The fashion world is filled with questions and comparisons as to what is superior to what. And the accessories world is no different! Shoulder bags vs crossbody bags, handbags vs clutches – each occasion, each outfit, each season all require something a little different in order to get just the right look you want to achieve. But there is a question that some people struggle to answer – ‘rucksacks vs backpacks; what’s the difference?’ We’re here to answer it because actually, it’s pretty easy – not a huge amount.

If this comes as a surprise then sorry about that, but it’s better to have all the facts! Generally speaking, the term rucksack is used for something slightly larger, and more rugged. Perhaps the type of bag you might take hiking or camping, for example. Whereas a backpack can be smaller and a little more chic. If you were to ask the average person on the street to explain this, the chances are they would not be able to tell you which is precisely why these two terms are completely interchangeable. So if you’re shopping for designer backpacks for women, you could just as easily shop for designer rucksacks for women! And you’d probably get the same results.

travel backpack

Instead of taking time to go through all the small details as to what the exact differences are, let’s take a look instead at the benefits of choosing a backpack as your handbag option.

Comfort

There are few easier ways to carry all your essentials about that with the weight spread evenly across your shoulders, particularly if the straps have any kind of padding to make them more comfortable. You will no doubt find that you always use the same shoulder, hand or arm to carry your bags and over time, this can cause aches and pains. So using a backpack can help eliminate this problem in the long run and will be much more easy to carry in the short term too!

Handsfree

There are few things more frustrating than trying to juggle several items at once, one of them being your handbag. The beauty of carrying everything on your back means you not only have your hands, but your arms free too so you can carry other things, open doors and so on. It really does make life a lot easier!

Size

Dependent on what type of bag you usually carry, you might find a backpack is a much better size for fitting in all your essentials. It can also be a way to store them more neatly as some have a few compartments or zip pockets to use. That way you can be a little more organised and know where everything is.

Style

You may have noticed that this type of bag is far more popular these days, with designers now making backpacks as standard. They can look incredible and will instantly make any outfit look more fashionable the second you add one to it.

Backpack Buying Guide

A backpack (or rucksack if you really want to call it that!) is a fantastic way to carry your items around, looks great and is ultra-chic at the moment too. And thanks to the range of designer ones on offer, you’ll be spoilt for choice with what to choose!