Is the MATEIN Travel Laptop Backpack Worth It?
By Daniel Kruger, consumer tech · updated 2026-07-28
Worth it if you fly economy and hate paying for a carry-on you didn't need
Worth It
around $20price at time of review — check Amazon for current
- Worth it ifYou fly enough that avoiding carry-on fees actually adds up
- Skip it ifYou need a bag that can survive years of rough daily use
Amazon shoppers rate it 4 out of 5 across 113,942 ratings. That is their number, not ours.
Affiliate link. Opens Amazon in a new tab.
As an Amazon Associate, Is It Worth It Reviews earns from qualifying purchases. It costs you nothing extra, and it has never changed a verdict.
You're standing at the gate watching someone get pulled aside because their bag doesn't fit the metal sizer, and you can feel your own shoulders tense even though you're pretty sure yours is fine. That's the real test of a travel backpack, not how it looks in a product photo, but whether it slides under an airline seat without an argument. Most bags marketed for travel never actually tell you their dimensions until you're already standing there hoping.
Here's where the MATEIN actually earns its keep: it's built to the personal item size that most airlines allow for free, roughly 18 by 12 by 7.8 inches, which is smaller than a standard carry-on but big enough to swallow a real day's gear. That number is the whole product. Stay under it and you skip the gate-check fee entirely; go over and you're paying twenty or thirty dollars for the privilege of carrying your own laptop. The bag manages it by keeping the laptop in its own flat, separate compartment against your back, so it doesn't steal volume from the main packing space where your clothes and charger cables live. A luggage strap on the back lets it clip onto a rolling suitcase handle, so through security and down the jet bridge you've got one hand free instead of two bags fighting each other. There's also a hidden pocket on the back panel, the side against your spine, which is the one a pickpocket in a crowded terminal can't reach without you noticing. None of this is complicated engineering. It's just sized and organized around the one number that determines whether your trip costs you an extra fee or doesn't.
So you're not really buying a backpack here, you're buying a set of dimensions that happens to dodge an airline fee every single time you fly. The padding and pockets are nice, but the sizing is the actual product, and it's the part the listing photo can't show you.
Worth it if
- You fly enough that avoiding carry-on fees actually adds up
- You want one bag for both commuting and the occasional flight
- You carry a laptop plus daily basics, not a week's worth of gear
Skip it if
- You need a bag that can survive years of rough daily use
- You regularly pack for longer trips needing more volume
- You want premium materials over a budget-friendly build
Not for travelers who need serious capacity or heavy-duty durability over years of daily commuting.
If you fly a few times a year and want one bag that does laptop commute and quick trips without babysitting a size chart, this is a quiet yes. If you need something rugged enough for years of daily abuse or space for camera gear and a change of clothes for a week, look at a bigger, tougher bag instead.
Check price on Amazon · around $20 or Add it to your Amazon cart to sit on it
Before you go
Is Matein a good brand for backpacks?
For budget-friendly travel and commuter bags, yes, it's known for hitting airline personal-item sizing and keeping prices low rather than for premium materials.
How long do MATEIN backpacks last?
They're built from water-resistant polyester with metal zippers, which holds up fine for regular commuting and travel but isn't marketed as a heavy-duty, years-long workhorse.
What is the best backpack for traveling with a laptop?
The best option is one sized to your airline's personal item allowance with a separate laptop compartment, which is exactly the niche this bag targets.
More computers reviews.