5 Large Airplane Carry-On Backpacks to consider for flying and backpacking
Airplane overhead bins are meant for large items, including oversized large backpacks that don’t fit as a personal item under the seat in front of you.
Image: tete_escape/Shutterstock.com
“Welcome aboard! Please place larger items in the overhead bin, and smaller personal items like a purse or backpack under the seat in front of you.”
This procedure for carry-on items is one that’s almost become a standard boarding announcement across all airlines.
Maxing out that airplane carry-on size comes with a satisfying feeling. With checked baggage fees as high as they are (which most airlines waive for holder of their airline’s branded credit card) many travelers try to bring as much as they can in carry-on luggage such as rollerboard suitcases, duffels, or backpacks.
The hard part can be finding the perfect bag to carry onto a plane. One that’s big enough for all your belongings, but one that also fits within the airline’s maximum allowable carry-on size.
An additional consideration when selecting the right carry-on is functionality - how convenient are all the pockets in the bag, what features does the bag have, and how easy will it be to carry around? Do you want to carry it from your arms as a duffel, wheel it around as a rollerboard, or strap it to your back as a backpack?
Lastly, for those who are more image-conscious, a bag that satisfies all those requirements but is also stylish.
In this post we’ll offer our recommendations for the best carry-on bags that meet those requirements. We’ll specifically address large airplane backpacks, as it is a unique form factor that offers the large storage space of a rollerboard, but with the versatility of a backpack.
What’s the largest allowable airplane carry-on bag?
The largest allowable carry-on will vary by airline, but since overhead bin sizes are pretty standard, most airlines set the size and dimensional limit for a carry-on bag around 22 x 14 x 9 inches. Be sure to check with your specific airline on their bag size policies.
While many passengers try to push the boundaries on size, we’ll simply say don’t do it. We’ve all seen the passenger who tries to jam a slightly oversized bag into an overhead bin. It’s a square peg in a round hole situation - overhead bins are rigid plastic so oversized bags simply won’ t fit.
Why consider a large travel backpack as an airplane carry-on?
Rollerboards: a popular choice of luggage
When someone mentions carry-on luggage, the first image that usually comes to mind is a rollerboard bag. No doubt, they are popular and most passengers you see in an airport use these.
Rollerboards are light-weight, have wheels, and have been sized to pretty much maximize the limits of an airline’s overhead bin size.
However, the downsides to rollerboard carry-ons are:
The lack of convenience. You need to lug them around an airport, dedicating one arm to do so.
The lack of versatility. Rollerboards are intended to get your belongings from point A to point B, from your home to the hotel. They aren’t meant to truly travel with you every minute of the day; there’s a reason why people don’t take rollerboards with them throughout the day in the city or in nature walk. They also lack many of the smaller pockets and compartments that other bag types offer.
The rigidness and clunkiness. A rollerboard is basically a hard suitcase with wheels. Sometimes when you’re just going on a day trip or a weekend trip, you don’t fill the whole thing, and are basically carrying around air.
Large backpacks: an alternative choice of bag for plane travel
A large backpack as an airplane carry-on and travel bag is sort of the alter-ego of a standard rollerboard.
Strapping a backpack to your back frees up your arms and hands to carry other items.
The added compartments and styling add versatility for everyday usage. A large packpack is a perfect form factor if you’re going to spend a day in the city or out in nature on a backpacking hike.
Some large backpacks are semi-rigid, allowing you to slightly downsize the bag if not full.
With those considerations, a large backpack is certainly worth considering purchasing for your next travels.
Note, the bags we are presenting here are rollerboard replacements and will be stored in an airplane’s overhead bin. They are not the size of a typical backpack that one might take on a business trip or walk across a college campus with.
Best large airplane carry-on travel backpacks
MATEIN Carry on Backpack
We would recommend this bag as a true rollerboard replacement. It is highly rated across several thousand reviews on Amazon.
Features and what we like:
20” x 13” x 8” is small enough to fit in an overhead bin, but not too large for your back
Laptop compartment for a 17-inch laptop
Shoe compartment at bottom
Built-in USB-charging for personal devices
Multiple color options
Tomtoc Travel Backpack
We would recommend the Tomtoc bag to those who are looking for more of a rollerboard/backpack hybrid. The Tomtoc provides the best of both worlds.
Features and what we like:
20.5” x 13” x 8.66” is small enough to fit in an overhead bin, but not too large for your back
3 compartments, including laptop and flat personal storage compartment
Water bottle sleeve, which is useful for staying hydrated with a reusable water bottle during long flights and days during your trip.
Unzips like a duffel or a rollerboard
Semi-rigid, allowing for some collapsability if not full
KAKA Travel Backpack
The KAKA Travel Backpack is a backpacker’s dream. The design is more like a backpack or rucksack, but with some versatility that allows it to be easily carried around an airport.
Features and what we like:
21.5” x 12.6” x 7.9” fit in an overhead bin and is a proportionally skinnier and longer bag, which may be desired for a less clunky feel when carrying
Comes with a shoulder strap and side handle, allowing it to be used as a shoulder bag or hand bag, if not carried as a backpack
Soft and non-rigid allows space savings if not full.
Great for urban adventures as well as nature adventures.
Expandable backpack options
These two options below are both expandable bags, allowing the thickness to range between 7 inches and the airline-maximum allowed 9 inch depth.
This can be great if you need a backpack that can get you through the quicker trips where you’re packing less, and the longer trips where you need to pack a little bit more.
Both these backpacks also maximize the 14 inch carry-on width limit that most airlines have.
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