The best rolling backpacks to traverse anywhere and everywhere

Ambor’s Rolling Backpack is an easy winner and the most well-rounded package in this guide. Whether you’re a traveler, a student, or just some bustling urbanite hopping from the subway to your workplace, there’s a use case for anyone. The generous 39-liter storage capacity, among the highest on this list, ensures this and is spread across three cavernous pockets. The larger main pocket includes a handy laptop slot which, depending on your size choice, can fit a 15.6- or 17.3-inch laptop and be strapped in place. The secondary pocket is large enough for books, paperwork, or smaller articles of clothing, and the quick access pocket can hold work supplies and even smaller electronics.

From the dense, water-resistant construction to the padded interior linings, the overall construction is just about faultless. Consumers from all over have lauded the completeness and practicality of such an understated-looking bag, making even the smallest nitpicking a tedious task.

If you had to complain, the rounded shape and two-wheeled platform may make it quite prone to tipping over when stuffed to the brim. And its generous main compartment, while it straps your electronics, does not strap down clothing.

The Vidoscla Trolley Backpack runs hot on the heels of its pricier competitors and, while advertised as a kid’s rolling backpack, it’s actually sized right in line with the grown-ups’ backpacks. At the time of writing, it stickers at an inviting $43, slightly discounted from its usual $47. Ringing in for half as much as its peers buys you a compelling product that graces tight budgets, with three large pockets totaling 33 liters of storage. Buyers have a choice of colored accents as well as your pick between two- or six-wheeled detachable platforms, the latter of which is ideal for smoother rolling and climbing stairs.

Constructed of dense, water- and scratch-resistant materials like its peers, it’s a practical pick that’s definitely worth a look if you’re keen on saving 10s of dollars. Just don’t expect perfection; it’s still a cheap rolling backpack.

For instance, the Trolley Backpack’s interior versus its rivals is quite spartan and akin to a basic children’s school bag. The three pockets are just, well, um, pockets. There are no straps for clothes and electronics, and there aren’t even slots for writing materials. Build quality is comparable to standard school bags, as well. Reports of loose latches on the trolley and worn straps have been noted.

The Ligsan Rolling Backpack is a practical choice, nearly unseating the Ambor as the best rolling backpack if it weren’t for the latter’s lower cost of entry. Ligsan blows the other entries out of the airport terminal with a 45-liter capacity and four pockets without bloating in size or weight. If anything, it’s only marginally chunkier in its appearance. Its main pocket includes a strapped laptop slot as well as a separate strap for securing clothing, and there’s a smaller quick-access compartment up front for grabbing smaller items in a pinch. Much like the previous items, its design has created an effective, all-around backpack for workers and students alike.

It’s quite difficult to fault aside from its lofty price, similar to the Ambor it rivals so closely. The listed price at the time of writing is right at $96, discounted from its usual sticker of $116. That places it far ahead of the second cheapest options that we’ve curated. For that price, you could also nitpick by saying it should offer extra options for colors, sizing, and wheels, which it doesn’t.

The J World New York Sunny is here to give the little one’s something to show off to the other younglings in the classroom and on the family trip. Because what kid doesn’t love some outlandish styling? This rolling backpack for kids is a colorful, shrunken-down interpretation of the models for grown-ups, with height and width that are down just a couple of inches. The storage layout is quite simple, with a gaping maw of the main pocket for swallowing textbooks and lunchboxes, plus a smaller compartment complete with a smartphone slot and nooks for writing utensils.

The literal highlight of it all is the vast array of designs available to ensure your kiddo’s bag is unique enough to never wind up in the lost-and-found again. The palette has enough variety to appeal to most elementary and even middle school children.

However, the caveats of a children’s rolling backpack are clear. Its straightforward interior layout means there won’t be much organization when packing for a trip, and with the lowest capacity on this list, let’s hope it’s not a long one. Overall quality is stellar, but there have been some reported hiccups along the way.

The perfect solution for campuses the size of small towns, the Targus Compact Rolling Backpack is an excellent rolling backpack for students. Its understated design gives it a professional aura that will suit many environments while retaining usable storage and a trim profile. It follows in the footsteps of our top picks, with a cavernous main compartment — total capacity is not disclosed — complete with straps for securing your laptop and clothing. There’s a nifty quick-access pocket up front with a secondary tablet pocket beneath it, enabling you to carry two large electronics. It’s designated for tablets, although I reckon I could also squeeze one of my smaller laptops in there. Room for phones, writing utensils, and even car key fobs are also included.

Perhaps best of all is its middle-ground pricing, with a sticker of $70 at the time of writing. It should be noted that the price is heavily discounted off its regular $95 sticker, which places it smack in between our Best Overall and Honorable Mention winners.

Also in the spirit of its peers is similar acclaim for its stout quality and practicality. However, there have been minor complaints of stuck or broken handles.

With one of the highest capacities in this guide and a four-wheeled platform, the Matein Rolling Backpack is the closest thing to traditional rolling luggage as a backpack can be, and is the best rolling backpack for traveling. The 360-degree wheels create a stable, supportive platform, no matter how heavy you pack all 40 available liters. Of that storage space, most are dedicated to the expansive main compartment, relegating the other pockets to act as quick-access pockets for smaller articles or miscellaneous valuables. While that may not make it the most practical choice for day-to-day work, it’s the easiest to pack to the brim for extended journeys.

Quality is nearly flawless, with unanimous praise for its durability. Only minor complaints exist, and are few and far between, usually regarding stiff wheels or tipsy weight distribution when stuffed.

The biggest drawback against the Matein is that rolling backpack luggage will always lack storage space versus traditional luggage. The compact profiles they must maintain for easy mobility severely handicap their carrying capacity for long trips. However, that does make them usable as carry-ons under plane seats or inside overhead bins.