Family owned in Monroe, Connecticut

Custom Backpacks

A backpack he'll carry every day, marked with his name. Built for the commute, the gym, and the weekend.

The buying guide

Custom Backpacks gift guide

His name on the bag is what turns a backpack from something he owns into something that was chosen for him, and it costs nothing extra here. The decision then comes down to two things: what he carries, and whether his initials go on in stitched thread or engraved into leather. Personalized backpacks here run $49.99 to $259.99, with larger leather sets above that.

Start here: pick by what he carries

Four situations cover almost every backpack decision:

  • A laptop, to an office or a campus. The Canvas Laptop Backpack ($59.99) is the straightforward answer, engraved rather than stitched despite the name. The Luxe Leather Laptop Backpack ($199.99) is the step up.
  • A weekend away, not a commute. The Voyager Personalized Canvas Backpack ($74.99) is our best seller at 80 sold and 4.91 stars from 35 reviews. It converts between backpack and duffel, which is why it covers both jobs.
  • Drinks to a tailgate, beach or park. The Adventure Ready Backpack Cooler ($69.99, 66 sold) is an insulated cooler you wear, and it is the second most-bought bag on this page.
  • Worksite or hard use. The Carhartt Foundry Pro Backpack ($159.99), embroidered, in 1200D polyester with Rain Defender.
  • A milestone, where the bag is the whole gift. The City Backpack in full-grain leather ($259.99), or one of the multi-piece leather sets, which run to $769.99.

Personalized backpacks compared

Backpack Material Marked by Price Reviews Sold
Voyager Canvas Backpack Cotton canvas, leather trim Embroidery $74.99 4.91 (35) 80
Adventure Ready Backpack Cooler Insulated, faux leather accents Engraving $69.99 4.75 (16) 66
Canvas Laptop Backpack Vegan leather Engraving $59.99 New 18
Throw Back Canvas Backpack Vintage-washed canvas Embroidery $69.99 4.95 (22) 12
Fast Track Canvas Rucksack Canvas, leather straps Laser engraving $79.99 4.78 (9) 9
Personalized Carhartt Backpack Carhartt 500D polyester Monogram $84.99 New 3
The City Backpack Full-grain leather Personalized, pick font color $259.99 New 2
Luxe Leather Laptop Backpack Vegan leather Engraving $199.99 New 2
Classic Embroidered Canvas Backpack Canvas Embroidery $74.99 5.0 (1) 2
Carhartt Foundry Pro Backpack Carhartt 1200D polyester Embroidery $159.99 New 0
Commuters Backpack Polyester Personalized, pick font color $49.99 New 0

Canvas, Carhartt or leather

Material is the decision that actually matters, because it sets both the look and how the bag ages.

Cotton canvas, $69.99 to $84.99The default, and where both best sellers sit. Light, soft, takes embroidery cleanly, and it scuffs into a lived-in look rather than looking damaged. Best for students, weekends and anyone who is not hard on a bag.
Carhartt heavy polyester, $84.99 to $159.99Worth knowing before you buy: the Carhartt packs here are 500D and 1200D polyester with Rain Defender, not the cotton duck the brand is best known for. That makes them lighter and more weather-resistant than duck, and they hold their shape. Buy this tier when he is hard on a bag or the Carhartt name is part of the gift.
Leather, $199.99 and upThe milestone tier. The City Backpack at $259.99 is full-grain leather, which develops a patina over years and wants occasional conditioning. The Luxe Leather Laptop Backpack at $199.99 is vegan leather, so it is lighter, cheaper and needs no conditioning, but it will not patina the same way.

Embroidery or engraving, and how to tell

Both are free, but they are not interchangeable and the method is set per bag rather than by material. Check the individual product page before you assume.

Embroidered threadStitched initials or a name, and on most of these you pick the thread color, so it can be subtle or high contrast. Used on the Voyager, the Throw Back, the Classic canvas pack and the Carhartt Foundry Pro.
EngravedBurned or pressed in rather than stitched, tone-on-tone, and permanent in a way thread is not. Used on the leather bags, the backpack cooler and, despite the canvas body, the laser-engraved Fast Track Rucksack.
Not every bag in this collection personalizesA few are stocked as plain bags with no customization option. If personalization is the point of the gift, buy from the table above, where every entry is confirmed personalized.

One practical note either way: initials age better than a full name on a bag he will own for a decade, and a name reads better than a nickname if there is any chance the gift outlives the nickname.

What to spend

$49.99 to $79.99Canvas packs, the commuter pack and the backpack cooler. Everything most people are looking for lives here, including both best sellers.
$84.99 to $159.99The Carhartt polyester range. Buy up into this only if he is genuinely hard on a bag or wants that brand.
$199.99 to $259.99Leather packs. Milestone territory: a graduation, a new job, a fiftieth. Larger multi-piece leather sets in this collection run higher still.

More Bags and Everyday Carry

Man wearing a tan waxed canvas rucksack with leather straps and an embroidered monogram, photographed from behindCanvas BackpacksWaxed canvas rucksacks, the closest cousin to this page. Distressed brown leather messenger bag with a top handle and shoulder strap, photographed against a soft blurred backdropMessenger BagsWhen he carries a laptop but hates a backpack.
Brown canvas weekender duffel embroidered with the initials RH, resting on a wooden bench in a green wooded settingTravel GiftsDuffels, tags and kit for the trip itself. Slim leather wallet held open in a hand, showing a personal engraved message inside alongside cards and cashWalletsThe small engraved thing that pairs with a bag.
Personalized folding pocket knife engraved with initials, resting on the strap of a loaded hiking backpackHiking GiftsTrail packs and the gear that goes in them. Olive green tactical molle backpack worn on a man back, showing webbing straps, compression buckles and side pocketsTactical GiftsMolle packs and EDC built tougher.

Who you are shopping for

A student or new graduate

Canvas, laptop sleeve, under $80. The Canvas Laptop Backpack covers it, and initials date better than a graduation year on a bag he keeps.

A commuter

The question is whether he wants to look casual or formal arriving at work. Canvas for the first, the leather laptop backpack for the second. If he dislikes backpacks entirely, look at messenger bags instead.

Someone who travels

Convertible beats fixed. The Voyager switches between backpack and duffel, which is the difference between one bag and two. More in travel gifts.

The outdoors type

A day pack and a cooler do different jobs and he may want both. See hiking gifts for what goes in the pack and tactical gifts for the tougher molle style.

Personalization is free on every backpack in the table above, in thread or engraving depending on the bag, and orders ship in 1 to 2 business days.

Questions shoppers ask

Custom Backpacks FAQs

Is the personalization embroidered or engraved?

It is set per bag rather than by material, so check the product page. The Voyager, the Throw Back, the Classic canvas pack and the Carhartt Foundry Pro are embroidered in thread with a color you choose. The leather bags, the backpack cooler and the Fast Track Rucksack are engraved instead. Both are free and neither carries a setup fee.

What materials are these backpacks made from?

Three, and they behave differently. Cotton canvas ($69.99 to $84.99) is light and softens with use. The Carhartt packs ($84.99 to $159.99) are 500D and 1200D polyester with Rain Defender rather than the cotton duck the brand is known for, so they are lighter and more weather-resistant. Leather starts at $199.99, and only The City Backpack at $259.99 is full-grain.

What can I have put on a custom backpack?

Initials, a full name or a short line, depending on the bag. Initials tend to age better than a full name on something he will carry for a decade, and a name reads better than a nickname if the gift might outlive the nickname.

What is the best personalized backpack for a laptop?

The Canvas Laptop Backpack at $59.99 for an office or a campus. It is engraved rather than stitched despite the name. If you want the leather version, the Luxe Leather Laptop Backpack is $199.99.

What is the best-selling personalized backpack?

The Voyager Personalized Canvas Backpack at $74.99, with 80 sold in the last 12 months and 4.91 stars from 35 reviews. It converts between a backpack and a duffel, which is why it suits both commuting and weekends. The Adventure Ready Backpack Cooler at $69.99 is second at 66 sold.

Groovy team at work beside the laser engravers in the family workshop in Monroe, Connecticut, where most of our personalized gifts are engraved

Who makes your gift

A family shop in Monroe, Connecticut

Most of our gifts are personalized by our own team in Monroe, Connecticut. Some are made for us by specialist workshops around the country.

4.917,800+ reviews
138,000+orders
Freeshipping over $100
★★★★★
I got this as a surprise for my husband and he totally loves it. The quality is great and it arrived quicker than expected. I would definitely recommend!
Joy S.
★★★★★
This bag is the perfect gift for my son in college! I love it! It came in extremely fast! It is the perfect size and the color is rich! I can’t wait to see my son’s reaction on Christmas.
Robyn M.
★★★★★
I stumbled across this website trying to figure out what to get my boyfriend for his 60th bday. I got him this and had it engraved. Let me tell you it came out amazing and super quick turnaround. I will be shopping here again soon!?!?
Dana K.
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