The 16 best backpacks of 2024 for travel and work, tried and tested

• 23L
• Premium nubuck
• One zipped pocket, two open exterior pockets

Nowadays the term ‘luxury’ doesn’t mean what it did. With so many brands, particularly online, looking to fleece a cheap buck from customers, ‘luxury’ has become an easy way to make basic items more desirable. It’s a rarer thing that really feels luxurious. And that’s exactly what this backpack feels like. 

Alright, so let’s discuss the elephant in the room: £445 is not a figure most of us would spend on a bag. Will this backpack make it any easier to transport your stuff than a £30 one? No. Will it make your commute any easier or better? Probably not. But for those with a taste (and budget) for the finer things in life, this pricey bag feels like a worthy investment. 

The bag is constructed from Nubuck, a type of sanded leather with a suede-like feel, and more standard leather detailing. The leather makes the bag totally waterproof, though the manufacturer does recommend reapplying a waterproofing spray every few months just to be on the safe side. The leather construction makes the bag slightly heavier than a polyester equivalent, but in my view, the weight just adds to the premium feel. 

It’s a truth universally acknowledged that luxury and practicality rarely go hand in hand, yet the City Hopper seems to be the exception that proves the rule. The bag has tonnes of pockets, spaces for your wallet, your keys, your 16-inch laptop, an easy access side pocket for a bottle. The main bag is a roll-over top, sealed with a solid metal clasp which I found less fiddly than other roll-top bags, albeit just as secure. Inside you’ll find a large zip pocket and two other spaces for storing smaller items.

A handy feature is the case slot on the back. In everyday use, this sits snugly against your back, but it’ll go over the handle of a suitcase to make transportation easier if you’re at the airport. You’ll also find a super secret hidden pocket there – an ideal place to store travel money or your passport. 

Yes, the cost is considerable and will put off the majority of customers, but if you have the budget and want a really handsome, well-constructed, and thoughtfully designed backpack, I can’t rate this one highly enough.