Backpacks

For corporate onboarding and everyday business with a 13- to 15-inch laptop, notebook and change of clothes, 18 to 22 litres is enough. For sports, gym and fitness, 25 to 30 litres is the standard – with room for a change of shoes, towel and sports kit. For roadshow handouts and fashion giveaways, 15 to 20 litres is ideal so the recipient continues to use the backpack privately. For travel, trekking and business trips without a suitcase, go for 35 to 45 litres with a hip belt and compression straps – hand-luggage compatible and replaces the weekend suitcase. Rule of thumb: better 5 litres less than 5 litres too much – a half-empty backpack looks unfinished on the recipient.

Firstly, the correct size is important: 90% of all business laptops are between 13 and 15.6 inches - a 15.6-inch compartment will happily accommodate smaller models. For genuine 17-inch gaming or workstation laptops, check the compartment dimensions explicitly, as many business Backpacks only go up to 15.6 inches. Secondly, the padding: a good laptop compartment has foam on the top and bottom plus a raised base edge - so the laptop does not land on a hard floor when put down. Thirdly, access: a separate zip accessible from the outside speeds up the security check at the airport and prevents mix-ups on train journeys. For corporate kit, we also recommend a separate tablet compartment, as many teams carry both devices.

600D Polyesterⁱ is the established B2B standard: robust, shape-stable, well printable by screen printingⁱ or transfer and stable in price. The right choice for 80% of all corporate and club backpacks. rPETⁱ is recycled polyester from PET bottles with an identical look and robustness but a significantly better CO2 footprint – the fitting answer to CSR tenders and sustainability reports, with a moderate premium of one to two euros per unit. PVCⁱ tarpaulin is completely waterproofⁱ with welded seams – the niche for bike couriers, boat crew and all rain-exposed field service. Cottonⁱ backpacks are a small fashion niche for retail give-aways with a soft hand. 300D Ripstopⁱ is the compromise when weight matters more than maximum ruggedness.

The standard print surface is the front of the main compartment (roughly 20 × 20 cm on medium models) and the front of the front organiser compartment (roughly 12 × 8 cm for a logo). On zip models the print sits above or below the zip curve, on roll-top models below the roll edge. Screen printingⁱ is the standard for B2B runs from 25 units – standard colours sit cleanly on 600D polyesterⁱ. Transfer printingⁱ is the pragmatic choice for smaller runs and multi-colour motifs. Embroidery sits cleanly on cottonⁱ and Cordura models but is not recommended on ripstopⁱ and tarpaulin materials. Important: the print surface must be smooth and flat – on strongly textured or padded areas (such as the back pad) print quality is tricky.

Three features are decisive for cycling use: first, reflective elements on the shoulder strapsⁱ and/or on the back – visibility in commuter traffic, at dusk and in bad weather. Second, a water-repellentⁱ or waterproofⁱ material – on a rainy ride with a laptop in the backpack, this is the difference between an intact and a wet notebook. Third, a chest strap that stabilises the straps and prevents the backpack from sliding forwards when steering or braking. Ideal are roll-top models made of rPETⁱ or tarpaulin with reflective printⁱ – for example the BG138 with reflective outer layer or the BG815 made of waterproof lorry tarpaulin. Additionally helpful: ventilated back pad against sweaty back on longer cycle routes.

Standard cleaning means brushingⁱ or sweeping out the inside (sand, crumbs, paper scraps) and wiping the outside with a damp cloth. Treat stains with a sponge and lukewarm water with neutral soap - never with aggressive cleaners, as they attack the PU coatingⁱ. For a thorough clean, many models can be hand-washed at 30 degrees on a woolⁱ programme (do not spin) - close metal buckles and Velcro fasteners beforehand to avoid material damage. Do not put backpacks with a laptop compartment in the machine, as the padding can deform. Always dry them airily and with the zips open, never in the sun or on a radiator - UV radiation bleaches the colour. Tarpaulin backpacks are especially easy: just rinse them off with a hose.

Yes – for three reasons. First, rPETⁱ is frequently explicitly required in tenders from public and municipal buyers; standard polyesterⁱ is increasingly treated as a knock-out criterion. Second, CSR-oriented corporate customers and young target groups now expect recycled material without needing to be told – its absence is a noticeable perception disadvantage. Third, the surcharge over standard 600D polyesterⁱ at one to two euros per unit is moderate and quickly recouped via positioning and tender eligibility. BagBase Recycled Backpack (BG285), BG286 Roll-Top and BG870 Roll-Top with laptop compartment are reference models for the rPET entry point – look and feel are identical to the conventional counterpart.

Halfar is the German B2B backpack specialist with the broadest functional range: many business and tool backpacks with well-thought-out compartment concepts, often with German-language product documentation and reliable restocking. The first choice for corporate kit and field-service rollouts. BagBase is the British streetwear-oriented volume classic with a huge colour palette and the largest fashion-backpack offering – ideal for roadshow handouts, club merch and anything with everyday utility for the recipient. Quadra is the business orientation in the same corporate group as BagBase, with a clear focus on laptop-capable corporate backpacks and travel models. Bags2GO and L-merch are smaller specialists for price-sensitive campaign goods; Stamina offers Spanish streetwear cuts. Rule of thumb: business and tools – Halfar; fashion and merch – BagBase; business-laptop focus – Quadra.