Tested on Flights by Our Editor
Over the last couple of years I’ve become a relatively frequent flyer, but my airline miles pale in comparison to my parents. They’re experts at booking cheap, last-minute flights, traveling around the country every few weekends just to explore. So, it came as no surprise when a few years ago my mom mentioned that my dad desperately needed a new backpack for their flights (don’t tell him I told you this, but he was, in fact, using my salmon-pink Jansport from middle school). The shopping editor I am, I scoured Amazon reviews and best-of lists to find a backpack that he’d love and landed on the Matein Travel Backpack. And I’m proud to say that I achieved the ultimate dream of a daughter with a dad who is notorious for returning every gift he gets: he not only kept the backpack, but uses it every time he flies. (Eat my dust, siblings)
I recently borrowed the Matein backpack for a weekend flight and, I can attest, it lives up to the hype — both from my dad and the internet. It has plenty of efficiently designed pockets, fits a ton of gear, qualifies as a personal item on most airlines, and still looks great after years of use. I’ve previously tested carry-on duffels designed for traveling with kids and written about my travel-must haves for trans-Atlantic flights, and this backpack easily qualifies as a true necessity.
The Matein Carry-on Backpack has tons of pockets, nine total, with three on the front visible here.
What Is the Matein Carry-on Backpack?
The Matein Carry-on backpack is a stand-out travel bag for a few different reasons. For starters, it’s incredibly durable. My Amazon receipts show that I purchased the backpack in June 2023, meaning that it’s had over a year and a half of frequent use through airports across the country, and it truly doesn’t look any different than the day I bought it for my dad.
Another reason frequent flyers love this backpack: it qualifies as a personal item on most airlines. The dimensions come in at 20″ x 13″ x 8″ for the large size (what I used) and the backpack has a 40 L capacity. My dad has had some issues with it being too big for budget airlines like Spirit and Frontier, but the backpack fits within the personal item guidelines for United, American, Delta, and more.
While it fits a lot, though, the backpack is lightweight. Unpacked, the backpack only weighs 2.2 lbs. It also distributes the weight of the contents well, so even when it’s packed to the brim it doesn’t feel cumbersome. This is especially useful when packing for extended vacations and not wanting to check a bag. The Matein backpack allows your personal item to function as a second carry-on, with a pocket to store shoes and two large pockets that are great for clothes and toiletries.
The Matein Carry-on Backpack as I received it from my dad. It has been used for 20 months but shows little wear and tear and is still in near-perfect condition.
Which brings me to another favorite feature of this backpack: the pockets. Not only are there nine total, but each is incredibly well-designed, from the placement on the backpack to the interior functions. The front panel alone features three pockets, two that zip vertically along the sides and one that cuts the panel in half and zips horizontally. I used these to store things we’d want easy access to on the flights, like my kindle, earbuds/phones, wet wipes, and hand sanitizer.
Then the front panel zips off (only halfway) to reveal an interior compartment that’s great for storing notebooks, books, and pens. This compartment is wide but pretty thin, so you wouldn’t be able to store more than a few pieces of clothing or toiletries (I think the front pockets are best-used for flight essentials). Behind that, there’s a much larger compartment that’s ideal for packing cubes full of clothes. In includes a small interior zippered pocket that’s great for undergarments, and the shoe storage compartment also takes up room here. You’ll also notice that this is where the USB exterior port plugs into, with a netted side pocket to put your portable charger in.
The back of the backpack features a slim laptop pocket with a little extra storage for other slender items. Hidden behind the straps and along the back-facing part of the backpack there’s a hidden zippered compartment meant to protect valuables like a wallet or passport. It spans the entire width of the backpack, so it has plenty of room for multiple items. Finally, the bottom of the backpack is a zippered shoe storage compartment.
The front panel of the backpack has three pockets that are great for storing on-flight essentials like earbuds, a kindle, lip balm, and more.
The laptop pocket can fit a 17.3″ laptop, so it had plenty of room for my Macbook and a few magazines.
The backpack also includes a net water bottle holder side pocket, but I was honestly unimpressed by this. It wasn’t large/sturdy enough to fit my 30-ounce Owala. It could fit a standard plastic water bottle, but I would rather bring my own refillable bottle and just clip it on to the backpack somewhere.
By far the most attractive feature of this backpack, though, is the price. It costs just $33.99 and regularly goes on sale. For reference, other travel backpacks from popular brands can go for well-over $100, so it’s no surprise that this well-priced alternative caught shoppers’ eyes.
How I Tested the Matein Carry-on Backpack
My dad has been using this backpack for over a year and a half now with no problems, but for accuracy I’ll only be reporting on my recent experience traveling with the Matein Carry-on backpack.
The Matein backpack slid under the seat easily, without needing to be pushed or jammed.
I was flying halfway across the country on a single flight for a short weekend trip and used my rolling suitcase as my carry-on, so I really only needed the Matein backpack for flight essentials. In fact, it fit so much that my husband just carried all of our stuff in the backpack, keeping my hands free to hold IDs and boarding passes.
Both planes we flew on were extremely tiny, older commuter planes. All carry-on luggage had to be checked and I was a bit worried that the backpack would need to go in the overhead bin for being too large to fit under the seat. To my surprise, though, the backpack slid easily under the seat with no jamming or pushing required and left plenty of room for my husband’s feet.
I didn’t think ahead to pack my portable charger and connect it to the external port, but my parents have used it multiple times and said it works great. Just note that the portable charger is not included.
Is the Matein Carry-on Backpack Worth It?
Honestly, you could probably find a worthy competitor to the Matein Carry-on Backpack on the market in terms of design, size, and durability — but I guarantee you that backpack would cost over $100. For the price, it’s impossible to find a travel backpack as great as this one from Matein. It has everything frequent flyers could ask for: personal item sizing, durability, efficient design, and it’s lightweight.
Pros:
- Nine total pockets
- Pockets are well-placed
- Lightweight and distributes weight well
- Slim fit
- Qualifies as a personal item on most flights
- Trolley strap
- Charging port
- Inexpensive
Cons:
- Water bottle pocket is too small
I’ve tried my fair share of luggage over the years, and few pieces have impressed me as much as this backpack considering the price. I don’t want to brag on myself, but I am a pretty dang good gift giver — you’re welcome, Dad.
Additional FAQs
Is the backpack waterproof?
Don’t tell my dad that I intentionally poured water all over his beloved backpack, but anything for you, dear reader. After dumping a full glass of water over the front of the backpack I can safely say that the polyester exterior completely repelled all water.
The backpack completely repelled the water and only felt slightly damp on the exterior after being wiped down.
After a quick wipe down the exterior still felt a little damp, but the interior lining protected the compartments and not a drop got inside. The three zippers on the front panel all stood up well against the water, but the shoe compartment zipper did get a little damp.
Is the backpack machine washable?
I haven’t tested to see if this backpack is machine washable, but I can say that both the interior and exterior wipe down easily. The product label instructs to hand wash only. The interior compartments are all lined with a smooth, waterproof fabric that doesn’t retain any moisture.
Honestly, I can’t imagine you’d really ever need to machine this backpack. We’ve used it 20 months and it still looks near perfect both inside and out. Unless you have a catastrophic spill that you’re unable to clean within a few minutes, I highly doubt you’d ever think to throw this backpack in the wash.
Why Trust Us?
While just a few years ago she had never flown by herself, Country Living Commerce Editor Hannah Jones has amassed many frequent flyer miles over the last two years. She’s written about her experience flying solo with a busy toddler as well as must-haves for long flights.
Hannah Jones is the Commerce Editor for Country Living. Her eye is always on the next up-and-coming products to include in gift guides and she’s ready to test everything from dog beds to garden tools for product reviews. When she’s not scoping out the latest and greatest items on the market, you can find her hanging with her two rescue dogs.
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