A Careful Comparison of the Carry-On Wheeled Backpacks – Minimalist.Travel (2024)

Update: These three lovely pieces from Osprey are discontinued and usually no longer available (though you may sometimes still get lucky with the Amazon links below. But we have updates more on the current best rolling backpacks for travel from Osprey and others.

Osprey makes three convertible carry-on-sized rolling backpacks: the Osprey Meridian 60L, Osprey Ozone Convertible 50L, and the Osprey Sojourn 45L. This article offers a side-by-side comparison of the three.

We’ve reviewed the Osprey Meridian 60L here and it’s currently our favorite rolling backpack carry-on. And since we encourage folks to travel light and flexible, it’s also our overall favorite travel piece, period.

But yes, we get it, you might have different needs, and prefer something like the more backpacker-focused Sojourn 45L, which is more comfortable to carry on your back for long stretches over uneven terrain.

Note that the lightest of the group, the Osprey Ozone Convertible 50L, is discontinued but still sometimes available (especially used) at the links we provide in the table below.

All three bags in this article are carry-ons; we also compare the larger, full-sized versions of these three bags separately (and give our overall opinion on the best large rolling backpack). But we wrote those articles for the plodding losers who can’t manage to travel light.

We hope that pros like you, the dear readers of the present piece, can take on the world with just a carry-on, and we think that these three Osprey convertibles are the very best. But since Osprey’s own marketing explanations of their packs are scattered,vague, and terse, we’re hereby providing a full, side-by-side explanation of the options in order to help you best choose. Enjoy!

Quick Comparison Table: Osprey Meridian, Ozone, and SojournCarry-Ons

Osprey Meridian 60L/22″

• Sober, professional style:More muted color options, sleeker, more “pro” look

• Light:8.37 lbs/ 3.80 kg;designed more for durability than to absolutely minimize weight

• Highroad Chassis: large wheels and good clearance for bumpy roads

• Good comfort as backpack: The shoulder harness can be quickly snapped on; no hip belt

• Feature-rich:Exterior water-bottle pockets, accessory pockets, zippered top pocket, laptop sleeve, compression straps, etc.

Osprey Ozone Convertible 50L/22″ (Discontinued; sometimes available used)

• Youthful, techy style:Sporty/tech flair, though black option looks quite a bit like Meridian

• Lighter:6.3 lbs/2.86 kg

• Highroad Chassis: large wheels and good clearance for bumpy roads

• Greatcomfort as backpack:Shoulder and hip straps quickly slide out

• Feature-rich: Exterior water-bottle pockets, daypack, accessory pockets, zippered top pocket, laptop sleeve, compression straps, etc.

Osprey Sojourn 45L/22″

• Backpacker style: These bags give anappearance of beingready for rough road use and adventures into the great outdoors.

• Lighter:8 lbs./3.62 kg

• Highroad Chassis: large wheels and good clearance for bumpy roads

• Bestcomfort as backpack:Ventilated, detachable back panel with hip and shoulder straps

• Backpacker-oriented features:Excellent detachable ventilated suspension, zippered top pocket “straightjacket” compression straps, and external daisy chains for attaching additional gear

• No daypack included, but you can attach an Osprey Daylite Daypack

Why We (and Others) Mostly Love the Three Osprey Convertible Backpack Carry-Ons

On taking into accountthe test reportsfrom American and various European consumer organizations, the experiences of travel bloggers, and our20+ years of combined road experience, we’re pretty happy recommending Osprey as one of the top pack designers and for a few other things (liketoiletry bags).

These Osprey Meridian, Ozone, and Sojourn carry-on bagsshare quite a number of common features. They are all well-regarded by critics, known for durability, and relatively light. Since these bags share so many design elements, they don’t look all that different from each other; the style differencesare minor.

[quote align=’left’]Osprey rolling packs are lightweight and feature-rich pieces for long-term travellers[/quote]Osprey is mainly known for high quality comfortable backpacker bags that carefully distribute their weight and can be worn for long periods, so it makes sense that these convertible bags would be much more than just square, unpadded wheeled luggage with straps tacked on as an afterthought. They are, rather, truly convertible pieces of luggage that work great whether rolling through a city or hiking to a hidden beach hideout. Osprey piecesare a delight to wear, carry, or roll.

They are also not as cheap as some of their competitors. If you only travel very occasionally and for short periods, you don’t need to go with Osprey and might consider ourcheaper wheeled backpack suggestion. There are also a few Ozone models listed at the end of this articlethat are a bit cheaper, but that are simple carry-ons and do not convert to backpacks.

Here we’re focused only on pieces that are small enough to work as carry-ons. As experienced travel snobs we’re entirely convinced thatit’s bestto hit the road with a single carry-on, and nothing else, whether you’re heading out for days, weeks, or months.

[quote align=’right’]Osprey has a reputation with backpackers for following through on its lifetime guarantee[/quote]Another important note for any of the bags discussed here: Osprey has a proven track record of backing up its All Mighty Guarantee (“any reason, any product, any era”). If something goes wrong they repair the piece for free, and if they can’t do that, they replace it. If this befalls you, contacttheir closest international customer service center for details.

Best for Travel Pros: Osprey Meridian 60L/22″

Osprey Meridian 60L/22″is asleek, fully featured wheeled carry-onthat you can also pop on your back for short periods if needed. It is more for city travelers who are only going to occasionally use the detachable backpack straps for stairs, a rough bit of terrain, or quick bike ride. There is no hip belt, so this is not a wise choice for day-long treks in the woods.

This piece has very similar featuresto the Osprey Ozone Convertible 22″/50L. Bothhave attachable daybags with laptop sleeves and lots of other thoughtful little details that a serious traveler appreciates: accessory pockets, compression straps, a top quick-access pocket, and water-bottle pockets.

The Meridian is just a bit bulkier and heavier than the Ozone, and slightly more subdued and serious-looking. The Meridian also holds just a bit more, but this means that on some airlines you need to be careful not to overstuff it — particularly the attached daybag — so as not to run afoul of over-vigilant airline employees checking carry-on sizes. See here for more on what fits in the Osprey Meridian daypack.

Best for Light, Efficient Travel: Osprey Ozone Convertible 22″/50L

The Osprey Ozone Convertible 22″/50L is unfortunately now discontinued but sometimes available used (and a used Osprey piece is rarely a bad deal since they hold up so well). Be careful when looking to distinguish this convertible 50 from the other Osprey Ozone pieces, which are rolling luggage only and do not have backpack straps.

The Ozone Convertible 50L quite closely resembles its Meridian counterpoint; it’s main advantage is that it’s just a bit lighter and not quite as bulky, so you’re less likely to overstuff it and run into problems using it as a carry-on. It is also, unfortunately, a bit more likely to tip over when the daypack is attached and full of heavy stuff.

The Ozone Convertible 22″/50L can also look a bit sportier in its red version and “techy” with all its zippers and straps. Unlike the Sojourn, it has a dedicated laptop sleeve.

This piece is quite comfortable to wear on your back when needed for long stretches (in fact, I put the emptied bag on my back while writing this article at a standing desk to check something, and after twenty minutes realized that I had forgotten to take it off.) Like the Sojourn and unlike the Meridian, it has a hip belt, making it suitable for longer treks over bumpy roads. And, as with the other models here, it rolls well — the high chassis wheels are solidly built into the unit and give enough clearance to get you over rough terrain.

Best for Backpacker-Style Travel — but with Cheat-Wheels:The Osprey Sojourn 45L/22″

The Osprey Sojourn 45L/22″ is rather unique in that it combines the features of a top-notch backpackers’ pack with the great high-clearance wheels ofthe Ozone and Meridian lines — and it does all this in a carry-on.

That means maybe a bit of backpacker feature overkill for a small wheeled carry-on, but for those who need it mainly as asmall, ultra-sturdy and comfortable backpack, itis certainly ideal. The back-panel suspension system isventilated to keep you dry and everything about it is adjustable so that you can properly distribute your load. There are hip and sternum straps, and the whole suspension system is removable, for when you want to go with just wheels.

Just a bit of warning from the well-traveled: We thinkpeople tend to overestimate how much they’ll use backpack strapsand underestimate how much they’ll lovewheels. It’s lovely to pull a piece rather than have that parasitic hump stuckto your back.

But for those who most often find themselvesfar from smooth pavement — andwould also likewheels for when they’re in more civilized territories — the Osprey Sojourn 45L/22″ is going to feel great.

The Sojournlacks a laptop sleeve, so it’snot ideal for those who carry laptops or tablets, unless you also purchase an attachable daypack such as the Osprey Daylite, which is designed to hook onto the Sojourn. See here for more on separate Osprey daypack options.

Similar Osprey Carry-On Piecesto Consider

There are a few other Ozone carry-onsto consider. These are marketed without the term “convertible”; they do not convert into backpacks. They are simply lightweight but durable carry-ons.

Note that on some airlines, for example many budget airlines in Europe, you cannot carry a personal item like a daypack in addition to your carry-on; you will thus be forced to check one of the two.

It is for this reason, plus the simplicity of being able to fully zip everything together into a single pack, that we recommend the Osprey Meridian and Osprey Ozone Convertible carry-ons instead of buying separate pieces. But if those things aren’t an issue for you, and you never need backpack straps, these options immediately above are excellent.

Osprey Meridian, Ozone, and Sojourn Specs Side-by-Side

Roundup: Which Osprey Convertible Carry-On Is Best for You? And what are the best prices?

We have fancy software that updates the prices listed here daily, but nevertheless click through to Amazon to check the prices on various colors as they can vary enormously; these listed prices can thus be misleading if you’re flexible on color choice.