The best backpacks for college have to pull a lot of weight. They need to protect your delicate laptop on the way to class, house your gym clothes, and even double as a carry-on for trips back home during school breaks. And they need to do all that while looking cute, feeling comfortable to tote around, and holding their shape for more than a semester.

We all love trendy backpacks, but functionality counts for a lot here, too. The last thing you want is a bag for college that goes out of style fast but leaves your back feeling sore. (Signed, someone whose vintage bag for college was both cute and permanently posture-altering.) College backpacks basically become extensions of ourselves, so you want one that fits your vibe and supports you as you schlep. Plus, if you pick a backpack that’s timeless and durable, it can live on post-grad as a cute commuter bag for work or gear for that backpacking trip you want to take.

In sum, you want a bag for college that’s in it for the long haul. And if you’ve been keeping an eye out for cool backpacks on TikTok, you’ll know there are more brands hawking bags for college these days than flyers on a dorm bulletin board. So to help you find the best backpack for college, we tested out popular styles from some of today’s biggest backpack brands (think The North Face, Fjällräven Kanken, and Patagonia). And we also tested some backpacks from the buzzy brands that keep popping up on our FYP pages, too. (Anyone else’s feed full of Cotopaxi?).

We looked at how much these bags could hold, how comfortable they felt, and how durable they seemed. And we added in laptops, sneakers, textbooks, and other useful school supplies while testing, too, to see how heavy and supportive the backpacks felt when packed. Ultimately, the bags we picked as the best backpacks for college students all scored high on comfort and organizational features, with most costing $150 or less. But lest you be worried that meant us focusing on functional-but-boring backpacks, don’t worry — it didn’t. We took into account how cool the backpacks look, picking packs that’ll go with a range of styles, from outdoorsy to preppy. Scroll on to learn our winners, what our reviewers had to say about them (with photos and video!), and, when possible, where to shop backpacks on sale from our list.

The best backpacks for college:

Best The North Face backpack for college: The North Face Recon

It’s pretty much impossible to enter a college lecture hall without seeing a dozen The North Face backpacks. But which The North Face bag is best for college students — the Recon, the Borealis, or the Jester — has been the subject of many a TikTok debate. After testing all three, our money is on the Recon. It’s roomy, has great organizational pockets, and feels ready to go from class to camping. We love a versatile bag for college!