The best travel backpack for most UK travellers is the one that opens like a suitcase, protects a laptop, and slides into an overhead locker without an argument at the gate. That is a different job from carrying a load up a hill, and it wants a different pack. This guide is about one-bag and carry-on travel: city breaks, one-bag trips around Europe, and any journey where you want to skip the hold, dodge the baggage fee and keep everything on your back.
If you are shopping for a pack to carry on a multi-day trail instead, that is a separate tool with a hipbelt built for load, and it lives in my best hiking backpacks guide. The packs below are built around clamshell access, organisation and cabin dimensions, not trail load-carrying, so start there if the mountains are the point rather than the airport.
The field for a proper front-loading carry-on pack is smaller than the hiking market, which is why this guide leans hard on the buying guide. Get the cabin-baggage question and the capacity right and the shortlist is short. Two names dominate it: Osprey, who effectively created the modern travel-pack category with the Farpoint and Fairview, and Cotopaxi, whose Allpa is the pack that beats them on organisation. I cover all four below.
Airline cabin baggage dimensions compared (UK, 2026)
- Ryanair (free under-seat)
- 40 x 30 x 20 cm, 10 kg
- Ryanair (Priority larger bag)
- 55 x 40 x 20 cm, 10 kg
- easyJet (free under-seat)
- 45 x 36 x 20 cm, up to 15 kg
- easyJet (paid larger cabin bag)
- 56 x 45 x 25 cm
- Jet2 (free under-seat)
- 40 x 30 x 15 cm
- Jet2 (free cabin bag)
- 56 x 45 x 25 cm, 10 kg
- British Airways (small bag)
- 40 x 30 x 15 cm
- British Airways (cabin bag)
- 56 x 45 x 25 cm, up to 23 kg combined
Farpoint vs Fairview: which Osprey should you buy?
This trips people up, so it is worth being clear. The Osprey Farpoint and Fairview are the same pack in two different harness fits. The Farpoint is cut for a typically male frame, the Fairview for a typically female one, with shoulder straps that curve to sit better on a narrower, shorter torso and a hipbelt shaped to match.
They share the same capacity, the same clamshell access, the same laptop sleeve and the same lockable zips. The only meaningful difference is the harness, and the Fairview is generally offered in slightly smaller torso sizing. Buy the Fairview if you have a shorter torso or the Farpoint harness has ever sat awkwardly on you, and the Farpoint otherwise. Fit is personal, so choose by your frame, not by the label. There is more on Osprey's harness sizing and fit in my Osprey brand guide, and if you are specifically after a women's-fit pack, my women's hiking backpacks guide covers the wider range.
1. Osprey Farpoint 40 (best overall)
The Farpoint 40 is the pack that defined the modern carry-on travel backpack, and it is still the one I would put in front of most one-bag travellers first. Osprey built the Farpoint line to do one job well: hold roughly a week of kit, open like a suitcase, protect a laptop, and fit an overhead locker. It does all four without fuss, which is why it has been the default recommendation for years.
The 40L body opens in a full clamshell, so you pack and unpack it flat rather than digging from the top. The laptop sleeve sits against the back panel and its zip locks, as does the main compartment, which is reassuring in a hostel or a hold. The harness and hipbelt zip away behind a back panel when you want the pack to travel as a soft case, and slide back out when you need to carry it any distance in comfort, helped by Osprey's AirScape back panel and load-lifter straps. At 54 x 35 x 23 cm it clears the 56 x 45 x 25 cm locker allowance on BA, Jet2 and easyJet, though its 23 cm depth means it is not a reliable fit for Ryanair's shallower 20 cm limit.
The interior is deliberately minimal: one big compartment, internal compression, and a mesh lid pocket. If you want structured organisation out of the box, the Cotopaxi Allpa below does that better. But if you pack with cubes and want a proven, lockable, comfortable carry-on that Osprey backs with its All Mighty lifetime guarantee, the Farpoint 40 is the safe, sensible choice, and it is my best overall pick.
Because this is an Osprey pack and I cover the brand's fit, warranty and range in depth elsewhere, I have kept this entry to the essentials. There is more on Osprey's harness system and guarantee in the full Osprey brand guide.
- Full clamshell front-loading access
- Lockable main and laptop compartment zips
- Stowaway harness and hipbelt for case-like travel
- Fits BA, Jet2 and easyJet locker dimensions with margin
- Backed by Osprey's All Mighty lifetime guarantee
- Minimal built-in organisation; you will want packing cubes
- 23 cm depth is over Ryanair's 20 cm larger-bag limit
- No detachable daypack at this size
The default one-bag carry-on pack for city breaks and one to two week trips on BA, Jet2 and easyJet. Travellers who use packing cubes and want a proven, lockable, guaranteed pack.
- Capacity
- 40L
- Dimensions
- 54 x 35 x 23 cm
- Weight
- ~1.6 kg
- Access
- Full front-loading clamshell
- Laptop sleeve
- Fits up to 15 inch, against back panel
- Security
- Lockable main and laptop zips
- Harness
- Stowaway shoulder straps and hipbelt, AirScape back panel
- Materials
- 210D and 420D high-tenacity nylon
- Warranty
- Osprey All Mighty lifetime guarantee
- UK price
- ~£140
2. Osprey Fairview 40 (best women's fit)
The Fairview 40 is the Farpoint 40 in a women's-specific harness, and everything I said about the Farpoint applies here: the same 40L clamshell body, the same lockable laptop sleeve, the same stowaway straps, the same 54 x 35 x 23 cm dimensions that clear BA, Jet2 and easyJet lockers but sit over Ryanair's depth limit.
What changes is the fit. The shoulder straps are contoured to sit on a narrower, shorter frame without digging into the chest, and the hipbelt is shaped to match, with the harness generally offered in slightly smaller torso sizing than the Farpoint. If the Farpoint's straps have ever slipped off your shoulders or sat wide, the Fairview is the version to buy. It is not a different pack, it is a better-fitting one for a lot of people, and fit is what decides whether a loaded pack is comfortable or not.
Buy it for the same reasons as the Farpoint, and choose between the two purely on which harness suits your frame. There is more on Osprey's women's fit in my women's hiking backpacks guide.
- Capacity
- 40L
- Dimensions
- 54 x 35 x 23 cm
- Weight
- ~1.44 kg
- Access
- Full front-loading clamshell
- Laptop sleeve
- Fits up to 15 inch, against back panel
- Security
- Lockable main and laptop zips
- Harness
- Women's-specific, contoured straps, stowaway
- Warranty
- Osprey All Mighty lifetime guarantee
- UK price
- ~£140
Read the full Osprey brand guide →
3. Osprey Farpoint 55 (best for longer trips)
The Farpoint 55 is the pack to buy when 40L is not enough and you have accepted you will check the main bag. It is a 41L main travel pack with a detachable 14L daypack that zips onto the front, for a combined 55L. The clever part is that the daypack detaches to become your in-cabin personal item while the larger pack goes in the hold, so you still travel with everything on your back at either end.
Be clear on what it is not. At around 70 cm tall the main pack is well over any cabin-baggage allowance on this page, so this is not a carry-on-only pack. It is a longer-trip pack for people carrying more than a week of kit, bulkier gear, or kit for varied climates, who want organisation and a daypack rather than a wheeled suitcase.
It shares the Farpoint DNA: clamshell access on the main pack, a padded laptop sleeve, lockable zips, a stowaway harness and Osprey's lifetime guarantee. The women's-fit equivalent is the Fairview 55, which adds the same detachable daypack on a women's harness. If your trips run longer than a week, this is the pick. If they do not, save weight and money and buy the 40.
- Capacity
- 55L (41L main pack + 14L detachable daypack)
- Main pack dimensions
- ~70 x 41 x 34 cm (not carry-on legal)
- Weight
- ~2.8 kg (with daypack)
- Access
- Full front-loading clamshell on main pack
- Laptop sleeve
- Yes, plus daypack for in-cabin personal item
- Security
- Lockable zips
- Harness
- Stowaway, adjustable; Fairview 55 for women's fit
- Warranty
- Osprey All Mighty lifetime guarantee
- UK price
- ~£180
Read the full Osprey brand guide →
4. Cotopaxi Allpa 35 (best alternative)
If the Osprey is the safe default, the Cotopaxi Allpa 35 is the pack that beats it on the thing most one-baggers care about most: organisation. This is the non-Osprey pack that earns a place on the page in its own right, and for a certain traveller it is the better buy.
The Allpa opens in a full clamshell into two large mesh-covered compartments, one a single large space and the other subdivided into three sections. Where the Farpoint is one big bucket you organise yourself, the Allpa hands you the structure built in: clothes on one side, tech and smaller items sorted on the other, everything visible the moment you unzip. If you dislike packing cubes or want to see your whole kit at a glance, this is the design you want. The padded laptop and tablet sleeves sit against the back panel with their own separate access, so you can pull your laptop out at security without opening the main bag, which is a genuinely useful touch the Osprey lacks.
It is a tougher-feeling pack too. The exterior is a TPU-coated, weather-resistant polyester that shrugs off rain and scuffs better than most, the zips are lockable, and Cotopaxi backs it with a lifetime warranty. At roughly 56 x 30 x 25 cm and 35L it fits the 56 x 45 x 25 cm locker allowance on BA, Jet2 and easyJet, though its 25 cm depth, like the Osprey's, puts it over Ryanair's 20 cm larger-bag limit.
Two things to weigh. It carries slightly less comfortably over distance than the Osprey, with a simpler hipbelt, so it is best for airport-to-hotel rather than long walks with a full load. And in the UK it can be the harder pack to find in stock on Amazon, so it is often better bought direct from Cotopaxi's own site when Amazon availability is patchy. For organisation, build quality and one-bag travel, though, it is the pack I would put right alongside the Farpoint.
- Best-in-class built-in organisation, two mesh compartments
- Separate-access laptop and tablet sleeves for security queues
- Tough, weather-resistant TPU-coated exterior
- Lockable zips and a lifetime warranty
- Fits BA, Jet2 and easyJet locker dimensions
- Carries less comfortably than the Osprey over long distances
- 25 cm depth is over Ryanair's 20 cm larger-bag limit
- UK Amazon stock can be patchy; often better bought direct
One-bag travellers who want organisation built in rather than added with cubes, and who value a tough, weatherproof pack with separate laptop access at security.
- Capacity
- 35L
- Dimensions
- ~56 x 30 x 25 cm
- Weight
- ~1.7 kg
- Access
- Full front-loading clamshell, two compartments
- Laptop sleeve
- Fits up to 16 inch, plus tablet, separate access
- Organisation
- Two zippered mesh compartments, one subdivided
- Security
- Lockable zips
- Materials
- TPU-coated, weather-resistant polyester
- Warranty
- Cotopaxi lifetime warranty
- UK price
- ~£200
Read our full Cotopaxi Allpa 35 review
Shop travel packs at Blacks
Prices pulled live from Blacks, updated daily. Links are affiliate links.
Bridgedale Women's Dingle Socks 2 Pack
£14
Deuter Aircontact Core 60+10 Backpack
£225
Fjallraven Kånken Backpack
£85
Duracell D Plus 100 Batteries (2 pack)
£4
Coleman One Push Shelter Sunwall 2 Pack - Medium
£90
Berghaus 24/7 Solo 30L Rucksack
£45
GP Batteries Rechargeable AA Battery 4 Pack
£10
YETI Men's Skala 40L Hiking Pack
£300
Salomon Men's 2 Pack Heavy Weight Outdoor Merino Socks
£20
Montane Trailblazer 18L Backpack
£75
Dometic Unrestricted Connect Ice 0.6L 2 Pack
£30
YETI Men's Skala 32 Hiking Backpack
£275
Every pack compared
| Pack | Capacity | Dimensions | Weight | Carry-on legal? | Best for | Approx price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Osprey Farpoint 40 | 40L | 54 x 35 x 23 cm | ~1.6 kg | Yes (BA, Jet2, easyJet locker) | Best overall one-bag carry-on | ~£140 |
| Osprey Fairview 40 | 40L | 54 x 35 x 23 cm | ~1.44 kg | Yes (BA, Jet2, easyJet locker) | Best women's-fit carry-on | ~£140 |
| Osprey Farpoint 55 | 55L (41 + 14) | ~70 x 41 x 34 cm | ~2.8 kg | No (main pack checked) | Longer trips over a week | ~£180 |
| Cotopaxi Allpa 35 | 35L | ~56 x 30 x 25 cm | ~1.7 kg | Yes (BA, Jet2, easyJet locker) | Best organisation, best alternative | ~£200 |
None of these packs is a reliable fit for Ryanair's 55 x 40 x 20 cm larger cabin bag, because all three carry-on models are 23 to 25 cm deep against Ryanair's 20 cm limit. If you fly Ryanair often and refuse to check a bag, a shallower, purpose-built Ryanair-sized pack is a better match than any of these.
Frequently asked questions
Will a 40L travel backpack pass as cabin baggage?
What is the best travel backpack for one-bag Europe travel?
What is the difference between the Osprey Farpoint and Fairview?
Front-loading or top-loading for travel?
Do travel backpacks protect a laptop well enough?
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