Backpack purses are increasingly popular, especially in urban areas among busy professionals, college students that want something a little different to carry their purse and laptop down to the coffee shop, and new mothers who don't like their options in traditional diaper bags.

In addition, many urban men are re-adopting the idea of carrying a purse (albiet they don't usually call it that!) by toting around a leather messanger bag.

Messanger bags and backpack purses can be a lot more comfortable than a traditional handbag, especially if you have a lot of heavy items to carry around. In addition to being more comfortable for carrying weight around, they can also (depending on the design) me a lot more resistant to purse snatching or pick pocketing than an ordinary purse.

If you tend to carry around a lot of weight, however, you may want to choose some type of rolling tote instead. It may not seem like it now, but as you get older you will feel the effects more and more of carrying around a heavy backpack.

When choosing backpack purse you will have a wide selection of materials available. Some of the more popular varieties are made from leather, nylon, or even quilted. You may wish to choose the material based on your typical usage of a bag or the general weather in your area based on your amount of time spent outdoors. For example, if you live in Portland or Seattle or some other area that gets a fair amount of rain, quilted or leather backpack purses may get very wet. Something in a waterproof nylon may be a better choice for you.

Baggallini and Travelon make two of the most popular brands of backpack purses available. Both brands are styled to be ergonomic, comfortable, with a classy style.

Travelon backpack purses tend to be of the single strap variety and can either be carried over one shoulder or criss-cross across the body.

Travelon purses are generally made from nylon type materials.

Travelon bags are very popular for travel, especially when going overseas.  Many of their bags are commended for being very difficult to pickpocket due to the placement of the zippers and special fabric that is difficult for a thief to get into quickly.

Baggallini bags come in both a single shoulder style as well as a douple strap variety more akin to the traditional backpack look.

Baggallini backpack purses come in a variety of materials including nylon and leather.

Leather is a very popular component of many different handbags, and backpack purses are no exception. Genuine leather backpack purses can be found with both a singular and a double strap options. Leather purses in a messanger bag style are also available.

When choosing a handback made out of leather, one with a stippled texture will tend to remain looking its best for longer. Softer leathers and suedes are more prone to being damaged through rough handling and may not be the ideal material for a backpack bag you plan to throw around and have on the ground often.

Quilted bags tend to be much more feminine in design and look than a leather bag. Quilted backpack purses are excellent for carrying around a lighter load. They tend to not do well with heavier loads such as laptops and large books. They are a wonderful alternative for taking your things with you to yoga practice!