Checked bag fees are climbing, airport security queues aren’t getting any shorter, and most travel backpacks either cram everything into one chaotic compartment or come with a price tag that makes you wince. If you’ve ever missed a beat at security because you were digging your laptop out of a main compartment, or arrived at a hotel to find your trainers have left their mark on everything else in your bag, you’ll know the frustration.
That’s exactly the problem the Bagsmart Blast 28L is designed to solve. I took it to Turkey as my carry-on and put it through a full trip — airports, transfers, and everything in between — with roughly 8 kilos of kit inside. Here’s what I found.
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This post was created in paid partnership with Bagsmart. All opinions are my own.
At a Glance
- Build Quality
- Performance
- Accessories & Kit
- Value for Money
The Verdict
The BagSmart Blast is a well-thought-out travel backpack that takes the faff out of airport travel. The laptop compartment is a time-saver at security, the organisation covers pretty much every scenario, and it carries without any discomfort. For families travelling carry-on only, or solo travellers who want everything in its place, it’s a strong option at a fair price.
See the full ratings breakdown below, or jump straight to my personal testing experience.
Best For: Families and solo travellers wanting an organised, carry-on approved travel backpack
Price: £69.99 (Save 10% with the code STEVE10)
Capacity: 28L (expandable to 38L)
The Bagsmart Blast is a 28L travel backpack built for people who want to move through airports quickly and stay organised on the go. It’s packed with pockets and opens up flat like a duffel for easy packing. Water-resistant, comfortable to carry, and expandable to 38L when you need the extra room.
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Top Features of the Bagsmart Blast Travel Backpack
What sets the Blast apart from a standard daypack is how much thought has gone into the layout. This isn’t a bag with one main compartment and a couple of pockets bolted on — every section has a purpose, and for travel specifically, that organisation makes a real difference from the moment you hit the airport.
Flat-Opening Laptop Compartment
The entire rear panel unzips around three sides and lays completely flat, giving you instant access to your laptop, tablet, and any other electronics. This is a genuinely useful feature at airport security — you can unzip it in seconds, lay it on the tray, and be through without having to rummage around in the main compartment. The interior is padded so your devices feel secure, and there’s a separate pocket that fits an iPad, Kindle, or Nintendo Switch alongside the main laptop sleeve (up to 15.6″).
Dedicated Shoe Compartment
There’s a separate shoe compartment at the base of the bag, which is great if you’re trying to fit slightly grubby trainers in with clean clothes — having that separation keeps everything else in the bag fresh. Quick to access, and it works.
Top Quick-Access Pocket
The top of the bag has a nicely sized zip pocket that opens fully. Just what you want for the stuff you’ll be grabbing constantly — phone, wallet, inhaler, snacks for the kids. No digging around in the main compartment every five minutes.
Front Organisation Pockets
There are two more zipped pockets on the front face of the bag. The larger of the two is a decent size — I used it to keep all the family passports and boarding passes in one place, which made going through security and boarding considerably less stressful.
Large Bottle Holder
The side bottle pocket is bigger than you’d expect. It comfortably holds a near-litre bottle — I had my Thermos Icon Flip Lid in there the whole trip with no issues. That’s a chunky bottle, so smaller water bottles will sit in there without any problem at all.
Duffel-Style Main Compartment
The main compartment opens on the front of the bag, dropping down like a duffel to reveal everything from above when laid flat. There’s a cross strap inside to hold items in place once packed. The inner lid has a clear PVC pocket — handy for toiletries, toothbrush, toothpaste, anything you’d normally chuck in a separate wash bag.
Carry Options and Luggage Strap
There’s a handle on the top and one on the side, plus padded shoulder straps with a chest clip. On the back, there’s also a luggage strap that slides over the handle of a wheeled suitcase, which came in useful moving through the airport when I had both bags in tow.
Expandable Capacity (28L to 38L)
A zip runs around the base of the bag and expands the capacity from 28L to 38L. I didn’t need to use it on this trip, but it’s a useful feature to have — particularly when you’re heading home from holiday with a few extra items you’ve picked up along the way.
Bagsmart Blast Travel Backpack Specifications
| Spec | Detail |
|---|---|
| Capacity | 28L standard / 38L expanded |
| Dimensions (standard) | 31 x 42 x 20.5 cm |
| Dimensions (expanded) | 31 x 42 x 25.5 cm |
| Weight | 1.03kg |
| Material | Nylon (most colours) / TPU (White Smoke & Carmine Red) |
| Laptop Compartment | Up to 15.6″ |
| Bottle Pocket | Fits up to 40oz / 1.2L |
| Airline Compliance | TSA carry-on approved, underseat approved |
| Water Resistance | Yes (water-resistant fabric, machine washable) |
| Colours Available | 15+ colourways |
| Price | £69.99 |
At just over a kilo, the Blast sits in the mid-range for travel backpacks of this size. Many competing bags in this category are either lighter but stripped back on features, or heavier with more structural framing. The Blast finds a reasonable middle ground.
My Personal Experience with the Bagsmart Blast Travel Backpack
I used the Blast Travel Backpack as my hand luggage on a recent trip to Turkey. It was packed full by the time we left home, loaded down with 8 kilos of gear, including a full litre of water in the side pocket, ready to hit the airport and kickstart our holiday.
The rear laptop compartment was great going through security — the panel unzips and lays completely flat, laptop, tablets, cables all visible, and you’re through without holding anyone up. The padding also adds a nice layer of protection to your devices.
Comfort-wise, I never thought about it, which is probably the best thing you can say. Even with 8 kilos on my back, the straps sat right and the chest clip kept everything from shifting. It didn’t pull, it didn’t dig in, it just did its job.
In terms of what I had in it — passports and flight tickets in the larger front pocket, power bank and cables in the smaller one above it. Phone, wallet, inhaler, and sweets for the journey in the top pocket. Laptop and tablets in the rear compartment. Camera, small tripod, a change of clothes, snacks, and headphones in the main compartment. Everything had a place and there was still space left over.
The shoe compartment at the base is one of those things you don’t think you need until you do. Slightly grubby trainers going in? They’re kept separate from everything else. No drama when you unpack later.
The main compartment opens from the front rather than the top — more like a duffel than a traditional backpack. You lay it flat and access everything from above. The clear pocket on the inside of the lid basically acted as a toiletry bag for the whole trip, which meant one less thing to pack separately.
The one downside I’d mention is that with so many pockets, you do occasionally forget where you’ve stored something and then spend a minute searching through them all, especially after a long day of travel when you’re not really with it.
I didn’t end up using the expansion zip on this trip, but coming home from a week away with extra bits and pieces, it’s a useful thing to have.
My son used my Bagsmart Faro Light Backpack as his hand luggage on the same trip, which I’ve previously used for short trips and weekends away. The added organisation the Blast provided was definitely a step-up and my preference for this type of trip, but for my son, the Faro Light was ideal.
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Bagsmart Blast Travel Backpack Rating Breakdown
Build Quality — 4.5/5
The Blast feels well put-together. The nylon is tough and the zips all moved smoothly throughout the trip with no snagging or stiffness. The padded panels feel properly constructed rather than thin or flimsy, and the hardware — handles, chest clip, luggage strap attachment — all held up without issue. After a full holiday’s worth of packing, unpacking, and airport transit, there are no signs of wear. The machine-washable material is a practical bonus.
Performance — 4/5
Carrying 8 kilos through an airport with padded straps and a chest clip, and never once thinking “my back hurts” — that’s a solid result. The bag does exactly what it’s designed to do: keep things organised and accessible while being comfortable to carry. Access to pockets is quick and intuitive once you’ve mapped the layout, and the bottle holder is large enough to take a near-litre bottle.
Features & Usability — 4.5/5
The feature set is excellent for a travel backpack at this price. The laptop compartment, shoe separation, clear toiletry pocket, expansion zip, multiple carry handles, and luggage strap cover pretty much every practical need a traveller could have. The only real usability note is that having this many pockets does require a good memory to know where you’ve stored everything.
Value for Money — 5/5
At £69.99, the Blast undercuts most of its direct competitors by a meaningful margin. Comparable travel backpacks from brands like Osprey, Patagonia, or Tortuga regularly land way above £100 for a similar feature set, and often without many of the features found on the Blast. The Blast delivers organised pockets, a padded laptop compartment, expandability, and a comfortable carry system — all for under £70. Looking at the market, this is near the lower end of what comparable bags cost.
Bagsmart Blast Travel Backpack Pros and Cons
Pros
- The padded laptop compartment keeps electronics safe and easy to access
- Dedicated shoe compartment keeps footwear separate from clean clothes and other gear
- Comfortable to carry thanks to padded straps and chest clip
- Expandable from 28L to 38L useful when you need the extra space
- Large bottle holder fits up to a 1.2 litre bottle with ease
- Luggage strap on the back slides over a wheeled suitcase handle for airport transit
- Strong value at £69.99 compared to comparable bags on the market
Cons
- With this many pockets, you will occasionally forget where you put something
- Opens duffel-style rather than from the top — a slightly different experience to a traditional backpack that not everyone will prefer
The Bagsmart Blast Rang
The Blast 28L is the entry point into Bagmart’s Blast travel backpack range, but there are four versions in total depending on how much you need to carry.
- Blast Pro 38L (£89.99) is a natural step up from the standard Blast with better quality YKK zippers and a flexible internal divider, giving you more control over how you organise the main compartment.
- Blast Pro 40L (£109.99) steps up to a larger fixed 40L capacity — the bag to go for if you’re packing for a longer trip and need the extra room, while still keeping it as carry-on luggage.
- Blast 43L Roller Backpack (£139.99) is the biggest in the range and adds wheels, so you can roll it through the airport rather than carry it. Good option if you’re travelling for longer and want to take the weight off your back.
All four are TSA carry-on approved and share the same core organisation features. It’s worth having a look at the full range on the Bagsmart website if the 28L feels a touch on the small side for your needs.
Final Thoughts
The Bagsmart Blast 28L is a well-designed travel backpack that does a lot right — especially if you’re the kind of person who travels carry-on only and wants everything in its place. The organisation is impressive; it carries comfortably even when fully loaded, and the airline compliance features mean no nasty surprises at the gate.
At £69.99 it’s one of the better-priced options in this category, and with over 580 verified reviews sitting at 4.9 stars, the wider consensus backs that up. For families travelling light or regular solo travellers, this is a bag worth considering.
Save 10% off by using the code STEVE10
Bagsmart Blast Travel Backpack FAQ
Does the Bagsmart Blast 28L fit under an aircraft seat?
Yes. In its standard 28L configuration (31 x 42 x 20.5cm), it meets the underseat personal item requirements for most airlines, including budget carriers. Bagsmart lists it as underseat approved in the specs. If you expand it to 38L, check your specific airline’s carry-on dimensions before trying to slide it under the seat in front.
Is the Bagsmart Blast waterproof?
The material is water-resistant rather than fully waterproof — it handles light rain or splashes without issue. There’s also a waterproof PVC clear pocket on the inside of the main compartment lid, which is useful for toiletries or anything that might leak. For sustained heavy rain, a pack cover would be sensible.
How many pockets does the Bagsmart Blast have?
The Blast has six pockets: the rear laptop compartment, a top quick-access pocket, two front zip pockets, a side bottle holder, and a clear internal PVC pocket on the main compartment lid. There’s also the dedicated shoe compartment at the base. In total, there’s a lot to work with.
What’s the difference between the Bagsmart Blast 28L and the Blast Pro 38L?
The standard Blast 28L (£69.99) is the entry-level option, expandable to 38L via a zip. The Blast Pro 38L (£89.99) adds YKK zippers, a lockable laptop compartment, an RFID-blocking pocket, and an adjustable internal divider. Both are TSA carry-on approved and underseat compatible. The Pro is worth considering if you travel frequently and want the added security features.
Can the Bagsmart Blast fit a 15-inch laptop?
Yes — the laptop compartment is sized for up to 15.6 inches. The flat-opening design means it lays completely open for easy access.
Is the Bagsmart Blast machine washable?
Yes, Bagsmart confirms the Blast is machine washable. For a bag that’s going to accumulate general travel grime over time, that’s a useful practical detail.
Related Guides & Reviews
The resources below cover the basics, common questions, and related kit to help you get more out of your time on the water.
- Bagsmart Faro Light Backpack 0.4 Review
- Mac in a Sac Speedpro Waterproof Backpack Review
- How to Pack a Backpack for Hiking
- Best Waterproof Jackets for Hiking
About the Author
Steve Cleverdon is an outdoor adventure specialist with 15+ years of hiking, camping, and paddle boarding experience. He has conquered Europe’s toughest trails including the GR20 in Corsica, walked 3,000km solo across New Zealand, and worked professionally in the outdoors industry. Steve’s gear reviews and recommendations are based on real-world testing across four continents, from coastal waters to mountain peaks. Learn more about Steve or get in touch.
