Incase EO Travel Backpack Review
Comfort, organization, and thoughtful construction married to an elegant design makes this pack best for business travel
The Incase EO Travel Backpack is one of 10 travel backpacks I evaluated for qualities including organization, comfort, and sturdiness as part of CR’s Outside the Labs reviews program.
Price: $169
Where to buy: Amazon, InCase
Dimensions: 12.25 x 19.5 x 6 inches
Weight: 3 pounds
Construction: Polyester
Claimed capacity: 26 liters
Tuckable pack sleeves: Yes
External bottle sleeve: No
Shoulder carry: Yes
Waist strap: No
Eyeglass sleeve: Yes
Extras: Keychain loop
Here’s My Review
The Incase EO is just slightly less comfortable for long slogs than the Patagonia, but the soft-touch fabric and elegant design of the EO make it a great choice for business travelers in need of a more polished look. The bulk of the bags I evaluated are designed with a big, main compartment sandwiched by a laptop sleeve on the side that fits against your back and an organizer area for smaller items on the outside. This Incase bag takes a four-layer-cake approach, instead. Its laptop sleeve is large enough for a tablet, magazine, MacBook, and my paperback; the central cavity is ideal for clothing, etc., and then there’s another layer that would be perfect for a sport coat or jacket. (Mesh dividers let you see what you’ve stuffed, so you’re not guessing where you put what.)
See our review of the best travel backpacks for more information, including details on how we evaluated them.
The fourth, or outermost, layer has lots of nooks for snacks, notebook, cell charger, cable organizer, pens, and so on. This pocket is thicker than those of most other brands, so there’s also enough room to cram in last-minute items like the magazine you grabbed pre-flight. The organization of this bag shows that someone at this company travels A LOT.
Is it perfect? Not quite. There’s no waist strap option, but broad shoulder straps and very thick back padding do help keep the ride stable. It would be kinder on my body not to have all that weight on my shoulders, but it’s manageable and was pretty comfy for e-biking, grocery-store strolling, and walking up and down hills in my town.
Bonus! Side compression straps and an expansion zipper let you crank down the Incase to fit into the stingy storage area under the seat in front of you, and then let the bag exhale to fit souvenirs from your adventures.
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