Best Carry On Backpacks for Women: One Bag Travel for Flights
One bag air travel is easy with a carry on backpack. Backpacks are more comfortable to carry than heavy duffels and are usually more versatile than wheeled luggage - making them perfect for anyone who wants to travel light.
There is only one problem… and that’s fit. If you are a woman or someone with a smaller frame, you may find that many standard carry on backpacks are simply too large to wear comfortably when the bag is full.
The solution is to go with a backpack in a women’s fit. You’ll find that carry on backpacks for women have narrower shoulder straps, adjusted bag length to accommodate shorter torsos, and have more comfortable chest and waist belt placements.
Translation? A women’s fit backpack is going to look better and feel better than a standard carry on backpack.
In this buying guide we specifically focus on the best carry on backpacks for women. This means taking into consideration the backpack’s fit in addition to the stuff we also find important in a travel bag like size, quality and features.
Airline Carry On Bag Size Requirements
Backpacks make great carry on bags thanks to their comfort and versatility. But just as with personal item backpacks, it’s important that your carry on bag fits the size requirements for the airline you are going to board.
The rule of thumb for a carry on is that the bag must fit in the overhead compartment of the airplane cabin. If the bag is too large then it will be considered a check-in bag and you may be responsible for additional charges.
A carry on bag must fit in the overhead compartment.
Below is a chart of the most popular airlines in the United States with their maximum carry on bag size. This chart was last updated on October 2019. Make sure to check your airline’s official website for updated carry-on size requirements.
| Airline | Carry On Size |
|---|---|
| American Airlines | 22" x 14" x 9" |
| Alaska Airlines | 22" x 14" x 9" |
| Air Canada | 21.5" x 15.5" x 9" |
| Delta | 22" x 14" x 9" |
| Frontier | 24" x 16" x 10" |
| JetBlue | 22" x 14" x 9" |
| Southwest | 24" x 16" x 10" |
| Spirit | 22" x 18" x 10" |
| United Airlines | 22" x 14" x 9" |
The carry on backpacks featured here are at or below the maximum carry on size for most airlines.
Best Carry on Backpacks for Women
Osprey Fairview 40
The Osprey Fairview 40 is our favorite carry on backpack for women thanks to its roomy 40 liter capacity, incredible quality and different sizing options that allows for the perfect fit.
There are a few airline-friendly features on the Osprey Fairview 40 that we really like, starting with the bag’s ability to hide the shoulder straps and hip belt. This makes it less-frustrating to fit the backpack into overhead compartments by avoiding dangling straps. The padded grab handles also makes it super easy to grab the backpack from overhead compartments and carry as a duffel if needed.
Another great feature is the Fairview’s lockable zippers and compartments. The main compartment is large enough for a few days of clothes and personal items for easy-peasy one bag carry.
Size and Fit:
Dimensions: 19.3” x 13.8” x 8”
Capacity: 38L or 40L (depending on size)
Women’s specific fit
The Osprey Fairview is available in sizes Extra Small/Small or Small/Medium
Knack Expandable Knack Pack
The Knack Pack is an expandable multi-functional travel bag that also makes the perfect carry on backpack for women thanks to its multiple size options. The expandable feature allows you to use the Knack Pack as both a daypack and a travel pack as needed. This means less bags to carry and less hassle once you arrive at your destination.
Key features include a main compartment that opens like a suitcase, a special front stash pocket for essentials like passports and tickets and separate laptop and tablet pockets. Knack does a great job at offering a versatile backpack that can be what you need it when you need it.
Size and Fit:
Dimensions: 19” x 12” x 9.5” (Medium Knack Pack)
Capacity: 17-31L (Medium Knack Pack)
Fits under airline seats and overhead compartments
Cotopaxi Allpa 35L Travel Pack
The Cotopaxi Allpa is an incredibly durable and functional travel backpack that was made for life on the move. In addition to a roomy suitcase-style main compartment, the Allpa also includes padded tablet and laptop sleeves, water bottle pockets and plenty of mesh compartments to keep things organized. The backpack straps can even be tucked away for easy handling in overhead compartments on busy flights.
We consider the Cotopaxi Allpa one of the best carry on backpacks for women because of it’s various size options. 35 liters is perfect for most people with smaller frames, but Cotopaxi also offers different Allpa size options that are carry-on safe.
Size and Fit:
Dimensions: 20” x 12” x 8”
Capacity: 35L
Available in various sizes (28L, 35L, 42L, 50L) for the perfect fit
Thule Landmark Travel Pack 40L
What we love about the Thule Landmark is its emphasis organization. The travel pack allows for secure storage of clothing, shoes and more inside its roomy main compartment while still giving you easy-access pockets to the things you need most while traveling; passport, laptop, water bottles and more. The pocket placement on the very top of the backpack feels intuitive and makes it super easy to grab small items when the backpack is stood up the ground.
Along with easy-access pockets, the Thule is also designed for safety. The zippers are lockable and the backpack even features a hidden anti-theft pocket for important items like cash or a passport. If you are looking for one of the best carry on backpacks for women then we recommend you give the Thule Landmark 40L a closer look.
Size and Fit:
Dimensions: 21.5” x 13” x 9.8”
Volume: 40L
Women’s specific fit
Peak Design 30L Travel Backpack
The Peak Design 30L Travel Backpack is the little sister to the full-sized 45L Travel Backpack. It’s the same design but with more compact dimensions, making it a great carry on backpack for women who would otherwise find the full sized Travel Backpack too large.
What makes this backpack special is its amazing water resistant construction and awesome organization. It features plenty of flight-friendly pockets for water bottles and tech plus the main packing compartment expands for trips when you need extra room. Available in a few sleek colors and featuring a minimalist design, the Peak Design 30L Travel Backpack is for those who expect more from their carry on backpack.
Size and Fit:
Dimensions: 20.9” x 13” x 7.9” (fully expanded)
Capacity: 27-33L
Also available in the larger 45L version that is carry-on safe
Eagle Creek Tour Travel Pack 40L S/M
Made for those who love to explore, the Eagle Creek Tour Travel Pack gives you all you need for a busy day at the airport, an evening of sightseeing or an outdoor adventure all in one backpack. A women’s specific ergonomic fit for shorter torsos and narrower shoulders also means you will be comfortable no matter how busy your travels.
The expandable 40 liter design ensures that the Tour Travel Pack can be used as a carry-on backpack on most airlines. Top and side grab handles makes it simple to store in overhead compartments and the bag even features lockable zippers for extra safety.
Size and Fit:
Dimensions: 20.5” x 13.12” x 8.75”
Capacity: 40L
S/M size designed to fit people with short torsos and narrower shoulders
AmazonBasics Carry On Travel Backpack
For those on a tight budget, Amazon offers a great carry on backpack option under their own AmazonBasics brand. Although it’s a unisex design, the shoulder straps and back panel provide a comfortable experience for such a budget backpack.
Some useful travel features include a spacious main compartment with a suitcase opening, separate access laptop compartment and removable shoulder straps so you can convert the backpack into a duffel or shoulder bag. Not bad for an inexpensive travel bag!
Size and Fit:
Dimensions: 21.5” 15.8” x 8.2”
Capacity: ~35L
Unisex design and fit
Osprey Daylite Carry-On Travel Pack 44
Osprey offers a reliable women’s backpack for travel made of recycled and eco-friendly materials with the Daylite Carry-On Travel Pack 44. The lightweight construction allows for more comfortable carry plus less stress when it comes to dreaded airline carry-on weight limits.
A suitcase-style main compartment and various pockets offers 44 liters of packing room while still being under the carry-on dimensions of most airlines. As a carry on backpack for women, we love the fun colors, easy to use compartments and rugged water resistant construction that can handle even the busiest of travels.
Size and Fit:
Dimensions: 21.5” x 14” x 9”
Volume: 44L
Unisex fit
Db The Strøm 30L Backpack
The Db Strøm is a unisex bag made for life on the move. Available in a ton of fun colors, the Strøm unique design gives you clamshell access to the main compartment for easy packing while an external laptop compartment and additional top pocket makes accessing travel essentials a breeze.
As a carry on backpack, we love the Db Strøm for its ultra-lightweight construction. This is thanks to Db’s special “rib cage” design that makes each backpack super lightweight while ensuring great protection of the contents inside. This technology comes in handy when packing with airline weight-limits in mind.
Size and Fit:
Dimensions: 21.6” x 12.59” x 8.66”
Capacity: 30L
Unisex design and fit
Best Brands for Women’s Carry On Bags
This list focuses on women’s carry on backpacks but there are so many more options and it’s worth considering your options before finally settling on a carry on bag.
We like backpacks because of their hands-free carry that really makes a difference during a busy trip, but there are also tons of other options out there like duffel bags, wheeled carry on luggage and large convertibles that give you the best of both worlds.
Below are some of our favorite brands for women’s carry on bags. We chose these brands because they have lots of options for women-specific fits or because they offer smaller versions of already popular carry ons.
eBags
eBags is an online retailer that specializes in backpacks and bags for every occasion. Their own eBags brand of backpacks and bags have become popular in the travel space because of their intuitive designs and good quality. If shopping for a women’s specific fit, eBags offers “Junior” versions of their popular travel bag styles as well as a variety of other styles to choose from.
Osprey Packs
We recommend Osprey Packs to anyone looking for a durable travel backpack with a women’s specific fit as they have a variety of bag options to choose from. Osprey is known for their speciality outdoor backpacks for hiking, backpacking and travel and do a great job at providing enough size variety to accommodate a wide range of body types.
Cotopaxi
Like Osprey, Cotopaxi is a brand that specializes in travel bags and gear. The brand offers many of their popular styles in various sizes to accommodate different body types and carry styles. Along with the carry on backpack styles on this list, Cotopaxi has many more bag styles for traveling when size constrictions are not an issue.
What sets Cotopaxi apart from other brands is their commitment to doing good. With each sale Cotopaxi donates 1% of the profits towards addressing poverty and supporting community development around the world.
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