The Best Travel Tote for Every Kind of Trip (2025)
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Your search ends here: the best travel tote for planes, trains, and any journey in between is Away’s Everywhere Tote ($155). It doesn’t collapse under pressure, doesn’t mind getting dirty, and, most importantly, carries your baggage (emotional or otherwise).
Finding the best totes for travel shouldn’t be harder than finding your gate, and somehow it is. Frankly, it seems like totes don’t want to work these days. They’re floppy, allergic to moisture, and too cool to carry actual stuff. They went vegan, then minimalist, then micro. But you need something spacious, wipeable, and tough enough to survive TSA.
If the Everywhere Tote isn’t your vibe, we’ve schlepped some close seconds through airports, overstuffed them with travel essentials, and wedged them under seats. We have a Best Tote Bags guide for more commuter picks, but if you’re shopping for travel gear, check out our guides to the Best Carry-On Luggage, Best Toiletry Bags, and Best Travel Pillows.
Updated October 2025: We’ve added Lo & Sons The O.G. 2 and Mission Workshop Drift Tote, more travel totes to consider, one to avoid, and pros and cons to all of our picks. I’ve also added our testing methodology, as well as some products we’ll be testing next.
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Photograph: Boutayna Chokrane
I take the Everywhere Tote everywhere. It’s the bag you reach for when you’re commuting, planning an overnight stay, or catching a flight. Made from water-resistant nylon and accented with leather trim, it was clearly designed by someone who knows the realities of travel: fumbling through security lines, sprinting to trains, dodging coffee spills. It’s fashionable enough for client dinners and durable enough to store in the overhead bin or under your seat.
It zips shut to keep your gear secure, meets airlines’ personal item requirements, and slides onto a suitcase handle with its trolley sleeve. It’s available in an assortment of colors, from coastal blue to sea green to clay pink.
Inside, there’s a padded 16-inch laptop sleeve, multiple slip pockets, and a key clip, which, in my case, holds my travel pillow. The exterior zip pocket is much appreciated for easy access to travel essentials like your passport, phone, and wallet. The only real miss is that there’s no dedicated water bottle slot, which in this era feels like a must. Finally, fair warning: The trolley sleeve and exterior pouch look nearly identical, which has led to more than one unplanned drop test. Some shoppers have suggested Away add a contrast stitch to differentiate it, and I’ll cosign that recommendation.
Another Away: If you’re hard on your bags, I also love the Large Featherlight Tote ($118). It’s just as travel-friendly, with zippered compartments, a laptop pocket, and a trolley sleeve—and it’s machine washable. I used it as a gym tote for a while, but the non-adjustable straps can get uncomfortable with heavier hauls.
Specs Materials Nylon, leather Dimensions 16 x 12.6 x 7.9 inches Weight 1.57 pounds Colors Available Jet Black, Navy Blue, Coast Blue, Sea Green, Cloud Gray, Salt White, and Clay Pink Care Instructions Spot-clean with warm water, gentle laundry soap, and a washcloth WIRED
- Made with water-resistant nylon
- Designed with a trolley sleeve
- Meets the airline requirement as a personal item
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- No built-in water bottle holder
- The trolley sleeve and exterior pocket are identical
- Some online reviewers have reported customer service issues
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Best for Parents
I decided I needed a different bag for when I didn’t want to look like a child in my backpack. The O.G. 2 is a larger version of the brand’s Nouvelle purse (8/10, WIRED Recommends). It comes in medium and large versions; the medium is adequate, but you need the large if you have a laptop bigger than 13 inches. I like that it’s low-profile and has both smooth leather handles as well as a shoulder strap. I have kicked it under plane seats and around airports and my kid’s dance classes, and the nylon doesn’t show any damage. It also has sturdy feet on the bottom so you can sit it on a counter or table without it falling over, or on a floor without the bag getting gross and dirty.
I also liked a hidden shoe compartment on the side if you’re traveling from a cold to a hot location and want to switch to sandals. The toothed zippers tend to crinkle and snag at your knuckles when the bag gets overstuffed, but I suppose you could always, uh, avoid overstuffing your bag. Overall, it’s a light bag that works well for work and travel. —Adrienne So
Specs Materials Nylon and Napa leather Dimensions 13.75 x 16.5 x 6.75 inches Weight Medium: 2.6 pounds Care Instructions Use a damp cloth with water to wipe away any excess dirt. Lo & Sons recommends testing the soap on a small area to avoid damage. WIRED
- Made with durable, water-resistant nylon
- A side pocket for shoes or dirty clothes
- Designed with a trolley sleeve
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- The laptop compartment only fits up to 13-inch devices
- Zippers tend to crinkle and snag when the bag gets overstuffed
- Heavy
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Best Weekender
Cincha
The Vegan Leather Go-Tote – Navy
This vegan leather bag is deceptively huge. The base is 7.5 inches deep, so while it doesn’t look that big in pictures, it holds an astonishing amount of stuff—I’ve packed enough clothes in it for a full weekend trip. I usually have concerns about vegan leather cracking and breaking with use, but Cincha’s soft pebbled fabric does not look or feel obviously plastic. This is the tote bag I took on a multi-week trip to the Philippines and the leather stood up to rain and being kicked around airport lounges, ferries, and train depots.
It has two (two!) mesh water bottle holders in the interior, a laptop sleeve that holds a 13-inch laptop, and three interior pockets (one that zips shut). There is one exterior zip pocket that fits my iPhone for easy access. As far as carrying options go, it has two grab handles, two hidden fabric shoulder straps that tuck away into zip pockets, and my favorite accessory—two loops for the separate travel belt so you can strap it to the rest of your luggage. However, it is more than 2 pounds heavier than a Longchamp Le Pliage, so this is strictly for when you can sling it around on top of your carry-on. —Adrienne So
Specs Materials Vegan leather Dimensions 14.5 x 7.5 x 23.75 Weight 3 pounds Colors Available Navy Care Instructions Spot-clean with mild laundry detergent and warm water. Let air dry and store stuffed to maintain its shape WIRED
- Made with water-resistant, vegan leather
- Includes two water bottle holders
- Designed with two grab handles and two hidden fabric shoulder straps
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- Laptop sleeve only holds up to a 13-inch device
- No trolley sleeve; travel belt sold separately
- Heavy
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Best for Road Trips
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Photograph: Martin Cizmar
Topo Designs
Mountain Gear Bag
I recently took this versatile and large tote from Topo Designs to Colorado for a long weekend as a stand-in for my ski boot bag (yes, Arapahoe Basin is still open!) after using it all winter to haul my curling gear to the club. The main compartment, which zips closed, is big enough for ski boots, gloves, and the like, and there’s plenty of room to stash socks or other gear in the side pockets. Come July, this great tote will make the perfect bag for my cook kit on a summer camping road trip. When you have a tote this stylish and durable the question is not whether it’s coming on the trip but what you’re going to use it for. —Martin Cizmar
Specs Materials 1000D recycled nylon, 200D lightweight recycled nylon, 10 oz vinyl tarp liner Dimensions 14 x 20 x 10.5 inches Volume 48L Colors Available Pond Blue/Spice, Black/Neutral, Desert Palm/Sahara, Black Care Instructions Spot-clean with warm water, gentle laundry soap, and a washcloth WIRED
- Made with expandable cinch side pockets for additional storage
- Designed with daisy chain webbing on the front for additional attachments
- Fair Wear certified production
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- Not designed for airports
- Adjustable strap may still be too long for some
- The black interior makes it difficult to see contents at night
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Best Packable
L.L. Bean
Zip Hunter’s Tote Bag With Strap
This is Bean’s “field tote.” Its rugged construction is designed for long, wet mornings spent trudging through the New England muck in search of waterfowl. It has an outdoorsy vibe, and the entire interior surface of the bag is coated with a thin layer of water-resistant thermoplastic. That lining isn’t leakproof, but it gives the tote enough hardiness to make it well suited for hauling wet gym clothes, carting snow-crusted boots, or schlepping sandy beach towels. Not the sporty type? I’ll sweeten the deal: I use this bag for my weekly trips to the farmers market. I can dump in damp bunches of carrots, dewy napa cabbages, and dirt-covered beets while never worrying about soiling my clothes or the bag; the plastic lining keeps the moist crud firmly on the inside and wipes clean with a paper towel.
I use the extra-large size (53-liter capacity, $70). It can hold a week’s worth of veggies, plus a couple of half-gallon cartons of oat milk and a 12-pack of hard kombucha. It’s a no-frills affair, you just get one large compartment, but don’t be afraid to stuff it silly. All the seams are double-stitched, the thick polyester shell is reinforced with a second layer of material along the bottom, and the handles are beefier than an Aberdeen Angus. It’s also available as an open-top tote, but get the zip-top version. You don’t want to be picking loose grapes up off the floor of the car. —Michael Calore
Specs Materials 1,200-denier polyester shell, nylon, and thermoplastic interior coating Dimensions 15 x 17 x 7 inches Weight 1.56 pounds Colors Available Black, Maple Brown, Olive Drab Care Instructions Spot clean only WIRED
- Available in three volumes
- Made with a water-resistant thermoplastic interior coating to keep contents dry
- Designed with an adjustable shoulder strap
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- No interior pockets or organization
- Lacks structure; doesn’t stand up by itself
- Some customers have reported issues with the zipper over time
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Best Beach Tote
BaubleBar
Custom Icon Tote
What sets BaubleBar apart is its playful personalization. Your chosen icons (up to six depending on the size) are embroidered directly onto the canvas tote. The process is super user-friendly, with predesignated spots to help you visualize your picks. Choose from zodiac signs, cutesy foods, initials, and more. Just note that it’s a final sale, so be sure of your design before ordering.
Inside, you’ll find a roomy main compartment with a small interior pocket and key loop. The large size fits everything you need for a beach day trip, and the medium and small options are better for light shopping or city exploring. It closes with just a snap button, which isn’t the most secure for crowded areas. The quality of the playful embroidery makes it a fun choice for travel.
Specs Materials 95 percent cotton, 5 percent polyester Dimensions Large: 13.5 x 7.5 x 23.5 inches Colors Available Natural, Navy, Beige Care Instructions Spot-clean with warm water and a washcloth WIRED
- Available in three sizes
- Customizable with embroidered icons
- Made of hypoallergenic cotton canvas
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- Snap closure is not the most secure
- Final sale and not eligible for returns
- It cannot be canceled or altered once submitted
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Best for Long Hauls
The Drift is my favorite travel tote. It’s burly but with styling that’s refined and classy, and the rolled handles and removable strap make it comfortable to carry by hand or over the shoulder. But the best thing about it is the smartly organized storage pockets inside and out. It feels designed especially for people like me who always carry an army of gadgets.
There are two zippers along the top of the Drift; one leads to the 28-liter main compartment, the other to a padded laptop pocket that can fit a 16-inch PC. The front of the bag has a smaller zip-up slot for a Kindle or iPad, plus an exterior compartment with several pockets for cables, pens, chargers, and notebooks. A dedicated phone pocket on the side of the tote is lined with a fuzzy nonabrasive fabric. The other side has a slot for a water bottle. (It fits a slim Klean Kanteen but not a chubbier Nalgene.) The Drift is kind of a beast, though. It’s too huge to slide under the seat in front of you on an airplane, but it fits into the overhead baggage compartment. —Michael Calore
Specs Materials MultiCam black cordura, X-PAC VX21 and Martexin waxed canvas. Lined with 210D ripstop nylon with TPU Dimensions 15 x 16 x 7 inches Weight 2.8 pounds Colors Available Olive Waxed Canvas, Brown Waxed Canvas, Olive, Black, Black Camo Care Instructions Scrub with water and mild soap; hang to air dry WIRED
- Designed with seatbelt webbing and trolley sleeve
- Plenty of organizational pockets and mesh compartments for tech gear
- Includes adjustable and removable straps
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- The water bottle pocket is a bit too slim
- Too bulky to slide under an airplane seat
- Heavy
Compare Top 6 Travel Totes
More Travel Totes to Consider
Aer Simple Tote for $139: Have you ever hefted a nylon or leather tote in your hand and realized that slinging it over your shoulder would give you immediate scoliosis? Then you want Aer’s ultra-lightweight, simple sailcloth tote, which weighs less than a pound. Its 15 liters felt surprisingly capacious. I fit two jackets inside on a walk with my kids, and the 3-inch-wide bag tucked neatly under my arm. The two exterior drop pockets fit my Nalgene and Kinto mug, and my phone fits neatly in the exterior zip pocket. The Fidlock closure, in addition to being pretty to look at and use, provided a bit of security but was much less, er, fiddly (sorry) than having to close the bag with a zipper. This is a great upgrade if you are getting tired of carrying everything in your shredded canvas tote from Umami Mart and want a bag that’s not going to get soaked in something questionable if you put it down in the wrong place on the subway. It is a little more expensive, though. —Adrienne So
Cuyana System Tote 16-Inch for $358: The Cuyana System Tote is a modular gear-hauler that shape-shifts with your itinerary. Designed to outlast the churn of fast fashion, this travel tote starts minimal, but the genius lies in its add-ons. A laptop sleeve or insert organizer creates a structure on the go, with dedicated slots for your computer, water bottle, and other work essentials. A System Flap Bag insert doubles as a clutch or in-bag organizer, and a detachable, adjustable strap (also available in a wide model) converts the tote into a crossbody, perfect for hands-free airport sprints if you’re unintentionally trying out airport theory. Instead of stitched-on straps prone to failure, the System Tote’s handles are cut directly from its leather body, minimizing points of wear. The main compartment snaps shut rather than zips, something to know if you’re the spill-averse type.
Avoid This Tote
Calpak Diaper Tote Bag with Laptop Sleeve for $195: This bag was really puffy, but felt bulky, and space was lost to give the puffiness to the bag’s layers. It was somehow too big for everyday use, but not big enough when I needed a lot of stuff brought along for a day trip or long outings. It also didn’t really feel that diaper bag-centric; the only thing “diaper” about it was the baby wipe compartment on the outside, but I would have preferred an exterior pocket to store actual diapers along with it. You could stuff a couple of diapers in the flat front pocket, but it’s not as ideal as other designs I’ve tried. The insulated bottle pockets are handy if you travel with bottles, but feel useless after your baby graduates from bottles (which they graduate much earlier than diapers!) It’s not a bad bag, but I’d recommend a different design for parents and travelers alike. —Nena Farrell
To determine the best travel tote, we put each bag through real-world travel scenarios to see how it performs. That means packing it with laptops, chargers, clothes, and toiletries, testing comfort when worn over the shoulder or carried by hand. We’ll overstuff the totes to check durability, organization, and accessibility. We’ll evaluate how it fits under airplane seats, protects tech gear, and resists wear and weather. If it’s supposedly water-resistant, we’ll take it out in the rain to determine whether it survives without soaking its contents.
We scrutinized every pocket, compartment, and zipper for usability. When it comes to design, we paid attention to the details: interior fabric choices that make contents easy to see, convenient pocket placement, and hardware choices like zippers and zipper pulls. We also paid attention to key design elements, such as the handle length and overall structure.
We prioritized quality and sustainability, and we included eco-friendly brands for environmentally conscious consumers. We also made sure to include an array of fabrics for stylistic variability. Lastly, we considered how each bag stacked up against its price point, ensuring that the quality justified the cost.
What Are We Testing Next?
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