13 Best Carry-on Backpacks Under $50 at Amazon

Whether you’re looking for a laptop bag that can also hold a few days’ worth of clothing or a full-blown suitcase that you can wear on your shoulders, we found a backpack for it. The best part? They’re all under $50.

These 13 carry-on backpacks from Amazon range in capacity, with many so compact that they easily slide under a plane seat or pass as personal items. So, save a little extra money the next time you fly by swapping out your rolling luggage for a backpack, which might be a better option for trips where wheels can be more of a burden than a boon. Scroll for the top-rated options we found on sale, starting at $24.

Asenlin 40-liter Travel Backpack With 3 Packing Cubes

Reviewers say this backpack fits a week’s worth of gear; one person packed four dresses, three bottoms, five tops, a romper, undergarments, toiletries, a book, and two pairs of shoes, while still having room for an umbrella and more. “This bag impresses me to no end,” they wrote. The main compartment packs up tightly thanks to compression straps on the sides. The bag also has a separate laptop compartment and a front pocket. Carry it on your shoulders, like a duffel using the side handle, or on your suitcase with the trolley strap. 

Taygeer 40-liter Carry-on Backpack

“The volume of this backpack is nuts,” according to one review. Travelers seem to have no problem packing for a five-day trip with this bag — and this bag only. Standout features include the built-in shoe pouch, wet bag, and USB port. The backpack opens like a suitcase for convenience, and it has a front pocket for your laptop and other electronics. One reviewer who called it “life-changing” said they’ve been traveling for 25 years, and it’s the best bag they’ve ever owned.

Matein 55-liter Carry-on Backpack

The largest version of this fan-favorite Matein carry-on holds a whopping 55 liters. “I liked this backpack and used it for an 87-day around-the-world trip,” a reviewer wrote. “It was packed full and heavy, but was comfortable to carry.” Standing 20.5 inches tall and about 12.5 inches wide, it’s just under the standard carry-on size limit. Stuffed full, you probably won’t be able to fit it under your seat — but that’s the trade-off for a backpack that’s sized like a suitcase. One of our favorite features is that the laptop compartment sits against your back instead of on the front of the bag, providing extra protection.

Shrradoo Extra-large 52-liter Backpack

Measuring 19.5 by 15 inches and holding 52 liters, this Shrradoo backpack is one of the best-selling on Amazon: it has more than 30,500 five-star reviews and has been purchased 10,000 times in the past month alone. Plenty of people say it fits everything needed for a two-week trip, and one person even traveled for six weeks with as their only luggage. It has tons of pockets — one large section for clothes and bulky items, one for a laptop and electronics, two on the front for small items, plus more pouches within those pockets. Right now, get it for just $30 at Amazon.

Lapsouno 40-liter Travel Backpack

Racking up thousands of perfect ratings, the Lasouno 40-liter backpack is a top-pick its many features: it has a spacious main compartment, separate laptop pocket that sits against your back, and additional front zippers with lots of internal pouches for electronics, your passport, and other small items. Plus, it includes a USB port and opens 180 degrees to lie flat, making it A+ for travel. “Fully stuffed with a week’s worth of clothes, [it’s] as big as a carry-on suitcase,” one reviewer wrote. “Keep it about three-quarters full, and it will slide under your seat.” Hurry to Amazon to get it for more than half off.

Coowoz 32-liter Carry-on Backpack

A smaller option for the light packer, this 32-liter carry-on bag has many convenient features, like a separate compartment for shoes and a built-in wet bag for liquid toiletries, so you can pack it full and not have to worry about dirt and spills soiling your clothes. On the back, another pouch contains a laptop sleeve padded with shock-proof material to keep it safe from jostling aorund. “This bag is magical,” one traveler wrote. “It looks small, but boy can it hold a lot.” Specifically, people say it packs up to five days’ worth of gear and will still slide under a plane seat.

Vancropak 40-liter Backpack

This travel backpack can be made as small as 7 inches deep to take up minimal space or expand up to 9 inches to allow extra room for packing. One cool feature is that you can zip the shoulder straps away so they don’t snag on the TSA conveyor belt or stick out under your seat. Travelers said they pack it as a personal item for trips of up to four days (adios, luggage fees!). There isn’t a separate laptop compartment, which gives you more room if you aren’t bringing a computer.

Lumesner 40-liter Backpack With 4 Packing Cubes

With two main compartments — one for clothes, one for electronics — multiple exterior pockets, a USB port, and built-in wet bag, this Lumesner pack ticks all the essential carry-on boxes. And the four packing cubes it comes with are a nice bonus. The 14-by-20 inch bag rivals a small suitcase in terms of space, according to travelers: “I was able to fit 10 days’ worth of clothes, undergarments, a nice dress, and a purse, as well as a pair of dress flats,” said one review.  “I will never travel with a rolling luggage carry-on ever again.” You even get two additional inches of packing space thanks to its expansion feature.

Matein 40-liter Travel Backpack

In addition to the spacious main compartment, this Matein backpack gives you a lockable laptop compartment with a sleeve and organizational pockets, a separate section for shoes, a hidden back pouch, and three additional pockets on the front. There are so many pockets that people say they’ve actually lost track of items they packed (so make a mental note of where you put things!). “I could not believe how much I could fit in this bag,” wrote one traveler who packed it for a week at Walt Disney World. Inside, they fit a 25-liter day pack, five long-sleeve shirts, two pairs of capris, pajamas, seven days of underwear, a swimsuit, two pairs of shoes, a hat and sun parasol, their Kindle, toiletries, and the list continues. And yes, it still passed as a personal item.

Beraliy 40-liter Travel Backpack With 2 Packing Cubes

This Beraliy travel backpack is super compact compared to other bags of the same capacity. It can hold about the same amount as a 20-inch trolley suitcase, the brand says, but it measures only 17 by 12 inches. The bag has a 2-inch expansion feature, a charging port, and shoulder straps that tuck into the back for a more streamlined shape. “I traveled to 12 different countries within the span of five months with this backpack,” a reviewer wrote. “From Asia to Africa and Europe, this bag has been through it all! I have stuffed it to the max and it never let me down; the zippers are still great and the bag is still in good condition after my voyage.”

Rinlist 35-liter Carry-on Backpack With 2 Packing Cubes

You can’t beat $29 for a sleek-looking backpack with all the bells and whistles of a quality carry-on, from the waterproof pouch to a padded laptop compartment. The 35-liter design measures 16.5 by 11.5 inches and holds three to five days of clothing, reviewers say. “Got this to appease the gods of discount airfare and it worked perfectly,” one wrote. “It fit everything I needed for a four-day trip to the beach.”

Yorepek 54-liter Carry-on Backpack

One of the roomier carry-on backpacks you’ll find on Amazon — and absolutely the most beloved, with well over 37,000 five-star ratings and 2,000 bags sold per month — this 22-by-16.5-inch, 54-liter Yorepek bag wows with more than 20 compartments both big and small. “It was my only luggage as I traveled cross-country via bus and plane, hostels and hotel rooms,” said one reviewer who carried it across Europe for three months. “Conclusion? This thing is hefty, and can fit a lot of stuff.”

Momuvo 30-liter Quilted Travel Backpack

Perfect for a long weekend, this 30-liter backpack conceals its technical features beneath a stylish quilted facade. Inside, you’ll find waterproof storage, a padded laptop sleeve, and a main compartment that reviewers say can fit up to 12 outfits. “This cute backpack can hold everything,” one wrote. “I am an overpacker, and this can still get everything I need in it for a three-day trip.”

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