Best Backpacks with a Trolley Sleeve: Our Top 10 Picks for 2024
Sick of feeling like a sherpa when you're fumbling through the airport with your backpack and wheelie suitcase? We are too. That's why we've switched to backpacks with trolley sleeves—and we're never going back. Here are our favorite picks to help you navigate airports with ease.
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10 best backpacks with a trolley (luggage) sleeve
1. Best water-resistant backpack with a trolley sleeve: Quince
When you’re always on the road, you need to be ready for whatever the weather may throw at you. On your next trip, protect your travel essentials come rain or shine with the All-Day Neoprene Backpack from Quince. Made with 18 recycled bottles, this backpack is constructed with 100% premium water-resistant neoprene and features a padded laptop sleeve, ensuring all of your expensive tech items are secure and safe. We also love the detachable 4.5" x 7" zipper pouch as well as the dust bag and, of course, the trolley sleeve in the back which creates compact travel.
Price: starting at $99
2. Best bucket-style backpack with a trolley sleeve: July
We love The Everyday Backpack from July for its wide bucket-style opening that ensures effortless packing and easy access to your belongings. The discreet 16" laptop sleeve compartment offers secure protection for your tech gear, while the front zipped pocket and internal zipped hanging pocket with quick access slip pocket allow you to keep your most important items within arm's reach. With dual side pockets for bottles, umbrellas, or small items, coated interior for easy cleaning, and a QuickPass™ hidden pocket with magnetic closure, this backpack is designed with convenience in mind. Plus, the pass-through band enables seamless attachment to your luggage, making it the ideal choice for travelers seeking both style and functionality.
Price: starting at $145
3. Best lightweight backpack with trolley sleeve: Away
Crafted using recycled nylon and polyester, this 18L lightweight backpack from Away is capable of accommodating a 13" laptop along with your other daily travel essentials. The standout feature is its clever self-packing mechanism, neatly tucked within a designated zipper pocket, which guarantees convenient mobility. The Airmesh-backed straps ensure a comfortable carrying experience, while the front webbing daisy chain provides a versatile solution for attaching travel water bottles using a carabiner or securing your sweater when not in use. And the discreet trolley sleeve makes it easy to consolidate with your wheeled luggage.
Price: starting at $65
4. Best laptop backpack with a trolley sleeve: Calpak
Calpak’s mission is to help you make every day an adventure—and they sure give you a helping hand with their Luka Laptop Backpack. Designed to get you through day trips, commuting, and life on the go, this modern backpack is lightweight, sporty, and stylish to boot. Available in sleek neutrals (like rose quartz or matte black) as well as vibrant hues (think cobalt or pumpkin), Calpak’s backpack makes it easy to store your laptop in the 15” sleeve, secure your valuables in the hidden zippered pocket, and secure it all to your suitcase with the trolley sleeve—and then go!
Price: starting at $108
5. Best luxe backpack with a trolley sleeve: Lo & Sons
Going hands-free with a backpack is fun and all, but sometimes you want something that looks a little more professional. That’s why Lo & Sons designed the Rowledge to seamlessly convert from a backpack to tote—without sacrificing storage space or fashion. With room for a 13” laptop, this nylon convertible backpack features unique pockets to keep everything in place with the option of interior lining in lavender or azure blue for an extra pop. And when you’re ready to jet set, just use the trolley sleeve to slide it onto your wheelie suitcase.
Read our full review of The Rowledge Backpack here.
Price: starting at $325
6. Best compact backpack with a trolley sleeve: Troubadour
Despite its slim and compact design, the Troubadour Ember Backpack is a powerful contender. Made from a lightweight waterproof fabric, its main zipper opening folds down, providing easy access to your daily essentials, while the zipped external pocket and separate padded pocket can accommodate a 16-inch laptop. The grab-handle is crafted from a combination of leather, neoprene, and non-slip fabric for comfortable carrying, and the breathable back panel and ergonomic padded shoulder straps provide additional comfort. Additionally, the backpack includes a trolley sleeve that slides over a suitcase handle, making it easy to travel with.
Price: starting at $195
7. Best customizable backpack with a trolley sleeve: ROAM
The Metropolitan Backpack from ROAM is a customizable backpack that allows you to express your personal style while on the go. The backpack features a variety of colors choose from for 4 different sections of the backpack: the front panel, back and bottom, side panel, and the straps & handle. The bag is made from durable and eco-friendly materials and is equipped with multiple compartments to keep all of your belongings organized and easily accessible, making it perfect for travelers and adventurers.
Price: starting at $295
8. Best backpack with a trolley sleeve for organization: Arden Cove
Are you the queen bee of staying organized? Then you need this Dolores Commuter Backpack from Arden Cove. Not only does this backpack feature a trolley sleeve for simple, hands-free travel but it also comes with a padded laptop sleeve that can hold a 13" laptop and zipper and mesh pockets. It also has a magnetic front pocket for quick access to smaller items, and two hidden back-zipper pockets to secure your valuables. The added feature of gold or silver D-rings allows you to transform the faux-leather backpack into a shoulder bag, giving you the versatility to wear it however you prefer.
Read our full review of The Dolores Commuter Backpack here.
Price: starting at $439
9. Best expandable backpack with a trolley sleeve: Béis Travel
Sometimes a standard travel backpack is just not enough. If you need more, try the Expandable Backpack from Béis Travel. You’ll get a zippered laptop pocket, a key leash, a hidden water bottle pocket, two exterior zipper pockets, two interior slip pockets, and two interior zipper pockets—all with a trolley sleeve for easy transport. Think you’ve stuffed it to the brim? Not yet! Once you think you’ve filled it to the max, you can actually expand this backpack an extra two inches to satisfy your over-packing needs.
Price: starting at $98
10. Best backpack duffel with a trolley sleeve: Calpak
For something a bit more rugged that you can take from hiking to the airport to your Airbnb rental and everything in between, turn to Calpak’s Terra 26L Backpack Duffel. Made of 100% recycled ripstop polyester, this backpack duffel bag is tough enough to accompany you on your most daring travels. Adjustable padded shoulder straps keep you comfy; durable carrying handles make transport easy; and multiple compression straps help secure it all. And there’s no need to get weighed down by your own load—just go hands-free by sliding it onto your suitcase with the trolley sleeve.
Price: starting at $175
Backpacks with trolley sleeves - common FAQs
Is a trolley sleeve and a luggage sleeve the same thing?
You bet! While trolley sleeve is the more popular term, you might also hear this little feature called a luggage sleeve. A trolley sleeve (or luggage sleeve) is a strap or other attachment that lets you slide your tote bag, backpack, or other personal item bag over the handle of your suitcase so you can wheel all your gear together.
Can you add a trolley sleeve to a backpack?
You can buy detachable luggage bungees to try to DIY a trolley sleeve on your backpack … but you may not love the results. Not all backpacks are compatible with these separate bungees (plus, it’ll be yet another thing to remember to bring with you when you travel). Instead, you can skip the hassle and travel stress-free with a backpack with a trolley sleeve already built in.
What brands are the best for backpacks with trolley sleeves?
When it comes to hunting down a backpack with a trolley sleeve, finding one that actually works and won’t seriously cramp your style isn’t always a quick shopping trip. That’s why we’ve narrowed down the best of the best for you from the top brands: Calpak, Lo & Sons, Dagne Dover, Béis Travel, Travelpro, and Briggs & Riley.
