Seeking a unique backpack that stands out? We’ve compiled a list of the most unique backpacks we could find ranging in size, style, and function that are bound to turn heads.
We’ve included some unique travel, lifestyle, and hiking backpacks as well as some more niche backpacks designed to serve specific purposes. Picnic backpacks, cooler backpacks, backpacks with built-in power banks, speakers, and seating – there are a ton of cool options to choose from. Check out our top list of unique backpacks and find the bag you never knew you needed!
ZIPIT builds some pretty killer hardshell backpacks worth checking out if you like to stand out walking around town or around campus. They’re designed to safely carry up to a 14-inch laptop, and also have some great internal organization for keeping your other electronics, lunch, school books and whatever else all neat and tidy. The straps are nicely padded and adjustable, and the pack is well reviewed for having a good fit.
It’s a highly functional hardshell bag that’s great for both work and play, but what makes this backpack unique is the awesome color schemes and patterns ZIPIT has come up with. These bags have a totally stand-out look that will turn heads wherever you go.
Here’s a smaller sized, personal backpack for regular use by Artsadd that comes in all sorts of unique patterns. This will function great as a school bag or hiking daypack, but don’t expect to fit a ton of gear in here, it’s only about 18 inches tall.
The available patterns are mostly nature themed, including prints of llamas, ocean critters, flamingos and much more. This is a great everyday, affordable pack that will no doubt stand out in a crowd.
Here’s a super affordable backpack with a seriously sharp looking aesthetic that you ought to have on your radar. Hynes Eagle has built quite an attractive and unique backpack with this vintage looking canvas and faux leather bag that’s great for everyday use and travel.
It’s a standard size backpack that’s great for stashing a laptop and some books and binders. There’s also a nice array of slip pockets and sleeves to organize everything internally. The bag features a top weather flap as well as zippered and buttoned closure, yet it maintains a totally sleek and streamlined profile. It’s a very simple backpack, but somehow has a great unique look.
The only real downfall here is the quality of the strapping – perhaps that’s why the price tag is so low. If you’re not loading this backpack up with a ton of weight and utilizing it for regular, everyday use, the straps shouldn’t bother you.
No doubt a unique backpack with a great vintage aesthetic that will make an awesome travel companion or lifestyle bag.
Here’s a standard backpack from popular brand JanSport that comes in a HUGE array of totally unique colors and patterns. This is a great choice of unique backpack if you’re looking for a regular everyday use bag that makes a statement and turns heads. The Day Of The Dead pattern featured is my personal favorite, but there are over 35 other options!
There are two main compartments and a few external zippered pockets that allow for some pretty solid organization. The 600 Denier polyester fabric is built tough and should be able to handle years of abuse just fine. The only real downfall of this unique backpack is the shoulder strapping – it’s totally adequate but doesn’t carry heavy loads all that comfortably.
Alright, this is one cool backpack. The TRAKK Shell Backpack with built-in waterproof speaker is essentially a walking party. This bad boy has a 20W output subwoofer with max-bass technology and some powerhouse HI-FI Bluetooth speakers – and it’s all waterproof! This bag is brilliant for the beach, music festivals, walking around campus or anywhere where you can bring the party.
The TRAKK backpack also has a built-in 5200 mAh power bank for charging USB compatible devices and also features a LED light display. The lights are a nice compliment to the music, but they’re also a great safety feature for walking or riding at night.
Cool features aside, this hard shell backpack is also a great functional bag. There’s awesome internal organization and plenty of space to pack gear. The capacity of the pack is not enormous, but it’s streamlined and low profile making it great for more active applications like hiking and cycling. At a glance, the TRAKK backpack comes off as a bit tacky, but upon further investigation, it’s easy to tell that this is one badass and unique backpack.
If you’re concerned about the durability and reliability of all the included gadgets here, TRAKK offers a one year warranty so you can buy in confidence.
I love the overall setup and pocket schematic of this unique backpack by Kelty. This has been my main travel backpack for over a year now and it’s hands down the best pack I’ve ever owned.
The Redwing 50 is comparable to a high capacity hiking style backpack but is a panel-loader rather than a top-loading pack. This unique design means you can unzip the main compartment all the way down the bag body and access contents in the bottom of the pack without having to dump everything out. It’s a brilliant design that’s perfect for both travel and outdoor use.
At 50 liters you can live out of this bag if you know how to pack light. The main compartment, side pouches, and side pockets all add up to some kickass storage that can be easily organized. I have relied on this pack for multi-day campouts in the wilderness, backpacking around South America and as a regular overnight bag – it’s an incredibly versatile option that makes a great companion for all sorts of scenarios.
The back panel, shoulder, and waist straps are all built with breathability in mind for maximum airflow during hot weather. The Redwing 50 is furthermore compatible with a hydration system making it a truly great pack for active outdoorsmen.
Whatever your outdoor hobbies or travel tendencies entail, chances are this unique backpack from Kelty is right up your alley.
Here’s a highly affordable backpack cooler-stool that will make an awesome companion for days at the beach, park, or out fishing. What you see is what you get with this bag – the quality is adequate but not great, the price, however, is excellent!
The steel stool frame can support up to 250 pounds, and the cooler compartment has some decent storage space – it can even stash a bottle of wine! This is a great backpack for loading up for a picnic or for just bringing a six-pack of beers to the beach!
If you’re not a fan of the camo pattern, there are some other color options available through the same link.
The stool itself is by no means a luxurious seat, but it gives you a place to rest your bottom where ever you are! Considering that this unique backpack doubles as a cooler and a stool, we found it worthy for inclusion on our list!
This is a unique backpack that is designed for use fishing. If you’re not a fisherman, you’ll still be interested in this backpack for its awesome organization potential and included features. If you are a fisherman, then you’ll go nuts over this righteous bag! Make sure to check out our list of the best fishing backpacks if this bag peaks your interest!
The Nomad XP has a huge array of internal and external pockets for effectively storing and organizing a large amount of gear. There are large and small zippered pockets, external mesh pouches, a sunglasses compartment and even some built-in retractable steel cables for attaching tools to the pack. This is an unbelievable backpack for any activity that involves bringing along a bunch of gear in an organized manner.
Likely the most useful features of this pack are the incorporated LED light and power bank. The Nomad XP provides you with light for completing tasks (designed for tying knots and unhooking fish while angling in the dark) after or before dark and also provides you with a charging station to power up all your USB compatible devices. There’s even an array of power adapter tips included (Apple lightening, Apple 30-pin and micro/mini USB)!
A full coverage rain cover is furthermore included with this pack so your apparel and gear will stay bone dry no matter the weather conditions. For fishermen and gear-intensive adventurers of any kind, this is a must-have unique backpack!
Here’s one of our favorite picks from our list of top hunting backpacks! The Pursuit pack from ALPS OutdoorZ is an excellent hunting companion, but also a highly versatile backpack for all sorts of applications. You could use this bad boy as a hiking pack, camera bag or even a book bag – it can do it all!
There’s a well designed internal pocket and sleeve schematic that’s meant for organizing hunting gear in the field that will work beautifully for keeping any type of equipment nice and neatly packed.
The coolest (and highly practical) feature of this pack is that the stiff-bodied, main zippered compartment folds down to create a small table space. It’s designed for placing a pair of binoculars or a duck call in front of you while actively hunting but works great as a little work space for anything! lt’s a brilliant feature for when you’re hands are busy and you need some table space to do anything from eating a sandwich to rolling a cigarette.
Another neat feature is the drop-down strap that is designed to fit a rifle-butt in order to safely carry a firearm. This feature can be used to effectively carry long, thin objects that otherwise won’t fit into the pack. It could come in handy for keeping your hands free bringing along oddly shaped objects from fishing poles to musical instruments.
This waterproof backpack by renowned outfitter, Orvis, is a top of the line fly fishing backpack that’s built remarkably tough. It’s not cheap, but for good reason – this unique backpack is an AWESOME companion for water sports, fishing, and travel as well as regular everyday use.
This is my travel carry-on bag when I go anywhere. I can travel in confidence knowing that my laptop and other water sensitive items will remain bone dry even if this pack goes overboard and into the water – it’s fully submersible when the special water-sealed zipper is properly secured.
This is a 21-liter backpack, so it’s perfect as a hiking daypack or for everyday use. The main compartment is surprisingly spacious and furthermore has a flip-out panel of zippered pockets for keeping all your smaller items nice and organized. There’s also a front, water-resistant zippered pocket that allows for easy access to the items you want directly on hand.
Two pouches with lash loops are also present on either side of the pack. These two spaces can be utilized for all sorts of storage adding some major versatility to this unit.
The strapping is contoured and padded for excellent carrying comfort and the inherent design of the pack itself is very low profile and streamlined for active use. There’s even a space for tool attachment on the shoulder strap. Waist and chest straps furthermore allow you to carry more weight than you comfortably could with a standard 21-liter pack.
A unique backpack perfect for all sorts of unique scenarios, Orvis has come up with a killer product with this one!
Here’s one more totally waterproof, unique backpack we wanted to turn you on to. This bag by The Friendly Swede is a 33-liter, drybag style backpack with a few awesome added features. The roll-top style closure of this bag is what keeps your gear dry in the rain, snow or splash – whatever you bring along in this unit isn’t getting wet!
Reflective accents and an easy access survival whistle make it a great companion for wilderness excursions and city commutes where you want to maximize safety.
Two mesh side pockets can accommodate a water bottle effectively while a front velcro pocket adds even more to this pack’s storage and organization potential. There’s furthermore a padded laptop sleeve on the interior of the pack making it perfect for rainy day commutes.
Chest and waist straps, as well as adjustable shoulder straps, maximize the comfort and form-fit of this pack. An affordable and highly functional unique backpack with a cool aesthetic, you gotta love this unit from The Friendly Swede!
Here’s one of our top picks of insulated backpacks from Igloo that’s very comparable to the Yeti Hopper Pack, but far less expensive. This is a 28 can cooler-pack that’s the perfect companion for boating, beaching and days at the park. The Switch Marine Backpack is not just a cooler compartment with backpack straps, it’s a thoughtfully designed, unique backpack with high organization potential and a durable build.
The 600-denier polyester fabric with TPE coating is tough enough to stand up to sun, saltwater and whatever other abuse you plan on putting this pack through. The inherent design is quite simple and therefore less prone to malfunction despite its killer array of pockets and storage space.
There’s a large main compartment, front zippered pocket, side sleeves, and even a thin zippered pocket against the back of the pack – there’s a spot for everything with the Switch Marine. Cutlery, drinks, ice, food and snacks can all be packed separately for those that prefer not to just stuff their cooler bag.
One cool feature that Igloo has included with this unique backpack is that the straps can be collapsed into the back zippered pocketso it can be carried like a regular cooler. This could come in handy for all sorts of reasons!
No doubt one of the best quality and value cooler bags on the market!
Here’s another insulated cooler backpack, but this one is actually designed for some real trekking. This cooler pack by North Coyote is essentially a hiking backpack that’s been modified to also insulate food and beverages! It has great organization potential and carries weight effectively so you can bring a full picnic (beers included) up to any summit!
The main cooler compartment, front zippered pocket and side mesh pockets add up to a total of 42 liters! There is furthermore a few zipper loops and external clips that can be used as attachment points for additional gear or tools.
The insulated cooler-space is quite spacious on this one, totaling 17 liters! The cooler compartment is also brilliantly designed to be collapsible so you can keep this pack nice and low profile when you don’t have a full picnic packed.
The strapping is also of impressive quality for the cost and is no doubt suitable for hiking with heavy loads. The fabrics used are also tough enough to handle the regular abuse of use in the great outdoors.
Bottom line, this is a fantastically unique backpack for anyone that loves to play outside, and the price is right!
If you’re a fan of outdoor picnicking, you need to have this unique backpack from HapTim on your radar. This unit is the ultimate option for packing up an on-the-go feast to be enjoyed anywhere, and it’s super affordable!
Built from high-quality nylon fabric, this picnic backpack has great abrasion and deformation resistance on top of being essentially waterproof. The main compartment is oversized and equipped with premium insulation lining for maintaining the temperature of your food and drinks. It’s a well thought out design that you’ll absolutely be impressed by.
Hap Tim even includes all the cutlery, wine glasses and other dining necessities pictured – it’s an incredible value for the cost! A decent quality picnic blanket is also included and packs nicely.
One more noteworthy feature is the included detachable wine bottle holder – what’s a picnic without some adult beverages?
With all the included items, this is truly an awesome value and totally unique backpack that you will no doubt make many memories with.
Do you have a tiny furry friend that you wish you could bring along with you when you leave the house? This unique backpack design from Anzone allows you to carry dogs up to 10 pounds or cats up to 12 pounds right in your backpack!
There are plenty of air holes and even a domed window port for your little buddy to enjoy the sights, smells and sounds of wherever you adventure, but of course, make sure your pet is comfortable being placed in a bag like this before using it – it’s not for everyone!
There’s a velvet pad on the inside of the pack for your pet’s comfort while the hilarious dome-window allows them to view the world outside. People everywhere will get a huge kick out of this unique backpack – you’ll be turning heads left and right.
The Eco-friendly Poly Carbonate exterior is a hard shell so your pet won’t get wet during even the heaviest of rains. You can also easily decorate the backpack with stickers and other artistic expressions!
No doubt one of the most unique backpacks we’ve come across that could potentially add some serious fun and hilarity to you and your pet’s relationship.
