Best Bag for Drones | 2023

Many of the best bags for photographers and videographers are also a perfect choice for drones – after all, a lot of the needs are the same. Those looking for a good drone bag really just need something that’s going to keep their valuable electronic equipment safe, that’s going to be comfortable to carry with space for everything they need, and that will provide quick access to their gear when they need it.

As such, many of the bags we’ve suggested in our list of the best bags for drones will also double up as photo or video bags. However, in every case we’ve made sure that our pick makes sense for drone users, and have included options in a range of different sizes, as of course, not all drones are the same.

Here are the main types of bag we’ve included in this round-up:

Drone backpacks - The good old stalwart, a two-strap bag that’s designed to balance portability, comfort and capacity. We’ve picked out some excellent backpacks from leading manufacturers that have been designed specifically for drones – if you’re not sure which type you need, we’d recommend starting here.

Drone sling bags - Made for comfort and convenience, sling bags can be worn similarly to backpacks, only they use only one strap that is worn across the body.

Drone shoulder bags - Also known as messenger bags, these are also worn on one shoulder, but tend to be more capacious than sling bags.

Drone rolling bags - Best for air and train travel, rolling bags allow you to let the ground take some of the weight of your gear. Some also have the option to convert to backpacks, which can be useful if you find yourself on rough terrain.

Drone hard cases - Delivering the ultimate in protection, hard cases aren’t the easiest to carry or transport, but they can take a pounding and a soaking without allowing the gear inside to be damaged.

We’ve assessed all the bags we’ve picked across a number of criteria, including capacity, durability, ease of use and the number of useful extra features such as laptop sleeves. Whatever drone you use and whatever your budget, we should have something here for you, so let’s dive into the best bags for drones…

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Best Drone Backpack

As we mentioned in the introduction above, a backpack is likely to be the best choice for the majority of users, particularly beginners. Like all photography and videography bags, these backpacks come with padded internal dividers that can be shaped around your kit, and many also come with extra dedicated space allowing you to keep your personal items separate.

We’ve picked out backpacks of various sizes – some that are suitable for just a drone and its accessories, and others that can house a full video camera setup as well as a drone. We’ve also picked bags that are hardy enough to withstand a little outdoor punishment, and ones that we reckon are comfortable to wear for extended periods. So, wherever you plan to take your drone, any of these backpacks should be ideal for helping you get there.

Best Travel Drone Backpack

Pros:

• Specifically optimised for drones
• 15-inch laptop sleeve
• Protective FormShell armoured lid

Cons:

• Only one colour style
  
  

Lowepro is famous for its high-quality bags for photographers and videographers, so it’s heartening to see the manufacturer producing a dedicated bag for drones. The Lowepro Droneguard BP 250 isn’t the flashiest of bags – it’s a straightforward backpack that keeps things simple to ensure the price tag stays nice and low. It’s designed to fit drones the size and shape of the DJI Mavic Pro, meaning that most standard consumer drones will suit the bag just fine.

The bag also includes space for other accessories including spare batteries and a remote control, and the lid at the top is constructed from Lowepro’s hard armoured FormShell material, providing extra protection against knocks and bumps. There’s a sleeve for a fifteen-inch laptop, and the suspension system makes the backpack comfortable to wear for long periods. It does only come in one colour variety – so you do need to like this black version with silver camo pattern.

Best Cheap Drone Backpack

Pros:

• Stylish design
• Good level of protective padding
• 15-inch laptop sleeve

Cons:

• Less interior space than others
  
  

This relatively small backpack is a fantastic budget option for carrying smaller drones. With rear access for extra security, it’s a safe bag to carry through busy streets or on public transport, and the interior space can be configured to fit around your drone.Vanguard recommends it for smaller drones, with additional space for other accessories such as a remote control.

Available in black or in khaki green, the Vanguard VEO GO 46m also offers a 15-inch padded laptop sleeve. It’s well-padded throughout, and even when it’s loaded up you should feel pretty confident that your gear is well protected and safe. A complete rain cover can be pulled out as needed when the weather turns, and there are a number of dedicated pockets for extra small essentials. At this price, the Vanguard VEO GO 46m really is quite a steal.

Best Premium Drone Backpack

Pros:

• Ample space for camera and drone
• Carry-on compliant
• Predominantly recycled fabrics

Cons:

• On the pricey side
• Only worth it if you need the space
  
  

You may not think it at first glance, but this beast of a backpack is fully compliant with most airline carry-on luggage requirements (you’ll need to detach the floating lid), making it an excellent choice for taking your drone abroad. This is a bag for those whose filmmaking kit includes both a full camera setup and a drone, as it has plenty of room for both, as well as additional accessories and personal items. Using the MaxFit dividers, you can easily separate the interior space into discrete compartments, and there’s also one of Lowepro’s dedicated CradleFit sleeves that can accommodate a 15-inch laptop.

With a removable waistbelt and harness, as well as a back panel designed to facilitate air flow, the backpack is comfortable to carry over long hikes. Pleasingly, the Lowepro Pro Trekker BP 550 AW II is made from up to 73% recycled fabrics, as part of Lowepro’s ongoing sustainability promise.

Best Drone Sling Bag

A good lightweight, versatile sling bag is perfect for those who don’t want to wear something too bulky. One of the main advantages of sling bags is that they can provide very quick access to gear, as you can literally sling the bag around your body and open up the bag from the side. This is why sling bags are popular with street photographers. It’s probably a feature that’s less useful for drone users, but if you would like to cut down your setup time as slim as possible, a sling bag could be a good choice.

The sling bags we’ve picked don’t offer quite as much carrying space as the backpacks or roller bags – which makes sense, given that they’re worn on a single strap. These are best for those who like to travel light, and prioritise a slim, efficient setup consisting of only the essentials.

Best Travel Drone Sling Bag

Pros:

• Slim, sleek design
• Comfortable and well-padded strap
• Built-in all weather cover

Cons:

• Other bags offer more capacity for your buck
  
  

Let’s face it – quite a few bags designed for videography or photography can be a little, shall we say, oversized. Big bags often simply aren’t practical for smaller-than-average people, so we’d definitely recommend the Lowepro Slingshot Edge 250 AW Sling Bag to anyone who’s sick up to their back teeth of bulky bags. A lightweight sling that’s a good size for a small-to-medium drone, it’s designed with a slim profile in mind. The strap is well-padded enough to be comfortable to wear all day, and the bag also has a built-in all-weather cover to provide a little extra peace of mind.

It’s not the most capacious bag in the world, but if you don’t need to take much more than your drone and its essentials, the Lowepro Slingshot Edge 250 AW Sling Bag will definitely get the job done. There’s also a separate pocket to keep a tablet safe, as well as a small compartment for valuable items. 

Best Cheap Drone Sling Bag

Pros:

• Made from durable, weather-resistant fabrics
• Good size for DJI Mavic and similar drones
• Wide, well-ventilated shoulder strap

Cons:

• No laptop sleeve, just 8-inch tablet sleeve
  
  

Sticking with our slim and tidy theme, the Tenba Solstice 7L Sling Bag is another great choice if you don’t want to be lugging around a ridiculously bulky bag. Despite this, it’s got enough interior space for a Mavic-sized drone plus accessories, and thanks to the contoured, ventilated shoulder strap, you’ll find carrying the lot all day to be perfectly comfortable. The Solstice is constructed from hard-wearing, water-repellent 210D shadow ripstop and 420D plain-woven nylon, with YKK zippers for extra security. The stitching has also been reinforced.

The bag isn’t quite big enough for a laptop sleeve. There is an 8-inch tablet pocket if you happen to be using an iPad Mini – though at the rate current tablets are growing, we’re probably going to have to retire talking about an 8-inch pocket as a “tablet sleeve”. You’re certainly not getting an iPad Pro in there.

Best Premium Drone Sling Bag

Pros:

• Can be worn in multiple configurations
• Powerful water-repellent fabric coating
• 9L capacity

Cons:

• Not as sleek as Lowepro or Tenba options

While it’s listed as a sling bag, the WANDRD ROGUE Sling 9L can actually be worn a number of different ways. As well as sling style, you can also carry it as a messenger bag, or even wear it around the waist if so desired. In any configuration, it is a slightly bulkier bag than the previous options from Lowepro or Tenba, but the trade-off is of course that you get more storage to play with, meaning this could be a good choice for those who want to transport both a drone and their camera equipment. 

The outer material on this bag is good and tough – a blend of ballistic nylon and polyester nylon, designed to repel water to keep the contents of the bag safe. The five-point adjustment system allows you to get the bag sitting just the way you want it for optimal comfort. 

Best Drone Shoulder Bag

Shoulder bags can vary quite dramatically in terms of size and capacity. We’ve erred on the side of smaller ones for this section, as folded drones don’t take up as much room as, say, broadcast-quality video cameras. However, these bags will still carry everything a drone user needs and more, and all of them are designed to provide a comfortable fit even when worn on one shoulder and hanging at the waist.

It’s best not to overload a shoulder bag, as too much weight on one shoulder can be damaging if carried for a long period. However, the bags we’ve picked for this section do come with well-padded and ventilated straps, meaning they’re more comfortable to carry for long periods than your average cheap shoulder bag would be.

Best Travel Drone Sling Bag

Pros:

• Stylish design with attractive colours
• Water-resistant “Frog” pocket
• Secret pocket for valuables

Cons:

• Using Frog pocket sacrifices a lot of room
• Tablet sleeve not padded
  
  

The Toxic Wraith Camera Messenger Bag Medium is one of the best all-around shoulder bags for camera gear you can get, especially now that the price has come down. Its spacious interior (it’s available in 15L and 20L configurations) offers loads of room for a drone and accessories, and there are also welcome extra features like a laptop sleeve, a tablet sleeve, and a hidden “secret” pocket that’s a good place to keep valuables like money and a passport.

One interesting feature of the Toxic Wraith Camera Messenger Bag is the wet-dry pocket, which the manufacturers call the “Frog” pocket. Essentially, this is a sealed area in the bag where you can keep wet items like a raincoat without the moisture spreading to the rest of the items in the bag. It’s a nice idea and could definitely be useful, though actually using the Frog pocket for this purpose does mean giving up quite a bit of the interior space in the bag.

Best Cheap Drone Shoulder Bag

Pros:

• Sleek, minimalist design
• Shock-resistant dividers
• Comes with rain cover

Cons:

• Small drones only
  
  

Sometimes a no-frills option is best. The Manfrotto Advanced Shoulder Bag S III looks pretty understated at first glance – and it is. It’s really just a small shoulder bag for holding the essentials – you can fit in a small drone and the necessary accessories, but do check before you buy that your drone will fit comfortably in the 17 x 11 x 16 cm interior.

If it does, you’ve got a great bag here for an absolute steal of a price. Manfrotto has included its M-Guard dividers, which offer customisable space while also adding extra protection against sudden impacts, and the bag also has a useful rain cover. While we’ve picked one of the smaller versions here as it’s a great way to save some cash, other sizes are available, so don’t despair if it doesn’t look like your drone will fit. 

Best Premium Drone Shoulder Bag

Pros:

• Space for drone and camera gear
• Camera cube can be removed
• Well padded shoulder strap

Cons:

• Laptop sleeve only 13-inch
• Pricier than others
  
  

As the name implies, the Langly Weekender Flight Bag is big enough to take everything you might need for a weekend getaway – so that’s both a camera and a drone, then. The bag has an internal camera cube that according to Langly can hold a camera body with up to four lenses and a drone, and while that will of course depend on exactly what camera, lenses and drone you’re using, if you’ve got a fairly lightweight setup then you should be more than covered for a weekend’s shoot.

With a well-padded shoulder strap, the Langly Weekender Flight Bag is comfortable to carry. It is constructed from water-resistant rugged twill fabric, and keeps your gear both secure and easily accessible with German-engineered Fidlock magnetic V-buckles. The back panel has also been reinforced with EVA foam, helping the back retain its shape no matter whether it’s full or empty. 

Best Drone Rolling Bag

Rolling bags tend to be more expensive than other types of videography bags. However, if you’re planning on taking your drone abroad a lot, then having a good rolling bag to slickly manoeuvre your way through airports and train stations can be indispensable. Many rolling bags are specifically tailored to conform to most airline carry-on regulations, and as such are perfect for trips abroad to get once-in-a-lifetime aerial shots from far-flung shores. Remember of course to check local drone regulations when you travel, as they do vary from country to country. 

Many of the best roller bags can also double up as a backpack, making them easy to carry in a host of different situations. Some are also built with exceptional toughness, meaning they can withstand impacts and even survive being submerged in water. We’ve picked out quite a range for this section of the guide.

Best Travel Drove Rolling Bag

Pros:

• Can hold large drones
• 17-inch laptop sleeve
• Extensive padding

Cons:

• No backpack conversion option
  
  

While the Vanguard Alta Fly 62T Roller Bag is a heavy-duty photography bag designed to hold up to three pro DSLRs, it also has another trick up its figurative sleeve. The dual use dividers have been designed in such a way that they can be fitted specifically around the contours of a drone like the DJI Mavic, along with all the required accessories. 

It’s a two-wheeled trolley bag designed to fit in carry-on luggage – unlike some other roller bags, it doesn’t have an option to convert to a backpack. There’s a larger-than-average 17-inch laptop sleeve – big enough to fit a MacBook Pro – and plenty of padding throughout the bag to ensure your kit is protected. On the external zippers, a buckle lock helps deter prying fingers (Vanguard calls this the “3-point security system”

Best Cheap Drone Rolling Bag

Pros:

• Extremely tough construction (IP67 weatherproofing)
• Airtight with pressure release valve
• Generous amount of interior space

Cons:

• Likely too big for most carry-on luggage
  
  

Peace of mind shouldn’t have to cost the earth. Manfrotto’s Reloader Tough H-83 PL Roller offers a fantastic level of protection for your drone while still being pretty reasonably priced by roller bag standards. Its hard outer shell is IP67 rated, meaning it’s watertight and resistant to dust ingress – the case can survive brief water immersion and the contents will be safe. The pull-release latches can also be padlocked to prevent accidental opening, and the handles are reinforced with steel pins.

On the inside, multiple layers of protective pre-cubed foam help keep your drone padded and secure, while there’s ample space for a large drone with accessories. The telescopic release handle and large-diameter wheels mean the bag is smooth to roll through an airport – though bear in mind it’s probably a little too large for most carry-on regs, so you’ll need to check it into the hold.

Best Premium Drone Rolling Bag

Pros:

• Can convert from roller bag to backpack
• Loads of interior space
• All-weather cover and heavy-duty zippers

Cons:

• Quite heavy (more than 4kg)
  
  

Another beefy boy from the upper end of Lowepro’s range, the Pro Trekker RLX 450 AW II Backpack can be rolled or worn as the user sees fit. While the waist belt and harness do their best to make it comfortable, this is already more than four kilos of bag before you even put anything in it, so you may find it more comfortable to lay it on its wheels and let the ground do some of the lifting. 

The interior Maxfit divider system makes it easy to contour the space of the bag around your drone and its accessories – and once again, Lowepro has committed to manufacturing a significant percentage (69%) of the bag out of recycled materials. The all-weather cover is available to give the bag an extra layer of protection from rain, and the heavy-duty wheels are sturdy and reliable. If you need the space and protection it offers, this is an exceptional roller bag for drone kit.

Best Drone Hard Cases

Hard cases deliver the ultimate in protection for your drone. They’re not necessarily the easiest to carry, but if you want to be absolutely sure your drone is not going to get damaged in transit, a good hard case is the way to do it. Hard cases do also offer some of the conveniences of other camera bags – most notably padded foam interiors to keep your gear from knocking about inside – but with a host of other features too. 

Many hard cases have pressure equalisation valves to react to sudden changes in air temperature or pressure, which is useful when flying. Some come with tough, durable wheels to make transportation a bit easier, though others require you to simply take a deep breath and pick them up by the handles. Probably a good idea to get a taxi from the airport, if you ask us.

Best Travel Drone Hard Case

Pros:

• Specifically designed for drone and video kit
• Hard resin polymer exterior
• Extra-secure latches

Cons:

• Not the most comfortable to carry
• It’s pretty hefty
  
  

If you want tough, the Manfrotto Pro Light Tough-47F Hard Case will deliver. Constructed from a resin polymer that’s designed to protect the interior contents from both water and hard impacts, this case is designed specifically to house and keep safe drone and video equipment. As such, it’s got a foam-padded interior that prevents delicate equipment from getting banged around in transit, and these inserts can be adjusted to suit the specifics of your kit.

With secure metal-pin latches and safety-release clips, the Manfrotto Pro Light Tough-47F Hard Case is well protected against accidental opening while still ensuring your gear is easily accessible. Bear in mind this is a case with just a hard handle and no wheels or straps – it’s not really for carrying long distances. It’s for keeping gear safe on air travel and road trips, and it does an exemplary job for a reasonable price.

Best Cheap Drone Hard Case

Pros:

• Cheap and effective
• Designed for DJI Mavic and accessories
• Highly durable construction

Cons:

• Needs to be housed in a larger case
  
  

If you’ve already got a bag or case but want some extra protection for your drone, the Incase Compression Case is a great choice. It’s designed specifically for the DJI Mavic (so should be able to house any similarly sized drone), and offers enough room for the folded drone and its required accessories such as the remote control and batteries. The idea is basically that this case goes inside your larger bag, ensuring an extra level of protection for the drone should something go wrong. 

The outer construction is an abrasion-resistant 840D ballistic nylon, meaning it should stand up to any conditions the world is likely to throw at it. The interior, meanwhile, features die-cut EVA foam padding to make sure your drone, controller and other accessories are all protected from knocks and bumps.

Best Premium Drone Hard Case

Pros:

• Built extremely tough
• Four wheels for transportation
• Five-piece foam set included

Cons:

• Very expensive
• Big and heavy
  
  

Throw it in water, jump on it, smite it, freeze it, douse it in corrosive chemicals – the Peli 1640 Case is made to take it all and come up smiling, with your drone and other gear still housed safely inside. The trick is in the Ultra High Impact structural copolymer it’s made out of, which makes the case incredibly tough and able to weather a frankly absurd level of punishment. On the inside, you can customise the five-piece foam padding set how you see fit in order to accommodate your drone and other camera gear, and the airtight case also has a built-in Pressure Equalization Valve for sudden changes in pressure or temperature. 

Four polyurethane wheels with stainless steel bearings make the 17kg Peli Case quite a bit easier to transport. It’s designed for professional use, and is priced as such, but it really is one of the most effective hard cases on the market, and the ultimate level of protection for your drone.

FAQs

What is the best bag for drones?

The best bag for drones varies depending on individual needs and preferences. Some popular options include backpacks, hardshell cases, and shoulder bags. It's important to consider factors like drone size, additional equipment, and desired level of protection when choosing a bag. 

How do I choose the right bag size for my drone?

To choose the right bag size for your drone, measure the dimensions of your drone and any additional equipment you plan to carry. Look for bags that provide enough internal space to accommodate these measurements comfortably. It's a good idea to choose a bag that offers a bit of extra room to ensure a snug fit and accommodate any future equipment upgrades.

What features should I consider in a drone bag?

When selecting a drone bag, you should consider the protection, comfort, ergonomics, storage capacity, organisation and overall durability.

Can I carry a drone bag as a carry-on during air travel?

Whether you can carry a drone bag as a carry-on during air travel depends on the airline's specific regulations and the bag's size. In general, drone bags should be checked with your airline to determine if they meet the carry-on size restrictions. 

Additionally, it’s best practice to remove and carry the drone's batteries in your carry-on luggage because of lithium-ion battery restrictions that apply to checked baggage. Always check with your airline and adhere to their guidelines to avoid any issues while travelling.