Best designer backpacks 2022: The hands-free styles to invest in

These are the best designer backpacks to buy now and wear all year

Salvatore Ferragamo, Prada, Burberry best designer backpacks
(Image credit: Salvatore Ferragamo, Prada, Burberry)

The best designer backpacks offer both style and comfort for every day. Whether you're feeling the strain of lugging around daily essentials or simply want to be able to travel hands-free, a great backpack with high-quality finishes will up your style game and make life a little easier.

Backpacks have long suffered from a back-to-school reputation, but the best designer backpacks offer style and practicality with an added dose of luxury to boot. One of the best designer bag choices for those always on the go, a directional backpack is a great choice for those looking for the best designer bag for work

As with most bags, the level of storage varies depending on the size you choose, but with designer backpacks part of the handbag trends 2022, there is a great selection around. Large iterations make for a good alternative to tote bags and will ensure that your not carrying all your essentials on one shoulder every day. With the same hands-free finish as a crossbody bag, a backpack is a little less dressy but still ideal for weekends or workdays. 

Best designer backpacks 2022

The best designer backpacks are some of the most practical bags around. With plenty of different styles and sizes available, choosing the right bag for you will largely depend on end use. For those looking for the best backpacks for working women, you'll likely want a larger backpack that can fit essentials such as a laptop and even a spare pair of shoes. For those looking for a companion for those smart casual outfit ideas, there are plenty of smaller-sized bags that will carry phones, wallets and other basic must-have items. 

When it comes to fabrication, buttery-soft leathers take the humble backpack silhouette to new heights and designers haven't compromised on hardware and design this season either. As the bag shape has been popularised on the runway, designer brands have worked out how to inject their signature bag details - from quilting to logo details into rucksack form to create the best designer backpacks, these are our favorites. 

Is a designer backpack worth it

Depending on the end use and occasion, a designer backpack is certainly worth it. If you're looking to invest in a designer bag, but a backpack silhouette suits your needs and lifestyle better, then it will add instant polish to any look. Often in much more luxury fabrications, such as leather, a designer backpack is for those seeking a high-end design aesthetic without compromising on quality or style. While we would not recommend the best designer backpacks for activities such as camping, or hiking, where a sports backpack with high-performance qualities is needed, when it comes to style, they're unrivaled. 

The best designer backpacks are a smart and stylish choice for those with an office commute that still want to dress to impress. If a tote bag feels uncomfortable to carry, a designer backpack offers the opportunity for greater comfort and style in one.

What is the backpack trend

Born out of a desire for comfort and functionality, alongside growth in the athleisure and sports luxe aesthetic, backpacks have graduated into the big time. Spotted on numerous runways at the likes of Chanel and Versace, designers recognized a desire from consumers for practical style solutions. With the fashion trends for next year still embracing sporty styles, the backpack is definitely a bag that is here to stay. 

Rivkie Baum
Fashion channel editor

Rivkie is a fashion editor, writer and stylist with twenty years' experience in the industry. Rivkie studied design and pattern cutting at the London College of Fashion, and fell in love with styling and journalism, and has covered fashion weeks in London, Paris and New York, as well as shooting editorial all over the world.


Specialising in plus size fashion, Rivkie has long championed that style is for everyBODY and has appeared on a host of radio stations and television shows, pushing for greater representation for plus size women and fashion throughout her career.