Whether it’s a workation or a longer working trip, taking your laptop is increasingly standard for many travellers. And if you’re travelling with your laptop, you’re not gonna be putting it in hold luggage, right?

The rise of the digital nomad has resulted in a rise in the quality and choice of laptop travel bags. Some are very affordable, some are a bargain, to say the least.

We’ve been test driving some of the best laptop travel bags available at the moment. Which should you choose?

Targus Urban Commuter

First up is this simple laptop backpack from reputable bag brand Targus. We like the simplicity of Targus bags, and they offer both affordability and durability. The Urban Commuter is a 22 litre bag, with 2 compartments – one main compartment for your laptop, cables and other bits and pieces. And then front pocket for your documents and other accessories.

As a small pack, it’s perfect as carry on luggage for most budget airlines. However, unless you’re just going for a long weekend, you’re unlikely to get multiple outfit changes in there. Minimalist packing will be the order of the day.

On the plus side, the Targus Urban Commuter is a useful day bag and perfect for short trips.

Gomatic/Nomatic Travel Pack

This premium laptop travel bag is made for the regular traveller, with an expandable main compartment, easy access pockets and a great internal layout. With three main compartments, the Nomatic Travel Pack (branded as Gomatic in Europe) is designed with the busy digital nomad or workation traveller in mind.

Keep your laptop secure with your chargers and paperwork in the back. The central compartment features the expandable section, and even features a shoe pocket. And the front section unzips to open up revealing an array of easily accessible pockets, ideal for all your work bits and pieces like cameras, headphones, pens etc.

The Gomatic Travel Pack expands from a 20litre pack to 30litre – making it perfect for longer weekend trips. You’re unlikely to use it as your standalone bag for extended travels, as 30 litres won’t quite allow you an extended wardrobe. And it’s on the borderline of too big for some cabin luggage (unless you upgrade).

But it’s a very comfortable bag to wear, and has a cool premium look too. Read my full Gomatic Travel Pack review here.

NayoSmart EXP

Looking more like a travel suitcase than a laptop travel bag, the NayoSmart EXP is a durable and flexible option for the nomadic traveller. The EXP in the name stands for EXPandable – and this bags party trick is folding out from 25 litres to 40 litres. So yes, the central compartment can certainly hold a respectable amount of luggage if you’re planning an extended trip.

In addition, it also has a padded laptop compartment (of course) and a front pocket for your papers and pens. For my liking, this front pocket is a little too deep, so you end up fishing around for things. And unlike the other bags on this list there is no bottle holder on the side.

But that said, if you’re looking for a cool looking bag that will expand and hold all your gear, even for an extended trip, the NayoSmart EXP is a solid option.

Read my full Nayo Smart EXP review.

Order direct from NayoSmart – currently $88 (discounted from $121).

Wenger Carbon 17inch Laptop Bag

Bigger laptop users will want a bag that can definitely handle their choice of screen size, and here comes a solid option. Wenger make reliably excellent laptop bags, and the Carbon 17 inch laptop bag is undeniably that.

With spacious compartments, including a padded space for your 17 inch laptop, plus 30 litres of packing space AND a that ever present handy front pocket, this is a great purchase for the laptop traveller. BUT WAIT – there is even an extra compartment, making it a grand total of 4 sections in this huge bag.

Does that make it a bit bulky? Well, yes, unfortunately. This is a hard bag to store in overhead lockers, and it can appear a little cluttered. And as far as style goes, this might be the least stylish option on our list….

But if you need lots of accessories and storage space, and you want a bag which will stand up to an extended travel jaunt, Wenger bags are a good choice.

Nordace Siena

If style is your main concern, you will probably already have seen Nordace as a good choice for laptop bags. The Siena is a simple and stylish laptop backpack, although it lacks the capacity of many of the others on this list.

At just 19 litres, you won’t be using this for your extended jaunt around Europe. But you could easily use it for long weekends or short business trips if you want to pack the basics.

A couple of things that single this out as a great laptop bag are the build quality, and the size. Firstly, it looks and feels like a premium backpack. Secondly, this will breeze through most cabin baggage allowances.

And so concludes our look at the best travel laptop bags. What do you think? Do you have a favourite, or have you tried one of these bags? Let us know in the comments.