You’re planning your next trip somewhere rainy like London or Southeast Asia. You’ll have your laptop with you so you don’t want to risk getting anything wet.

Do you need a waterproof backpack for the trip? Or is a water-resistant travel backpack enough?

A water-resistant backpack might only keep your stuff dry in a drizzle or might perform well in a downpour. To understand where a backpack falls in that spectrum, check for two main factors: zippers and fabric.

If you see coated zippers on a backpack, that’s a clue your bag will perform well in light rain. Coated zippers keep water out of the bag in one of the most vulnerable places, since zippers are full of gaps holes. For an example, we use PU-coated racquet coil zippers on our backpacks.

Fabric is more complicated. Some “water-resistant” fabrics are simply tightly-woven nylons with a durable water resistant (DWR) coating applied to the back. No matter how tightly you weave a fabric, there will always be holes. Holes mean water can get through the fabric. Cheaper fabrics combat this issue with a coating to repel moisture. That coating works for a while but will degrade over time.

Higher-quality waterproof fabrics, like the specially customized 600D Nylon Cordura (Customization is required) that we use, have multiple layers to trap moisture and keep coatings from wearing off. Our stylish college backpacks have both a layer of waterproof Teflon^® film and a waterproof and breathable composite eVent coating (Customization is required) to keep your stuff dry, even if you’re stuck in a downpour.

A high-quality, water-resistant backpack will keep your stuff safe and dry in a rainstorm. If you throw a water-resistant backpack into a lake, however, your laptop may not fare as well. If you’re kayaking, bring a truly waterproof dry bag.

The stylish college backpack is a water-resistant, carry-on-sized backpack designed for city travel. Learn more about the advantages of waterproof fabrics and all the other travel-optimized features built into the stylish college backpack.