If you have walked through any airport in the last few years you have likely seen a unique-looking backpack with padded side panel flap things and wondered why so many people choose the Osprey Porter as their preferred travel backpack. In this review I’ll tell you why I think the Osprey Porter is so popular, my personal experience with the backpack, as well as some pros and cons to the backpack so let’s get into it.
Final Thoughts
If you don’t want to read the entire review here are our final thoughts. This is a great bag for everything from backpacking Europe to hauling gear to the ski resort. It’s versatile with its main oversized compartment and functional with its individual pockets, compression straps, backpack straps, and organization pockets. The large U-shaped opening makes it easy to pack and stay organized. The many different sizes and colors make it an option for any traveler. The durability and quality known from Osprey justify the cost. If you are looking for a do-it-all pack that is highly functional over other similar packs of its size and capacity, I’d recommend going with the Osprey Porter 46.
Pros and Cons of the Osprey Porter 45
- Very durable quality with added side protection
- Harnes and straps stowaway
- Plenty of compressions straps
- U-Mouth opening for easy access
- Compatable with DayLite piggy back pack
- Works for carryon sizes
- Other Color and Sizes available
- Side wings can get in the way when packing and unpacking
- Difficult and time consuming to store straps
- Top pocket zipper can be a little difficult to acces because of handle
- Laptop sleeve too big, inner sleeve pocket too small
Comfort
The Osprey Porter is comfortable in more ways than you might expect at first glance. The handles are so easy to grab from an overhead bin, off a luggage carousel it makes traveling with this bag more convenient. The stow-away backpack straps are also more comfortable than you might expect from something that has to be hidden. This comes from the years of highly favorable backpacks Osprey has designed. The compression design and straps with the “straight jacket” wrap make this pack stay close to your back no matter how full it is, reducing the weight outside of your body and increasing comfort and fatigue. With my testing, the pack is still comfortable even when loaded up with 50 lbs of gear. This can be attributed to the shoulder strap having a dual connection point as well as a waist strap to distribute the load.
Packability
The Porter 46 is designed to be used in all types of traveling with the large main compartment, an easy top access compartment as well as a laptop sleeve in the back panel. The outer pocket is great for easy access items like chargers, phones, and toiletries. I would highly recommend picking up a set of packing cubes if you haven’t used them before they are amazing at keeping things organized.
The butterfly wings that are on the outside of the pack keep it protected but can get in the way a little when packing the large compartment. I usually find myself trying to sit on the compression straps to hole the compartment open.
Specification and Features
- All Mighty Guarantee: Osprey offers a lifetime guarantee on all its products, giving you peace of mind and excellent customer support.
- Smart Organization: The Porter 46 is designed for modern travelers, offering efficient organization without overkill. It strikes the perfect balance for tech-savvy individuals.
- Versatility: This 46-liter bag is large enough to carry all your essentials yet remains manageable for comfortable travel. It’s an excellent option for slow travelers or digital nomads.
- Sleek Design: The Osprey Porter 46 combines an old-school backpacker look with a modern twist, appealing to travelers who prefer classic aesthetics.
- Stowaway Hip Belt and Harness: The bag’s duffel backpack hybrid design allows you to stow away the harness straps and hip belt for a more duffel-like carrying option.
- Excellent Compression Straps: The patented sidewall-padded compression straps enable easy size adjustment, making it convenient for carry-on or check-in luggage.
- Protected Laptop Sleeve: The back-facing laptop sleeve provides additional protection and can be locked for added security during travel.
- Easy Access Handles: The top and bottom handles facilitate hassle-free handling, especially when using the bag in duffel mode.
- Multiple Front Zippered Pockets: The front panel and pockets offer superb organization, ensuring quick access to your essentials.
Volume
The Osprey Porter 46 as the name suggest is a 46 litter pack. Osprey also offers the Porter in 2 other sizes, the Porter 30, and Porter 60 with their volume respectfully matching the name. The Porter 30 and 46 are designed to fit in major airline carry-on size restrictions. The Porter 60 however when fully loaded will not compress to the carry-on size constraints.
Can you use the Osprey Porter 46 as a Carry On?
The absolute biggest question we hear about the Osprey Porter 46 is if it meets the airline and TSA Carry-on requirements. According to TSA.gov carry-on luggage size restrictions are set by airlines. Here are some popular US airlines with their carry-on size restrictions.
| Airline | Size |
| Delta | 22″ x 14″ x 9″ |
| United | 22″ x 14″ x 9″ |
| American Airlines | 22″ x 14″ x 9″ |
Technically, the Porter 46 is slightly larger than the dimensions for carry-on luggage. By my measurements, without squishing the handles it’s close to 23″ x 15″ x 12″ fully loaded. However, with all the compression straps, it’s easy to shrink the Porter 46 to the standard 22″ x 14″ x 9″ size for a carry-on.
Here are some other Frequently Asked Questions about the Porter 46
Is the Osprey Porter Carry On Size? FAQ
The Osprey Porter 45 and 30 dimensions are compatible with the majority of international carry-on standers sizes when tightly packed
Osprey Porter 30 vs 46
The main difference between the Porter 30 and Porter 46 is the size. The Porter 30 is a smaller pack perfect for a personal item or carry-on. It has the same compression straps, organization pockets, and zippers.
Osprey Porter 46 vs 65
The main difference between the Porter 45 and Porter 65 is the volume of the packs. Secondly, the Porter 65 does have an additional pocket for shoes or other items at the bottom of the pack. Other than that, they are virtually the same.
What are the actual dimensions of the Osprey Porter 46
Because the Porter 46 is a soft pack, it can be measured from a few different spots. I measured it to be close to 23″ x 15″ x 12″. This is slightly larger than the standard carry-on size, but when compressed using the built-in straps it meets most airline carry-on size restrictions.
Osprey Porter 46 vs Farpoint
The Farpoint and Porter have a very similar look. The larger Farpoint packs include a daypack with them. The Farpoint also has Airscape back panel to allow better airflow behind your back. The Porter doesn’t. The torso length is also adjustable. Think of the Farpoint as more of a backpacker’s travel bag and the Porter as a family or business travel duffle that can convert to a backpack.
How much does the Osprey 46 weigh?
The Porter 46 weighs 2.8 lbs or 1.27 kg
What are the dimensions of the Osprey Porter 46
According to the Osprey website, the dimensions are 24.41″ X 14.96″ X 9.84″ IN
Why is the Osprey Porter so great?
The Porter 46 is so popular because it offers the convenience of maximizing your carry-on size with the convenience of a duffle bag or backpack. It also includes all the nice organization and compression straps to make it a do-it-all travel pack.
Osprey Porter vs Osprey Porter Sojourn
The Sojourn is a family of the Porter packs. They offer Wheeled and carried options. They also have Airscape back panel which the Porter doesn’t. The Sojourn also offers a side stretch panel and travel centry registration tag built in. Other than that, they are pretty much the same
So, Should you buy the Porter 46?
With all things considered, the price, durability, volume, weight, comfort, functionality, as well as other pros and cons should you buy the Porter 46? In my honest opinion, this pack is for someone that loves to travel through airports as much as they like camping out of the back of their car. It crosses many of the different disciplines from a standard duffle bag to a large day pack for hiking. This makes the Porter 46 one of the best backpack/duffle/travel bags available. That combined with the build quality and price make it one of my top picks and a back I’m continually reaching for when I’m on the go. If you are looking for one bag to do-it-all for you, you should definitely buy the Porter 46.