I’ve Tested Countless Travel Backpacks. Here’s Why This One Stands Out
I always travel carry-on only and have been team backpack for years. Like many, when I started traveling in earnest, I used a hiking backpack for my travel adventures. But when I first discovered Tortuga about ten years ago, I was excited to transition to a bag that was actually designed for travel. Clamshell openings (just like a suitcase), organizational features, and a more minimalist, urban design helped solve many of the issues I was experiencing with a hiking backpack at the time. I've been following their product development journey ever since and have tested many iterations of their backpacks over the past decade (actually, I’ve tested many, many backpacks since, ICYMI, I often review gear for work and write about it.) However, the newest model, the Tortuga Travel Backpack Pro 40L, might just be my favorite version yet. Learn why in this in-depth review, brought to you by a professional travel gear tester.
The Bag: Tortuga Travel Backpack Pro 40L
PRICE: $350 | Buy Now
KEY SPECS
Material: Waterproof Shell200
Size: 40L carrying capacity
Dimensions: 21.7 x 13.8 x 7.9 inches (55 x 35 x 20 cm)
Electronics: Fits up to a 16" laptop and 12.9" tablet
JESSIE’S TAKE
A well-crafted and thoughtfully designed travel backpack with lots of travel-friendly features. At 40L it’s carry-on friendly and ideal as your main piece of luggage (not as a personal item).
Carry-on friendly size and travel-friendly functionality
The main reason to buy, or even consider, this backpack is if you’re looking for a travel-friendly backpack that can act as your main piece of luggage. At 21.7 x 13.8 x 7.9 inches with a 40-liter carrying capacity, it’s small enough to be considered a carry-on piece of luggage and can fit roughly the same amount of stuff as most carry-on sized suitcases. I’ve never had an issue with not having enough room to pack everything I need for 1-2 weeks of travel.
However, it is too big to be considered a personal item, so if that’s what you’re looking for, this isn’t the bag for that. I’ve even had a little bit of trouble fitting it in overhead compartments on particularly small planes (like puddle jumpers) when the backpack is fully packed. But that’s a rare case and most of the time I have no issues.
I also find the 40L size a bit large for my 5’3” frame, but it’s not a deal-breaker.
Size aside, the backpack also excels with several other key travel-friendly elements: a clamshell opening that makes packing and accessing the main compartment really easy; tons of pockets; removable hip straps; and a more urban design. Backpacks can look pretty dorky, but I love that the Travel Backpack Pro’s simple, all-black design helps it maintain a relatively low profile and feel at least somewhat stylish.
Note: In the photograph above, I’m actually wearing the (now discontinued) 30L size. Aside from capacity it was exactly the same as the 40L but apparently customers weren’t buying it and so, now it’s gone.
Durability and quality
This is a newer backpack, so I’ve only taken it on a handful of trips to date. So far, though, I’ve been impressed with the quality of the make and its durability. Even though I’ve challenged it by stuffing it to the brim, the zippers and stitching have held up—proving that they’re super strong and well-made.
My experience with previous generations of backpacks by Tortuga gives me confidence in its durability. These bags are designed to withstand significant wear and tear. It’s made from a durable and waterproof fabric, which the company promises “won't rip or tear.” I’ve found this to be true of their past generations, and so far so good with this one too. It’s very strong and capable of supporting a surprisingly heavy load.
The lockable, water-resistant YKK zippers, stitching, and hip straps are sturdy, adding to my confidence that this backpack can handle whatever I throw at it. I particularly appreciate that the hip straps can be easily removed, which is convenient on the rare occasions when I check the bag and don't want them getting caught on anything.
Comfort
This bag gets heavy when fully loaded, but that’s not a problem because it’s comfortable to wear, thanks to thick, soft shoulder straps with foam padding, a hip belt that helps distribute the weight, and chest straps for additional support. I won’t even look at a travel backpack if it doesn’t have hip straps, honestly! All of the straps are adjustable.
Is it waterproof?
While I haven't tested the backpack in heavy rain, previous iterations have kept everything inside dry during light showers, suggesting that this model will perform similarly well in wet conditions. The zippers, stitching, and hip straps are robust, providing additional reassurance that this backpack can handle whatever you throw at it.
Let’s talk about these pockets
One of the most notable features of this bag is that it has so many pockets. So many that I don’t even use all of them all of the time. There’s:
A dedicated laptop sleeve in the back, which makes taking your laptop in and out of the backpack really quick and easy
A small top pocket, ideal for stashing small items you want to access quickly, like a passport
A large, discreet side pocket that spans the pack’s front panel
A second front section that spans the pack’s front panel, with some additional organizational pockets, like a secure zipper pouch where I’ll put important, tiny things I don’t want to lose (like jewelry)
Two small pockets in the hip straps, which are just big enough to fit my phone
Two external water bottle pockets
In short, if you like pockets and lots of organizational options, this bag has got you covered.
Discounts
Another cool, unique thing about this backpack? They offer 20% discounts to students (including university students), teachers, military and dependents, first responders, medical professionals, and Peace Corps Volunteers.
Should you buy it?
Overall, I’d highly recommend the Tortuga Travel Backpack Pro 40L for someone who is looking for a travel-friendly, minimalist design backpack with tons of organizational features that’s durable and will last through years of adventures.
Pros of this backpack include:
Travel-friendly design thanks to its clamshell opening and organizational features
Simple, all-black, urban design
Extremely strong and durable
Hip straps that help distribute weight
Two water bottle pockets
Carry-on friendly size
Cons to of this backpack include:
It’s not cheap, but I think the price point is worth it, since it’s durable, will last, and they also offer quite a few discounts.
I personally find 40L too big for some trips (though I assume I’m an outlier in how lightweight I keep my packing list) and prefer a 25-30L for a week or less.
When full, I did struggle to put it in an overhead compartment on a very small plane.
But overall it’s a very well-designed and well-made backpack and a great improvement from their previous generations. I love getting to see all the small and thoughtful ways Tortuga continues to improve the designs of their bags—always with real travelers and real customers in mind.
