Osprey’s range of backpacks, from the Stratos 24L for men’s hiking to the Arcane Large Day Pack for urban adventures, offers a perfect fit for every journey. With choices like the Atmos AG 65 for camping and the Daylite® Plus for everyday use, each backpack comes with Osprey’s lifetime warranty, ensuring quality and durability for any adventure.
Whether you’re a serious trail trekker or need a quality everyday pack, this list of the best Osprey backpacks will help you land on the right pack for your needs.
See our roundup of the best Osprey backpacks for different travel and carry needs below along with the features and specs that earned these packs a spot on the list.
What Are the Best Osprey Backpacks?
- Models from daypacks and duffel bags to urban and hiking packs
- Choose a bag with the right capacity and features for your needs
- Compare all the best Osprey backpacks and their specs
Since 1974, when the company made and sold custom-fitted backpacks, Osprey has been a top name in the backpack business. Every bag and backpack they make is known for quality – they stand behind every product with a lifetime warranty – but some of their pack models have emerged as the best of the best.
Osprey makes a range of bags from daypacks to duffel bags and lightweight urban backpacks to hiking packs that carry days’ worth of food, supplies, and water.
They’re not cheap, but connoisseurs of quality that don’t mind spending a little more for a product that lasts for decades won’t mind. And while the amazing selection of different pack sizes, types, and features make Osprey’s packs stand out, it can also make the buying process a challenge.
How do you know which backpack is best for you? You don’t want to end up with a pack that’s too small, big, heavy, or basic for your needs.
Our list of the best Osprey backpacks for every type of adventure will help you narrow your options and land on the pack that will carry you through.
Take a look below to see the top choices among Osprey packs and find out the specs and features that make them unbeatable on the trails, in the city, and anywhere your feet can carry you.
The 8 Best Osprey Backpacks for Every Adventure
Osprey backpack in Mt Rainier, WA on 9/10/19 after strenuous hike/oksana.perkins/Shutterstock
Find the 8 best Osprey backpacks for your next adventure below with details and specs on the best-rated packs in their lineup.
- Best Hiking Backpack for Men: Osprey Stratos 24L Backpack
- Best Hiking Backpack for Women: Osprey Sirrus 24L Backpack
- Best for Day Trips and Cities: Osprey Arcane Large Day Pack
- Best for Camping: Osprey Atmos AG 65 Backpack
- Best for Backpacking: Osprey Aether 55L Backpack
- Best Everyday Backpack: Osprey Daylite® Plus Backpack
- Best Carry-On Bag: Transporter® Global Carry-On Bag
- Best Duffel Bag: Transporter® Waterproof Duffel Bag
Note that every pack you’ll see below comes with Osprey’s famous All Mighty Guarantee – a lifetime warranty where Osprey promises to repair or replace your bag for “any reason, any product, any era” at no extra cost to you.
It makes the higher price tag on these bags feel a little less expensive. If your bag can conceivably last for the rest of your life, isn’t paying a little more worth it?
1. Best Hiking Backpack for Men: Osprey Stratos 24L Backpack
- Lightweight with 24L capacity to carry up to 25 lbs
- Fully customizable fit for your load, height, and weight
- Big compartments with hydration sleeve and rain cover
- Cost is on the higher end for smaller packs
- Suitable for short hiking trips (1-2 days) only
The Osprey Stratos 24L Hiking Backpack is the absolute best pack choice for men and an excellent option for most hiking trips.
At just over 2 pounds with a breathable mesh backpanel and a 24 liter capacity, it’s lightweight and comfortable for even long-distance carrying over trails and through the woods.
You’ll find your load feels lighter and more evenly distributed with the powder-coated LightWire frame and Airspeed® Suspension.
The 24L size is perfect for most hiking trips with room for your water in the built-in internal hydration sleeve, axe and front panel lash loops, and a trekking pole attachment.
What it’s not is big enough for longer expeditions or bulky winter hiking gear. It’s also not cheap at $180, but it comes with the All Mighty Guarantee (lifetime warranty to fix or replace).
Spring for this pack if you’re serious about quality and don’t mind paying a little more for it.
2. Best Hiking Backpack for Women: Osprey Sirrus 24L Backpack
- Breathable, lightweight pack with 24L capacity
- Raincover, internal hydration sleeve, and roomy zippered pockets
- Adjustable, comfortable, and designed for women's fit
- Costly hiking backpack priced at $180
- Scaled-down 24L size limits the trips you can carry it on
The Osprey Sirrus 24L Hiking Backpack is our top pick for women’s hiking packs from Osprey. It checks all the boxes and provides all the room and comfort you need without extra weight or features you won’t use for a hiking trip.
This pack is breathable with a full mesh backpanel that creates 40% more ventilation than the previous model, comfy foam and mesh straps and harness, and full adjustability for the most custom fit.
It’s Osprey’s equivalent to the Stratos 24 with Airspeed® Suspension and perfect weight distribution, but designed to fit women with a slightly smaller footprint and lighter weight.
You’ll use the internal hydration sleeve and raincover again and again, with front panel loops increasing your carrying capacity even more.
It’s not big enough for longer backpacking trips, but it’ll serve most hiking needs perfectly if you’re on board with the $180 price tag that comes with the All Mighty Guarantee – a lifetime warranty.
3. Best for Day Trips and Cities: Osprey Arcane Large Day Pack
- Huge J-zip front panel and water bottle pocket for easy access
- 16" padded laptop sleeve, large zippered pocket, and internal pockets
- Affordable and made with sustainable recycled materials
- 20L capacity makes room for essentials, but not a ton of extras
- 8.66" depth sticks out less, but reduces packing potential
The Osprey Arcane Large Day Pack is our favorite pack for day trips and exploring cities and urban areas because it’s stylishly minimalist, lightweight, and offers amazing capacity for the footprint.
The big J-zip front panel makes it easy to reach in and access the laptop sleeve, document sleeve, and internal organization pockets when you’re out and about.
A low-profile water bottle pocket keeps your drink handy while you wander through the city under the pack’s comfy, stretchy foam and mesh straps that feature a hidden pocket.
This pack is more affordable around $110 because it’s made from recycled materials – the equivalent of 10.5 plastic bottles. It offers a 20L capacity that only fits the essentials (laptop, books, water, keys, etc.).
To keep the footprint small enough for comfortable city walking, the depth has been shaved down to less than 9″. That’s really a pro, but less depth means a longer pack with less room for big stuff.
4. Best for Camping: Osprey Atmos AG 65 Backpack
- Fit-on-the-Fly harness and cam lock torso attachment for custom fit
- Even load distribution with easily manageable 4.6-4.8 lb. weight
- Carries up to 40 lbs. of gear with floating top lid and zip access
- Heirloom quality translates into a higher price
- 65L-68L capacity may be bigger than you need
The best backpack for camping is the workhorse Osprey Atmos AG 65, which Osprey has named as one of its most popular best sellers.
It’s massive with a 65L (S/M) to 68L (L/XL) capacity and spots for your hydration sleeve, water bottles, sleeping bag, tool loops, trekking poles, and camping supplies.
A Fit-on-the-Fly harness and cam lock torso attachment make for the most secure and comfortable fit. A unique silicone grip in the lumbar region provides unbeatable stability and weight distribution.
You can lug up to 40 pounds of gear on your trip and use the pack for daily hikes with all the capacity and easy access to the cavernous interior pockets.
You’ll pay for the large size and quality here – to the tune of $340 – but the All Mighty Guarantee backs it up for life and you’ll never need another camping pack. Ever.
5. Best for Backpacking: Osprey Aether 55L Backpack
- Balanced 55L capacity and 4.8 lb. weight leaves the most room for gear
- Hugs the body for superior fit, load distribution, and stability
- Carry up to 60 lbs. with tons of compartments, sleeves, and pockets
- Very pricey upfront, but comes with lifetime warranty
- Limited capacity for longer trips, but room to attach extra gear
The Osprey Aether 55L Backpack is a slightly-smaller version of the pack famously worn on the Time Magazine cover by Erik Weihenmayer, the first blind climber to summit Mount Everest.
It’s the best pack for true backpacking with its balance of capacity (55L) and relatively light weight that leaves room for your essential gear (4.8 lbs.).
You’ll find straps and compartments for your sleeping bag and pack, food and water, tools, and supplies to keep you going while you backpack across wild regions.
The 55L capacity won’t hold everything inside, but Osprey added lots of extra straps, attachment loops, and pockets so you can squeeze all the essentials and a few extras in.
This pack costs about $300, so it’s going to be an investment for some. But with the All Mighty Guarantee, you’ll find it’s a worthy one-time expense that keeps paying off over the years.
6. Best Everyday Backpack: Osprey Daylite® Plus Backpack
- Affordable, comfy, ventilated pack that weighs 1.2 lbs
- Laptop/tablet sleeve with zip and mesh compartments
- Compatible with larger Osprey packs as an attachment
- 20L capacity won't be enough for long hikes or trips
- Sleeve fits up to a 15" laptop or tablet only
The Osprey Daylite® Plus Everyday Backpack is our top choice for an everyday backpack with plenty of room for daily essentials and the comfort and quality you’d expect from Osprey.
This is one of their most affordable bags ($75) with a few extra features the basic Daylite® series doesn’t have, like more storage room and spots for a hydration pouch, laptop, or tablet.
Throw all your daily gear inside and know you’re in for a comfy ride with a ventilated mesh backpanel, foam and mesh straps that ease the load, and a removable hip belt.
Festivals, commutes, quick trails, and short trips demand the convenience and comfort of this everyday backpack. You’ve got about 20L of capacity, so don’t try to overload it.
If you use a widescreen laptop or large tablet, it may not fit in the 15″ sleeve inside – make sure to measure your devices before you settle on this pack for everyday use.
7. Best Carry-On Bag: Transporter® Global Carry-On Bag
- Stow more with 36L capacity so you can check less luggage
- Sized to meet most carry-on standards with multiple ways to carry
- 16" laptop sleeve, fold-flat design, and padded straps for comfort
- Water-resistant, but not fully waterproof
- High relative cost may deter some buyers
The Osprey Transporter® Global Carry-On Bag is the best choice for travelers bringing carry-on luggage that needs to take up minimal room while providing tons of interior space.
With 36L capacity and sized to meet most global carry-on qualifications, this bag holds a lot more than a day pack or everyday pack so you can squeeze more into your carry-on and check less luggage.
Divided into thirds and able to fold out totally flat, it’s easy to sort through your stuff and fit everything inside with internal compression, a 16″ laptop sleeve, and a dedicated liquids pocket.
Carry it by the backpack harness, shoulder strap, or handles to suit your needs. We like the tuck away waist belt and detachable padded shoulder strap for comfier carrying.
It’s not waterproof, but it’s water-resistant with TPU-coated fabric that repels light rain to protect your belongings. At $200, it’s a pricey carry-on bag but it always does the job and literally lasts for a lifetime.
8. Best Duffel Bag: Transporter® Waterproof Duffel Bag
- Waterproof up to 30 minutes submerged with IPX7 rating
- Holds 40L with comfy padded straps and roomy interior
- Tough ripstop nylon coated with TPU for less wear and tear
- High cost for this level of quality and waterproofing
- There are larger duffels on the market
The Osprey Transporter® Waterproof Duffel Bag is a seriously outfitted IPX7-rated waterproof duffel bag designed for the wildest, longest, and most memorable trips.
This zippered bag can be submerged in up to 3 feet of water for 30 minutes without giving up your belongings to the waterlogged fate they’d otherwise suffer.
Whitewater rafting, river crossings, and downpours on the trail are no match for this bag.
With an impressive (but nowhere near the biggest) 40L capacity, you’ll be able to lug your sleeping bag, tent, water, and supplies comfortably on the padded shoulder straps with reinforced grip handles.
We like that it’s made from 100% recycled and bluesign® approved materials that last forever, like ripstop nylon coated with TPU to resist wear and tear over the years.
It’s pricey, though, at $320 and you can certainly find cheaper duffels with a bigger capacity. But you won’t find another with this level of waterproofing and carry customization.
Which Osprey Backpack Will Work Best for You?
Man in Gunung Malaysia packs and ties his Osprey backpack for a hiking trip
/Mentari Merah Studio/Shutterstock
You’ve seen the best Osprey backpacks – how can you determine which one’s best for your needs? Learn more about picking the right Osprey backpack for you with these selection tips.
Where Are You Going?
With 8 options that span different backpack sizes, types, and designs, your destination will help you narrow down your choices between the best Osprey backpacks.
Going camping or backpacking far from the nearest town? You’ll need something hefty with capacity, like the Osprey Atmos AG 65L or the slightly-smaller, still-roomy Osprey Aether 55L.
Planning on using your pack around the city or on short, easy trails? Opt for the Osprey Arcane Large Day Pack, the Osprey Daylite® Plus backpack, or the larger Stratos (men) or Sirrus (women) 24L backpacks.
Need it exclusively for travel or overnight trips? There’s no better choice than the Transporter® Global Carry-On Bag.
If you’re heading out where you may get wet, spring for the Transporter® Waterproof Duffel Bag to keep your stuff dry even when submerged for up to 30 minutes.
How Much Stuff Are You Bringing?
It’s hard to envision the actual size and capacity of a backpack just by looking at the liter capacity. Here’s a general idea of what each size will hold.
The Arcane Large Day Pack and Daylite® Plus Backpack have a compact 20L capacity, which is enough for small basics (headphones, small books, etc.) and smaller laptops or tablets.
The Stratos and Sirrus 24L packs on our list are the most common size and are considered medium-sized backpacks. You’ll have no problem fitting your laptop, books, keys, headphones, and other small items in a pack this size.
The Transporter® Global Carry-On Bag offers 36L capacity while the Transporter® Waterproof Duffel Bag offers 40L capacity. It’s big enough to carry everything you need, from sleeping bags to small essentials.
There’s not much difference in roominess here, but it’s easy to choose based on what you need the bag for. The carry-on is about $120 less than the waterproof duffel.
The largest packs on our list are the Atmos with 65L capacity and the Aether with 55L capacity. Either will give you plenty of room to pack days’ worth of food, water, bedding, and camping supplies.
What’s Your Budget?
How much you’re willing to spend will help you quickly hone in on the best Osprey backpacks for your needs.
The general cost is higher than average backpack brands, but there are some options that are more affordable than others.
The most affordable Osprey backpacks on our list are the Daylite® Plus backpack ($75) and the Arcane Large Day Pack ($110). They’re compact, comfortable, and great for everyday, lightweight carry.
The Stratos and Sirrus 24L hiking backpacks cost about $180 and offer the best value for your money with more room and features for comfortable, breathable carrying across long distances.
The Transporter® Global Carry-On Bag is next in terms of cost, ringing up around $200 for 36L of capacity and perfectly sized for most airlines’ carry-on rules.
Try the Aether 55L ($300) if you want a serious pack for long distances far away from civilization and lots of room inside.
Or you can spring for the Transporter® Waterproof Duffel Bag ($320) to add “waterproof” to your list of features with 40L capacity.
If you really want the best and don’t mind paying more for extra space, the Atmos 65L ($340) can’t be beat for long camping trips, adventures, and overnight hikes.
So, What Are the Best Osprey Backpacks?
| 🚶 Best Hiking Backpack for Men | Osprey Stratos 24L Backpack |
| 🚶♀️ Best Hiking Backpack for Women | Osprey Sirrus 24L Backpack |
| 🏙️ Best for Day Trips and Cities | Osprey Arcane Large Day Pack |
| 🏕️ Best for Camping | Osprey Atmos AG 65 Backpack |
| 🎒 Best for Backpacking | Osprey Aether 55L Backpack |
| 🧑💼 Best Everyday Backpack | Osprey Daylite® Plus Backpack |
| ✈️ Best Carry-On Bag | Transporter® Global Carry-On Bag |
| 👜 Best Duffel Bag | Transporter® Waterproof Duffel Bag |
Now that you’re familiar with the 8 best Osprey backpacks for all different types of trips, adventures, and everyday carry, you might be zeroing in on the perfect pack for you.
Make sure it offers the capacity, features, and price point you need so you can experience firsthand why Osprey is still considered the best in backpacks.
And when you choose an Osprey backpack with the All Mighty Guarantee, you’ll be able to make memories with this pack on your back for decades to come!