Backpacks Have Transcended From Trend to Wardrobe Necessity—Here are 23 of the Best for Spring 2018

They also make a perfect option for all kinds of warm-weather activities

When designer backpacks once again swung back into fashion a few years ago, you guys were mostly skeptical. Which is a healthy response any trend, really, because sometimes it’s hard to tell which ones crop up to satisfy a genuine consumer desire and which ones are manufactured by large companies looking to sell you yet another type of bag. Based on the backpack’s unwavering popularity in designer circles, though, I think we can safely say the bags’ favor falls firmly into the former category.

Although people sometimes protest that backpacks feel too juvenile to be luxurious, it’s not hard to see why they might be popular on a functional level: they’re hands-free, often lightweight and generally among the less expensive options in a designer’s bag lineup. They usually carry more than a crossbody bag while still being just as practical and useful. That’s especially true in summer, when activities are more likely to lead family and friends outdoors and to situations that require a lot of walking and standing: music festivals, park days, things like that. Earlier this week, Megs even extolled the virtues of a backpack diaper bag.

Below, we’ve selected nearly two dozen of the best backpack options on the market right now, starting with a couple below $100—one of the best things about backpacks is you really, genuinely don’t have to spend a lot of money for them to look great.