20 Brands Like Baggallini for Functional Travel Bags
The crossbody that has been through six airports now has a fraying strap and a lining that has given up. You want the same thing again, only not the identical bag in the identical grey. Maybe you want the pockets without the zip-heavy travel look, or the same organisation in leather instead of nylon.
Baggallini sits in a specific spot: lightweight bags with a compartment for everything, mostly between $95 and $165. These 20 brands cover the same ground from different angles. Some undercut it, some sell you a suitcase instead of a handbag, and a few do one job far better than a general-purpose travel bag manages.
Quick comparison:
- Closest match on price and purpose: Kipling, Béis, Vera Bradley, Travelon, Timbuk2
- Suitcases rather than handbags: Briggs & Riley, Samsonite, Rimowa, Eagle Creek
- The premium, quieter end: Lo & Sons, Dagne Dover, Cuyana, Tumi, Lily Jade
- Built for the outdoors, not the terminal: Osprey, Patagonia, Columbia, Fjallraven
- Specialists: Everki for laptops, Matt & Nat for vegan materials
| Brand | Price | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Travelon | Mid-range | City days when you want locking zips |
| Briggs & Riley | $679 to $929 | A carry-on you repair instead of replace |
| Eagle Creek | Mid-range | Packing cubes and duffels for long trips |
| Tumi | Premium | Business travel in ballistic nylon |
| Samsonite | Mid-range | Wheeled luggage on a normal budget |
| Patagonia | Premium | Gear you can resell through Worn Wear |
| Lo & Sons | $75 to $288 | A laptop bag that slides over a suitcase handle |
| Béis | $78 to $168 | Weekend totes with a trolley pass-through |
| Columbia | Mid-range | Bags that spend time outdoors and in the rain |
| Kipling | $69 to $169 | Light nylon crossbodies in real colour |
| Dagne Dover | $250 to $425 | Neoprene totes with a slot for everything |
| Vera Bradley | Mid-range | Pattern-led bags you can wash |
| Rimowa | Luxury | Aluminium cases bought once |
| Timbuk2 | $59 to $149 | Bike and train commuting |
| Osprey | Mid-range | Walking and active travel, not office days |
| Lily Jade | $79 to $395 | Parents who want leather, not a nappy bag |
| Cuyana | Premium | One good tote instead of four cheap ones |
| Matt & Nat | Mid-range | Vegan materials without a compromise look |
| Fjallraven | Mid-range | A Kanken that survives a decade of school runs |
| Everki | Mid-range | Carrying a 17-inch laptop safely |
Travelon
Travelon takes the same lightweight, many-pocketed brief and adds hardware built around theft. Its bags carry what the brand calls a 5 Point Anti-Theft Security System: a slash-resistant body, locking compartments, RFID blocking, lock down straps and slash-resistant straps.
That is the difference in one line. You get the compartment count you are used to, plus zips that lock to the bag and a strap you can loop around a café chair leg. The range splits into named collections including Classic, Metro, Urban, Boho and Heritage, with Origin and Greenlander using recycled fabric. Pricing sits mid-range, and shipping is free over $50.
The caveat is aesthetic. Locking zip pulls and steel-cabled straps look like what they are, so this is a bag for a train station rather than a dinner.
Best for: City and international trips where you want the zips to lock.
Briggs & Riley
Briggs & Riley makes wheeled luggage with the strongest warranty in this list. The Simple as That guarantee covers the life of the bag with no receipt needed, and it includes damage caused by airlines, which is the failure almost every other warranty excludes.
The Essential 22-inch 2-Wheel Expandable Carry-On costs $679 and the spinner version of the same case is $729. Sizing up, the Medium Expandable Spinner is $859 and the Large Expandable Spinner is $929.
Those numbers are five to nine times what a lightweight crossbody costs, so this is a different purchase rather than a like-for-like swap. What the two brands share is a habit of building the organisation into the bag instead of leaving you to solve it with pouches. If a handle snapping in a baggage hall has ever ruined a trip, the warranty is the argument.
Best for: A carry-on you plan to have repaired rather than replaced.
Eagle Creek
Eagle Creek is the packing-system brand. Its Pack-It range of cubes, compression cubes, garment folders and shoe sacks is the reason most people know the name, and it does for a suitcase what a multi-compartment handbag does for a day out.
Bags come backed by the No Matter What warranty, with 60-day returns and free shipping over $99. The larger Cargo Hauler duffels and Expanse wheeled bags are built from recycled fabric and designed to be repaired.
Where the two brands part company is scale and shape. Eagle Creek sells duffels and packing organisers rather than a crossbody you would carry to lunch. Pricing runs mid-range.
Best for: Long trips where the packing system matters more than the bag.
Tumi
Tumi is the business-travel end of this market, and its Alpha collection is built from a patented FXT ballistic nylon that pairs a dense weave with a coating to resist abrasion. Every Alpha suitcase ships with a built-in TSA lock.
The overlap is material and mindset. Both brands chose technical nylon over leather and both put the pocket layout ahead of the silhouette. The gap is money, because Tumi sits firmly premium and a single backpack there can cost more than three Baggallini bags.
Buy it if you fly for work often enough that the bag is a tool. Our guide to brands like Tumi covers the cheaper routes to the same look if the price is the sticking point.
Best for: Frequent business travel where the bag takes daily abuse.
Samsonite
Samsonite is the mid-market default for wheeled luggage, and it sells laptop backpacks alongside the cases. The Biz2go Backpack 15.6 and the Ecodiver Backpack L are the two that come closest to a work bag, sitting under hardshell ranges like Proxis, C-Lite, Upscape and Restackd.
A global commercial warranty covers the range, and pricing is mid-range against the premium and luxury luggage brands further down this page. One practical note before you shop: the site redirects by region, so the storefront, the stock and the currency all depend on where you are browsing from.
Best for: Wheeled luggage and a laptop backpack without a premium price.
Patagonia
Patagonia makes duffels, packs and travel bags built for weather, and it runs Worn Wear, its own marketplace for buying and selling used Patagonia gear. Trade-in now runs through the main site while Worn Wear handles resale.
That resale route changes the maths in a way no spec sheet does. A bag with a live secondhand market has a lower real cost than its price tag suggests, because you can sell it on when your travel habits change.
The style is the trade. Patagonia bags read as outdoor kit, so if you wanted something to carry into a meeting this is the wrong shelf. Pricing is premium, and our Patagonia alternatives guide covers the same look for less.
Best for: Travel gear you intend to resell rather than bin.
Lo & Sons
Lo & Sons was founded by Helen Lo in 2010 and builds travel bags around one detail: a sleeve that slides over a suitcase handle. The Aoyama 2 in nylon costs $198, the sheepskin leather version is $288, and the Bond in sheepskin leather is $228.
Cheaper entry points exist. The Cambridge is $75 and the Beacon, in recycled poly, sits under $100 on sale.
This is the closest premium match to a lightweight nylon travel handbag, with the same passthrough sleeves and laptop pockets in a plainer shape and better materials. You pay roughly double for that, and the range is narrow, so the odds of finding your exact colour are lower than at a bigger brand.
Best for: A laptop bag that rides on top of your suitcase.
Béis
Béis covers the weekend-bag end of this list at prices that undercut most premium travel brands. The Travel Tote is $108, the East To West Tote is $118, the Commuter Tote is $138, the Work Tote is $148 and the Large Work Tote is $168. Smaller pieces start with the Crescent Catchall at $78 and the Sport Tote at $88.
The features are the familiar ones done well: trolley pass-throughs, removable laptop sleeves, magnetic closures and interior water bottle pockets. Free shipping starts at $140 and personalisation is free on selected items.
The look is louder and more fashion-led, with croc textures and canvas-and-leather trims rather than plain technical nylon. If you wanted understated, this is not it. We go deeper on the range in our guide to brands like Béis.
Best for: Weekend totes that clip onto a suitcase handle.
Columbia
Columbia started as a Portland hat company more than 87 years ago and now sells weather-resistant bags and backpacks alongside its outdoor clothing. Pricing is mid-range.
Set against a lightweight travel handbag, this is the version that copes with rain and a muddy car boot. The fabrics are tougher and the organisation is coarser, which is another way of saying you get two big compartments rather than eleven small ones. Treat it as the knockabout bag rather than the one you carry to work. Our North Face alternatives guide places it against the rest of the outdoor pack market.
Best for: Bags that live outdoors and get rained on.
Kipling
Kipling is the nearest like-for-like swap for Baggallini here, selling light nylon crossbodies and backpacks in the same bracket and with the same many-pocket habit. The Seoul Large 15-inch Laptop Backpack runs $134 to $149 depending on colour, and the Extra Large 17-inch version is $154 to $169.
Crossbodies are cheaper. The Bells and Adley styles start at $69 and the Keefe is $94, with all three dropping under $70 in the outlet. The Sven monkey keychain that hangs off almost every bag is $15 on its own.
Colour is the real difference. Kipling commits to brights and prints where Baggallini reaches for black and taupe, so the choice is mostly about how loud you want your bag to be. Shop the US store at us.kipling.com, since the global root address blocks a lot of visitors.
Best for: Light nylon bags with actual colour in them.
Dagne Dover
Dagne Dover builds neoprene and recycled-fabric bags with a designated slot for every object you carry, which is the same organising instinct executed in a softer material. The Allyn Tote in large is $425, and both the Dakota Backpack and the Indi Diaper Backpack in large are $250.
The 365 Neo collection is the neoprene one, and it is the reason these bags feel padded and hold their shape when empty. Water-resistant fabrics and smooth zips run across the range.
The price is the honest obstacle. You are paying two to four times what a nylon equivalent costs, and neoprene picks up marks that nylon shrugs off. What you get is a bag that looks like an accessory rather than a piece of travel equipment.
Best for: Hyper-organised totes that still look like handbags.
Vera Bradley
Vera Bradley competes for the same shopper on the same department store shelves, with quilted cotton and technical fabrics instead of plain travel nylon. Its three main materials are Premium Cotton, the lighter Featherweight, and Performance Twill for bags that need to shrug off a spill.
The Bancroft and Clarion backpacks are the everyday carriers, and the Lunch Crossbody is the small one people buy first.
Pattern is the whole proposition. Where Baggallini sells restraint, Vera Bradley sells paisley, and the cotton styles can go in a wash, which a coated nylon bag cannot. Pricing is mid-range and shipping is free over $99.
Best for: Pattern-led bags in fabric you can put through a wash.
Rimowa
Rimowa is the luxury extreme of this list, known for grooved aluminium cases in its Original line and a separate lightweight polycarbonate range. Suitcases bought from 25 July 2022 carry a lifetime guarantee on functional parts, though cosmetic wear and misuse fall outside it.
Nothing about the price or the category lines up with a lightweight nylon handbag. What lines up is the reasoning: buy the expensive one once, keep it for twenty years, and let the guarantee handle the wheels and handles.
Worth knowing before you fall in love with the aluminium. It dents, and the brand treats those dents as patina rather than damage, so the polycarbonate range is the sensible pick if scuffs bother you.
Best for: One suitcase, bought once, kept for decades.
Timbuk2
Timbuk2 makes weather-resistant messenger bags and packs for commuting, and it undercuts most of this list. The Classic Messenger Bag is $149, the Scholar Convertible Tote Backpack is $109 and the Mode Belt Bag is $59.
Its custom builder is the unusual part: six styles and more than 40 colours you configure yourself, with the Custom Classic Messenger starting at $139. Free shipping kicks in over $99.
The shared ground is durable fabric and sensible pockets at a fair price. The difference is attitude, because these bags are cut for a bike frame and a laptop rather than a hotel lobby. If you cycle to work, that is exactly the point.
Best for: Commuting by bike or train with a laptop.
Osprey
Osprey builds hiking and active-travel packs, and its All Mighty Guarantee will repair or replace any damage for any reason at no cost, whether the pack was made in 1974 or last week. Founder Mike Pfotenhauer signs the guarantee.
Be clear about the category before you buy. This is technical outdoor kit, and a mesh-backed hiking pack is a different object from a light urban crossbody, however good the warranty is.
The small end of the range is where the two markets meet. The Daylite Sling, Daylite Small Crossbody and Daylite Messenger are compact everyday bags at mid-range prices, and they are the styles to look at if you want the warranty without the hip belt and chest strap.
Best for: Walking and active travel rather than office days.
Lily Jade
Lily Jade makes leather bags with removable internal organisers, built for parents who want the compartments without a bag that announces there is a baby involved. The Large Anna Backpack in leather is $395, the Sleek Pack Belt Bag is $159 in leather and $79 in vegan material, and the Brittany Convertible Tote in vegan leather is $126.
The removable organiser is the design that matters. Lift it out and the bag becomes an ordinary leather tote, which is why these outlast the nappy years.
Stock is the problem right now. Most styles on the site currently show as sold out, including the Anna backpack and the nylon packing cases at $60.50, so check availability before you set your heart on a colour.
Best for: Parents who want leather and organisers in one bag.
Cuyana
Cuyana sells the opposite philosophy to a bag for every occasion. Its stated principle is "fewer, better", and the range is deliberately short: the System Zipper Tote, the Easy Zipper Tote and the Double Loop Satchel do most of the work.
Where a travel brand gives you eleven pockets, this one gives you a clean interior and expects you to add an insert if you want structure. Materials and finish carry the price, which sits premium, with free US shipping over $95.
Buy it if you are tired of owning six bags and using two. Our guide to bag brands like Longchamp sits in similar territory if you want to compare the understated tote market.
Best for: Replacing several cheap bags with one good tote.
Matt & Nat
Matt & Nat is the vegan option here, making totes and crossbody bags without leather. The KOE tote is $155 CAD, the GIANI tote is $150 CAD and the NINA tote in UPPEAL apple-based material is $295 CAD. The ERIKA crossbody is $95 CAD, and the ARIES and DEAN backpacks are $155 and $215 CAD.
Those prices are Canadian dollars, because the main storefront is the Canadian one. Free shipping starts at $100.
The point of overlap is practicality without animal materials, in shapes that read as ordinary handbags. What you give up against coated travel nylon is water resistance, so a downpour is worse news for these than for a technical bag.
Best for: Vegan materials in a bag that looks like any other.
Fjallraven
Fjallraven is the Swedish brand behind the Kanken, which founder Ake Nordin designed in 1978 to help with back problems among Swedish schoolchildren. It is made from Vinylon F, a hard-wearing lightweight fabric that resists dirt and wet.
Simplicity is the whole design. The Kanken is one square compartment with a wide opening, which is the opposite of a bag with a labelled slot for every object. Anyone used to a dozen compartments will find that either restful or maddening.
Durability is where it earns the mid-range price. These bags routinely last a decade of school runs, and the square shape has stayed unchanged long enough to stop looking like a trend.
Best for: A plain, tough daypack that outlives several replacements.
Everki
Everki makes laptop backpacks and briefcases with padded, dedicated compartments, and it covers the whole range with a Limited Lifetime Warranty against manufacturing defects. Accidental damage, misuse and alteration sit outside that cover.
Screen size is how you choose. The Versa 2 takes up to a 15-inch machine, the Concept 2 handles 17.3 inches, and the Business 120 goes to 18.4 inches, which is larger than most bags on this page will accept.
This is single-purpose kit at mid-range prices. These are poor weekend bags, with the space given over to padding rather than clothes. If you have carried a heavy laptop in a bag designed for anything else, that padding is the reason to switch.
Best for: Carrying a large laptop without worrying about it.
How to Choose the Right Bag Brand for You
Start by naming the bag you are replacing, because this list covers four different objects. If you want a light crossbody or tote in the same $95 to $165 bracket, look at Kipling, Vera Bradley, Béis and Travelon first. If you want a suitcase, the question is warranty depth, and Briggs & Riley at $679 and up answers it better than anything else here.
Then decide what you are paying extra for. Lo & Sons at $198 and Dagne Dover at $250 buy you better materials in the same shape. Cuyana and Tumi buy you finish and a name. Osprey, Patagonia, Columbia and Fjallraven buy you weather resistance you may have no use for, so skip that whole group if your travel is airports rather than trails.
One last thing worth doing before you order. Empty your current bag onto a table and count what is in it. Most people discover they use three compartments out of eleven, which usually means the cheaper bag would have been fine, and the money belongs in the suitcase instead. Browse the rest of our articles if you want to keep comparing.
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Written by
Spencer Lanoue
