Find the Best iPad Pro 13 Bag: Crossbody, Backpack or Sling

Updated - September 2026

If you're going to move your Apple tablet through the world, you're going to need to protect it. A great way to do this is with a specifically-designed 13 iPad Pro bag or dedicated iPad backpack or iPad messenger bag. But how do we find the best iPad bags to meet our needs?

While the term "best" is subjective, there are certain attributes that any Apple tablet user would agree are important when choosing amongst the best iPad Pro bags available. This is especially true for the more fragile 13 Pro or Air models.

With its large glass screen and semi-flexible rear aluminum panel, having a secure place to store this tablet when transporting it is paramount. So protection and security are important qualities to look for in a bag or iPad Pro briefcase.

iPad Crossbody Bag for 13

Depending on what you're looking to carry, you have to ask yourself, "How much bag do I need?" How much other stuff do you plan on carrying with you when you take your Apple tablet out into the world? If the answer is "a lot", this will facilitate the need for a bag that will carry more than just the tablet.

If the answer is, "I just want to carry the iPad, my Pencil, the AC adapter and maybe some screen cleaner and a cloth. Oh, and being able to take my Magic Keyboard along would be great too!"

An iPad crossbody bag would be perfect for this requirement list. It's not going to look much different than the travel case the person above will be carrying. If you're someone looking for this minimalist approach in an iPad shoulder bag, look for a compact, comfortable design.

Moreover, it's important it's highly protective, lightweight and easy to get in and out of. A silent magnetic closure will let you sneak into a meeting late, get your tablet out and start taking notes as if you were there the whole time.

[ Shop iPad Cross-body Bag ]

Watch How These iPad Bags Combine Features with Sustainability

There should be a place for the Apple Pencil and a removable accessory pouch that attaches to the shoulder strap that can hold your AC adapter, cables, screen cleaner and a cloth, earbuds, etc.

When you put all these elements together, it should equal a cross-body iPad bag at its best. Compact, smart, and built to last, it will be everything you could want in an iPad case with a handle and a shoulder strap.

Many potential customers come to MacCase to find what they consider the best iPad 13 bag. In many cases though, someones perfect iPad Pro bag is not leather, but nylon.

Nylon iPad 13 bags are lighter and more cost effective than their premium leather brethren. MacCase has made iPad Pro bags since Apple's original iPad was released in 2010. They've evolved over the years. Let's take a quick look at the options MacCase currently offers in an iPad Pro carry bag.

Backpack for iPad 13

A backpack is the right carry choice when the load extends beyond the iPad itself. Chargers, cables, the Magic Keyboard, documents, a water bottle, once the carry list reaches that length, a crossbody or messenger bag can create an imbalanced and uncomfortable carry situation. A backpack distributes the weight across both shoulders and keeps the center of gravity close to the body.

MacCase created the world's first Apple-specific backpack in 2000. Over a quarter of a century of design and engineering experience were put into our iPad Backpack. One of the key design decisions that distinguish it from generic tablet backpacks is the optional, custom-fitted sleeve sized to the 13-inch iPad specifically. This creates the MacCase sleeve-in-sleeve iPad protection system. A padded floor that protects the iPad when the pack is set down on any surface and the exclusive BrightSight interior are also key differentiators. 

One thing that is often overlooked in backpack design is theft deterrence. If you're carrying a very expensive piece of hardware in your backpack, in this case, Apple's largest tablet and the backpack's design telegraphs this to the world, congratulations you're now a potential target.

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iPad Safety by Design

The 13 iPad Backpack is designed not to look like you're carrying an expensive computer device inside. It's just too round. Laptop and tablet backpacks tend to be boxy and very rectangular.

This is the tip-off that something expensive is inside. Our little round, organic shape is the furthest thing visually from what a thief would be looking for. This design keeps you and your iPad safer especially when traveling. This is design as a security feature.

A New iPad Pro Sling Bag?

MacCase created the world's first Apple-specific sling bag, a carry solution designed from the start for Apple tablets rather than adapted from a general-purpose bag. This was one of the most unique, original designs in MacCase history. If you are a long-time customer, you may remember it.

A sling occupies a specific position in the carry hierarchy. It is more structured than a crossbody bag and more compact than a backpack. The single strap crosses the body and the bag rotates to the front for access without removing it, a carry advantage in environments where a backpack requires removal to reach the main compartment. For users who need more than a crossbody can carry but less than a full backpack, and who prioritize speed of access, a sling is the right form factor.

Sling Bag for iPad

We recently found one in pristine perfect condition in an old box of samples. "That would make the best bag for an iPad Pro 13", someone reacted upon seeing it for the first time at a meeting. "It's just perfect".

Our original Sling design was ten years ahead of its time. When it came out, it was one of the lightest and thinnest bags available from any bag manufacturer. It predicted exactly how the hardware it was designed to carry would become lighter and thinner as well.

Here we are ten years later and it is perfect for Apple's tablets. It would also fit the latest 13" MacBook models perfectly.

What do you think? Should we resurrect our Sling design and create one cool bag for the 13 iPad Pro or Air?

Not sure which iPad Pro bag format is right for your carry situation? The MacCase Buyer's Guide walks through the decision by carry load, device, and daily routine.

About Michael Santoro

Michael Santoro is a multi-award-winning designer across a broad range of industries including automotive, product and aerospace. In 1998 he founded MacCase and with it, the Apple-specific case market with his design for a case for the original iBook. He also mentors aspiring artists and designers around the world through his tutoring programs at Art College Prep and How to Draw Cars. Learn more about his work at Michael Santoro Design.