A Guide to The Best REAL Anti-Theft Backpacks for 2024

We decided to write this guide as a response to other websites who have written poorly researched and down-right misleading "Top Anti-Theft Backpack" lists (you know who you are). Some of them have gone so far as to go into detail about advanced features that can protect your backpack and belongings (details mined from our site) and then listed products that do not contain any of the features! Yet, they are promoting them as anti-theft backpacks. We guarantee that every backpack listed on this page provides superior protection against thieves.

Backpacks are a special case unto themselves because they need to protect against risks that a normal suitcases would endure but they also need to function effectively as a backpack. For those of you who are entering our site through this page and are not familiar with our basic opinion about what constitutes safe luggage, we encourage you to visit our main safe suitcase page and see the video evidence for yourself.

Your backpack needs to protect against everything that a regular suitcase does plus threats from thieves and other travelers while you are moving from place to place. These threats can include thieves breaking into your pack and stealing from you or swiping your tap-enabled debit or credit cards, smugglers hiding contraband so you take the risk of carrying their illegal items and physical damage from the airport baggage handling system.

With all this in mind, let's take a look at what actually makes a backpack an anti-theft backpack...

What Makes a Backpack an Anti-Theft Backpack?

Can you imagine packing your passport, money, laptop and camera into your backpack and leaving it in a common hostel room while you go out for breakfast, or even all day? Well, with the right type of backpack you could do this and not worry about returning to a ransacked bag!

Unfortunately, the term "Anti-theft backpack" has been co-opted by certain backpack manufacturers as a selling feature even though their products are not really theft resistant. These are the ones that some websites have chosen to misrepresent as anti-theft. Typically, these backpacks will have a hidden pocket or recessed single coil zippers but no real anti-theft features.

We really like the Pacsafe line of backpacks (the original anti-theft brand) because it checks all of our security boxes. They are a little more expensive but ultimately, you get what you pay for. Their products routinely have consistent rave reviews on Amazon. Travelon and Eagle Creek both make a few backpacks that come close but they either lack puncture resistant zippers, RFID protection or slash-proof materials.

There are many potential threats against your backpack. Most of the threats are obviously from thieves. Therefor, an anti-theft backpack must prevent the "bad guys" from gaining access to your valuables. So to understand what makes an anti-theft backpack, you need to understand how thieves work to get inside your pack.

Zippers: Thieves are really clever. They know how to quickly break open and then reclose a zipper. This technique is used in many situations: airports (both in the public and baggage areas), ferries, trains, hotels, youth hostels and even on the street.

Most backpacks use what is called a single coil zipper design. These are fine but they are also very easy to break open. The older the zipper, the easier it is to open due to wear and tear. Try inserting a the tip of a pen into the center of a single coil zipper then pressing. The zip will pop right open! And you can simply draw the zip over the opening to reclose the bag, leaving no trace that you were ever there. You can see a video demonstration of this on our main page.

New dual coil or YKK zippers, although not perfect, provide a much higher level of security against this type of breaching method. We highly recommend that you buy a backpack that is built with dual coil zippers. Not convinced? Take a look at our puncture resistant zipper page where we go into much more detail about these innovative zippers. All of the backpacks on this page feature YKK dual coil zippers.

Slash-proof Materials: This is another very common method that thieves employ to get into unsuspecting traveller's backpacks. A razor blade or sharp knife can cut through most traditional backpack material like a knife through butter. This is largely due to the light-weight material used to keep the weight pack to a minimum - a must for most backpackers. Slicing through the shoulder straps and running is another well used method.

The razor blade technique is so quick and effective that many thieves can cut open and steal from a pack while the owner is wearing it!

The best solution to thwart this attack is to use slash-resistant material or embed metal mesh into the walls of the pack and metal wires into the shoulder straps. Pacsafe has developed their patented eXomesh Slashguard stainless steel "cage" that prevents anyone from getting at anything larger than a fist - even if they cut through the material of the bag. They also have something called Carrysafe. This protects the shoulder straps from slashing attacks using two stainless steel cables and in some cases this protection is increased using Dyneema material in the strap.

RFID Anti-Skimming Protection:

RFID (radio frequency identification) is how your tap-and-go cards communicate with the merchants payment terminal. With the increase availability of these tap-enabled cards credit and debit cards, the bad guys have figured out how to take advantage of this new technology. With a little bit of technology, they are able to "swipe" or "skim" your tap-enabled cards and steal money right from your account. Most banks limit these transaction to a small amount (usually around $100) to minimize the impact but it is still a pain to deal with.

The easiest way to avoid this crime is to request that the issuing financial institution deactivate the tap feature. Unfortunately, not all cards can be disabled so the next best thing is to keep the card in a virtual radio frequency "safe". These are made from RFID blocking material and are typically sewn into bags as pockets, incorporated into RFID wallets or are separate little folders. Either way, this is becoming more and more necessary.

There are many unique products on the market today that offer RFID blocking. These include bags, backpacks, wallets, jackets and hoodies. When you are shopping for RFID blocking products, be sure that they offer a frequency blocking range of at least 10MHz to 3GHz. This will cover the radio frequencies used by e-passports, credit/debit cards, and hotel key cards.

What Are The Most Common Sizes of Backpacks?

Depending on where you look, there are varying opinions on the most common sizes of backpacks. We have made an averaged estimate and come up with the list of the most common sizes:

1) 0 to 10 liters - Small backpack
2) 10 to 30 liters - Day packs
3) 30 to 50 liters - Short trip (1 to 3 days)
4) 50 liters plus - Longer duration trip

How Can I Protect my Current Backpack?

Do you have a backpack that you absolutely love and don't want to replace? Well, if you do, Pacsafe has you covered - literally. They have a line of eXomesh encasement bags that are perfect for protecting backpacks from slashing and thieves. These eXomesh bags are light and pack up to very small form factor when not in use. The locking cable also prevents thieves from simply walking away with your pack. This is great on trains, boats and hostels where you spend a great deal of time away from your backpack and have to leave it in an area open to the public.

We have read reviews that complain that the holes in the mesh are quite large. Many reviewers have opted to buy a lockbox that will not pass through the mesh for valuables. Other reviewers have commented on the quality of the lock provided by Pacsafe. You might consider replacing it with a better lock of your choice.

These bags come in three sizes: 55-liter (1 lb), 85-liter (1 lb 5 ounces) and 120-liter (1.5 lbs).

Pros:
1) Protects your backpack from being carried-off when locked to something solid like a pole or a bed frame
2) Small and light so it takes up very little space in your pack
3) Provides extra security for backpacks that do not come with built-in anti-theft features

Cons:
1) The holes in the mesh are quite large potentially giving thieves access to smaller items
2) The lock provided is quite light-weight. You should consider upgrading to a stronger lock.

Where Can I Buy an Anti-Theft Backpack?

You can go directly to the Pacsafe website but we like Amazon to save on shipping. Pacsafe sells their products through their own site but they charge shipping. They also sell their products through Amazon at no extra cost. In fact, many items ship for free and you will probably save on shipping by buying through Amazon.

Other Things to Look For in an Anti-Theft Backpack

Okay, we have covered the various security features that you should be looking for. Once you have all that in mind, there are still many other non-theft related features that you should be considering. Here is a list of some other things to factor in to your buying decision:

Capacity - How large is the bag? Will it hold everything that you need it to hold? Is it bigger than you need it to be. If it is, you may be carrying around extra weight that is not needed.

How Does it Fit? - Does the backpack fit your frame size? REI has a guide that uses the measurement between the base of your neck to the top of your hips. The fit will affect how comfortable your backpack will be. You can see the guide here.
• Less than 15" means you should buy an extra small pack
• 16" to 17" means that you should buy a small pack
• 18" to 19" means that you should buy a medium sized pack
• 20" plus means that you should buy a larger pack

Attractiveness - This should be very obvious. Either you like the way somethings looks or you don't. Many bags come in a variety of colors and designs.

Water Resistance - Not all backpacks are water-proof. Zippers, by design, leaks so look for water-proofed zippers. These are usually normal zippers under a rubber gasket material. Some backpacks may only be water resistant or worse, they leak like a sieve. Some of these bags may come with "rain hoods" so if it does, don't lose it.

Comfort - This goes back to choosing the correct size pack for your body size. What the pack weighs empty is an important consideration. Luckily, most packs sold today are very lightweight to begin with. Padded straps are a must. A lumbar pad is always nice too. This will take some of the strain off of your lower back.

Interior Compartments - What do you need? Most backpacks are divided into at least two or three divided compartments. Many have more than six or seven compartments. It is very common these days to see a padded Laptop compartment and at least one hidden stash pocket. Are the other interior areas padded? Do you need them to be padded?

Power bank/Solar Charger - This one of our favorite newer features. Some backpacks either come with or can pass cabling through the outer wall of the bag so that you can run a power bank inside the bag. This allows you to charge portable devices on-the-go. A select few backpacks actually have solar chargers mounted on the outside in order to recharge your devices directly. (Sun not included)

Bluetooth Speaker - Do you like to share your music with your friends? Then get your hands on a backpack with its own on-board Bluetooth speaker.

Earphone/Charger/Hydration pass-through holes - This may seem very basic but not all backpacks have a way to run even your earphone cable outside of the bag while your mobile device sits safely inside of your backpack. If this is important to you, keep an eye out for this feature.

Water Bottle/Sun Glass Holder - Bag designers are getting more and more clever about ways to hold your water bottles and special pockets to stash your expensive sun glasses. No more need to carry a separate glass case!

Locks - Can you lock the bag or even a single compartment? If so, how good are the locks? Can they accommodate a Locking Cable to prevent "snatch and grabs"?

Nighttime Visibility - If you are going to be out at night, visibility is key to your safety. Many backpacks have luminant designs or tape that fluoresces under light making it and you more visible. Is there a light built into the design?

Whistles - Some backpacks have incorporated whistles into the chest strap latching system so you can always call for help (or just attention to yourself).

Our Selection Criteria

For this article, we are focussing on our three main concerns: protection against slashing attacks, can they be locked securely and thieves using zipper penetration as a means to steal from your backpack and do they offer RFID protection. As stated earlier, there are many backpacks on the market that are listed as "anti-theft" but they fall far short of our target for this page. Since buying a backpack is such a personal choice, we have not tried to rate these packs in any order. We have not rated them on any criteria other than: Can they be locked securely, are they made from slash-resistant material, is the zipper puncture-resistant? All backpacks on this page answer "yes" to these three questions.

Anti-Theft Backpack Comparison Charts

10 Liter and Less Anti-Theft Backpacks

Image

Name

Volume

Weight

Anti-Theft Features

Laptop

Price

Pacsafe Unisex Stylesafe Anti-Theft Sling Backpack (available in four colors)

6L

0.72lbs

• eXomesh anti-slashing material
• Anti-pickpocket zippers
• Double coil YKK zippers
• RFIDsafe™ blocking pocket
• Adjustable Carrysafe® straps

Yes - 10" tablet

Pacsafe Citysafe CX 8L Backpack (available in six colors)

8L

1lb 6oz

• eXomesh anti-slashing material
• Locking zippers
• Double coil YKK zippers
• RFIDsafe™ blocking pocket
• Adjustable Carrysafe® straps

Yes - 13" MacBook

10 Liter to 30 Liter Anti-Theft Backpacks

Image

Name

Volume

Weight

Anti-Theft Features

Laptop

Price

Pacsafe Unisex Stylesafe Anti-Theft Backpack (available in four colors)

12L

0.8lbs

• eXomesh anti-slashing material
• Locking zippers
• Double coil YKK zippers
• RFIDsafe™ blocking pocket
• Carrysafe® single straps

Yes - 11" Laptop

PacSafe Venturesafe X12 Anti-theft Daypack (available in five colors)

12L

1.41lbs

• eXomesh anti-slashing material
• Roobar locking zippers
• Double coil YKK zippers
• RFIDsafe™ blocking pocket
• Adjustable Carrysafe® straps

Yes - 11" laptop

Pacsafe Metrosafe LS350 15 liter Anti-Theft Backpack (available in three colors)

15L

1.46lbs

• eXomesh anti-slashing material
• Locking zippers
• Double coil YKK zippers
• RFIDsafe™ blocking pocket
• Adjustable Carrysafe® straps

YES - 15" MacBook®

Pacsafe Slingsafe LX450 Anti-Theft Sling Backpack (available in four colors)

15L

1.46lbs

• eXomesh anti-slashing material
• Locking zippers
• Double coil YKK zippers
• RFIDsafe™ blocking pocket
• Adjustable Carrysafe® straps

Yes - 15" Laptop

Pacsafe Vibe 20 Liter Anti Theft Daypack (available in six colors)

20L

1.8lbs

• eXomesh anti-slashing material
• Locking zippers
• Double coil YKK zippers
• RFIDsafe™ blocking pocket
• Adjustable Carrysafe® straps

Yes - 13" Laptop

Pacsafe Slingsafe LX300 Anti-Theft Backpack (available in three colors)

20L

1.12lbs

• eXomesh anti-slashing material
• Locking zippers
• Double coil YKK zippers
• RFIDsafe™ blocking pocket
• Adjustable Carrysafe® straps

Yes - 15" Laptop

Pacsafe Venturesafe GII 25 Liter Anti-Theft Backpack (available in two colors)

25L

2.08lbs

• eXomesh anti-slashing material
• Locking zippers
• Double coil YKK zippers
• RFIDsafe™ blocking pocket
• Adjustable Carrysafe® straps

Yes - 15" Laptop

PacSafe Vibe 25l Anti-Theft Backpack (available in nine colors)

25L

2.14lbs

• eXomesh anti-slashing material
• Roobar locking zippers
• Double coil YKK zippers
• RFIDsafe™ blocking pocket
• Adjustable Carrysafe® straps

Yes - 13" MacBook®

Pacsafe Venturesafe G3 25 Liter Anti Theft Backpack (available in three colors)

25L

1lbs 11oz

• eXomesh anti-slashing material
• Locking zippers
• Double coil YKK zippers
• RFIDsafe™ blocking pocket
• Adjustable Carrysafe® straps

Yes - 15" Laptop

Pacsafe Metrosafe LS450 25 Liter Anti Theft Laptop Backpack (available in five colors)

25L

1.84lbs

• eXomesh anti-slashing material
• Locking zippers
• Double coil YKK zippers
• RFIDsafe™ blocking pocket
• Adjustable Carrysafe® straps

Yes - 15" Laptop

30 Liter to 50 Liter Anti-Theft Backpacks

Image

Name

Volume

Weight

Anti-Theft Features

Laptop

Price

Pacsafe Venturesafe X30 Anti-Theft Adventure Backpack (available in three colors)

30L

2lbs 11oz

• eXomesh anti-slashing material
• Anti Pickpocket zippers
• Double coil YKK zippers
• RFIDsafe™ blocking pocket
• Adjustable Carrysafe® straps

Yes - 15" Laptop

PacSafe Venturesafe X34 Anti-theft Hiking Backpack (available in two colors)

34L

3.02lbs

• eXomesh anti-slashing material
• Anti Pickpocket zippers
• Double coil YKK zippers
• RFIDsafe™ blocking pocket
• Adjustable Carrysafe® straps

Yes - 15" Laptop

Pacsafe Venturesafe X40-40L Anti-Theft Camera/DSLR Backpack (only available in black)

40L

3lbs 13oz

• eXomesh anti-slashing material
• Locking zippers
• Double coil YKK zippers
• RFIDsafe™ blocking pocket
• Adjustable Carrysafe® straps with Dyneema

Yes - 15" Laptop

Pacsafe Venturesafe Exp45 Anti-Theft Carry-on Backpack(available in three colors)

45L

3.81lbs

• eXomesh anti-slashing material
• Locking zippers
• Double coil YKK zippers
• RFIDsafe™ blocking pocket
• Adjustable Carrysafe® straps

Yes - 15" Laptop

50 Liter Plus Anti-Theft Backpacks

Image

Name

Volume

Weight

Anti-Theft Features

Laptop

Price

PacSafe Venturesafe Exp55 Anti-theft Travel Pack (only available in black)

55L

2.44lbs

• eXomesh anti-slashing material
• Locking cable
• Double coil YKK zippers
• RFIDsafe™ blocking pocket
• Adjustable Carrysafe® straps

Yes - 13" MacBook

Pacsafe Venturesafe EXP65 Anti-Theft Backpack (only available in black)

65L

6lbs 3oz

• eXomesh anti-slashing material
• Locking cable
• Double coil YKK zippers
• RFIDsafe™ blocking pocket
• Adjustable Carrysafe® straps

Yes - 15" Laptop