Top 5 Best Backpacks with a Luggage Strap • (2024 Reviews)

Last updated Feb 15, 2024

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Welcome to our guide to choosing the best backpack with a luggage strap. In this guide, we share our top 5 picks along with close-up photos and details of why we chose these 5 backpacks. We also included demonstration videos to give you a better idea of what the bags look like in person and how they’ll fit your back.

Best Backpack with Luggage Strap featured image

Before we get started, I’d like to point out that there are several names for backpacks with a luggage strap. Several additional labels that are synonymous with “luggage strap” are:

  • Backpack with “luggage sleeve” or “luggage handle sleeve” or “luggage handle pass-through” or “handle strap”
  • Backpack with “trolley sleeve” or “trolley strap”

Now that we’re all on the same page, it’s time to unveil our top 5 picks.

Top 5 Backpacks with a Luggage Strap

Backpack Features & Highlights
#1 NOMATIC Backpack

nomatic backpack with luggage strap

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  • #1 Backpack with Luggage Strap
  • The NOMATIC has the most secure luggage strap of all the backpacks we’ve reviewed and recommended over the past year
  • The entire back panel slides over your luggage handle horizontally
  • Since the bag sits horizontally, it’s shorter than backpacks with trolley straps that sit vertically
  • The NOMATIC won’t slide around or cause your bag to tip over when in the upright position
  • The stowable shoulder straps allow you to carry the NOMATIC like a briefcase. You may also prefer to stow the straps when hooked to your suitcase to avoid snagging them on anything while on the move.
  • The NOMATIC is the most premium backpack in our Top 5 and most feature-rich
  • The NOMATIC 20L backpack is also eligible to use as a personal item backpack to avoid baggage fees (which also makes it great to pair with a carry-on rolling suitcase)
  • Internal cord pass-through allows you to charge your phone on the go and stow your power bank deeper in your bag out of the way
#2 KOPACK TSA-Friendly Travel Backpack

KOPACK TSA-Friendly Travel laptop backpack with luggage strap

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  • #1 Budget-Friendly Laptop Backpack with Luggage strap
  • If you love the NOMATIC backpack, but not the price on the tag, then the KOPACK TSA-friendly backpack could be the perfect match for you
  • The luggage strap sits halfway up the back panel for better weight distribution (we’ve seen backpacks with luggage straps that are positioned too low which would cause your rolling suitcase to tip over)
  • Quick-access credit card zipper pocket in the shoulder strap, sunglasses clip, and a hidden rear pocket to store the travel documents you need easy access to
  • The zippers to the main compartment go all the way down allowing you to really maximize the internal storage space and organize your belongings efficiently
  • Padded laptop and tablet sleeves along with ample internal organization pockets (fits up to a 17.3″ laptop)
  • An external USB port for charging your phone on the go (plus an internal sleeve for your power bank)
#3 Samsonite Kombi Business Backpack with SmartSleeve

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  • #1 Pick for Professionals & Business Travelers
  • I’m a Samsonite kind of guy having always owned their suitcases, and the Kombi backpack is my personal favorite in our Top 5
  • The Samsonite SmartSleeve is made of stronger materials and won’t rip over time. It also keeps the bag snug against your luggage handle.
  • The sturdy materials and balanced design keep the bag upright on its own even when it’s empty
  • Plenty of internal organization pockets along with separate sleeves for tablets and laptops (plus a fleece-lined pocket)
  • The unique main compartment curved zipper design is a nice touch that allows you to pack your bag more efficiently
  • A more professional and sleek appearance than most other travel backpacks currently on the market
  • The padded top handle is the best we’ve seen along with the wide padded shoulder straps for even weight distribution on your back (in other words, this backpack is super comfortable)
  • Made of genuine leather and ballistic nylon
#4 eBags Professional Slim Travel Backpack

eBags Professional Slim Laptop Backpack trolley sleeve

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  • Vertical & Horizontal Positioning Options
  • In comes the eBags Professional Slim backpack with the most versatile luggage strap system to blow all its imitators out of the water
  • Similar to the NOMATIC, the eBags Pro Slim has a full back panel trolley sleeve. However, the awesome difference is that the eBags allows for both horizontal and vertical positioning
  • Absolutely no worries about the eBags backpack sliding off or tipping over your rolling suitcase
  • Tons of pockets and internal organization, yet we love how eBags keeps the design clean with the use of zippers
  • Available in two sizes to suit everyone’s needs (the bag pictured here is the full-size option, Click Here for the Slim Junior backpack)
  • Stowable shoulder straps allow you to carry the bag like a briefcase
  • I love the removable, adjustable sternum strap to pull the weight off my lower back
  • Crush-proof case included in the bottom pocket
  • Overall, the eBags Professional is a superb travel backpack for everyone
#5 Hynes Eagle 44L Carry on Backpack

Hynes Eagle 44L Carry on Backpack (2019) trolley sleeve

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  • #1 Weekender Backpack with Luggage Sleeve
  • The full-width luggage strap is horizontal positioning only (considering the size of this bag, vertical positioning wouldn’t make sense anyway)
  • The Hynes Eagle 44L backpack is perfect for people who are planning to check a suitcase and use a backpack as their carry-on item
  • Of the packs in our Top 5, the Hynes Eagle gives you the most internal storage space while staying within the carry-on allowances for most major airlines
  • The latest 2019 Eagle comes with 3 packing cubes for better internal organization or to separate dirty laundry
  • Stowable shoulder straps allow you to carry the bag like a briefcase, and better to stow them when the bag is connected to your suitcase
  • Compression straps reduce the bag from 44L capacity to 38L (easier to store in the plane’s overhead compartment)
  • Separate laptop compartment in the back panel with the more convenient vertical zipper closure (fits large laptops up to 17″)
  • Adjustable sternum and waist straps for even weight distribution
  • Front pockets with ample internal organization

What did you think of our top 5 best backpacks with luggage straps? We cut out the fluff and only included the best possible options available. Whether you want a bag with vertical, horizontal, or vertical & horizontal positioning, there’s a choice in our Top 5 that fits the bill.

I’ve traveled all over the world the past few years, and a luggage strap is one of the first features I look for in a bag because it’s just that important. It makes going through the airport and to/from the airport so much easier on my lower back.

Detailed Photos of Each Backpack’s Luggage Strap

In this section, I share close-up photos of each luggage sleeve to give you a better look at what each bag offers:

#1) NOMATIC

#2) Kopack

#3) Samsonite

#4) eBags

#5) Hynes Eagle

The Best Suitcase to Pair with Your Backpack

Over the past few years, I’ve lived out of my suitcase, and it’s undoubtedly given me its money’s worth and more. When choosing the best suitcase to pair with a backpack with a luggage strap, there are several features to look for:

  • Hardside rolling luggage
  • 4-wheel suitcase for better stability
  • 360-degree spinner wheels
  • Multi-stage push button aluminum handle (multi-stage is great for when your backpack is on your back, and you want to roll your suitcase with the handle in the lower extended position)
  • Built-in TSA combination zipper lock (the one on mine is spring-loaded, and the zippers still pop out after years of use)
  • A reliable brand with quality wheels that won’t break, squeak, or lock over time

My current suitcase checks all the boxes above, and when I do replace it, I plan to get the same version because it’s that darn great for travel.

Click on the image below to view the exact Samsonite rolling suitcase I use at Amazon #ad:

Bottom Line

No matter what you like to call it: “luggage strap,” “trolley sleeve,” or any other combination of those words, these backpacks are the Top 5 available in 2020.

Depending on how you prefer to arrange your luggage while traveling, the backpacks in our Top 5 accommodate everyone’s needs, and they’re perfect for everyone from backpackers to business professionals.

The luggage strap is a simple feature, yet one of the key ingredients in a quality travel backpack. Personally, I can’t imagine traveling without one, and neither can my aging lower back.

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