Can you ever really have too many bags?
Both an essential and a fashion statement, a bag has the power to be many things and fulfil endless uses. From weekend and cabin bags for much-needed escapes from the daily grind to strong canvas totes that can be utilised for everything from moving house to carting back the weekly shop, a decent bag more than earns its keep in your accessories arsenal.
Cousin to the trusty tote, a packable backpack or rucksack goes one step further in that it can be carried across your back, leaving hands free for other things. They’re perfect for a cheap getaway, squeezing into underseat airline cabin bags without hogging too much room and giving you a day bag option once you arrive at your destination. Keep one in the car for impromptu shopping trips, beach days and picnics.
As well as globe-trotters, they’re convenient for backpackers, festivalgoers and hikers. Most fold into an integrated zipped pouch, compressing into minute dimensions: a packable backpack is the ultimate storage hack when you’re on the go.
While most feature a main compartment with an extra zipped pocket at their most basic, spend a little more and you’ll find designs that include anti-theft pockets, storage for water bottles, umbrellas or the odd can of Pringles and even hip belts if you’re looking for something that will feel comfortable throughout a day of hard hiking.
Broadly speaking, such backpacks are built to last, typically crafted from nylon, polyester or ripstop fabric, ensuring they can go the distance.
If you’re looking for a compact, easy-to-store and most importantly, easy-to-carry solution, a packable backpack offers a great option. We’ve rounded up the best designs below, chosen for their function as much as their style, with options from as little as £2.99.
Best packable backpacks at a glance
- Best for wet weather hiking: Stubble & Co. The Packable Backpack - £45, Stubble & Co.
- Best for backpackers on a budget: Forclaz Foldable backpack 10L - £2.99, Decathlon
- Best for city shopping: Kind Bag Lilac “Hackney” 2.0 Backpack Mini - £55, Kind Bag
- Best for quick, short-haul escapes: Matador ReFraction Packable Backpack - £69.95 Wildbounds
- Best for weekend jollies: Mountain Warehouse Packaway Backpack - £11.99, Amazon
- Best for the outdoorsy elite: Victorinox packable backpack - £45, Victorinox
- Best for emergency storage: Risipu 25L Ultra Lightweight Foldable Backpack - £8.99, Amazon
- Best for serious hikers: Lifeventure Waterproof Packable Daypack - £37, Cotswold Outdoor
- Best for compact work bag: Herschel Supply Co Rome recycled-polyester packable backpack - £50, Selfridges
- Best for exploring hands-free: SKYSPER Foldable Hiking Backpack 30L - £25.57, Amazon
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Stubble & Co. The Packable Backpack
- Best for: wet weather hiking
- Capacity: 20L
Folding in and out of a zipped pouch like a foldable tote, Stubble & Co. presents its folding backpack.
The 20L design features a main compartment, external pockets for water bottles, and a front zipped compartment for important things like a purse or keys.
The storage-heavy bag is made with weatherproof recycled materials with plenty of padding on the straps and back panel to make carrying it comfortable.
Buy now £45.00, Stubble & Co.
Forclaz Foldable backpack 10L - Travel
- Best for: backpackers on a budget
- Capacity: 10L
Whether you're looking for compact solutions while travelling or like the idea of having a hands-free bag option squirrelled away somewhere in your backpack, Forclaz's mini backpack has you covered. Its 10L design, available in yellow, blue, black, purple and light grey, can be stowed in your main bag, ready to use when you need a lighter option for day trips.
When not needed, it folds down in its tiny carry bag and weighs just 45g when empty. And that price! It’s hard to beat.
Buy now £2.99, Decathlon
Kind Bag Lilac “Hackney” 2.0 Backpack Mini
- Best for: city shopping
- Capacity: up to 10L
Made from 100 per cent recycled materials (the equivalent of a dozen plastic bottles), Kind Bag's mini water-resistant Hackney backpack is the perfect secret weapon to stash in your bag for adventures around the city or country.
It may be mini, but it is full of mighty features like an anti-theft pocket, a water bottle holder and a key hook, all practical extras that will help keep your things secure and organised.
Sold with a two-year guarantee, it's available in a range of pastel and bold shades to suit your look.
Buy now £55.00, Kind Bag
Matador ReFraction Packable Backpack
- Best for: quick, short-haul escapes
- Capacity: 16L
An invaluable accessory whether you're adventuring around town or hitting the trails, Matador’s ReFraction backpack is packed with storage options.
In all, you'll have 16L of space to fill across stretch pockets with zipped fastenings, water bottle holders on either side (perfect for compact brollies too), and an essentials pocket for small things like battery packs and headphones.
It's comfortable to carry thanks to cushioned and contoured shoulder straps and the sternum strap can be removed too if you need to pack more things in.
Best of all, at 13 x 20 x 8cm this design meets airline 'free bag' dimensions, meaning it can be used on short breaks to keep costs down.
Buy now £69.95, Wildbounds
Mountain Warehouse Packaway Backpack
- Best for: weekend jollies
- Capacity: 10L
Low-cost, compact and water-resistant, Mountain Warehouse's polyester bag is ready to go for all types of trips. The water-resistant bag, which also comes in blue, features a zipped security pocket and webbed shoulder straps. It's a sturdy little thing too, light but strong, able to bear more weight than you might think.
Keep it folded in your suitcase or weekend bag for a practical alternative when you’re on the road.
Buy now £11.99, Amazon
Victorinox packable backpack
- Best for: the outdoorsy elite
- Capacity: undisclosed
With a long history of making practical gear in the name of preparedness, Victorinox is a go-to for the outdoorsy elite. The brand's packable backpack has been designed to pack into luggage for far-flung voyages - simply tuck it into your hold bag so it's ready to go on arrival.
Consisting of a large main storage compartment and a small zipped external pocket, the sleek nylon bag hangs comfortably off the shoulders on adjustable straps.
Buy now £45.00, Victorinox
Risipu 25L Ultra Lightweight Foldable Backpack
- Best for: emergency storage
- Capacity: 25L
Whether you're hiking in the wild or need extra carrying power to get the weekly shop home, this super lightweight foldable rucksack is up to the job.
It's full of handy features like a main compartment, a zipped smaller outer pocket and side stretch pockets for water bottles or compact umbrellas. It is made with high-quality polyester and water-resistant nylon fabric material, which should come in handy when dark clouds suddenly appear.
Best of all, with a few canny folds, it can be turned into a small pouch or tote bag too, offering a multitude of uses.
Buy now £8.99, Amazon
Lifeventure Waterproof Packable Daypack
- Best for: serious hikers
- Capacity: 22L
With the ability to carry a stonking 22L, it's clear to see Liveventure's foldable rucksack is no ordinary design.
Aside from the heightened storage capabilities, the design is made with ultra-lightweight 30D siliconised ripstop Cordura fabric meaning it should serve you well on treks long and short.
Taped seams add to its waterproofability and straps are contoured so your load can be carried easily and without digging into your shoulders.
There's even a hip belt with reflective tabs to increase support and visibility. Once you've finished your journey, the design packs down into its own storage bag. Neat and tidy.
Buy now £37.00, Cotswold Outdoor
Herschel Supply Co Rome recycled-polyester packable backpack
- Best for: compact work bag
- Capacity: 21.3L
Luggage brand Herschel is known for its collection of backpacks and suitcases, and in that vein, has launched this packable daypack made from recycled polyester.
The moonbeam shade offers a nice departure from the usual black, blue and green but it's not all aesthetics. This design is built for function with webbed back straps, a small zipped front compartment and an internal hanging pocket which turns into a self-storage pouch when it's time to fold it away.
Buy now £50.00, Selfridges
SKYSPER Foldable Hiking Backpack 30L
- Best for: exploring hands-free
- Capacity: 30L
A bag that looks and acts like a hiking backpack but can be folded down into a compact size, there's little we don't love about Skysper's design. It can hold - drumroll please - 30L, offering plenty of space to store extra layers, towels snacks, water and anything else you may need on the trail or beach.
The robust design is crafted from rip and water-resistant 210D fabric, stuffed with pockets and features external webbing so you can attach sandals or dry wet swimsuits without stinking up the inner compartment.
Buy now £25.57, Amazon
