Article: Best Backpacks for Men 2026: Style, Function & Italian Craft
Best Backpacks for Men 2026: Style, Function & Italian Craft
A backpack is the most-used piece of carry a man owns. It moves between the morning train and the airport gate, the office and the weekend trail, the hotel lobby and the coffee shop where the workday actually begins. The right one earns its keep through years of daily contact, while the wrong one becomes a weekly reminder of what a few quiet design choices could have prevented.
This guide gathers the best backpacks for men across nylon, leather, and travel-specific construction, with a particular focus on the considered design and Italian craftsmanship that sets the Bric's catalog apart. Each pick below is built to a standard that justifies the carry, with materials, hardware, and interior architecture chosen for the long term rather than the season.
Quick Picks: Best Men's Backpacks at a Glance
Six selections cover most use cases, from the daily office commute to extended international travel. Each piece below leads its sub-category within the Bric's lineup.
| Bric's Backpack | Material | Best For | Capacity |
| X-Collection Montagna | Recycled satin nylon | Daily laptop carry | 21 L |
| X-Collection Urban | Recycled satin nylon | City commute | 11 L |
| B|Y Backpack | Italian-designed water-repellent material | Hybrid work and travel | 25 L |
| Urban Eco Backpack S | Water repellent polyester | Multi-day travel | 18 L |
| Porsche Nylon Backpack S | Recycled nylon | Office to airport | 17 L |
| Porsche Leather Backpack XS | Calfskin leather | Premium minimalist daily carry | 16 L |
Best Nylon Backpacks for Men
Modern recycled nylon has quietly become the most considered material in the category. It carries less environmental cost than legacy weaves, holds its shape under load, resists abrasion in overhead bins and ride-share trunks, and wipes clean with a damp cloth after a long day. A well-built nylon backpack is the most versatile single piece a man can own, and the Bric's lineup spans urban silhouettes, travel-specific volumes, and Porsche Design collaborations engineered to a separate standard.
X-Collection Montagna Backpack
The X-Collection Montagna Backpack is the everyday default for men who carry a 16-inch laptop and the daily essentials around a 21-liter envelope. Recycled satin nylon resists scuffing, the dedicated padded laptop sleeve sits flush against the back panel, and reinforced webbing handles support a fully loaded carry without sagging. The wider X-Collection range also includes coordinating duffels and carry-ons for travelers who pack as a system.
Porsche Design Backpack S for Engineering-Led Daily Carry
The Porsche Design partnership shapes Bric's most engineering-led nylon program. The Porsche Nylon Backpack S combines urban functionality with design details inspired by the world of Porsche, from toggle switch-style zips to stitching reminiscent of vehicle interiors. Designed for movement, it features a dedicated compartment for laptops up to 14 inches, a front business organizer, water-resistant zip pockets, and a trolley sleeve for seamless travel integration. Reduced lines, precise workmanship, and all-black hardware reflect Porsche Design's clean, functional, and striking design language.
Best Lightweight Pick
When weight is the deciding factor, the X-Collection Piccolo City Backpack comes in under two pounds while still holding a tablet, a folded shell jacket, and the small accessories of a long workday. Streamlined zip pulls, single-handed water-bottle pockets, and a low-profile front zip pocket keep the silhouette clean enough for evening wear.
What to Look for in Premium Nylon Construction
Three details separate a premium nylon piece from the broader market. Look for high-denier recycled fabric (typically 600D or above), full YKK zipper hardware on every closure including internal pockets, and bar-tack stitching at the base of every shoulder strap. Bric's design meets all three across the X-Collection and Porsche Design lines, which is why these pieces routinely outlast the device generations they were originally bought to carry.
Best Leather Backpacks for Men
Leather is the choice for the man who wants a single piece that carries equally well to a client meeting, a Friday-night dinner, and a Saturday flight. A well-made leather backpack men category piece develops a hand-lived patina with use, so the bag is rarely more beautiful than the day it has just returned from a year of service. Bric's leather backpack work is concentrated in the Porsche Design collaboration, which pairs Italian leather sourcing with German hardware engineering.
Best Premium Pick: Porsche Leather Backpack XS
The Porsche Design Leather Backpack XS is the most refined daily carry in the Bric's lineup. Soft, grained calfskin leather and a sophisticated layout combine into a 16-liter silhouette that sits closer to a structured tote than a traditional backpack. Carry it to a meeting with a slim laptop, a leather portfolio, and a passport, and let the patina do the rest.
Leather and Nylon for Daily Carry
The choice between leather and nylon comes down to context. Leather rewards the man who carries lighter, dresses more formally, and treats the bag as a long-term investment piece. Nylon rewards the man who carries heavier, moves through more weather, and values cleaning a finish in seconds rather than minutes. For most travelers the answer is to own one of each, and to keep both in rotation. For care guidance after the purchase, the Bric's team has a useful primer on leather travel gear care.
Best Travel Backpacks for Men
Travel-specific backpacks differ from city pieces in three ways: they hold more (typically 25 to 35 liters), they ride more comfortably under sustained load thanks to padded back panels and chest straps, and they feature pass-through trolley sleeves for stacking on a 21-inch carry-on. The Bric's lineup includes a dedicated men's travel backpack design in the Urban Eco family, all built from water repellent polyester.
Urban Eco Backpack
The Urban Eco Travel Backpack has a clamshell opening that lays flat on a hotel bed for organized packing. Internal compression straps stabilize folded clothing, mesh pockets keep cables and chargers separated, and a dedicated quick-access pocket holds a passport and boarding pass for the gate. Compatible with a 21-inch carry-on as a personal item under most carriers' rules.
Urban Eco Backpack M1
The Urban Eco Backpack M1 is ideal for travelers who carry less or who pair the backpack with a checked case. The cleaner footprint also wears better with tailored outerwear, which makes the M1 the right choice for business travel where the backpack has to read as office-appropriate the moment it lands.
Roadster S1 for the Slim Travel Silhouette
For the traveler who doubles a daily carry as a weekend bag, the Roadster Nylon Backpack S1 offers compact volume, a stiffened back panel for extended wear, and the engineering-led Porsche Design hardware that marks the line. The slimmer silhouette also fits more reliably under economy seats on tight regional jet configurations.
Best Laptop Backpacks for Men
Laptop carry is where the smallest details matter most. Look for a true padded sleeve that floats off the bottom of the bag (so a dropped pack does not transfer impact to the device), a sleeve sized for the screen format you actually own, and an organization layer thoughtful enough that you can find a charger without unloading the cabin. A purpose-built laptop backpack for men in the Bric's lineup meets all three. The picks below cover the most common professional use cases.
X-Collection Montagna Backpack for Daily Use
Returning to the X-Collection Montagna in this section is intentional. Its 16-inch laptop sleeve, internal organization grid, and reinforced webbing make it the default daily laptop carry across the Bric's catalog. For most men, this is the only laptop backpack the closet needs.
B|Y Backpack for Hybrid Work
The B|Y Backpack from B|Y by Bric's is built for the hybrid worker who moves between two desks a week. Its Italian-designed water-repellent material reads more refined than a typical commuter pack, and the internal layout includes a dedicated tablet sleeve next to the primary laptop pocket. For men who carry both a personal and a work device, the B|Y collection is the most considered solution in the lineup.
Urban Eco Backpack M1 for Travel and Work
The Urban Eco M1 covered above doubles as an excellent laptop carry on travel days, since the 22-liter envelope holds a 16-inch device, a change of clothes, and a small toiletry kit without crowding the laptop sleeve. It is the right choice when one bag has to handle the office on Monday and a Wednesday flight without trade-offs.
How to Choose a Men's Backpack: Buying Guide
Before clicking add to cart, work through the three questions below. They narrow a sprawling category down to one or two candidates almost every time.
| Question | If the answer is... | The right Bric's pick is... |
| What do you carry on the heaviest day? | Laptop, charger, water bottle, change of layers | X-Collection Montagna or Urban Eco M1 |
| What do you carry on the lightest day? | Phone, wallet, slim notebook, sunglasses | X-Collection Piccolo City or Porsche Leather Backpack XS |
| Where will it travel most often? | Office and weekend dinners | Porsche Leather Backpack XS or B|Y Backpack |
| Office and frequent flights | Urban Eco Travel Backpack or Roadster S1 | |
| Mostly city commute | X-Collection Urban or B|Y Backpack | |
| What weather does it see? | Mostly dry conditions | Any leather pick or X-Collection |
| Frequent rain or snow | Urban Eco or Roadster nylon series |
Once a candidate is identified, size the bag against the heaviest day rather than the average day. A backpack that runs at full capacity wears its compression straps faster, looks bulkier than intended, and shortens the life of the zippers under the load. Choose a 20-liter pack over an 18-liter when the daily carry approaches the smaller bag's ceiling.
Common Men's Backpack Questions
What size backpack is right for daily commuting?
Most commuters land between 16 and 22 liters. That envelope holds a 14- or 16-inch laptop, charger, slim notebook, water bottle, lunch, and a change of layers without crowding any single compartment. Travelers who add gym kit on commute days should size up to 25 liters and consider a separate shoe pocket.
Is a leather backpack still appropriate for the office in 2026?
Yes. Leather backpacks have moved fully into business-appropriate territory, particularly in slimmer 10- to 15-liter formats with structured silhouettes and minimal external hardware. The Porsche Design Leather Backpack XS sits squarely in this zone and reads as polished as a traditional briefcase across most workplace dress codes.
How long should a premium men's backpack last?
A well-built nylon backpack from the Bric's catalog should deliver eight to ten years of daily use, often longer with periodic care. Leather pieces gain character with age rather than wear out, and many of Bric's leather backpacks remain in service two decades after purchase. A look at the broader case for considered travel gear lives in the Bric's editorial guide to Italian travel gear for long trips.
Can a backpack count as a personal item on a flight?
Most major U.S. carriers allow a backpack as the second cabin item if it fits beneath the seat in front of you. The 22-liter and smaller picks in this guide reliably qualify as personal items.
How should I care for a high-end men's backpack?
For nylon pieces, wipe with a damp microfiber cloth and air dry away from direct heat. Spot clean stubborn marks with a small amount of mild soap and water. For leather, condition twice a year with a quality leather cream and store in a breathable dust bag during long stretches between trips. The Bric's leather travel gear care guide covers product-specific recommendations in more detail.
Find Your Bric's Backpack Today
Most men own one backpack at a time, and the right one quietly becomes a part of the daily wardrobe. Whether the answer is the X-Collection Montagna for daily laptop carry, the Urban Eco for frequent travel, or the Porsche Design Leather Backpack XS for the most refined carry in the closet, Bric's offers a piece engineered to outlast the trends that come and go around it.
Browse the full Bric's men's backpacks collection to find the piece built for your day, or explore the broader Bric's backpacks lineup across nylon and leather. For deeper reading, see the guide to the best Italian travel gear for long trips, a primer on the art of Italian craftsmanship in modern travel gear, and the case for authentic leather as a travel investment.