8 Best Men's Bags for Air Travel of 2026

The Nomatic Travel Pack ranks first because it covers the most flight situations in one bag. Nomatic lists the 20L version at 18.5 in. tall, 12 in. wide and 6 to 9.5 in. deep, and says it qualifies as a personal item on most airlines. When you need more room, the expansion zipper takes it to 30L, and Nomatic notes it may then be classed as a carry-on. The laptop compartment fits up to 16 in. laptops and opens for security checks, a separate sleeve holds tablets up to 14 in., and the 22 pockets include RFID-safe, hidden and shoe pockets. It carries as a backpack or a briefcase and slides over a roller bag handle. A lifetime warranty covers defects. The trade-offs are price and weight: $349.99 is more than every bag here except Briggs & Riley, and 4.1 lbs is heavy for a personal item. We compared documented features and published prices and did not test the bag.

The Cotopaxi Allpa 35L is the pick for men who want a single carry-on backpack instead of a roller bag. Cotopaxi rates the 35L size for 3 to 5 days and lists it at 22 x 12 x 10 in. and 2 lb 15 oz. It opens fully like a suitcase, with three interior pockets of different sizes, a 15 in. padded laptop sleeve, a front accessory pocket with a key clip and a stretch bottle pocket for up to 32 oz. The YKK zippers on the main compartment can be locked, and the shoulder straps and hip belt tuck away if you have to check it. A pass-through strap slides over a roller bag handle. The shell is recycled 840D nylon with a water-resistant finish, and Cotopaxi replaces items with manufacturing defects for life. It is too big to count as a personal item, and there is no expansion zipper, so pick the 28L size if you fly basic fares. We compared documented features and published prices.

The Away Everywhere Bag is the closest thing on this list to a classic travel handbag for men: a structured tote with top handles and a removable padded shoulder strap. Away lists it at 20 L and 16.3 x 10.2 x 7.3 in., and says it meets the airline requirement as a personal item. The padded exterior laptop pocket fits computers up to 16 in. and closes with a magnetic locking zipper, so the laptop comes out at security without opening the main compartment. Inside are zipper and slip pockets, a water bottle pocket and a detachable key clip. A trolley sleeve secures it to an Away suitcase, and Away says it fits best on its carry-on models. At 2.25 lb without the strap it is lighter than every backpack here with a published weight. The weak point is coverage: bags carry a limited one-year warranty, against lifetime terms from most rivals here. We compared documented features and published prices.

The Peak Design Travel Backpack 30L is the smaller sibling of the brand's 45L travel pack, built for trips under three days and daily carry. Peak Design says it meets international carry-on size requirements in both its compressed 27L and expanded 33L forms. The main compartment opens through a large rear hatch with a #10 UltraZip, the top pocket is split into stretch and zip pockets for keys, glasses and a passport, and side pockets expand for bottles or a tripod. Padded laptop and tablet sleeves sit inside. For airports it adds a luggage pass-through, theft-deterrent zipper pulls, a protected tag holder and stowable shoulder straps for checking. The shell is weatherproof recycled 400D nylon canvas with a 900D bottom liner, and the bag carries a lifetime warranty. Peak Design's store showed euro prices from our location, so the USD price is pending, and the hip belt and cubes are extra. We compared documented features and published prices.

The Herschel Novel Duffle is the value pick: $110 buys the largest bag on this list at 43 L. Herschel describes it as sized to fit in the overhead bin and lists it at 11.73 in. high, 20.51 in. wide and 10.98 in. deep, at 2.21 lbs. The signature feature is a separate shoe compartment that keeps a spare pair away from clothes. The closure is a waterproof zipper, and the bag has low-profile vegan leather handles, a removable padded webbing shoulder strap, a side sleeve pocket and a zippered internal mesh pocket. It is made from 100% recycled 600D polyester and carries a limited lifetime warranty. What you give up is travel tech: there is no padded laptop sleeve and no sleeve for a suitcase handle, and it carries only by hand or on the shoulder. Herschel also sells a smaller 26.5 L Novel CarryOn Duffle for $79.99. We compared documented features and published prices.

The Bellroy Transit Workpack 26L is built for the office first and the airport second, which suits men who fly for work. Bellroy gives the laptop and tech accessories their own section, with room for devices up to 16 in., so a laptop comes out at security without unpacking clothes. The main section opens with a full-zip clamshell, a front pocket takes A5 notebooks and small tablets, and an internal pocket keeps sunglasses out of the crush zone. Airport details include a luggage pass-through, an external bottle pocket and an internal slip pocket for an Apple AirTag. The back panel is contoured, the straps are padded and the sternum strap is removable. The fabric is water-resistant recycled Dura Weave, and Bellroy lists a 6-year warranty. There is no expansion zipper, and Bellroy's store showed euro prices from our location, so the USD price is pending. We compared documented features and published prices.

The Timbuk2 Never Check Expandable Backpack is a slim laptop pack that grows when a trip needs it. Timbuk2 lists 21L of volume and 25L with the wraparound gusseted zipper opened, at 2.6 lb, the lightest of the backpacks here whose makers publish a weight. The laptop sits in a padded rear pocket with an average fit of 15 in., and an inside pocket holds up to a 9.7 in. iPad. Quick-access exterior pockets, front-pocket organization, weatherproof zippers and a padded back panel round out the design, and Timbuk2 covers it with a lifetime warranty. It is less of a travel system than Nomatic or Cotopaxi: Timbuk2 does not list a luggage pass-through, and four liters of expansion is modest. Men who mostly fly for one or two nights with a laptop will find it enough; anyone packing for longer should look at the Allpa 35L. We compared documented features and published prices.

The Briggs & Riley @work Medium Cargo Backpack is the buy-once option. Briggs & Riley lists it at 17.5 x 15 x 8 in., 3.3 lbs and 23.3 L, in ballistic nylon. The three-section layout keeps a padded sleeve for most 15 in. laptops and a tablet slip pocket apart from the rest of your gear, and a suite of internal and external pockets handles cables and documents. A slip-through back panel slides over any luggage handle, and the back padding is aerated for long walks between gates. The main reason to pay $399 is the Simple as that lifetime guarantee, which Briggs & Riley says needs no receipt. Against that, it is the most expensive bag we compared, it has no expansion zipper and laptops are limited to 15 in. Men who already own Briggs & Riley luggage will get a matching set; others get more features per dollar from Nomatic or Cotopaxi. We compared documented features and published prices.