Looking for the best drone backpack on the market?
Look no further. In this guide, we cover our picks for the five best drone backpacks in detail, with a devoted chapter on each one.
In a rush and just want to see the list of drone backpack links? Here you go:
Before we dive into the best drone backpacks on the market, let’s briefly address what a drone backpack is and why you might want to buy one.
A drone backpack is a backpack designed specifically to carry a drone and drone gear.
Drone backpacks first hit the market a few years back when consumer camera drones became mainstream. At first, there were only a few drone backpacks out there, but now drone pilots can choose from several different options when shopping for a convenient, hands-free way to carry their drone around.
Although drone backpacks are made specifically to carry drones, almost any mid-size backpack can be turned into a drone backpack with a little bit of thought. We cover how to do this in a short How To section at the end of this guide—here’s a link to jump down to that section.
Traveling with your drone? Or just need a place to put it while on the go?
Whether you’re going on a long overseas trip or you’re just flying in your neighborhood, a drone backpack can be incredibly useful as a quick, convenient place to keep your drone and your gear.
Sure, you could put everything into a hardshell case or some other kind of camera bag and carry it around. But the nice thing about a drone backpack is that you can keep your hands free while wearing it and you don’t have to worry about whether your gear is protected while walking around.
In this guide we’ll cover not only our choices for the five best drone backpacks on the market, but also tips for traveling with your drone and some detailed advice on how to attach a drone to any backpack.
In case you’d like to jump around within the guide, here are some quick links:
In the list below we’ve organized our picks for the best drone backpacks on the market in order from least to most expensive.
In general, what you see as you go up in price is greater and more customizable storage space, greater versatility, greater durability, and some increased options for color.
If you’re just getting into drones you’ll probably be fine with one of the less expensive options. On the other hand, if you have a bunch of gear and lenses that you’d like to protect, then one of the more expensive options may better suit your needs.
Note:
On this list, we’ve included models available for sale on Amazon — as an Amazon Associate, we earn a small commission for qualifying purchases. Please know that we’ve tested many of the models on this list, and we wouldn’t recommend anything we wouldn’t fly ourselves!
Hobbyists
The MOSISO Drone Backpack costs around $64, which makes it a great pick for the amateur drone enthusiast who’s just getting into flying.
The MOSISO Backpack isn’t huge but it does have plenty of room to securely carry your drone, as well as space for some additional gear. The inside compartment divider is also customizable. It’s also comfortable, which is crucial if you think you might be wearing it for hours at a time while going from one location to another.
Here are some details about the MOSISO Drone Backpack:
Shop for the MOSISO Drone Backpack now.
Hobbyists, FPV Racing
At around $100, the Torvol Rucksack is designed with FPV racing drone pilots in mind. It comes with more space for storage, including room for two FPV racing drones, controller, as well as padded dividers that allow you to separate and protect your gear.
Although the Torvol Rucksack is billed as an FPV racing backpack, it can be used to carry almost any small- to mid-sized quadcopter.
Here are some details about the Torvol Rucksack:
Shop for the Torvol Rucksack now.
Hobbyists, Professionals
Lowepro has become a trusted brand when it comes to backpacks and other gear made to carry photography and videography equipment.
The Lowepro DroneGuard BP 250 is a great value, selling for just over $100. Although the BP 250 is billed by Lowepro as a lightweight drone backpack made specifically to carry the DJI Mavic 2 Pro, it can carry other lightweight drones as well (check out the pictures above to get a sense for dimensions and what you can fit into the space provided).
The BP 250 comes with room for a two-liter hydration reservoir and has a special pocket on one of the arm straps where you can keep your phone.
Because the BP 250 was designed specifically to carry the Mavic 2 Pro its drone storage compartment is sized to fit and is able to hold the drone quite securely in place. This allows you to move freely with the knowledge that your drone won’t be jostled, making the BP 250 a great drone backpack for hiking and other outdoor activities.
Here are some details about the Lowepro BP 250:
Shop for the Lowepro DroneGuard BP 250 now.
Professionals
The Lowepro Flipside Trek BP 350 is a big step up from the other three drone backpacks we’ve covered so far. Made primarily for professionals or serious amateurs, the Lowepro BP 350 sells for $170 and comes in grey or dark green.
Like the BP 200, the BP 350 is made primarily to carry the DJI Mavic 2 Pro but it can carry other fold-up drones and smaller drones as well—you can see how the drone storage inside the backpack looks in the images above.
Here are some details about the Lowepro Flipside Trek BP 350:
Shop for the Lowepro Flipside Trek BP 350 now.
Watch this video on YouTube
Professionals
At around $200, the Think Tank Photo Drone Helipak Backpack is the priciest option on the list but may well be worth the cost for seasoned professionals looking for a backpack that can accommodate all their drone-related transportation needs.
Although the Think Tank Drone Backpack is designed for the Phantom drone series, it will work for many different drone models. Pilots will also like that it’s still the right size to fit carry-on requirements for both U.S. domestic and international flights.
Here are some details about the Think Tank Drone Backpack :
Shop for the Think Tank Drone Backpack now.
Watch this video on YouTube
Flying with your drone? Here are some things to keep in mind:
We can’t stress the last point enough—if you’re traveling abroad and would like to bring your drone please, please do your research. By doing this ahead of time you can travel into a country confident that you’re following its laws and ready to fly.
Learn more about drone laws in every country in the world and every state in the U.S. in our Master List of Drone Laws.
Speaking of travel, if you want to learn more about traveling on an airplane with your drone? Check out our guide to bringing a drone on a plane to get more detailed tips, including how to find the Watt-hours on your LIPO batteries, and more.
Love the idea of a drone backpack but don’t want to buy one just yet? Then consider making one for yourself (like the one featured above, which we found here).
If you’re looking for a regular backpack that you can turn into a drone backpack, here are a few types of backpacks that lend themselves to carrying drones (but weren’t made specifically for the job):
The advantage of these types of backpacks is that they generally come with extra straps to be used for attaching gear to the pack, so it’s a fairly easy jump to outfitting them to carry a drone and other gear.
Already have a backpack that you want to attach your drone to?
No problem—you can create a makeshift drone backpack pretty easily out of almost any mid-sized or bigger backpack.
Here are some helpful accessories to help you turn your regular backpack into a drone backpack:
One way to attach a drone to your backpack is to use accessory straps, paracord loops, or cable ties together with carabineers to hold your drone in place.
For example, you can attach carabineers to the straps at the top of your backpack to hold the top two legs of your quadcopter in place, and then attach cable ties directly to the bottom two legs.
A second way to attach a drone to your backpack is by putting molle mounting onto your backpack, which can be used as a solid mounting location for carrying your drone. Once the molle mounting is in place, use accessory straps, paracord loops, or cable ties along with carabineers to hold your drone in place.
Molle mounting is generally best used on more heavy-duty backpacks—any of the three backpack types listed above should be good for this—but could probably work with a more lightweight backpack, too. To make sure the molle mounting you’re considering will work on your backpack, make sure to compare the dimensions of the mounting to the dimensions of your backpack.
One thing to keep in mind when deciding how to attach your drone to your backpack is the speed with which you can detach the drone.
If you see the perfect aerial shot, you don’t want to miss out just because you’re tied up getting your drone free from its attachments.
If you’re really serious about timing, you can even practice how long it takes you to attach/detach your drone and fine-tune the process and the attachment method to cut that time down—we know some aerial videographers who have managed to get their time down to just ten seconds.
Like anything DIY, turning your particular backpack into a drone backpack doesn’t have an exact formula.
As you experiment to find the perfect way to attach your drone to your backpack, you should expect some amount of trial and error. But you can rest assured knowing that plenty of people have done this before—all you need is some kind of cable or tie, some carabineers, and a little patience, and before long you’ll have your very own makeshift drone backpack.