Matador Unleashes Its Most Versatile Travel Backpack Ever

Capitalizing on the award-winning GlobeRider series, this bag is more carry-on-friendly and offers an abundance of handy technical details.

Closeup of Matador GlobeRider35 Travel Backpack passport pocket with passport and woman's hands

By Sean Tirman

Published March 12, 2025

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Few bag brands know how to design for travel quite like Matador. The company has won plenty of travel-related awards, including numerous accolades for its GlobeRider45 travel pack.

The brand is now back with the Matador GlobeRider35 Travel Backpack — an evolution of the award-winning line that’s even more carry-on-friendly. While you might not think the original needed improvement, this new version is poised to prove otherwise. It might just be Matador’s most versatile travel bag ever.

Man wearing Matador GlobeRider35 Travel Backpack in front of windows — With its 35-liter capacity, this backpack offers generous storage without weighing travelers down.

Durable, dutiful companion

Durability is undoubtedly one of the most important aspects of a travel backpack. Matador clearly understands this (and has for years).

As such, the brand built this bag out of 420D nylon and gave it a waterproof PU coating. That means it is abrasion and puncture-resistant and will keep all your belongings dry wherever your travels take you.

It also has PU-coated waterproof zippers, an HDPE frame sheet with an aluminum frame stay to give it some structure, 210D nylon bonded thread and a bartack-reinforced construction.

However, the bag’s not just tough; it’s also responsible. The fabric is recycled and Bluesign-certified, meaning it is more sustainable and environmentally friendly than virgin fabrics, in addition to its exceptional durability.

Front pocket of Matador GlobeRider35 Travel Backpack open with assorted items inside — The upper front pocket is perfect for keeping your EDC (and more) handy at all times.

EDC at-the-ready

Convenience is also a pillar of a great travel bag, and the GlobeRider35 has that in spades. Its 35-liter capacity includes numerous externally-accessible pockets that make keeping essential items handy a simple affair.

For instance, it has a top-front zippered pocket with several pouches and zippered pockets — perfect for EDC gear, snacks, charging cables, books and whatever else you might need in transit.

There’s also a hidden zippered “smuggler’s pocket” in the back panel that’s secure when wearing the bag and makes a great place to stash sensitive items you need at the ready, like your passport, tickets, and so on.

Other clever pouches, compartments and features include a dual-access padded laptop pocket (with a protected false-bottom and magnetic closure), an external water bottle sleeve, a luggage pass-through and more.

Interior organization of Matador GlobeRider35 Travel Backpack — The interior clamshell compartment offers better organization than many dedicated carry-on bags.

Organize it!

The externally accessible pockets aren’t all the bag has going for it, either. Inside, the bag is more convenient and organization-friendly than many classic dedicated carry-ons.

This includes a large clamshell-opening main compartment highly compatible with packing cubes. Furthermore, the opposite panel has its own organization in the form of three zippered mesh pockets ideal for toiletries, socks, underwear or whatever else.

Overall, this bag is a marvelous achievement for Matador, and that’s saying a lot. Expect to see this pack acquire some accolades of its own, and don’t be surprised to see it on many best-of lists in the coming year.