Backpack Statistics [2024]: Client, Product & Progress Information

Key Backpack Statistics

• From 2010 to 2019, US backpack gross sales elevated over 170%.
• The worldwide backpack market was valued at $15.9 billion in 2022 and is anticipated to develop to $31.38 billion by 2030.
• VF, the father or mother firm that owns JanSport and The North Face accounts for over 55% of backpack gross sales within the US.
• The common carry-on backpack has 38.8 L of quantity, weighs 3.4 lbs, and prices $237.00.
• The common on a regular basis backpack has 22.2 L of quantity, weighs 2.5 lbs, and prices $199.84.
• The common mountain climbing daypack has 22.4 L of quantity, weighs 1.5 lbs, and prices $145.58.
• The common multiday mountain climbing backpack has 51.9 L of quantity, weighs 4.5 lbs, and prices $289.81.
• The commonest materials for journey and on a regular basis backpacks is midweight woven nylon or polyester.
• The commonest materials for mountain climbing and out of doors backpacks is ripstop nylon.

Backpack Market Statistics

Within the US and globally, the backpack market has seen large progress over the previous a long time. Extra persons are counting on backpacks for his or her day by day lives and for recreation, and that’s driving up backpack gross sales and incentivizing firms to speculate extra in again design and innovation.

Listed here are the important thing statistics for understanding the backpack market.

US Backpack Retail Gross sales Over Time

The US has the most important marketplace for backpacks worldwide, and regardless of setbacks on account of COVID-19, that market is constant to develop steadily.

The chart and desk under present the whole retail gross sales for backpacks within the US from 2010 to 2021.

The information above reveals an incredible progress fee within the US backpack market. From 2010 to 2019, US backpack gross sales elevated by over 170%.

Unsurprisingly, there was a significant drop in backpack gross sales throughout 2020 as COVID-19 put a halt to journey and shut down colleges. By 2021, US backpack gross sales have been already again to 76% of the pre-COVID excessive, and that development is simply anticipated to proceed as an increasing number of folks within the US are touring or getting outdoors.

International Backpack Market Measurement Forecast

In 2022, the worldwide backpack was valued at $15.9 Billion, in response to Statista.

The desk under reveals the forecasted progress of the backpack market worldwide, from 2022 to 2030.

Clearly, the backpack business is poised for large progress over the subsequent a number of years. This may be attributed to a number of elements:

• As journey tourism and out of doors actions change into more and more in style within the US and across the globe, folks want specialised backpacks designed for mountain climbing, tenting, biking, snowboarding, mountaineering, and extra.
• 50 years in the past, when you have been headed into the workplace, you carried a briefcase. Right this moment, as workplaces change into extra informal and fewer structured, backpacks are shortly changing into the norm. Extra manufacturers are growing professional-looking laptop computer backpacks that slot in completely with the trendy office.
• COVID-19 launched the world to distant work on a large scale, and extra folks than ever are selecting “digital nomad” life. A carry-on backpack is the proper instrument for touring the globe whereas staying linked to the grid.

International Backpack Google Search Curiosity by Month

The backpack market is very seasonal. Distinct seasonal developments are obvious in each retail gross sales and web search quantity.

The desk under reveals worldwide Google Traits search curiosity within the time period “backpack” by month from January 2021 to December 2023.

Within the chart above, there’s a distinct spike in Google search curiosity for backpacks each July-August. Throughout this spike, searches for the time period “backpack” jumps to over 170% of regular.

Whereas puzzling at first, there’s a quite simple rationalization for this seasonal spike: again to highschool.

It’s true that an increasing number of persons are shopping for backpacks for work, journey, and out of doors actions, however there’s no denying that college students are the most important marketplace for backpacks. From Kindergarten by faculty, college students are those utilizing a backpack all day, daily.

That isn’t prone to change anytime quickly.

In fact, the back-to-school development doesn’t maintain for mountain climbing or journey backpacks. These usually tend to be bought in spring (initially of journey and mountain climbing seasons) or nearer to the tip of the yr across the holidays and Black Friday.

Backpack Model Statistics

As extra persons are shopping for backpacks for quite a lot of makes use of, the business is changing into extra aggressive, with manufacturers vying for market share.

A number of manufacturers, like JanSport, have change into family names, however many smaller startups are starting to make severe inroads out there.

Listed here are the important thing backpack model statistics from our analysis.

High Backpack Manufacturers by Google Search Quantity

One technique to evaluate the highest backpack manufacturers is by search quantity. Whereas this isn’t an ideal metric for income or variety of backpacks offered, it’s an correct technique to gauge the curiosity and model consciousness in a specific model.

I did in-depth Google search evaluation to seek out the manufacturers with the best search quantity on Google. As a result of most of the manufacturers promote extra merchandise than simply backpacks (like Nike, for whom backpacks are merely an adjunct product), I used search phrases that embody the phrase “backpack” or “backpacks” (whichever ranked larger).

The desk under reveals the highest 20 backpack manufacturers rated by Google search quantity.

Curiously, of the highest 10 manufacturers by search quantity, solely 3 specialize particularly in backpacks. Most of the prime manufacturers are attire firms which have constructed out backpack product strains (Nike, Lululemon, and Adidas).

Inside this prime 20 record, there’s a variety of journey, city, and out of doors manufacturers.

The undisputed chief of the pack is JanSport, which has greater than double the search quantity of Nike backpacks in second place. This is smart when you’ve spent a lot time in a faculty or faculty campus and paid consideration to the backpack manufacturers. That little JanSport patch is in every single place.

High Backpack Manufacturers by Class

Backpacks could be divided into three broad classes: on a regular basis backpacks (which incorporates faculty, laptop computer, and commuting luggage), journey backpacks, and out of doors backpacks. The desk under reveals the 5 hottest manufacturers in every class.

Word that The North Face seems in each the on a regular basis and out of doors backpack lists. Whereas The North Face initially began as an outside gear firm, it has broadened its product vary to incorporate quite a lot of day by day carry backpacks for college, commuting, journey, and laptop computer carry. This introduced the model extra into the mainstream.

It’s additionally price noticing that JanSport and The North Face are each owned by the identical father or mother firm: VF, which additionally controls Timberland and Eastpak. Between its assorted manufacturers, VF accounts for 55% of backpack gross sales within the US, in response to the New York Instances.

Backpack Model Manufacturing facility Areas

I analyzed 82 of the world’s hottest backpack manufacturers to seek out their manufacturing facility places and see how backpack manufacturing is distributed across the globe. Some manufacturers personal a single manufacturing facility and carry out all product meeting underneath one roof. Others contract out to dozens and even tons of of factories around the globe to make their merchandise.

The chart under reveals the proportion of manufacturers that depend on factories in every area.

Unsurprisingly, Asia has the best focus of backpack manufacturing by far, with 82.9% of manufacturers utilizing manufacturing amenities in Asian nations. China, Vietnam, and the Philippines account for almost all of backpack manufacturing in Asia.

28% of manufacturers have some manufacturing in america, whereas solely 9.8% manufacture completely within the US. For a lot of of those manufacturers (like GORUCK and Hyperlite Mountain Gear), “made within the USA” is considered one of their main advertising and marketing claims.

Journey backpacks embody packs which might be designed to hold clothes and kit on journeys by airplane, prepare, bus, and automotive. Whereas some journey backpacks are designed with snug harnesses for trekking, additionally they give attention to options optimized for extra city journey.

Journey backpacks are used to interchange extra conventional baggage and are bigger than daypacks. Whereas many individuals use daypacks throughout journey, it’s usually along with a bigger bag.

Journey backpacks vary from slim 30L personal-item-size luggage to cavernous packs you’d must verify on a flight. As a result of our dataset has a low variety of checked luggage-sized journey backpacks, I targeted this evaluation on carry-on backpacks, that are far more frequent.

Carry-On Journey Backpack Quantity

The overall consensus is {that a} journey backpack will need to have over 30 L of quantity. Lower than that, and it’s a daypack.

The common carry-on backpack quantity is 38.8 L, and 68% of carry-on backpacks are between 33.6 L and 44.0 L. The truth that the median is larger than the typical signifies that journey backpack quantity is barely left-skewed, that means that there’s a excessive focus of backpacks barely above the typical weight. This is smart since 40L is a reasonably customary carry-on backpack dimension.

At TravelFreak, we typically suggest 35-45L as a very good dimension vary for a carry-on backpack for most individuals. These knowledge outcomes present that backpack producers additionally comply with the same guideline.

Carry-On Journey Backpack Weight

Backpack weight can also be an essential issue when shopping for a journey pack. Heavier luggage are extra tiring to hold and make it tougher to remain underneath weight restrictions. That stated, we predict consolation and sturdiness are extra essential than weight.

Our knowledge reveals that the typical carry-on journey backpack weight is 3.5 lbs and that 68% of journey backpacks are between 2.7 lbs and 4.1 lbs.

Carry-On Journey Backpack Costs

Journey backpacks are dearer than most backpack classes at $237.00 on common. This larger worth is smart as a result of carry-on backpacks are competing within the baggage market greater than different forms of backpacks.

Carry-On Journey Backpack Supplies

Carry-on backpacks are manufactured from a variety of supplies, from easy ripstop nylon to laminated sailcloth materials. A majority of carry-on backpacks are made with medium weight (400D-800D nylon or polyester). These supplies are extensively accessible and steadiness sturdiness, weight, and ease of producing.

On a regular basis Backpack Statistics

On a regular basis backpacks are daypacks which might be designed for commuting, work, faculty, and some other day-to-day actions. Many on a regular basis luggage are designed primarily as laptop computer backpacks, as that could be a customary requirement within the fashionable world.

On a regular basis Backpack Quantity

The overwhelming majority of on a regular basis luggage have lower than 30 L of quantity. Any greater than that’s beginning to encroach into journey backpack territory.

The common on a regular basis backpack quantity is 22.2 L, and 68% of on a regular basis backpacks are between 16.0 L and 27.6 L.

On a regular basis Backpack Weight

Most individuals don’t pay a lot consideration to weight when selecting an on a regular basis backpack. Only a few on a regular basis luggage are overly heavy. Design and options are extra essential for on a regular basis use than low weight.

The common weight for on a regular basis backpacks is sort of a full pound lighter than journey backpacks: 2.5 lbs. That is primarily because of the smaller dimension, however on a regular basis backpacks additionally typically use lighter supplies and have much less construction and padding since they gained’t be carrying as a lot weight.

On a regular basis Backpack Costs

On a regular basis backpacks are considerably cheaper than journey backpacks, with a mean worth of $199.84 and a median worth of $199.00. 68% of on a regular basis packs are priced between $110.55 and $281.03. The costliest daypack in our database is the Mission Workshop Rhake, which prices $545 within the X-Pac model.

On a regular basis Backpack Supplies

Like journey backpacks, on a regular basis backpacks are most frequently constructed from mid-weight nylon. There are additionally extra on a regular basis backpacks made out of nylon or polyester with a thick TPU or PVC coating, which provides spectacular water resistance and energy.

Mountaineering & Out of doors Backpack Statistics

Mountaineering and out of doors backpacks are technical items of substances which might be designed to carry out throughout a spread of out of doors actions together with mountain climbing, operating, backpacking, snowboarding, biking, and extra. These packs are sometimes very specialised to a particular use case and vary from ultralight vest packs for path operating to huge gear haulers for multi week excursions within the backcountry.

Mountaineering & Out of doors Backpack Quantity

Since they’re designed for therefore many various use instances, out of doors backpacks are available an enormous vary of volumes. It makes extra sense to divide out of doors backpacks into two subcategories: daypacks and multi day packs.

Daypacks have a mean of twenty-two.6 L of quantity, whereas multi-day backpacks are usually greater than twice the dimensions, with a mean of 51.9 L of quantity.

Mountaineering & Out of doors Backpack Weight

Weight is a precedence within the design of out of doors backpacks, which are sometimes worn all day underneath demanding situations. Many individuals search for the lightest pack attainable that doesn’t compromise fundamental features.

Out of doors daypacks are usually the lightest of any backpack class. The common out of doors daypack weight is 1.5 lbs—that’s over a full pound lighter than on a regular basis daypacks. Mountaineering daypacks are designed to be minimal and streamlined and normally don’t have options like padded laptop computer sleeves or a great deal of group pockets.

Due to their dimension, multi-day packs are considerably heavier—4.5 lbs on common. Nevertheless, there’s a complete area of interest of “ultralight” backpacking backs, that are underneath 2.5 lbs all the best way right down to a mere 14 oz. For instance, the Z-Packs Arc Haul Extremely is a full-featured 50 L backpack that weighs a scant 1.3 lbs.

Mountaineering & Out of doors Backpack Costs

Out of doors backpacks additionally range extensively in worth. Due to their simplicity, mountain climbing daypacks are the least costly class we analyzed, with a mean worth of $145.58. On the opposite finish of the spectrum, multi-day packs are the most costly.

Mountaineering & Out of doors Backpack Supplies

Mountaineering and out of doors backpacks are extra uniform within the supplies used than some other class. The overwhelming majority use some type of ripstop nylon. The principle purpose for that is weight: ripstop nylon could be extremely light-weight whereas sustaining good sturdiness.

Some technical out of doors backpacks additionally incorporate extra superior supplies like HMWPE (also called Dyneema), which is stronger than metal and provides spectacular sturdiness. These luggage include a value penalty, although.

Backpack Statistics by Area

Backpack use and curiosity will not be uniform across the globe. In some areas, backpacks are seen as day by day requirements, whereas in different areas, they’re pointless luxuries.

Listed here are an important regional backpack statistics.

Google Search Curiosity in Backpacks by Area

Breaking down Google search quantity for backpacks by area is an fascinating technique to evaluate the curiosity in backpacks between areas. This isn’t an ideal metric, but it surely reveals how a lot persons are trying to find backpacks on-line.

Utilizing Google Traits, I ranked the nations with the best and lowest search curiosity for the time period “backpack” in 2023.

Google charges search curiosity as a proportion of all searches. The area with the best search curiosity will get a rating of 100, and each different area’s rating is a proportion of that (a rating of fifty means half the search curiosity of the best rating). I excluded areas with low search quantity for this examine; that leaves 58 areas to think about.

The desk under reveals the ten areas with the best search curiosity for the time period “backpack.”

The desk under reveals the ten areas with the bottom search curiosity for the time period “backpack.”

The broad development within the tables above is that extra prosperous nations have larger search curiosity in backpacks whereas growing nations have decrease curiosity. This clearly isn’t a tough and quick rule, although. Jamaica is a less-developed nation that ranks fifth for probably the most backpack search curiosity. Japan and France are each very prosperous, developed nations that rank within the lowest 10.

The general development is smart, as folks in wealthier nations have larger client spending general and spend extra on backpacks. Nevertheless, there is no such thing as a clear rationalization for the exceptions. Why does Jamaica have a excessive curiosity in backpacks whereas Japan doesn’t? This query requires additional analysis.

Google Search Curiosity in Backpacks by State

There may be additionally vital variance in curiosity in backpacks by state inside the US. The map and desk under present the rating of the 50 states by backpack search curiosity.

The Western US states have larger general search curiosity in backpacks than the remainder of the nation, whereas the Midwest Area has the bottom curiosity.

Additionally it is notable that within the prime 10 states for backpack search curiosity, there are a number of states which might be well-known for out of doors recreation: California, Hawaii, Washington, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and Oregon.

It additionally is smart that there’s a excessive focus of backpack and out of doors gear firms with headquarters in these states. Areas like Boulder, Portland, and Salt Lake Metropolis are hotspots for out of doors gear design.

Sources and Methodology

The information used on this report is split into three classes: market knowledge, search knowledge, and product knowledge.

The market knowledge contains annual gross sales, world market dimension, and market progress forecasts. I collected this knowledge from a number of sources, together with Statista, IndustryArc, and The New York Instances. I mixed these particular person knowledge factors and units to get a extra full image of the worldwide backpack market.

Search knowledge was collected utilizing Google Traits. I used this instrument to gather Google search statistics for the 2023 calendar yr. I analyzed search outcomes for the search time period “backpack” and segmented out searches by nation, state, and month. These search outcomes function a proxy for public curiosity in backpacks, and are helpful for measuring developments geographically or over time.

To gather product knowledge, I used TravelFreak’s backpack score database, which shops the metrics we use for reviewing and scoring backpacks. We retailer 44 distinct knowledge factors for each backpack in our database, which provides a wealth of data to attract from. The small print in our product database come from our a long time of in-depth analysis and testing.

I used this knowledge to extract averages and statistical distributions for weight, quantity, MSRP, and supplies used throughout the totally different backpack classes.

Changelog

We periodically evaluation this report, verify for errors or inconsistencies, and replace it with the latest knowledge. Right here is the change historical past for this report.

• February 26, 2024—first printed