Travelpro Attitude Backpack: Tested and reviewed | CNN Underscored

Oct 24, 2024

Travelpro has long been a favorite luggage brand for frequent travelers. It’s trusted by everyone from business travelers to flight crew, and chances are you’ve seen its Eiffel Tower-esque logo on bags at your local airport. And don’t worry, the name actually means something too: A commercial airline pilot founded the company.

The luggage giant has transformed its lineup of products over the years, going from specializing in flight-crew luggage to making backpacks, garment bags and other travel gear for travelers and commuters alike.

Earlier this fall, the company released a new line of commuter travel backpacks called Altitude that’s aimed at young professionals. These backpacks include a slew of features, like an RFID-proof pocket, expansion and a ton of organization pockets, including an anti-theft pocket on the back of the Medium bag.

I put the bag to the test on my New York City commute and two trips to see if it lived up to the hype. Here’s why the Travelpro Attitude Medium Backpack is my new favorite backpack for just about any situation.

This backpack is designed for commuters and travelers alike. It has 25 liters of space that can expand to 30 liters when you unzip the expansion zipper. Plus, there are tons of organization compartments, a hidden anti-theft pocket on the back of the bag and an RFID-blocking passport pocket.

The Travelpro Altitude Medium Backpack has a large 25-liter packing space that expands to 30 liters when you unzip the expansion compartment. Inside the bag’s main compartment are a handful of organization pockets for chargers and cables. There’s also an RFID-blocking pouch for your passport, work badge and other smart cards at the top of the compartment. There’s a laptop pouch at the back of the bag too, which I’ll cover in the next section.

There are several external pockets for quick-grab items: two zippered pouches and a magnetic pouch on the front of the bag, a zippered pocket on the side of the bag and a hidden anti-theft pouch on the back of the bag, perfect for a cell phone or wallet.

There are zippered pockets on both sides of the bag too. These have water bottle holders that pop out of the bag, but you can also use them for sunglasses or other small items.

I love how many pockets this bag has. It makes staying organized while traveling a breeze with a dedicated spot for everything. The abundance of external pockets is especially convenient for quick access to essentials like your phone or other items you need on the go.

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The Travelpro Attitude Medium is officially compatible with laptops up to a 16-inch MacBook Pro and a tablet, but I’ve found it easily fits both my work-issued 16-inch MacBook Pro and my personal 13-inch MacBook Air in the rear compartment. Each device is stored securely in its own, well-protected padded section.

This is a big benefit since I almost always travel with two laptops, something that many backpacks don’t let me do easily.

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This backpack is made from Travelpro’s signature Ecofab material, which is comprised of 100% postconsumer recycled plastic bottles. The brand claims that roughly 23.5 bottles go into each backpack — a cool feature in and of itself.

The material isn’t just eco-friendly, though. It’s also durable and waterproof. During a rainstorm in Mexico last month, everything inside stayed completely dry. Plus, it’s easy to clean and doesn’t show the typical scrapes and stains that come with regular use.

The bag’s YKK zippers are solid too. They’re thicker than what I’ve seen on most travel backpacks, and the zipper pulls are stylish and easy to find.

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One of the first things you’ll notice about this backpack is the generous padding on the back. However, that doesn’t always mean it’s the most comfortable option for extended wear. It’s great for short trips, like an hour-long commute or navigating through an airport, but I found that after wearing it all day while exploring a new city, the padding could get sweaty and the edges started to dig into my back. The straps also require some adjustment to find the right fit.

That said, this might not be an issue for everyone, especially since I rarely use it for more than an hour at a time. Just keep in mind that it may not be the best choice for long days on the go. However, for extended travel, the Altitude Medium has a convenient trolley sleeve, which makes it easy to attach to your carry-on luggage for those lengthy airport journeys.

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30L

27L

18L

26L

17 x 14.5 x 8.5 in.

12 x 18 x 8 in.

11.5 x 16.5 x 6 in.

12.6 x 19 x 7.7 in.

4 exterior pockets, 1 anti-theft pocket on the back of the bag, 2 side pockets, 1 laptop sleeve and 1 main compartment with organizational pockets

3 large compartments with a laptop sleeve, 1 tablet sleeve and internal organizational pockets

1 main compartment with laptop sleeve, 1 tablet sleeve, internal organization pockets, 1 small passport pocket and 1 detachable small front pocket

1 Main compartment, internal organization pockets, 1 smaller front pocket and 1 laptop sleeve in the back of the bag

Jet Black, Aviator Navy and Stellar Navy/Gray

Gray

Carbon Black, Oxford Blue, Juniper Green, Dover Grey, Ivory, Saddle Tan, Mahogany, Purple Icing and Banana Pudding

Jet Black, Navy Blue and Forest Green

The Travelpro Altitude Medium Expandable Backpack is the perfect backpack for my needs. I’m a big fan of its main compartment that fits everything I need for a day at the office but can be expanded to make it large enough for an overnight work trip. Plus, its laptop compartment can fit two laptops or a laptop and a tablet.

Consider this backpack if you’re a frequent business traveler or regular commuter who wants a durable backpack that will help you stay organized. Just note that it can get uncomfortable when wearing it for an extended period of time.

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Andrew Kunesh is CNN Underscored's senior travel and money editor, covering everything from airline and hotel loyalty programs to travel credit cards and the best luggage. When he's not on the road, Kunesh is based in New York City and loves trying new restaurants and bars.