Looking for the perfect aesthetic backpack on the cheap? Whether it’s for school, travel or that special photoshoot – the right backpack can complete just about any look. From cute pastels to canvas grunge backpacks, we gathered our favorite aesthetic backpacks under $50.

Best Aesthetic Backpacks Under $50

Eastsmooth Corduroy Backpack

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The Eastsmooth Corduroy backpack is the perfect mix of pastel and grunge aesthetic. Pack your iPad in the internal sleeve or fill the main compartment up with your favorite foods for a picnic at the park! This backpack also comes in a ton of colors like blue, pink and black so you can really match your style.

Rainbow Aesthetic Backpack

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Cute yet functional, this rainbow backpack is perfect for everything from school or weekends with friends. While the outside can be deceiving, the inside of this backpack is actually filled with pockets. It even has a cushioned sleeve for your laptop!

Herschel Classic Backpack

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Keep it simple with the Herschel Classic backpack. We love the crosshatch fabric that gives this backpack a grunge aesthetic that you can dress up with pins or leave as is for a minimalist look. The Herschel Classic makes a great backpack for school thanks to its roomy main compartment.

Vanwalk Fruits Backpack

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Transform your day with this cute aesthetic backpack that can carry just about anything! The Vanwalk Fruits backpack comes in a few different colors (“flavors”) to match your mood and style. Try on grape, peach, lollipop or our personal favorite doughnut!

Segreto Transparent Hologram Backpack

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Transparent and hologram? Yes! This is one of our favorite aesthetic backpacks and it’s easy to see why! It’s definitely a smaller backpack, but we love it for those days where we just have to carry a few things on a day out and about.

Coolker Canvas Grunge Backpack

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If you are looking for the grunge aesthetic backpack then you have to take a closer look at this canvas backpack. It’s so roomy! Pack for a whole school day or even an overnight stay thanks to its large main compartment. Plus the canvas exterior allows you to place pins or patches wherever you please for max customization!

Denim Backpack with Pins

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If you are looking for a 90s aesthetic backpack, then nothing screams retro more than denim and some pins. Lucky, this backpack has bot! Each bag comes with 7 random patches and pins so you can really customize your look!

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Alien Holographic Backpack

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This alien shaped backpack is great for photoshoots or just hanging with friends! Pair this holographic alien backpack with your favorite eye shadow for memorable Y2K aesthetic look!

NASA Backpack

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Conquer the stars (and school) with this NASA backpack! In addition to a cool aesthetic, this backpack also has what you need to take on even the busiest of days. Each backpack has a roomy main compartment, pockets for a cell phone or wallet and side water bottle pockets. It’s also made of a lightweight neoprene material that’s easy on your back and shoulders.

Nike Heritage Backpack 2.0

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The Nike Heritage is a roomy backpack for anything life throw’s your way! In fact, we consider it one of the best Nike Backpacks for school because of how big and roomy it is. Grab the Heritage 2.0 in green or pink for the ultimate aesthetic backpack that is as functional as it is stylish.

Corduroy Grunge Backpack

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This is possibly the ultimate grunge aesthetic backpack thanks to its classic design, neutral grunge colors and soft corduroy fabric that you can decorate with pins and charms. We also love its price. You can usually grab one of these for under $20!

Jansport Superbreak Backpack

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One of our all time favorite cheap backpacks for school, the Jansport Superbreak offers a reliable (and super affordable) yellow plaid backpack that is perfect for school or overnight stays. At 25 liters it’s just the right size for a laptop, large books and an extra set of clothes! Wear this 90s grunge aesthetic backpack to complete your look!

DIY Canvas Backpack

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Nothing says throwback like a vintage canvas backpack but what makes this backpack unique is that it uses a special fabric that you can draw on and customize. Fill this backpack up with pins and patches or draw some of your own unique artwork for the ultimate retro aesthetic backpack!

Lily & Drew Backpack

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Lily & Drew backpacks have always been some of our favorite backpacks like Kanken. Its low price and cute design makes this a steal for anyone looking for the perfect canvas aesthetic backpack that you can take with you just about anywhere! Plus the inside is packed with pockets so you know you can stay well organized wherever you go.

Goth Grunge Backpack

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Perfect for school or just hanging out, this backpack has enough room inside for notebooks, a laptop or iPad without being too large or heavy. And we love the cute look, it’s the perfect nu goth or grunge backpack!

Kavaas Pastel Backpack

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Kavaas offers a cute way to carry your essentials with this pastel aesthetic backpack. Large enough to carry books and a laptop, this backpack is makes a great school bag by offering 20 liters of carrying capacity (that’s pretty roomy!)  

Jansport Half Pint Backpack

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Jansport offers a pink aesthetic backpack that you are sure to love with their Half Pint series bags. This small backpack is perfect for lugging around a tablet and other essentials. Plus, the Jansport brand offers some great quality at an affordable price!

LuckyZ Canvas Backpack

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LuckyZ offers a canvas backpack for those on a budget who still want a stylish 90s look. This backpack comes in a ton of colors like green, red, black and navy blue. So no matter you style, you’ll be sure to find one that matches!

Retro 90s Denim Backpack

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This denim backpack is the perfect accessory for a vintage 90s look. Made of soft denim with roomy pockets and compartments, this backpack is large enough for school, traveling or weekends out! Each backpack also brings five random patch so that you can decorate this grunge aesthetic backpack to your liking!

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Sailor Moon Backpack 

Perfect for school or weekends, this pastel backpack features the iconic Sailor Moon for a cool retro look. Equipped with charms and key chains, you can also customize the backpack by swapping them out for your own unique look.

Heart Shaped Pin Backpack

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This backpack allows you to place pins inside the clear heart shaped area for full customization! Large enough to fit an iPad or tablet, this a great aesthetic backpack to complete any look at school, travel or when running errands.

What is an aesthetic backpack?

An aesthetic backpack is any backpack that can help you achieve a specific look. Backpacks are great fashion accessories that are also incredibly functional. 

Aesthetic backpacks for school will have enough room to carry all our your daily notebooks and laptop while a smaller aesthetic backpack can store your essentials on a day out and about. Below are just a few backpack aesthetic ideas to help you navigate your next backpack style.

Grunge Aesthetic

Grunge fashion became popular in the 90s with the emergence of the of the grunge music scene with like Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Soundgarden. Flannel shirts, black boots and denim all make an appearance in grunge aesthetic. Top the look with a large canvas or denim backpack that can be decorated with pins and patches of your favorite music artists. Neutral canvas colors like black, brown. beige or white go best with the grunge aesthetic.

Pastel Aesthetic

Made popular on Tumblr, soft pinks, blue, greens and purples all make up the foundational colors of the pastel aesthetic. There are many cute pastel aesthetic backpacks available today that incorporate these colors. There is also the pastel goth aesthetic that incorporates Skeletons, Kawaii text and gradients. Go with a pastel gradient or cute black backpack to complete the look.

Y2K Aesthetic

Y2K aesthetic is heavily influenced by pop culture and fashion from 1998 to 2003. Baby doll tees, gradients, shiny clothing and silver eyeshadow are all markers of the look. Stick with a small or mini backpack to compliment your Y2K aesthetic. Small leather (or fake leather) backpacks, shaped backpacks (heart, alien) and hologram backpacks make great Y2K aesthetic backpacks.

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