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Laptops keep on getting thinner and lighter, but the need to protect them never goes away. Even though today’s metal- and carbon-clad laptops are pretty tough, you’ll still want to keep them looking pristine for as long as you can. And while the SSDs of modern laptops aren’t so prone to losing all their data at the first drop onto tarmac, nobody wants a laptop with cracked corners or a broken hinge.
If you take your laptop out and about, then there’s no two ways about it: it really needs a bag or case. This might be as simple as a slipcase, designed to protect it while it’s carried in the hand or a larger bag, or a more traditional laptop bag with a carrying handle and shoulder strap. If you’re a commuter or spend time travelling, you might even want a larger bag with a padded compartment and room for other gadgets – even clothes – inside. We’ve taken a good look through what’s available and rounded up great options in all of these categories.
How to buy the best laptop bag for you
How much do I need to spend?
You can spend anything from a tenner to several hundred pounds on a laptop bag, depending on the style of bag you’re looking for, the design and the materials used and – of course – the brand. Here we’ve steered clear of the more upmarket fashion brands in order to focus on more functional cases and bags.
Beyond price, the key things to consider are style and size. Obviously the latter will depend on the laptop you’re carrying: while you can always fit a 13.3-inch laptop inside a 15.6-inch case, a smaller laptop may rattle around in the extra space, and the bag will add bulk you don’t necessarily need. That said, if you want a laptop bag that also doubles as an overnight bag, then bigger is probably better.
What type should I buy: sleeve, bag, backpack or travel bag?
In terms of style, you have 4 basic options. First there’s the sleeve; a simple case with or without handle that does little more than add a basic layer of protection against a cruel world. Sleeves are cheap, cheerful and sometimes stylish, and ideal if you’re happy carrying your laptop under your arm or you have another bag you carry anyway.
Next comes the bag. This might be a messenger bag, a traditional laptop bag or a briefcase, but it’ll have a padded compartment for your backpack, one or more compartments for chargers and accessories, plus, in some cases, additional space for other items. You’ll have a handle or a shoulder strap for carrying (and sometimes both).
Now we get to the backpack – usually something roughly the size of the kind of daysack you’d use on a day’s hiking or day out, but with a padded compartment to take your laptop and one or more compartments for supporting stuff. As a bonus, a laptop backpack doesn’t have to look like it contains a backpack and often has more room for additional stuff if you’re travelling to school or work or taking a weekend away. In the end, though, the choice between this and the larger messenger bags is a matter of comfort and taste.
Finally, we have the larger travel bags – the sort of bags you see people stuffing into the overhead lockers, crushing your hand luggage on a busy flight. You’ll note that while laptops have got smaller, thinner and lighter, these bags have not, and that’s because you can use the extra space to cram enough clothes, toiletries and accessories to cover a two– to four-day business trip. If you spend a lot of time travelling for work then you’ll definitely want to opt for one of these.
What else should I look out for?
Padding and shock-proofing are obviously important, but also look out for weather-resistant or waterproof exteriors or – if you’re planning on taking on really harsh conditions – rigid skeletons or hard outer shells.
As for extras, additional compartments and zip pockets are always handy, giving you more space to stash a mouse, a pair of headphones, a USB external hard disk and a range of other stuff.
Security features, such as locks or concealed zips, can be a great idea if you’re travelling, while easy-access compartments can be a blessing when you need to go through pre-flight security checks or border controls.
Some backpacks are now shipping with built-in solar panels or a power bank mobile charger. With the first, this only makes sense if you’re spending a lot of time outdoors, preferably somewhere with some actual sun to work with. With the latter, make sure you’re not spending £30 extra just to get £15 worth of power bank – you could potentially save cash (and get more charging time) by buying one of our recommended power banks instead.
READ NEXT: The best daysacks, rucksacks and backpacking bags from £35
The best laptop bags to buy
1. Amazon Basics Laptop and Tablet Bag: The best budget laptop bag
Price: From £8
If you want simple protection, Amazon’s own-brand AmazonBasics range has you well and truly covered. You can find good, thick, form-fitting neoprene sleeves for 11.6-inch, 13.3-inch, 14-inch, 15.6-inch and 17.3-inch laptops in a range of colours, wheeled travel bags, backpacks and more traditional laptop cases. We’d go for the latter as great everyday choice, as they have an internal padded compartment for your laptop, a second padded exterior compartment for a tablet and a third compartment where you can cram in chargers, accessories and a smartphone. For carrying, you get a basic handle and a shoulder strap with adjustable shoulder pad. It’s neither the toughest bag nor the most stylish, but if you’re on a budget you can't go wrong.
NB. If you click the link below, you can choose between all four different sizes of bag.
Key specs – Type: Padded bag; Material: Polyester; Compartments: 3; Sizes available: 11.6in, 14.1in, 15.6in, 17.3in; Dimensions (15.6in): 394 x 71 x 305mm
2. Belkin Messenger Bag: The best laptop bag for under £30
Price: £28
It’s not hard to find a decent laptop case for under £30, but you’ll struggle to find one with the features and attention to detail of Belkin’s black and red Messenger Bag. For a start, the tapered construction and two-tone design looks a little more stylish than your average laptop case. In addition to the generously padded main compartment you get a front-facing pocket for a smartphone, complete with headphone cable gromit (so you don't have to worry about getting your headphone cable snagged in the zip), another smaller pocket, and a secondary compartment with a multitude of spaces for chargers and accessories. The 17-inch version even throws in an extra padded charger pouch. Whichever version you choose, the lightweight handle and comfortable, ergonomic shoulder strap means that the Belkin is a solid, functional laptop bag.
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Belkin F8N244 Messenger Bag for Laptops, Macbooks and Chromebooks up to 15.6 inch - Black/Red
Key specs – Type: Padded bag; Material: Polyester; Compartments: 4; Sizes available: 15.6in, 17in; Dimensions (15.6in): 470 x 130 x 370mm
3. STM Judge: The best messenger-style laptop bag under £75
Price: £56
Looking for a more stylish but still very practical laptop bag? Where once we would have pushed you towards STM’s Trust bag (now sadly discontinued) we’d now urge you to consider the STM Judge. It comes in a range of four colours, with a quilted interior lining for the main, split laptop compartment, which could easily incorporate a tablet too, plus a sizable front pocket – called the stash – to cram in smartphones, chargers and accessories. There’s even a removable fleece-lined sunglasses pocket to keep your shades or something else of value in. The Judge’s party piece is organisation. Not only does the stash have pockets for just about everything, but the bag has passthrough ports to thread cables between the different compartments, making it easy to charge your smartphone from a powerbank in the battery pocket of the main compartment. Thanks to smart design and a comfortable shoulder strap with adjustable pad, this is exactly the kind of laptop bag you want to carry around town.
Key specs – Type: Bag with quilted padding; Material: Polyester; Compartments: 2; Sizes available: 15in; Dimensions: 405 x 100 x 310mm
4. Thule Gauntlet 3.0: The best rugged case under £50
Price: From £30
If you’re lugging a laptop through hostile environments, you’ll wish you had it stuffed inside the Thule Gauntlet 3.0. It’s available in sleeve and bag formats designed for 12in, 13in or 15in MacBooks (though other laptops will fit depending on their dimensions). It’s a simple case without a wealth of zipped pockets or compartments, but the clamshell design enables you to use your laptop without removing it, while storage pockets within the main compartment can fit in your charger, cables and a few small extras. You don’t buy the Gauntlet 3.0 because you want to look cool, but because you need real protection for your laptop. With a rigid exterior, robust corner protection and water-resistant zips it can shake off punishment other laptop cases can’t withstand.
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Thule Gauntlet 3.0 Envelope Sleeve for 13-Inch MacBook Air - Black
Key specs – Type: Case with water-resistant zips and corner/edge protection; Material: Polyurethane; Compartments: 1; Sizes available: 12in, 13in, 15in; Dimensions (15in): 350 x 95 x 260mm.
5. Samsonite GuardIT Laptop Backpack with Wheels: The best laptop backpack for travel
Price:£85
Samsonite’s GuardIT line covers a range of bags and backpacks that mix businesslike looks with rock-solid protection. This particular model is your classic cabin bag with wheels, and provides enough space pack a 15.6-inch laptop with accessories and charger, a tablet and a change of clothes. Your laptop is held securely by a Velcro strap inside a padded sleeve, and there are enough pockets in the front compartment to squirrel away everything you’ll need on a short trip, with a zipped pocket at the front to keep your boarding pass handy. And if you get tired of lugging it around with the top handle or padded back-straps, you can simply tug out the aluminium wheel handle and drag it around behind you on its built-in wheels. Not the most exciting laptop backpack, but a good buy for frequent flyers.
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Samsonite Guardit Laptop Backpack Casual Daypack, 48 cm, 27 Liters, Black
Key specs – Type: Backpack with aluminium monotube handle and wheels; Material: 500D Polyester; Compartments: 3, Sizes available: Up to 16in; Dimensions: 480 x 260 x 330mm
6. North Face Recon: The most versatile laptop backpack for under £85
Price: £66
As you might expect from such a major outdoors brand, the North Face Recon is as comfortable working as a daysack at the weekend as a laptop bag on your daily commute. It’s a 31 litre backpack, so there’s plenty of space inside, with a padded, fleece-lined sleeve to keep your backpack safe. Meanwhile the front compartment has a secondary fleece-lined tablet sleeve and pockets to accessories and cables, while there’s a smaller external pocket to keep other items close to hand. It’s a great pack for walking, with a padded mesh back panel and comfortable straps, and you have the option of 210D Cordura, 420D Nylon and 1680D Ballistic Nylon versions, depending on whether you need to withstand wilderness and severe weather, or just the average urban commute.
Key specs – Type: Backpack; Material: 210D Cordura, 420D Nylon or 1680D Ballistic Nylon; Compartments: 3; Sizes available: Up to 15.6in; Dimensions: 490 x 240 x 360mm
7. Booq Boa Squeeze: The best laptop backpack for under £100
Price:£95
There’s no shortage of great laptop backpacks once you get above the £80 mark, but Booq’s Boa Squeeze hits the perfect balance between style, practicality and comfort. The curved design makes it look slimmer and smaller than it is, but there’s plenty of room inside for a 13-inch to 15.6-inch laptop and a bunch of chargers, cables, accessories and more. The laptop compartment is built inside the main compartment, with your laptop protected by a soft herringbone lining and held in place by a Velcro strap, while there are two padded side-pouches, a top-loading pocket for your smartphone and a vertical zipped pocket at the front of the pack. Thanks to the 1680D Ballistic Nylon outer layer it feels incredibly tough, yet the padded shoulder straps and airmesh padding keep the comfort level high. It’s not cheap, but it’s well worth the extra cash.
Key specs – Type: Backpack; Material: 1680D Ballistic Nylon; Compartments: 5; Sizes available: 13in, 15.6in; Dimensions: 432 x 160 x 300mm