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Travel

Traveling well is one of life’s great pleasures, whether you’re alone or with family and friends. But what does it mean to travel well? When it comes to gear, it means packing as few bags as possible and bringing only the necessities. Different trips have different needs, which is why we have recommendations for business trips, family vacations, European backpacking trips, and everything in between.

Backpacks

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  • Our picks for best laptop backpack pictured with school supplies.

    The Best Laptop Backpacks

    by Zoe Vanderweide

    A great laptop backpack protects your tech, is comfortable to carry, and looks good, too. These five bags are our favorites for wrangling your workday gear.

  • A person standing outside in a light blue short sleeve shirt wears the Cotopaxi Allpa 35L backpack, in black with a gray llama-head logo and aqua accents.

    The Best Carry-On Travel Backpacks

    by Kit Dillon

    The Cotopaxi Allpa 35L is our backpack pick for most travelers. We also have picks for other travelers, including those who want to carry a bit more.

Bags

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  • Four Osprey travel backpacks, two blue, two green, sitting next to each other.

    The Best Travel Backpack

    by Geoffrey Morrison

    For trips ranging from a week to multiple months, the Osprey Farpoint 55 and Fairview 55 carried everything we needed comfortably.

  • A selection of messenger bags tested for this review.

    Our Favorite Messenger Bags

    by Sri Rain Stewart

    Stylish and practical, a great messenger bag can be a commuter’s best friend. We found five great options that will suit a range of budgets, tastes, and lifestyles.

Gear

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  • Our four picks for best tumblers, shown side by side.

    The Best Tumbler

    by Elissa Sanci

    The affordable, leak-resistant Simple Modern Classic Tumbler keeps drinks cold (or warm) for hours, and it comes with both a straw lid and a flip-top lid.

Luggage

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  • Three of our picks for best suitcases for checking, shown side by side.

    The Best Suitcases for Checking

    by Kit Dillon

    After researching 30 models, we found that Travelpro Platinum Elite 25″ Expandable Spinner is the best suitcase for most travelers who check bags.

  • The Cotopaxi Chumpi 35L Duffel Del Día, on a stone wall next to a water bottle and surrounded by plants.

    The Best Duffle Bags

    by Kit Dillon

    After lugging 34 duffles through airports, to beaches, and on weekend trips, we chose seven bags that’ll carry what you need carried in a range of scenarios.

  • Alt Text: Three of our top picks for carry-on luggage, shown side by side, an Away The Carry-On, a Travelpro Platinum Elite, and a Briggs & Riley Baseline Essential.

    The Best Carry-On Luggage

    by Kit Dillon

    After 10 years of airport dashes and overhead-compartment stashes, the Travelpro Platinum Elite is still the suitcase we want to carry.

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