A laptop, headphones and small things
UDG Ultimate DIGI Backpack
Organised DJ backpack for a laptop, a small controller and accessories; slow to pack, and not cheap.
Photos: UDG Gear
3 of 3 reviews recommend it28 owner reviews read
Choose it if you play on the club's gear and bring a laptop, headphones and the small things. A side-entry compartment takes a laptop up to 16 inches, and UDG's fit list stops at small controllers such as the Reloop Buddy, Reloop Ready and AlphaTheta DDJ-FLX2, and the DJM-S5 mixer. A DDJ-FLX4 is too big for it. Its many pockets take time to pack, reviewers warn; for a flight with records, the JetPack Slim is the slimmer bag.
- Best for
- Laptop DJs and producers carrying a small controller and many accessories.
- Skip it if
- Your main unit is bigger than a Prime Go, or you pack in a hurry.
What people praise
- Well made, with sturdy zips and material
- Holds a laptop, a small controller or mixer, cables and more
What to know first
- Not cheap
- Seams, handle or a shoulder strap gave way under heavy loads
Video reviews
- discjockeynewsMay 2017Recommends
Flying with a laptop and records
JetPack Slim DJ Bag
Slim DJ backpack for a laptop and gig essentials; too small for a mixer or controller.
Photos: JetPack Bags / Orbit Concepts
4 of 4 reviews recommend it
Choose it if you fly with a laptop and a few records. JetPack's description lists a TSA-approved laptop compartment, sleeves for vinyl records and slipmats, a raised headphone compartment and a trolley sleeve, and says it counts as a personal item rather than a carry-on; check that against your airline's limits. The reviews agree it has no room for a mixer or controller, and they date from 2018 and 2019, with no owner reviews to read.
- Best for
- DJs who play from a laptop, DVS or USB and carry only essentials.
- Skip it if
- You need to carry a controller or mixer to gigs.
What people praise
- Well organised, with a pocket or sleeve for every gig essential
- Comfortable to carry, with a padded, breathable back
What to know first
- No room for a mixer or controller
Video reviews
- Cleveland TerryDec 2018Recommends
A battle mixer and records
Magma Solid Blaze Pack 120
A roomy, well-made backpack for a laptop up to 17 in and a battle mixer; heavy before you pack it.
Photos: Magma
3 of 3 reviews recommend it13 owner reviews read
Choose it if you bring your own battle mixer. Magma's fit list names the DJM-S11, DJM-S9 and DJM-S7, the Rane Seventy and Seventy-Two and the Reloop Elite, with room for 12-inch records and a separate padded sleeve for a 17-inch laptop. It also takes a Denon DJ Prime Go or a DJS-1000. It is heavy before you pack it, owners say, and a two-channel controller such as the DDJ-FLX4 is wider than its main compartment.
- Best for
- One bag for a laptop, a battle mixer or controller, cables and headphones.
- Skip it if
- You travel light or want a backpack that weighs under 2 kg empty.
What people praise
- Lots of room for a laptop, gear, cables and clothes
- Well made and sturdy
What to know first
- Heavy before you pack it
- Not cheap
Video reviews
- DJcityTVJul 2023Recommends
- DJ NACH TVDec 2023Recommends
A controller in its own case, in the rain
Magma Rolltop Backpack III
A roomy, weatherproof rolltop pack for a full-size controller; the main compartment is unpadded, so add a case.
Photos: Magma
Only 1 professional review so far, 1 recommending it28 owner reviews read
Choose it if your controller already lives in a case and you walk to gigs in the rain. Magma calls it weatherproof, the roll top lets the main compartment grow in height, and Magma's fit list runs from the DDJ-400 to the DDJ-1000 and the DDJ-GRV6, with a 17-inch laptop in a side-access compartment. The main compartment is unpadded, so the controller needs its own case, and the evidence is thin: one professional review. For built-in padding, the Urbanite Large is the heavier alternative.
- Best for
- Carrying a full-size controller in its own case, plus a laptop, in the rain.
- Skip it if
- You want a padded main compartment with dividers for small items.
What people praise
- Roomy: takes a full-size controller or mixer, a laptop, cables and more
- Keeps out rain, zips included
What to know first
- Main compartment is unpadded; the controller needs its own case
- Gets big and heavy when fully packed
A full-size controller up to 70 cm wide
UDG Urbanite MIDI Controller Backpack Large
A padded backpack for a large controller and a 19-inch laptop; not cheap, and little evidence so far.
Photos: UDG Gear
Only 2 professional reviews so far, 2 recommending it18 owner reviews read
Choose it for a full-size two- or four-channel controller with nothing else around it. UDG's fit list includes the DDJ-800, XDJ-RR, Rane One MKII, Denon DJ SC LIVE 2 and Reloop Mixon 8 Pro, held by movable foam inserts beside a laptop up to 19 inches. Bonedo found a DDJ-1000 fills the width, so measure a wide controller first. The evidence is thin, two reviews and 18 Thomann owners, and two owners would rather have wheels or a hard case for frequent moves.
- Best for
- Carrying a DDJ-800-size controller, laptop and cables on your back in one bag.
- Skip it if
- You move gear often by car and want wheels or a hard shell.
What people praise
- Carries the controller, a laptop, cables and headphones in one bag
- Well made and sturdy
What to know first
- Not cheap
- A wheeled bag or hard flight case suits frequent moves better
Video reviews
- DJ80Dec 2021Recommends
Also considered
- UDG Urbanite MIDI Controller Backpack Extra Large. The bag for a DDJ-FLX10 or DDJ-REV7, which are 71.6 and 73.2 cm wide and too big for the Large; UDG gives 73.3 cm inside. No review of this size was found, and Thomann no longer lists it, so there is nothing to judge it by beyond UDG's figures.
- UDG Ultimate MIDI Controller Backpack Small MK2. This guide's pick for a DDJ-FLX4 until UDG marked it discontinued; Thomann has dropped it too, and UDG names no successor in that size.
- UDG Ultimate MIDI Controller Backpack Large MK2. UDG still sells it for much the same controllers as the Urbanite Large, with padded walls and an 18-inch laptop sleeve, at 4.2 kg; it has no page here yet.
- MONO Classic FlyBy. Its 17-inch laptop sleeve zips off as a separate bag, so the main pack can go overhead and the laptop under the seat; the main compartment is too small for a DDJ-FLX4.
- UDG Ultimate Backpack Slim. At 1.33 kg, UDG's lighter option for a small mixer such as the DJM-S5 or DJM-S7 and a few records.
If you'd rather carry the controller and laptop separately, AlphaTheta's own DJC-A3 Bag lists the DDJ-FLX10: it is a shoulder bag with no laptop compartment.
How to choose a DJ backpack
Check the maker's fit list, then the numbers
Bag makers publish lists of the controllers each bag takes, and those lists are the safest guide. If your controller isn't on one, compare its width and depth with the bag's inside dimensions, and remember that a controller backpack usually holds the controller standing on its side. The numbers can be tight: the Urbanite Extra Large is 73.3 cm wide inside and the DDJ-REV7 is 73.2 cm. These are the manufacturer's figures for common controllers:
| Controller | Width x depth x height | Weight | A backpack whose maker lists it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pioneer DJ DDJ-FLX4 | 48.2 x 27.3 x 5.9 cm | 2.1 kg | None of the picks by name; it fits the Rolltop III's and the Urbanite Large's inside dimensions |
| Pioneer DJ XDJ-RR | 62.5 x 38.9 x 7.4 cm | 5.2 kg | UDG Urbanite Large |
| Reloop Mixon 8 Pro | 65.7 x 39.1 x 6.8 cm | 5.7 kg | UDG Urbanite Large |
| Pioneer DJ DDJ-FLX10 | 71.6 x 40.0 x 7.3 cm | 6.7 kg | UDG Urbanite Extra Large |
| Pioneer DJ DDJ-REV7 | 73.2 x 38.2 x 8.2 cm | 10.7 kg | UDG Urbanite Extra Large |
Add up the weight
Start with the bag's own weight: the Urbanite Large is 3.95 kg empty, the Solid Blaze Pack 120 2.3 kg and the Rolltop III 1.7 kg, per their makers. A DDJ-REV7 in the Urbanite Extra Large is over 15 kg before a laptop. If you travel with luggage, a trolley sleeve takes the weight off your back: the JetPack Slim and the Solid Blaze Pack 120 both have one. For a heavy controller, a hard case carried by hand may suit you better than a backpack.
Padding or a case
UDG's Urbanites hold the controller in foam inserts, and the Solid Blaze Pack 120 has removable padded dividers. The Rolltop III's main compartment has no padding, so its owners and Amazona's reviewer put the controller in its own case first. A side-entry laptop sleeve, as on the UDG bags and the Rolltop III, lets you take the laptop out at airport security without unpacking the controller. If you also carry a laptop stand, see the best DJ laptop stands.
Flying with your gear
JetPack says the Slim counts as a personal item on a flight, and Bonedo rates the Solid Blaze Pack 120 cabin-baggage size. A controller backpack is much bigger: the Urbanite Large is 73 x 43 x 22.5 cm outside, so check a bag's outer dimensions against your airline's cabin limit before you book. Whatever bag you take, carry your music on two USB sticks as well as the laptop; see the best USB sticks for DJing.
Rain and spilled drinks
Most of these bags are described as water-resistant or water-repellent, which protects against rain on the walk to the venue, not a soaking. Magma calls the Rolltop Backpack III weatherproof and fits the Solid Blaze Pack 120 with AquaGuard zips. If a drink does get in, see what to do if you spill a drink on your gear.
How these picks are made
Each pick is the bag with the strongest evidence for its situation. The evidence is what professional reviews conclude and what owners report at Thomann, compiled for each bag, with every source linked on its product page. Bag figures come from the makers' pages, and controller dimensions from the manufacturers' manuals, linked on each controller's product page. We haven't tested these bags, and two of the picks rest on thin evidence, which their cards say. Prices come from daily tracking across the retailers we link to. The methodology explains the whole process.
