The Three Best “Every Day Carry” Vlogging Backpacks on the Market
Vloggers have different needs than photographers, which is why even the best camera bag won’t cut it for a serious creator. Below our three favorite every day carry vlogging backpacks and bags — the cheapest, the everyday carry, and the traveler’s vlogging backpack.
Vlogging isn’t just a niche hobby anymore. The industry (and profitability) of vlogging has been trending upward since 2012, and some of the biggest superstars on the planet earned their celebrity exclusively through their own vlogging effort.
So, it’s easy to see why vlogging should be taken as seriously as professional photography: in this field, your clients are your followers, and they’re expecting quality. As always, delivering that top quality content takes the right gear for the job – and that’s what we set out to find out this month by testing the three bags in different use cases.
What Makes a Vlogging Bag “The Best”?
There are five main points of quality to consider when buying a vlogging backpack:
Durability – Above all, your gear needs to be protected in the bag. Even top-of-the-line build quality on more petite bags can leave you vulnerable to wear and tear on your cloth, ropes, and clasps. Durability is usually at the cost of style, weight, and price, so not every bag needs to have a top rating — but it’s important to consider what your needs are and how much of a beating you’re expecting your bag to take.
Accessibility – The hardest part about vlogging is being present and ready to capture compelling, relevant footage to the story you’re trying to tell. It’s already hard enough to have your camera booted up, exposure settings punched in, mic calibrated correctly, and properly focused and framed. If your vlogging backpack holds you back from getting the shot with cumbersome zippers, velcro, or compartments, you’re probably not going to be too satisfied with your purchase.
Storage and Size – Can your bag fit into the overhead compartment? Is it going to be cumbersome to lug around with you as your every day carry? Can it fit your tripod, mic, body, camera, lenses, and light? The challenge of a vlogging bag is to fit an array of lanky and bulky non-standardized gear into a compact bag that can go everywhere with you – all while not adding additional weight to the already heavy payload.
Aesthetics – Style is important, and we love a bag that looks beautiful (if that’s what you’re in to), but the real utility of a vlogging bag is discretion. Vlogging is already a high-visibility activity, and if you’re traveling often or live in a vulnerable area, it’s important to think about security and safety. Some bags are designed with slick metal, built-in batteries, or flashy colors, but there’s nothing more dangerous than accessible zippers or compartments or attention-drawing colors.
Value – This one should be a no-brainer. There are many predatory manufacturers in the digital age who mass-produce or replicate bags of better quality with cheaper materials. On the other side of the coin, there are needlessly luxury brands who sell acceptable products but at a massively inflated cost. It can be a minefield to navigate which is which in an era where you can’t even trust Amazon reviews, so extra caution is necessary.
So without further ado, here’s what you came for: the best bags and backpacks for vlogging, whether you’re urban-based, a traveler, or just looking for a budget option.
LowePro Urbex Bag Review: The Best Budget Option
Clocking in at a generous 28 liters with modular compartments for instant-access to your lenses, laptop, iPad, iPhone, and more, this vlogging backpack doubles as a general-purpose travel bag roomy enough for your clothes and shoes as well. After 3 years, 20 countries, and not a single part failure, the affordable LowePro Urbex is our bag of choice for the traveling vlogger on a budget.
In-Depth Review for the LowePro Urbex Bag:
This may the budget option, but don’t let that turn you off. When it comes to expensive camera gear, protection is always worth investing in (and you should make sure you’re storing your gear correctly while at home), but sometimes the best we can do is what we have set aside in the bank. Of all three bags reviewed, this is the one we’ve had since 2017 and we’ll be using going forward – and with a price like this, you really can’t beat it. While the accessibility isn’t as speedy as the Peak Design (nor does it have waterproofing), the value-per-dollar on the Lowepro Urbex makes it our favorite all-arounder bag on the market.
We love the sleek urban design, which doesn’t look out of place as an every day carry even at its largest size (the 28L). Given the flexible and modular internal design, we’ve used this bag exclusively while traveling abroad for months with our clothes, shoes, laptop, iPad, chargers, and photography gear all tidily inside (you’d be right to say we’re minimalists, but the point is that it’s possible!). It has a passport or iPhone compartment built into the shoulder strap. It comes with a complementary, remove-able lens box.
It also – somehow – fits neatly into airline overhead bins even when stuffed to the brim. We’ve even gotten away with forcing it under the seat in front of us for a cramped, but successful, flight. Don’t feel like you need to spend more money than this on a quality vlogging backpack for travel, because we can assure you this one does the job well.
Durability: 4/5
Accessibility: 2/5
Storage and Size: 4/5
Aesthetics: 3/5
Value: 5/5
Peak Design Everyday Backpack Review:
The Urban Vlogger’s Bag
This bag is a favorite of the new Youtube generation and it’s not hard to see why: it can be anything you want it to be. A sleek commute-sized 12L expands to 20L for a weekender trip with your gear. Accessibility is top-tier, an endlessly modular interior means you can customize the bag to hold whatever you need, and the waterproof coating means rain-anxiety is a thing of the past — and let’s not ignore the gorgeous style.
In-Depth Review for the Peak Design Everyday Backpack:
As one Amazon reviewer named Drew poignantly said, “Extremely customizable. I love the way that this bag was designed. It is basically like someone giving you a bucket of Legos and saying, here, do whatever you want with it.” That’s the real selling point of this bag, and why it’s become the favorite of the Youtube-celeb vloggers and tech reviewers like MKBHD and Peter McKinnon.
With 3 customizable dividers and compartments for your iPhone, laptop, and even memory cards, the slim profile and sleek design of the Everyday backpack makes it the most practical everyday carry bag on the market. You won’t draw any negative attention for bringing this into work, to the game, or even to the bar – but it also holds its own as a travel bag, fitting easily into overhead bins and with comfy shoulder and chest straps that take the weight off your back during long walks.
The Peak Design Everyday backpack also wins the title of the most accessible bag, which is one of the most important features for a vlogger. With the clever metal top-clasp engineering, you can open the bag with one hand and withdraw your camera in just a second, preventing you from missing any important moments. The price is nothing to scoff at, but it’s competitive compared to other high-end everyday carry vlogging bags on the market, and we feel it’s warranted for such a quality product.
Durability: 4/5
Accessibility: 5/5
Storage and Size: 4/5
Aesthetics: 5/5
Value: 3/5
Think Tank Airport Accelerator Backpack Review:
The Travel Vlogger’s Choice
The most spacious and well-protected bag for the money, the Aiport Accelerator offers an affordable solution for smoothly transporting a boatload of gear – through the airport, up a mountain, or through busy city streets. An included rain cover protects your electronics from tropical thunderstorms, lumbar support and a sternum strap lets you travel in comfort, and the included tripod or monopod mounting system saves you a literal ton of space.
In-Depth Review for the Think Tank Airport Accelerator:
This is probably what most of you came to this page for: the ultimate backpack for the traveling vlogger. Well, before you read on, be sure to scroll back up to the Urbex – because for many of you, that cheaper option will do the job (if you can do without waterproofing, super-large volume, extra-comfy straps, and less modular storage options). But if you’re looking for the best of the best, there’s no doubt that the Think Tank Airport Accelerator is the bag for you.
It’s the most spacious bag featured on this list, but still fits handily into overheard compartments with a little elbow grease. To give some scope of exactly how much gear you can travel with using this bag, you can cleanly fit 2 DSLRs, a 600mm f/4, a 500mm f/4, and a 17” laptop and 10” tablet. In other words, you can fit a your Macbook, a small camera, lens, handheld gimbal, gorillapod, shotgun mic, chargers, and even a small drone into the Think Tank with a little creativity.
But it’s not just about sheer size: it includes a TSA-approved combination lock as well as a locking zipper system to keep your gear safe and sound in whatever foreign territory you find yourself in.
Durability: 5/5
Accessibility: 3/5
Storage and Size: 5/5
Aesthetics: 4/5
Value: 3/5
Once you have your bag picked out and packed up, make sure you have it stocked up with everything you need to vlog successfully. Read our note on the vlogging essentials you should have in your bag at all times.
