What’s the Best Personal-Item Bag for Flying?

Yolo Journal’s Yolanda Edwards likes travel bags that don’tlooklike travel bags and can therefore be used for everyday sightseeing and shopping upon reaching your destination. Parker Thatch’s roomy totes fit the bill, and while they don’t have a luggage sleeve, Edwards has no problem slipping the handles of this one over her Rimowa suitcase. “And it’s great for going to the farmers’ market once I arrive where I’m going,” she adds.

[Editor’s note: Currently, only the camo colorway of the medium Mimi, shown here, is available, but other styles of the Mimi (including bigger and small sizes in more neutral colors) are availablehere.]

“I look for a bag that can sit on top of my carry-on, fit a lot of items, and be easily stored when not in use,” says Daniela Velasco, the creative director ofDriftmagazine. That bag, for her, is Longchamp’s forever classicLe Pliagetote, which flattens and folds up for storage. Strategist senior editor Hilary Reid owns one in orange and is also “always surprised by how much fits inside.”

Is there a more quintessential carry-all than the L.L.Bean Boat and Tote? Writer and influencerHarry Hilldoesn’t think so. “As someone who is usually drawn to more uppity travel bags, this trusty tote is a delight because of how unfussy it is,” Hill tells us. “It fits a ton, it’s super-lightweight, and I don’t have to worry about spilling coffee on the vachetta or putting it on the ground.” Hill suggests monogramming your name — or a crude joke, depending on personal preference. For additional customization, “the colorways are constantly changing, so keep an eye out if you have a specific vision for your tote.” While Hill adds that it’s impossible to go wrong, because any L.L.Bean “will make you look like a Kennedy skipping town,” the zip-up version of the bag will give more peace of mind at the airport.

Strategist contributing writer Mya Gelber spent a day askingstylish strangers on the subwayabout their work bags, and Cuyana’sClassic Easy Zipper Totewas the one she ended up purchasing for herself. So when the brand announced this larger travel-friendly version of the popular bag, I immediately ordered one to test out. Made from soft and slouchy leather, it’s abigbag that can definitely fit an outfit or two alongside your laptop, passport, and other essentials. While it can’t be worn as a cross-body, the tote’s shoulder straps are long and thick enough to be comfortable for long periods of time. There’s no luggage sleeve, either, but this means that the bag can be used more seamlessly in everyday life — it would be an excellent investment for anyone who is commuting gym-to-office.

Sewn in California from leftover sailing canvas, Pacific Tote Company’s bags are similar to L.L. Bean boat totes, except more brightly colored. The company is co-owned by director Roman Coppola (brother to Sofia, whocarries Pacific Tote bags on set) and beloved by bi-coastal film industry insiders. If you work in film and fly between L.A. and New York every other week,you carry your laptop in this pleasingly sturdy bag. Strategist style columnist Chris Black isalso a fan.

When she’s not traveling with her Parker Thatch bag, Edwards also likes to use Kule’s roomy totes as personal items.Saturday Night Live’s Chloe Fineman travels with one of these too, and says it fits both a laptop and extra outfit inside. She adds that the New York brand’s designs are “a little cheeky and a little funny,” as well as a nice reminder of home when she’s on the road.

Here’s another professional-looking, multi-purpose travel tote, as recommended by Strategist writer Lauren Ro. She says it makes a great carry-on personal item because it’s lightweight and custom-designed for air travel, with a luggage sleeve and exterior pockets for stashing chargers and tidbits, as well as a removable crossbody strap.

When writer and Strategist contributorErika Veurinkmentioned this bag in her Substack newsletter,Long Live, I was struck by its minimalist design and reached out to learn more. She emailed back immediately and with enthusiasm, saying that while the bag is “comically large,” it somehow still slides underneath the seat on every flight. “The compartments are expertly designed, separating my water bottle from my laptop from my keys,” she adds. There’s also a discreet luggage sleeve on the back so you can more easily balance the bag on top of yourcarry-on. Made of nylon and available in four colors, it’s a nice, slightly more grown-up alternative to the trusty Baggu totes above. And, says Veurink, it’s “a breeze to wipe off and wash.” Strategist contributor Katie Stone is also a fan of the Dina, recently calling it the “tote bag to end all tote bags,” although she uses it more for everyday purposes than travel. So if you’re looking to invest in one big shoulder bag that can be taken to work as well as getaways upstate, here’s a great option that’s more neutral-looking than others on this list.

Former Strategist associate editor Louis Cheslaw calls this Patagonia duffel his “secret second suitcase,” because its unassuming-yet-roomy interior lets him pack heavy without checking a bag. The Black Hole’s 30-liter capacity is about as large as a bag can be while still qualifying as the “personal item” you can bring onboard with your main carry-on suitcase and slide under the seat in front of you, Cheslaw notes. “Within that capacity, I can easily fit two pairs of shoes as well as a week’s worth of underwear, socks, and thin shirts, relieving a ton of pressure on my suitcase.”

This new-school garment bag, which made ourTravel 100list of the best products to take on the road, can keep a suit or gown unwrinkled while also cleverly storing several other outfits. My fellow Strategist writer Rachael Griffiths lovestaking hers on weekend tripswith friends, especially when packing satin dresses and pleated shirts for nights out. It’s ideal for destination weddings, and Moonflower wine bar co-owner Rebecca Johnson even took oneall the way to Tasmaniafor a romantic antipodean getaway with her husband.Going’s travel spokesperson, Katy Nastro, told me that it’s very popular among her exceedingly well-traveled colleagues.

For both carry-on backpacks and duffels, formerPaperfashion editorMario Abadturns to Dagne Dover’s neoprene travel bags. “They’re the best,” he says. “They’re really lightweight, and they’re made of this scuba material that looks sleek and modern and is nice to the touch.” The bags aren’t just aesthetically pleasing, though. “You can fit a lot of stuff inside — it’s a minimal aesthetic, no busy details or anything, just all the compartments you need.” Jessica Morrobel ofTraveling With Jessicaagrees that the Landon is an “absolute lifesaver,” andGoing’s travel spokesperson, Katy Nastro, is also a fan, especially for quick overnights. The duffel comes in five sizes, but medium is the best option if you know you’ll be flying on budget carriers with strict rules.

Former Strategist writer Rachael Griffiths prefers this sleek Timbuk2 backpack with even more sleeves and compartments for organizing items on the move. It, too, can store “a week away’s worth of clothes and a fat beach read if you’re strategic,” she says. Which is ideal if you’retraveling personal-item-only.

Strategist tech writer Jordan McMahon unsurprisingly takes a lot of gadgets with him everywhere he goes and saysthis multipocketed Tom Bihn backpackmakes doing so much easier. “For things I need to reach for in a pinch, the Synik has two vertical pockets you can unzip while still having the bag on one shoulder,” he says. “And if I need to carry a charger for my laptop or iPad Pro, there’s a horizontal pocket along the bottom of the front that’s spacious enough to hold even a large charging brick.” He uses this as an everyday bag but also recommends it for weekend trips: “I recently went out of town for a weekend with family and decided to give the Synik a shot as my only bag instead of my usualCotopaxi Allpa. I managed to stuff it with a few days’ worth of clothes — two pairs of jeans, three shirts, a sweatshirt, and a couple pairs of socks and underwear — plus myiPad Pro, a Kobo e-reader, some earbuds, and all my toiletries.” And perhaps most crucially, its compact form makes the bag easy to tuck under a plane seat.

The “clown car of personal items” is what writer and film wrangler Maggie Slepiancallsthis top-loading backpack from hiker-beloved brand Gregory. When she used it as her only luggage item for a four-day trip to the East Coast last fall, it fit a laptop, notebook, sandals, running shoes, rain jacket, jumpsuit, two pairs of leggings, two pairs of shorts, several shirts, toiletries, socks, undergarments, five pairs of headphones (over-ear, noise-canceling earbuds, white-noise only, corded for the plane, and AirPods for Zoom calls), and snacks. Her water bottle was stashed in the stretchy side pocket. I’ll also note that the brand has recently updated this bag with new (and to my eyes more attractive) colorways; the “techno granite” is very sleek.

Patagonia’s Ultralight Black Hole Tote Pack is “a really good bag,” as Strategist contributing writerMolly Dektar observes. Popular among globe-trotting art world types, it can be carried as either a tote or a backpack, depending on the situation, and it folds into its own internal pocket, for easy storage. It is practical without sacrificing style: “Though it is crafted of black ripstop, it does not scream, ‘I hike!’ and though it has a large number of pockets and adjustable straps, it does not scream, ‘I code!’”

Strategist senior editor Simone Kitchens is a fan of Patagonia’s Black Hole bags too — but she uses this more traditional-looking one.“There are one zillion separate little pockets and perfectly sized compartments for things like chargers and night guards and passports and AirPods,” she explains, “as well as slim sleeves for a laptop and magazines.” The bag opens at the top, which means things won’t come tumbling out when you need to grab something. And while there’s a high level of organization happening on the inside, the bag has a smooth exterior:“I quite like that the outside doesn’t look all that tricked out.”

Despite fears of looking like a Scandinavian school child or 2012-era hipster, Strategist writer Dominique Pariso is loyal to her Kanken — and she’snot alone among our staff. “This backpack is so light, so compact, and so durable it really is ideal for stuffing under tiny airplane seats,” she explains. “Plus, you can fit way more stuff inside than seems humanly possible given its petite size.”

Baggu’s take on the crescent trend is excellent for travel. I’ve had mine for a couple of years now and would be lost without it at the airport. It’s comfortable to wear, with a highly adjustable strap and two zippered internal pockets for securing your phone, passport, and wallet. The capacity is huge: I can fit a book and water bottle inside and still have room left over for other items. I’ve machine washed it several times with no issue. And while the bag looks smart, especially in the black colorway, it’s also low-key enough to avoid the attention of pickpockets. Hairstylist Teddi Cranford, who hasvisited Marrakech five times, says that it’s “essential for the souk,” because you can “just easily grab stuff out and zip it back up.”

Less sporty-looking than the ubiquitous Lululemon belt bag, and constructed from stretchy neoprene fabric that lets you stuff it full if you need to, ourfavorite fanny packis perfect for the plane. I’ve got one of these in white and appreciate how minimal it looks. The size also makes it easy to hide under a jacket or sweater.