating, no standard and no test method attached.
- The listing gives no external dimensions.
- The weight of the empty pack is not published.
The North Face Borealis
- Trade sizeNot statedThe listing gives no trade size.
- CapacityNot statedThe listing gives no capacity.
A laptop sleeve and reflective details, and that is the entire stated specification. Reflective details are a claim about being seen rather than about carrying, and they are the only claim here that has nothing to do with the six tests. No capacity, no size, no weight.
Best for
Someone buying on the shape in the photograph rather than on the copy.
What is stated
- A laptop sleeve is stated.
- Reflective details are stated, which is a checkable physical feature.
- No approval language and no fabric performance claim appear on the listing.
- The listing does not attach a number to anything it cannot support.
What is missing
- No liters figure is given.
- No external dimensions are stated, so the sleeve size is unknown too.
- Nothing is said about what the pack weighs empty.
Nike Gameday Brasilia X, 24 L or 30 L
- Trade sizeNot statedThe listing gives no trade size.
- CapacityStated24 / 30 L
A capacity you choose rather than a capacity you are given, which is a different kind of statement and worth counting separately. Two sizes, six liters apart, and nothing else stated. Neither size comes with a dimension or a weight.
Best for
Someone who wants to pick their volume rather than accept one.
What is stated
- Two capacities are stated outright rather than left to a variant table with no numbers.
- The 24 L option is the smallest single figure stated anywhere in this category.
- No approval language and no fabric claim appear on the listing.
- Six liters between the options is a meaningful gap rather than a token one.
What is missing
- The stated capacity depends on which variant you buy, so the listing describes two bags.
- No external dimensions are stated for either size.
- No empty weight is stated for either size.
Nike Gameday Brasilia 9.5, 24 L or 30 L
- Trade sizeNot statedThe listing gives no trade size.
- CapacityStated24 / 30 L
The same pair of stated capacities as the Brasilia X, with training named as the use. Two listings offering the identical choice of sizes is a reminder that a capacity figure is a marketing decision as much as a measurement. Neither of them says what the bag weighs.
Best for
A training bag that occasionally has to double as a personal item.
What is stated
- Two capacities are stated: 24 L and 30 L.
- The intended use is named rather than left implied.
- Nothing on the listing claims an approval.
- The stated sizes match the other Brasilia listing here, which makes the pair comparable on volume.
What is missing
- The capacity depends on the variant chosen, so there is no single figure for the listing.
- No external size is stated for either option.
- No empty weight appears for either size.
abshoo Classical Basic Backpack
- Trade sizeNot statedThe listing gives no trade size.
- CapacityNot statedThe listing gives no capacity.
A listing built entirely out of adjectives: classical, basic, water resistant. There is no capacity, no size and no weight, and the two named uses, college and travel, are doing the work that a number would normally do. Nothing here can be checked before it arrives.
Best for
A low-stakes spare bag where the specification never mattered much.
What is stated
- The listing is brief and does not overreach into approval language.
- Water resistant is the mildest of the fabric claims rather than the boldest.
- Two intended uses are named, which at least frames the bag.
- A plain unstructured daypack squashes into a footwell more willingly than a framed one.
What is missing
- A capacity in liters is nowhere on it.
- External dimensions and an empty weight are both absent.
- Water resistant is unrated and untestable as written.
PUMA Contender Backpack
- Trade sizeNot statedThe listing gives no trade size.
- CapacityNot statedThe listing gives no capacity.
Three internal features named and no external ones. A media pocket is a small structural claim that tells you there is a cable route somewhere, which is more specific than most of this category manages. It is still not a size.
Best for
Someone whose packing problem is cables and a laptop rather than volume.
What is stated
- Three separate internal features are named.
- A laptop sleeve is stated rather than implied by the shape.
- It claims neither an approval nor any fabric performance.
- A media pocket is a checkable physical feature, unlike an adjective.
What is missing
- Capacity in liters goes unmentioned.
- External dimensions are absent from the listing.
- The empty weight is absent from the listing.
Under Armour Hustle Sport 6.0
- Trade sizeNot statedThe listing gives no trade size.
- CapacityNot statedThe listing gives no capacity.
Three words. This is the shortest listing in the catalog and it says nothing that can be checked, confirmed or compared. We have recorded it exactly as it stands rather than inferring a size from the photographs.
Best for
A buyer who already knows this bag and does not need the page to describe it.
What is stated
- The listing makes no claim that could be wrong.
- No approval language appears anywhere on it.
- No fabric performance claim is made.
- An unstructured sport pack collapses into small spaces.
What is missing
- No capacity, no dimensions and no weight are stated.
- Sport backpack describes a category, not a bag.
- There is nothing here to compare against the packs that do give a capacity.
Worth being careful about
- One listing here uses the words airplane approved. No airline approves a bag in advance and the phrase carries no weight at a gate.
- Water resistant appears on several listings with no rating and no test method attached to it.
- Where a pack is sold for under-seat use, remember that footwell space differs between carriers, between seats and between aircraft. No listing can know which seat you are in.
- An expandable pack is deeper once expanded than the pack described as a personal item, and depth is what a footwell runs out of first.
Questions people actually ask
How many of these listings say what the pack weighs?
None of them. Thirteen listings, and not one states an empty weight. For a format whose whole argument is that the load rides better on your back, that is a striking gap, and it is the same gap you will find in every other category on this site.
Does a choice of 24 L or 30 L count as stating a capacity?
We count it separately. Three listings here offer a choice of sizes rather than one figure, which means the listing describes more than one bag. That is still more information than a listing giving no number at all, so we record both counts and keep them apart.
Is a travel backpack a carry-on?
It is a bag, and whether it travels in the cabin is decided by the same published figure that decides it for a case. A pack has an advantage in that it compresses and a disadvantage in that a full pack bulges, and a sizer measures the bulge.
What does 26 plus 6 mean?
It means the listing states a base capacity of 26 L and an expansion that adds 6 L, so the pack has two working sizes. It is the only listing in this category that attaches a number to the word expandable, and both numbers are worth knowing before you rely on the smaller one.
Where to read next
The tests this category faces
The numbers behind it