These Essentials Will Let You Work From Anywhere
Top pick
This slim, light, water-resistant bag keeps gear organized, accessible, and secure when you’re on the go.
When you’re traveling with your remote workspace in a backpack, keeping cables organized can feel like a slow slide into chthonic mayhem. Thankfully, the Incase Accessory Organizer slips neatly into this role.
The low-profile, waterproof case keeps each dongle and cable safe, secure, and separate. And with its multiplicity of storage options, this bag is flexible enough to accommodate other everyday necessities (lip balm, nail clippers, tampons, and so on) alongside your electronics essentials.
Best for…
This tough backpack can accommodate and organize lots of tech — we fit a laptop, keyboard, tablet, and handheld gaming device in it, with room to spare. But its aesthetic may be too utilitarian for some.
Handsome styling, ergonomic design, and special details make this pricey backpack worth the money.
After years of schlepping my work gear in backpacks, totes, and cases, I’ve come to prefer backpacks because they’re spacious, and they make transporting stuff easy. I’ll often find myself walking from one coffee shop to another or from a car that’s parked a fair distance away. Padded straps win the day.
The Timbuk2 Authority Laptop Backpack Deluxe is one of Wirecutter’s favorite work backpacks. Not only does this backpack fit an impressive amount of gear into a slim profile, but also it’s loaded with compartments and pockets inside to organize all of your gear. The front section is a paradise of pockets, with a stretchy mesh zippered pouch, pen holders, and two plush-lined tech compartments. Sitting just behind that section is a roomy main compartment with a nicely padded sleeve. The well-padded laptop compartment, located closest to the wearer’s back, can fit computers of up to 17 inches.
If you prefer a more stylish, less utilitarian-looking backpack that’s still thoughtfully organized, consider the Troubadour Apex 3.0 Backpack. Although it’s on the pricier side, its style and quality justify its hefty price tag. The backpack’s substantial recycled-polyester body is both durable and refined, and vegan-leather trims add extra polish. Plus, the Apex features plush, ventilated back panels and contoured memory-foam shoulder straps, which make it a pleasure to carry anywhere for work.
Eleanor Ford wrote an earlier version of this article, first published in 2021. This article was edited by Annemarie Conte and Erica Ogg.
