Last Updated on January 9, 2025 by Christine Kaaloa

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There is an ongoing debate about what is better to travel with: backpacks or wheeled luggage.  Good news~ you can have both! In this complete guide to wheeled backpacks, I’m going to share tips on finding the right bag for you and the six best-wheeled backpack carryons of 2022!

Between suffering plantar fasciitis, back, shoulder, and neck pains, I realized I no longer wanted to be a sherpa or snail carrying all my travel gear on my back.  So I’ve used a trusty Eagle Creek convertible backpack carryon for the past decade. Sadly during the pandemic, my rolling backpack started to show signs of wear and tear.  So I’ve been researching replacements. I asked for luggage suggestions from my followers, which I have included here.

Complete Guide to Rolling Backpacks

What is a Rolling Backpack or a Convertible backpack?

“Wheeled backpacks”, “Convertible carryon luggage”, “convertible backpack carry on”, “rolling backpack”, “backpack with wheels” … it goes by several search names.  But a wheeled backpack is a type of luggage that has wheels and can be converted into a backpack. Wheeled backpacks are perfect for travelers who want the ability to wear a backpack when navigating rugged and rocky terrain, but also have the ease and convenience of rolling their luggage.

Wheeled backpacks are also great for travelers, who have trouble lifting heavy objects or those who have chronic pain in their shoulders, neck, or back. Wheeled backpacks can be used as carry-on luggage on airplanes (provided they fit the airlines measurements) and they are also easy to store in overhead compartments.

Wheeled backpacks come in many different styles and sizes so there is one that will work for everyone. They range from small-wheeled duffel bags to large wheeled suitcases with multiple compartments.

The Benefits of Wheeled Backpack carryons

Great for short trips and traveling a variety of transportation (some which lack space!)). They alleviate your shoulders and backs and are ergonomically healthy.

Read Essential Packing Tips for Carry ons

The Cons of Rolling Backpacks

As wheeled backpacks fulfill dual conveniences of both, wheeled luggage and backpack, they can be a worthwhile but often pricy investment.  Also, wheels can make them a teenie bit heavier and bulkier if not in-set; however, you likely won’t notice it unless you’re wearing it as a backpack to avoid rocky or weathered terrain.

I’ve researched a lot of wheeled backpacks and the big problem is that although they are quite popular and ideal to use as luggage, manufacturers are reluctant to make many of them. Each time I find a prospective wheeled backpack, there is a limited supply on Amazon or the manufacturer’s site… or outright unavailable!

Note: Some of the wheeled backpacks I’ve listed below may already be in limited supply or unavailable as we speak!

Read In-Flight Essentials for Long Haul Flights

How to Choose the Perfect Wheeled Backpack?

Although are many variables to contemplate when finding the perfect wheeled backpack, can boil down to these simple questions about your travel style and what can accommodate you best.

• Do you prefer to travel with carry-on luggage or checked luggage?

If you check in your luggage a lot, you’ll be more concerned with damage to your wheels. While many backpacks with wheels have durable wheels, looking for inset wheels or wheel covers for wheel protection (like the Hynes Eagle Travel Lite) will be of value to you.

• Do you travel heavy or light?

Weighted luggage you definitely want a wheeled backpack. Travelers who pack light won’t have to worry about impaling their back with a backpack.

• Do you use public transportation to get around or do you rent cars and hire Uber?

If you use public transportation a lot, the ability to maneuver in compact spaces is key. You best buy a carry-on-sized backpack with rolling wheels. Also, durable and water-resistant fabric as well as, a sternum strap and hip belt for your backpack are top things to consider if your transportation gets as rugged as your luggage being thrown on the roof of a bus or if you are continually running to catch buses and trains.

• Do you travel in under-developed countries or first-world countries?

If traveling in a developing country with poor walkways you’ll be using a backpack often to hurdle terrain and durable, water-resistant fabric will be important to you. You’ll also want a hip belt and sternum strap to distribute the weight of your luggage. In a first-world country, the ergonomic support may not be as high of importance as you’ll be using the wheels more often.

• How much do you normally pack?

Seasons can play a factor. Traveling during winter, you’ll need extra room for bulky sweaters, jackets, and snow boots!)

Download a free packing list with my Ultimate Packing List tool

Compression straps

Compression straps help compress your bag’s expanse so it doesn’t get poofy and is able to fit into an overhead compartment. Think of how you might tighten a belt over loose clothes; same concept.

Hip and chest straps

Ever stood started to feel your backpack get heavy as your neck, shoulders and back got progressively more tired, irritable and crankier as you stood in a long immigration queue? This is when hip and chest straps really come in handy and show their value, as they provide extra back support while balancing the weight of your backpack more evenly.

Ergonomic design

Like a snail carrying its house on its back, similarly, you’re carrying a lot of your trip’s weight and clothing choices on your back, like a sherpa. Ergonomic design to fit the form of your back so you’re not tweaking your alignment is something to look at.

• Heres my favorite lists of anti-theft purses – crossbody bags and minimalist bags

Durable materials

Ripstop, YKK zippers, zipper locks, and durable fabric are all good things. My convertible carry-on backpack has taken many knocks and has had to fit in tiny spaces.

Water-resistant

Being water-resistant proof is handy for light rain or to combat small spills. Note, however, that water-resistant does not mean that it is water-proof, but there is still peace of mind that your bag’s contents have some protection from the unpredictability of the weather.

Top Layer Pockets

Having a top layer pocket accessible to you on the outside comes in handy when storing items you’d like quick access to, like compression straps or flip-flops.

Standard Carry-on dimensions

The standard maximum dimensions of a carry-on is 9 x 14 x 22  (this is counting wheels and handle). However, you’ll find the weight change in different regions. For instance, in Southeast Asia, baggage limits are 20 kilos instead of the 50 lbs that most international carriers allow. Furthermore, you only get 7 kilos for the carry-on, too. Carriers do not always check weight, but when they do, they can ding you hard. Make sure your carry-on is within the limits. For Turkish Airlines, your carry-on limit is 55 x 40 x 23 and 8 kilos.

Grab handles

Grab handles provide a third conversion of the rolling backpack to carry-on. They are ideal to have so that if you’re running late for your train, you can just grab and go!

Features

Does your convertible carry-on rolling luggage have 360 wheels or grab handles? These can make a small but giant difference in the comfort of your travels.

14 Best Wheeled Backpacks Carry-On Luggage of 2022

1. Osprey Ozone Convertible 22″/50L Wheeled Luggage

Osprey is a favorite brand for backpackers and the Osprey Ozone Convertible 22″ is a convertible wheeled backpack, with an aluminum frame to support its large wheels. It has a backpack harness, hip belt, and back panel for ultimate carry comfort. You can remove the backpack harness and hip belt for extra comfort when you’re not using them! It has a top pocket for easy and quick access to items you want access to and a detachable daypack. It sports grab handles for convenient grab-and-go.

Compression jacket to keep everything compressed. It’s more of a framed suspension pack with wheels.

Dimensions: 22H X 14W X 9D inches

2. Hynes Eagle 42 L Travel Lite Rolling Backpack

Update: My review after 10 months of use and traveling India, Pakistan and Nepal (my more rugged destinations). I’m happy with it. For a bag under $100, I’m crossing my fingers but I expect it to last for several more trips.

As rolling backpacks seem to become unavailable as soon as they are mentioned I scour the internet for new ones. The Hynes Eagle 42L Travel Lite Rolling Backpack is a new find for me. While the fabric does not feel as thick and rugged as my last convertible backpack carryon, I love the extra features: a laptop compartment with several compartments and a detachable laptop sleeve (i’m not going to use the laptop sleeve but still…). The hideaway backpack straps come with a sternum strap and hip belt so your back isn’t bearing the weight of your pack. One of my favorite features is the hideaway wheel cover that wraps around the base of your bag to protect your wheels from getting whacked at. Lastly, the price is unbeatably under $100 . Oh yeah, and it’s water-repellent too! They also have a rolling backpack set with packing cubes.

Although this bag only has 327 reviews on Amazon, it has a rating of 4.5 and the purchasers are happy.

Dimensions: 9 x 13.8 x 21.2 inches

Watch my video review of the Hynes Eagle 42L Rolling Backpack on my YouTube channel.

3. Hynes Eagle 2-in-1 22″ Carry on Luggage 63L Rolling Travel Backpack

The Hynes Eagle 2-in-1 22″ Carry on Luggage 63L Rolling Travel Backpack  has a larger capacity than the 42L bag. It comes with a 20L detachable day pack which fits up to a 15.6 inch laptop and three packing cubes. The luggage has a spacious main compartment with a zipped mesh pocket and an outer compartment pocket. 

4. Osprey Sojourn 22″/45L Wheeled Backpack (with Harness)

The Osprey Sojourn 22″/45L Wheeled Backpack gives you the best of both worlds. It is a durable soft-shell backpack with a retractable handle and wheels for mobility. It includes a full backpack harness for times when you need to hit rugged terrain and cobbled stone streets and don’t have patience for wheels. The backpack harness is tucked away in a zippered cover so you never have to worry about catching the harness straps getting caught on anything. It has enough room for a 7 days trip.

The Sojourn 22″/45L comes with an attached hip harness. While traditional backpackers will love this asset as it is an often missing feature of most rolling backpacks,  some complaints have been that the hip harness is too bulky. In fact, a hip harness allows for weight to be displaced and worn evenly on the hips vs solely your neck and shoulders and rolling backpack manufacturers, don’t expect travelers to use the backpack enough to add this piece that makes a backpack ergonomically better.

Dimensions: 25L x 15W x 9H. Carry-on restrictions for many carriers is 22 in x 14 in x 9 in, so the length of this falls outside a carryon. 

5. Osprey Farpoint 36L Men’s Wheeled Backpack

The Osprey Men’s Farpoint 36L  is sister to the Osprey Women’s Fairview 40L. Both are carry-on compatible bags and light-weight wheeled convertible backpacks with storable mesh backpack straps and hip belts for breathability. Hip belts are wonderful!

There are top and side grab handles for an easy go and two front mesh easy access pockets. Compression straps outside and inside to keep everything compressed and snug to your body. Gear loops and lash loops for a yoga mat. Zip up top and front pocket for quick access to travel documents, a jacket, or anything you want access to.

Dimensions: ‎22 x 14 x 9

Read  31 Tips on Female Solo Travel Safety

6. Matein 17″ Travel Rolling Backpack 

The Matein 17″ Travel Rolling Backpack was made for two types of travelers- college students, European and business travelers who want a practical backpack and easy access pockets. Durable material, locking zippers, and four multi-directional spinner wheels, so your bag doesn’t crazy roll on you. There are two front compartment pockets and one side mesh pocket for a water bottle. One of the more inexpensive wheeled backpacks yet!

It has 582 reviews on Amazon with an overall rating of 4.5, which is good. Many people loved that they could fit a lot into this backpack and it has organizer pockets including a water bottle mesh pocke. Meanwhile, one of the complaints is that the bag can tip over when front-loaded too much.

Dimensions: 22 x 14 x 8 inches

7. Eagle Creek Gear Warrior 22

This pack has been revived — I just found out about it– and am excited. For over a decade, I’ve used my trusty Eagle Creek wheeled backpack For a while as Eagle Creek changed owners, there was no peep of any wheeled backpack carryons.  But they’ve just recently revived the Eagle Creek 222″ Gear Warrior for $300- I’d steal it before it goes out of stock!

The breakdown is similar to my discontinued Doubleback 22. It has wheel bumpers to protect the wheels from bad luggage handling and what I love most– the top and side grab handles. The clip on day pack is great but you’d need to share the luggage straps for it.

8. Eagle Creek Gear Warrior XE

The Eagle Creek Gear Warrior XE is another wheeled backpack I’ve seen listed on Amazon. It’s an upgrade in that it has a cargo net on the front for bulky objects you want to fasten to your pack. There’s also a secret easy access top pocket, a side pocket for water bottles and lot of lash points where you can hang things from (i.e. drying clothes or towels). The backpack part is accessed by a zip away cover. Again, the top and side grab handles are ideal

This is for the savvy adventurer, who wants safety, accessibility, ease and options.You will fall in love with this. I know I already have!

9. Hypath 2-in-1 Transformer Travel Backpack with Wheels

The Hypath 2-in-1 Transformer Travel Backpack with Wheels is a soft-sided convertible carry-on. It has a detachable day pack that you can use for your daily sightseeing adventures, while you leave your main luggage at home. The main carry-on convertible has an extendable handle and packable straps, along with side and top grab handles.

Dimensions:
Main luggage: 22x14x9 inch Carry-On Size, 45L
Smaller Laptop Backpack is 18 x 12 x 7 inch, 30L backpack

10. BAGSMART Rolling Backpack for Women with packing cubes

Stylish airline approved BAGSMART Rolling Backpack has multiple organizer pockets and a side mesh for a water bottle. Comes with two packing cubes.

Dimensions:
Main luggage: 19.5 x 8.4 x 12.5 inches,36L. Smaller than the standard carry-on size.
Fits up to a 17.3-inch laptop

11. Hideo Wakamatsu carry-on

Reader Jennifer H, says ” Water-resistant, dust-proof zippers, I’ve had the Hideo Wakumatsu carry-on for 10+ years and it has never broken or failed. It’s been through most of Europe, African deserts, and Central American rainstorms, and has always protected everything inside. Converts to a backpack!”

The stylish Hideo Wakamatsu carry-on is a water-repellent nylon convertible backpack carry-on with wheels, a retractable handle, and side compression straps. The backpack straps are concealed in a zip-up pocket so they are not dangling.

• Dimensions: 19.5″ x 14″ x 9″

12. ZOMFELT Wheeled Backpack Carry-on

ZOMFELT Wheeled Backpack Carry-on has crept silently in popularity because it features a lot for the low price. At first glance, the Zomfelt has a similar design to the Matein Travel Rolling Backpack.

Dig a little deeper and it has a separate TSA friendly laptop compartment that you can unzip and lay flat so that you do not need to remove your laptop from the bag. It also has two clothes storage bags, a wet storage bag and three multi-size packing cubes.  The bag has a 45L storage capacity which is large.

Dimensions: 9.1 x 14.2 x 21.3 inches

13.AKONA Chelan

The AKONA Chelan is a lightweight version of the original AKONA Roller Backpack It is actually a rolling backpack originally meant for divers and their diving gear. In reviews you’ll read about people putting their fins in and stuff… The rolling backpack is made of a heavy duty 600D fabric to withstand an active ocean sport lifestyle. The backpack straps are stored in the reversible back.and the wheels are built tough to roll over any type of terrain. There’s two front pockets and two side ones.

14. Think Tank Photo Street Walker Camera Rolling Backpack

For the photographer and videographer packing equipment such as camera bodies, lenses and tripods, the Think Tank Photo Street Walker Camera Rolling Backpack is solid insurance for your gear’s protection. It stores quite a bit of camera equipment and chunky lenses in a removable padded compartment space. What you’ll love is that the wheels and many other parts of the bag are replaceable so you can ensure the longevity of your investment. There is a padded compartment that holds your laptop or tablet secure. It is a great field kit bag when you want to carry as much equipment as you need. 

Read 12 Essential Tips for Travel Vloggers

Dimensions: 17.72 x 21.65 x 29.53. Although this will fit in an overhead bin, dimensions are oddly larger than carry-on dimensions. You might want to consider that if you were looking for a carryon luggage.

What would you add to this list of best-wheeled backpack carry-on luggage? Which rolling backpack is your style?