Whether you’re a student, teacher or someone who works in an academic environment, you’re probably familiar with the burden of carrying heavy books on a daily basis.
Backpacks are the safest way to carry such heavy weights. In order to avoid back pain and other inconveniences, it’s important to choose a backpack that is properly equipped for the task.
A good pack for carrying heavy books should have a high storage capacity, good compartmentalization and should be designed to distribute the weight evenly over your back.
Of course, there are other factors to take into consideration, such as price, color preference and material. To find the right backpack for you, you will have to focus on the features that suit your specific needs and taste.
In order to make this process easier for you, we’ve put together a list of our favorite 15 backpack choices for carrying your heavy books in style.
Best Backpack For Heavy Books
Oakley Mens Kitchen Sink Backpack
As its name funnily suggests, Oakley’s Kitchen Sink backpack is the perfect fit for those who like to bring everything with them.
The backpack is 20 inches high and 8 inches wide and has a volume capacity of 34L. This is one of the largest backpacks on the market right now and is a great choice if you’re planning on carrying a lot of heavy items.
The backpack it’s very well compartmentalized. It has a side-access sleeve for up to 17-inch laptops, plenty of daisy chains, brushed media pocket, a bottom shoe compartment and plenty of smaller pockets for perfect organization.
Another great thing about the Kitchen Sink backpack is the compression molded back panel and the adjustable shoulder straps, which make carrying heavy loads comfortable.
As we’ve mentioned earlier, this backpack is quite large and might feel a little bulky at times. You don’t want to carry too much extra weight around, so if you don’t think you’ll be needing all the space the Oakley’s backpack offers, we recommend looking for something smaller.
Carhartt Legacy Deluxe Work Backpack
The Carhartt Legacy Deluxe is considered the king of all work bags and not without good reasons.
In terms of comfort, durability and functionality, we believe the Deluxe Work Backpack beats all other backpacks on the market right now.
It has an incredible amount of storage space, great organization pockets and it’s made out of heavy duty polyester material. This backpack will carry everything you need it to carry, and then a little more.
The two large main body compartments are perfect for carrying your books. It also has a dedicated padded laptop pocket in case you need to bring your laptop as well.
The padded, contour fit shoulder straps and padded air mesh back panel make this bag very comfortable to carry around.
JanSport Big Student Backpack
JanSport Big Student Backpack brings just what its name promises. A big backpack that’s perfect for carrying all your books without too much hassle.
The backpack has two almost equally-sized main pockets and a smaller front pocket. It’s worth mentioning that this model doesn’t have a padded laptop sleeve, which can be uncomfortable if you carry your laptop around.
However, this means more space for larger books, which can be seen as an advantage.
The JanSport backpack has a plain and simple design and it’s one of those products that just gets the job done. It’s also very comfortable due to its S-curve shoulder straps and the padded back panel.
This backpack does not disappoint when it comes to variety. It comes in no less than 35 different colors and models.
Swiss Gear Travel Gear 1900
SwissGear is one of the most popular brands when it comes to durable backpacks. If you were to pick any model from SwissGear, you’d be safe to go, no questions needed.
When it comes to college students and carrying books, we liked the Travel Gear 1900 model the most because of a few reasons.
It has a great compartmentalization and you can find a designated pocket for all your essentials, such as phone, sunglasses, water bottle , basically everything you might carry with you on a daily basis.
The backpack has a high storage capacity of 30L which means you’ll have no problem carrying even the heaviest books. It also has a dedicated laptop compartment, which has a side entry for easy accessibility.
Another nice feature is the ScanSmart system which makes it airport friendly.
High Sierra Freewheel Wheeled
We know that not even the nicest, extremely comfortable backpack makes it pleasant for someone to carry around 1000 pages worth of textbook material, or even more. But some backpacks make it a lot easier than others.
The High Sierra Freewheel is one of those. Why? Well, for starters, it has wheels.
Don’t worry, the backpack doesn’t look anything like the typical rolling backpacks you’ve seen a lot on the market. It looks like a normal backpack and you can barely see the wheels underneath.
The backpack has a capacity of 34L, more than enough to carry all your books and your laptop, too.
Herschel Retreat Backpack
If you want to go with a classier choice, go with Herschel. Herschel Supply Co.’s Retreat backpack is known for its reliability and for its distinct design.
This backpack is a little smaller in size than the others and also has a smaller capacity, of just 19L. The bag can expand to carry around three heavy books, plus other personal items.
The backpack does have a sleeve inside, but it might not offer enough extra padding to protect your laptop, so we recommend an actual laptop sleeve, just to be safe.
The bag has contoured shoulder straps, padded with air mesh, making this pack nice and comfortable to carry throughout the day.
Under Armour Storm Hustle II
Under Armour is a brand well known for its water-resistant clothing and sports equipment.
The Storm Hustle II is one of their most popular models when it comes to backpacks and it’s of course water-proof and extremely resistant to weather conditions.
The backpack has a total volume of 30L which is more than enough to carry your books. It also has a padded laptop sleeve that will fit most 15-inch laptops.
One downside of this backpack would be the fact that it lacks a padded reinforced bottom panel and needs a gentler handling.
This backpack is the perfect choice for someone who lives in a rainy climate and for those who appreciate comfort over anything.
Speedo Large Teamster Backpack
Speedo Large Teamster Backpack stays true to its name. It has a large capacity of 35L, with a handy top-load main compartment.
The main compartment has a padded laptop sleeve, perfect for 17-inch laptops, plus a removable “dirt bag”, keeping wet or dirty contents separate from the other items.
The backpack has a sporty look, it’s water resistant and extremely comfortable to carry around, even when fully loaded with heavy books.
The Speedo Large Teamster was originally designed for swimmers, but that doesn’t mean that it can’t be perfect for other purposes, too.
Targus Drifter II Backpack
The Targus Drifter II backpack is very popular amongst college students and it has a lot of positive reviews all over the internet.
The backpack has two main compartments, one of which includes a 17-inch laptop sleeve.
The Targus has a high capacity of 30L and it’s extremely well organized, with plenty of zippered compartments that can fit every personal item.
The bag has shock-absorbing shoulder straps and thick back padding, making the task of carrying heavy books around a little easier.
YOREPEK Travel Laptop Backpack
If you take items organization seriously, this backpack is the perfect choice for you.
With an incredibly large capacity of 45L, this backpack comes with 3 spacious main compartments.
Each main compartment provides many hidden pockets inside. Every item will have its own dedicated place, no need to mix anything.
The backpack has a separate padded laptop compartment, it’s TSA approved, it provides USB charging port and it comes with a lot of other cool features.
Matein Backpack
Matein provides great quality backpacks for a very reasonable price, making sure that everyone can find a backpack that will fit their needs and their budget.
This model has a more elegant approach than the other backpacks on our list. It’s also a bit smaller in size and has a smaller capacity, but it’s still an extremely durable backpack that can easily carry plenty of books without any problem.
The backpack also has a theft proof back pocket where you can store your ID, cellphone, wallet or any personal item of value.
The bag provides breathable and adjustable shoulder straps that relieve the stress of shoulder and it’s comfortable to carry around.
High Sierra Swerve Backpack
With 40 different designs to choose from, High Sierra’s Swerve backpack is the perfect choice for when you need to carry some 1000 page books, a laptop, a change of clothes and a few more personal items as well.
Due to its condenser straps, the high volume 31L pack can be flattened out, but you will most likely be using it at its full capacity.
The Suspension System provides relief when carrying heavier loads. It does so by dampening the shock of weight transfer while transporting your items.
High Sierra Loop Backpack
Another model from High Sierra, The Loop backpack is pretty similar to the previous model. This one does not have a dedicated laptop sleeve, so there’s more space for carrying books or notepads.
It has two spacious main compartments and multiple pockets, allowing you to keep everything secure and organized.
Like every High Sierra products, this backpack is very comfortable to carry around due to its Suspension System.
Vaschy Unisex Classic
A backpack doesn’t need to be expensive in order to be considered good.
The Vaschy’s Classic Vintage backpack offers a simple and stylish option for someone with less extreme packing needs and a smaller budget. The vintage design will remind you of Herschel, but for a much smaller price.
With a capacity of 20L, this backpack is still a good fit for carrying your books, even your heavier ones and a laptop as well.
This might not be the toughest backpack in our list, but it’s definitely a cool and affordable good looking choice.
BLUBOON Canvas Vintage Backpack
Our last but not least recommendation is the Bluboon Vintage Backpack.
Although this backpack looks more like a vintage rucksack you would take on your outdoor journeys to explore the world, this is actually a great fit for a college backpack as well.
The Bluboon Backpack has a volume of 19L, which is more than enough to store several books, plus a small 13-inch laptop or tablet if needed.
It has a pretty unique design and its large shoulder straps make the bag very comfortable to wear, despite not having any added support for larger loads.
We recommend this backpack for someone who doesn’t have extreme packing needs but still wants a durable and reliable product that can do the job well when needed.
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