Backpacks for the Busy Professional

In an increasingly portable world, business trips, classes, seminars and meetings often require the busy professionals to bring their offices and lives with them. Fortunately, the right backpack can be both stylish and practical while making life a lot simpler and more comfortable for today's businessmen and women.

When deciding on the backpack that's right for you, take the follow guidelines and factors into consideration.

Budget

Backpacks are available in a rather expansive price range — small, lower end models can be had for as little as ten or fifteen dollars online, while ritzier backpacks featuring luxurious materials, bells and whistles or both can run as high as three hundred dollars or more. Depending on how often you plan to use your backpack, it can be considered a crucial investment and a purchase not to skimp on. Before dropping a substantial wad of cash into a backpack, do your research to be sure you're dealing with a brand whose reputation matches its prices.

Use and Abuse Needs

Sometimes acting as a closet, a desk and a lunchbox all at once, backpacks are versatile pieces of
equipment that can and do go just about anywhere you go. As such, they can often take a beating. While most backpacks are built to be tough, certain brands and models are built better than others. For the most part, quality and price go hand-in-hand, but you'll have to decide for yourself where to draw the line where utility and cost meet. If you plan on using your backpack on a nearly daily basis, the cost of a high-end bag may just be worth it.

Some backpacks offer special features to make life a bit easier. Rollers and expandable handles make getting to and from, not to mention through, the airport quicker and easier by giving you the option of pulling your pack behind you. Some bags come with electronics attachments and some even offer discreet solar panels that can charge your phone or computer on the go. On the less technological side, a padded compartment for laptops can be invaluable for protecting your most important piece of equipment.

Dimensions

When determining the best size to look for in a backpack, it's best to figure out the largest load you'll ever be likely to carry and then go up a bit in size to be safe. For business travelers, an important caveat to keep in mind when considering dimensions is carry-on limitations set by airlines. As most jet-setters know, current standards for carry-on generally limit bags to 25"X14"X9". If there is a particular airline you travel with more often than others, check their carry-on policy for any variance and shop accordingly.

Style

Depending on how you plan to use your backpack, style can be an extremely important factor to take into account. For instance, a bag that will be used for travel purposes alone can be less formal than one that you are likely to cart into the office or have with you at meetings. If the latter case is more likely, consider a convertible bag that can be carried like a brief case or messenger bag. The formality of occasions will also determine material choice — black polished leather or suede is often the way to go for business occasion while canvas is fine for more casual situations.

Some popular backpacks for professionals include the following:

American Procurement Leather Backpack Briefcase

Equally effective as a briefcase or backpack, this great item from American Procurement is designed to protect your laptop with a bit of style and a big dose of utility. Featuring more than seven compartments for your computer, gadgets and documents this backpack briefcase's classic black leather exterior will keep you organized and looking great.

Verucci Flight Carry-on Rolling Backpack

Crafted with carry-on dimension standards in mind, this exceptional offering from Verucci is a great example of a backpack that would suit frequent flying professionals. Built to withstand the wear and tear of travel, it also features a collapsible handle and rollers for quick sprint through terminals and has the ability to expand an extra 3-inches if you need a bit more room.

McKlein Overnight Laptop Backpack

A great example of a higher-end backpack for professionals on the go, the McKlein Overnight model is a one-stop answer for any business trip. This backpack was designed to keep all your personal items close at hand and organized — with a separate compartment for shoes — and features detachable leather cases for your laptop and cell phone so you can make all your meetings in style without dealing with multiple pieces of luggage.

With so many backpacks on the market for busy business professionals, all it takes is a little research to find the bag that can get you and all the tools of your trade where you need to be with style and utility.




Matthew Hawking is a freelance writer who writes about backpacks.