New Release: GRID Backpack Pro, the Expandable Travel Backpack

You probably own two backpacks. One for the commute, and one for trips that lives in a closet 300 days a year looking slightly offended.

We think that's one bag too many.

Meet the GRID Backpack Pro, the expandable travel backpack built for life on and off the grid. It's a 26L daily carry on Monday, a 31L carry-on by Friday, and it keeps its shape the whole time.

MEET THE GRID BACKPACK PRO

So what changed?

The original GRID Backpack already packed like a suitcase and won a Red Dot Design Award doing it. So we kept what worked and fixed what you told us to fix.

1. It expands from 26L to 31L. One side zipper adds 4 cm of depth for trips, then zips back down for the office.

2. It's a full packing system. The main compartment is designed to fit our TravelPack™ Compression Closet, Vacuum Kit Pro and Tech Case. Pair it with the Vacuum Kit Pro and you can pack up to 50L of gear.

3. It's trackable. Add an ultra-slim Tracker Card and your backpack shows up on your phone wherever it goes.

4. It has 7+ pockets, and every one has a job. Including a kangaroo pocket for shoes and a hidden pocket for your passport.

Space of a suitcase, size of a backpack

Most expandable travel backpacks have one trick: unzip the extra room and they turn into a beanbag with straps.

The GRID Backpack Pro stays structured at both sizes. As a 26L daily bag, it's slim enough to wear on a packed train without hitting anyone.

Open the expansion zipper and it grows to 31L. The expandable kangaroo pocket at the bottom makes room for a pair of sneakers.

Even fully expanded, it's designed to stay cabin-sized. So you get the extra room without the extra baggage fee.

One compartment, every packing style

The main compartment opens a full 180°, like a suitcase. Lay it flat, see everything at once, and pack it the way your trip needs:

1. Compression Closet for a week of outfits, organized and compressed.

2. Vacuum Kit Pro when you need two weeks of clothes in one carry-on. It saves up to 70% of your packing space.

3. Tech Case for the cables, chargers and adapters that otherwise end up everywhere.

Use one, mix two, or skip them all on a workday. Same backpack, different week.

PACK IT YOUR WAY

Designed pocket by pocket

Minimal on the outside, organized on the inside. Nothing here is decoration:

1. Padded laptop compartment. Top access, fits laptops up to 16", and stays separate from everything else.

2. Expandable kangaroo pocket. At the bottom, for shoes, so they never touch your clean shirts.

3. Hidden passport pocket. On the side, out of sight and out of reach for anyone in the queue behind you.

4. Hidden top pocket. For your phone, keys and other valuables you need fast.

5. Water bottle holder. Because airport water prices are a crime.

6. External straps. Strap on a jacket or a yoga mat when the bag's already full.

7. Luggage pass-through strap. Slide it over your suitcase handle and let the wheels do the work.

Add an air-mesh ventilated back panel and padded shoulder straps, and it carries like a daypack even on the days it's packed like a suitcase.

The backpack you can't lose

We've spent 10 years building trackable wallets. It felt wrong not to do the same for a bag that carries your laptop, passport and half your wardrobe.

Slip a Tracker Card inside and your GRID Backpack Pro shows up in Apple Find My or Google Find Hub, whichever phone you carry. Overhead bin, hotel lobby, wrong side of the carousel: you'll know where it is.

No subscription, no extra app.

Here's more on how luggage trackers are changing travel.

Built to handle the weather and the years

The main fabrics are PFAS-free recycled PET with GRS certification, made from plastic bottles, combined with tarpaulin and 600D water-repellent nylon. The zippers are metal.

Translation: a surprise downpour on the walk to the station isn't a problem, and the bag is built for years of commutes and trips. It's backed by a 2-year warranty.

GRID Backpack Pro specs

One bag. Every version of your week.

The 9-to-5, the gym after, the Friday flight and the weekend that follows it. That's the whole idea behind an expandable travel backpack done right.

Trying to travel with just one bag? Start with our guide to traveling like a minimalist, then see the rest of the travel collection.

Planning a carry-on-only trip? Here's how we fit two weeks into one bag in our carry-on packing case study.

Building the full setup? Save when you bundle the GRID Backpack Pro with the Vacuum Kit Pro or the Compression Closet.

GET THE GRID BACKPACK PRO →

FAQs

What is the GRID Backpack Pro?
It's Ekster's new expandable travel backpack. It works as a 26L everyday backpack and expands to a 31L carry-on, with a 180° opening, a 16" laptop compartment, 7+ pockets and space for a Tracker Card.

How much can the GRID Backpack Pro hold with a vacuum bag?
Up to 50L. Packing your clothes in the Vacuum Kit Pro compresses them so much that the 31L backpack carries the equivalent of 50L of gear.

How big is the GRID Backpack Pro?
It measures 29 x 45 x 17 cm (11.4 x 17.7 x 6.7 in) and expands to 21 cm (8.3 in) deep. It weighs 1.1 kg (2.4 lb).

Is the GRID Backpack Pro carry-on approved?
It's designed to stay cabin-sized even when expanded. Carry-on limits vary by airline, so check yours before you fly, especially with budget carriers.

What size laptop fits in the GRID Backpack Pro?
Laptops up to 16", in a padded compartment with top access.

Can I track the GRID Backpack Pro?
Yes. Add an Ekster Tracker Card and your backpack shows up in Apple Find My or Google Find Hub, so it works with both iPhone and Android.

Is the GRID Backpack Pro waterproof?
It's water-resistant. The fabrics are water-repellent and the zippers are metal, so your gear stays dry in rain. It isn't designed to be submerged.

What's the difference between the GRID Backpack and the GRID Backpack Pro?
The Pro expands from 26L to 31L, adds an expandable kangaroo pocket and a hidden passport pocket, works with Ekster's packing system, and is built to carry a Tracker Card.