For gamers, freelancers, and digital nomads, their laptops are their most priced possession as well as one of their everyday carry items. Meaning, owning a laptop backpack is a must for you. But finding the right kind of backpack isn’t always easy. You need to consider a lot of things like the space a backpack offers, its own weight, your preferred size and color, and of course, the type of security it provides.
You also need to ensure that the backpack you buy, or already own, suits your current lifestyle. As a digital nomad, your backpack needs to blend in with the rest of your luggage. For a freelancer, it’s important that their backpack must give off a professional vibe. And for a gamer, the backpack has to be spacey. As a gamer, you not only carry your laptop around but also your preferred keyboard, mouse, headset, and in certain cases, your game controller. But space isn’t the only preference. The backpack also needs to be easy to lug around.
Best Gaming Backpacks That Can Easily Carry Your Gaming Laptop, Consoles, and Optional Accessories
Being a blogger, gamer, and freelancer myself, I have taken into account all of the said factors and devised a list of the best gaming backpacks to help you find one that’s perfect for you. However, this list isn’t specifically for gamers only and I believe freelancers and digital nomads will also find an option in it, befitting to their needs.
#1. Everki Titan – Large Gaming Backpack
This backpack from Everki is every bit of what its name suggests, a titan. The huge 40-liter storage capacity makes it a behemoth for frequent travelers. The large size allows it to easily house a laptop of up to 18.4 inches. You also get a separate compartment to carry along a 13-inch tablet. Both compartments are heavily padded to securely hold your devices in place.
Outside of the bag is coated with a water-proof weather cover that provides protection against snow, dust, and rain, making it ideal for hiking as well. You also get a couple of quick access pockets at the front, sides, and on the top to keep your phone, keys, power banks, water bottle, or anything else that you need to keep in quick reach. A pouch is also included to safely and separately store your accessories like your laptop’s charger.
The back of the backpack also has ergonomically placed padding that allows it to rest on your back without providing any strain or discomfort. The shoulder straps are also quite comfortable and keep the backpack well-balanced thanks to the five-point balancing system. The bag is travel-friendly and opens up to a full 180 degrees like standard suitcases, so you can put in all your stuff effortlessly.
- Huge 40-liter capacity
- Has a travel-friendly design and opens up to 180 degrees
- Separate compartments for a laptop and a tablet
- The ergonomic design keeps your back from straining
- Internal padding and external weather protection coating keeps all your belongings safe and secure
- A bit pricey
#2. ENHANCE Universal Gaming Laptop Backpack
As the name gives it away, this backpack is specifically designed for commuting gamers. From laptops, game consoles, and keyboards, to headphones, game controllers, and VR headsets, this backpack has separate compartments for everything. And the best part is that all compartments are equally padded for easy organization and keeping everything secure from bumps and scratches.
There are also separate pockets to store your accessories like cables, chargers, game discs, mice, and stuff. Enhance calls these pockets accessory caches. Design-wise, it looks very ordinary and small in size. In fact, the bag is only good for carrying your console or laptop and nothing more.
You get two color choices and both look very pleasing. The backpack is affordable and has moisture protection lining sewn inside while the outside fabric is weather resistant. Enhance also provides a 3-year warranty with the purchase of this bag.
- Small and lightweight for ease of carrying everywhere
- Has dedicated compartments for laptop, gaming console, and accessories
- Heavily padded insides keep everything safe from scratches and bumps
- The affordable price tag makes it one of the best budget options
- Made with high-quality weather and moisture resistant material
- The small size restricts it to be used for other purposes
#3. Gaming Laptop Backpack by Mogplof – Budget Friendly
This one is yet another budget-friendly option on the list. It has a very affordable price tag and fortunately, it’s also quite huge. With a capacity of 55 liters, it can be used for daily commutes as well as local and international travels. The bag is also RFID certified. Meaning its pockets are hack-proof and keep your digital data secure as long as your devices are inside the bag.
The backpack can easily hold an 18.4-inch laptop and everything else then you can possibly imagine carrying with you, with space to spare. There’s a separate compartment for storing a tablet as well. What impressed me the most was the headphone’s cable opening at the top. You can safely put your phone or tablet away inside the bag and still enjoy your playlist through your favorite wired headset with ease.
The bag opens to a full 180 degrees for easy packing and you also have a USB port on the side of the bag to charge your phone on the go. The backpack is constructed using water-resistant polyester fabric and sturdy zippers. It’s available in two different accent colors, namely silver and red. There’s also a luggage strap at the back of the bag that allows you to attach your bag with the rest of the luggage during travel.
- Very spacious. Perfect for carrying full-sized laptops
- RFID certification makes it secure from any kind of digital data theft
- Made out of durable and water-resistant polyester
- Can open up to a full 180 degrees for easy organization and packing
- Has an external USB port as well as an opening for earphones
- Amazingly affordable price tag
- At this price range, there isn’t possibly anything to complain about.
#4. Legion Armored 17 inch Gaming Backpack by Lenovo
If you are looking for a backpack that serves its purpose well and looks good doing it, the Legion Armored by Lenovo is for you. As you might have guessed from its name, it can accommodate a laptop of up to 17 inches. You get three separate compartments in the bag in total. Also included are 16 pockets of variable sizes to house all your accessories like mouse, power cable, flash drives, etc.
The bag is designed and stitched over a hard exoskeleton that is weatherproof and can sustain in every type of environment. The ruggedness of the design does not ignore your comfort. The back panel of the backpack is compression molded, meaning it provides ample ventilation so your back doesn’t sweat. The shoulder straps also carry a chest buckle so the bag stays firmly on your back even on rocky terrain.
Now, let’s get into its looks. There’s a red symbol on the front of the bag that resembles a Y. The fabric used on the outside is matte black while the insides are gray with beautiful and noticeable red accents placed strategically throughout. It can be bought for just under $70 and weighs a little over 3 lbs.
- Beautiful and attractive design
- Built over a weatherproof exoskeleton to provide extra sturdiness
- Has 16 pockets of various sizes to carry all your accessories
- Can house a laptop of up to 17 inches with ease
- Has a ventilated back to keep you relaxed even in long journeys
- Weighs a lot for its size
#5. Dell Alienware Backpack for Gaming
The Alienware name is no stranger to gamers and neither are its accessories. Its backpack the Vindicator 2.0 has made it’s on this list. This backpack comes in three sizes to carry laptops of 13, 15, and 17 inches. Except for the size, all the variants are built similarly. There’s a separate pocket for storing your tablet and multiple other pockets to keep most of your stuff well-organized. You also get an elastic strap inside to hang your favorite headset. The whole bag is heavily padded from the inside to keep all your belongings safe against bumps.
Dell dubs its Vindicator series as Armored Gear and rightly so. The outside of the backpack is encased in high-density nylon fabric that not only provides ventilation but also protects and shelters all your gear. You can also see a weather-resistant base material reinforcing the bag to keep it from slipping and tearing from regular use. Dell has added a molded panel at the front that allows the backpack to keep its shape even when empty.
The back is ergonomically designed with padding to keep the strain off of you. There’s also an added chest lock mechanism on the shoulder straps to comfortably wear the bag during long walks. The overall design is very impressive with Alienware branding easily visible.
- The molded front panel helps the backpack retain its shape
- Can be bought in three different sizes to best fit your laptop
- Made with weather-resistant material and nylon to provide a non-slip grip and an ample amount of ventilation
- Affordably priced
- Has a lot of room to easily organize all your gaming gear
- Absolutely no cons. It’s very hard to find any flaws in this one.
#6. Everki Beacon Laptop Backpack with Gaming Console Sleeve
This entry from Everki is ideal for those who are looking for a multipurpose backpack. The Beacon is large enough to easily hold an 18-inch laptop, your favorite game console, and all of the accessories you can possibly imagine carrying with you. The insides are lined with high-quality felt in an attractive contrasting shade of orange and holds padding underneath to provide extra protection.
The bag is built very ruggedly to easily withstand the harshest of travels. It has an intuitive design that provides you the convenience of easy loading and organization through a full 180 degrees opening. And if that’s not needed, you can keep the front buckles clipped to open the bag halfway down from the front.
There are also side pockets for easy access to things like a water bottle or your smartphone. The zippers used in the bag feel sturdy and of high-quality. It also has dual handles that allow anyone to lift the bag effortlessly in luggage handling environments like airports. Like all good quality backpacks, the Beacon also has weather protection and comes with a lifetime warranty from the manufacturer.
- Sturdy and high built quality
- Has padded and felt-lined insides for extra protection
- Spacious with separate compartments for a laptop and a gaming console
- Dual handles on the front allow easy handling of the bag
- Ergonomically designed back and shoulder straps make it a delight to be worn
- Some inside pockets feel rather small
#7. Predator Utility Gaming Backpack by Acer
Another entry from a well-known gaming laptop and accessories brand, this utility backpack does everything you deem from it. The bag is made using ballistic nylon fabric that gives it water and tear-resistant design to withstand even the toughest of environments with ease. On the back, mesh panel ensures air ventilation to keep your back sweat-free. The shoulder straps are padded for comfortable wearing while chest buckles ensure the backpack stays balanced on the back.
The ample space inside can snuggly hold a 17-inch laptop along with all of your gaming accessories including a full-sized keyboard. You get multiple pockets both inside and out for storing cables, power banks and other accessories. It’s coated with a military-grade water repellent for additional protection. The bag also has a luggage pass-through design to make your travels more convenient.
- Can easily house a 17-inch laptop
- Very high-quality built with a tear-free and water-resistant design
- Acceptable at airports thanks to its luggage pass-through design
- Can hold all gaming accessories with ease
- Multiple pockets and compartments for easy organization
- Comes with an expensive price tag
How to Choose the Right Gaming Backpack for Comfort and Style – Buying Guide
As the name suggests, a backpack can be used to carry a gaming laptop, mouse, keyboard, consoles, headset, and other optional gaming accessories. It also offers comfort and protection against scratches. Here are a few things that you should keep in mind before buying a cool gaming backpack.
Weight
Gaming laptops are usually heavy. Add some accessories along with a headset, mouse, keyboard or a game controller and you get a lot of heft to lug around. Now consider using a bag that itself weighs more than 2 or 3 lbs and you’ll find yourself struggling to carry the backpack. So, before you go out and make a purchase decision, make sure you check the weight of the bag.
Size
Choosing the right size should be your top priority when searching for the best gaming backpack for yourself. The best way to find the right size is to know the size of your laptop. A good choice will be to opt for a backpack that can exactly accommodate your laptop’s size. Anything bigger will make the bag seem too bulky.
Built Quality
Depending on where you live and how often do you plan to commute with your laptop and other gaming gear, it’s important that you invest in a backpack that is weather-resistant and ruggedly built as it would offer you adequate protection for all your stuff.
Pockets and Compartments
There is no one-size-fits-all formula for the compartments you may or may not need. However, having a good number of compartments will enable you to easily organize your stuff. If you plan to use the same backpack to carry your laptop and your textbooks, the added number of compartments will definitely be handy for you. Small, easy access outside pockets can also be useful in most situations. Carefully consider how you wish to use the bag to find one that can provide you a relevant number of pockets and compartments.
Travel-Friendly
If you travel a lot or plan to and do not wish to invest separately in a bag for traveling, go for a backpack that comes with a carry-on or a luggage pass-through tag. A bag with such a tag is usually accepted by all international and local airlines.
Budget
A purchase decision is, of course, never complete without a willful spending budget. While you may have decided in advance on the sum of money you want to spend on a backpack, remember that sometimes cheaper options don’t live up to all of your expectations. A bag that offers a lot more features than you actually need at a more expensive price tag might also provide better protection to your gear and be more durable. Sometimes making it a smarter choice.
Related Reviews and Buyer’s Guides
Final Thoughts
If you’ve been following my blog for some time then you probably know that I don’t favor one product over the other. I spend a sufficient amount of time with all of the products that I mention in my lists and carefully list their features and cons. So, I will not suggest any specific backpack for you here either. Instead, I will let you draw up a list of the uses and features that you are looking for and come to a decision yourself using the above buying guide and the list of best gaming backpacks that I have shared with you. Nonetheless, if you have any questions regarding any of these bags, you can freely reach out to me.
