Backpacks have a habit of overcomplicating themselves. Zippers inside zippers, straps for the straps, and pockets that require a map to navigate. The JanSport Cross Town Plus goes the other direction, and it has a long history of selling because of it. This Navy version packs a large main compartment, a padded 15 inch laptop sleeve, and a side water bottle pocket into a clean, classic design. I carried it daily for a month, through work, travel, and the gym, to find out whether the simple formula still holds up in 2026.
This article contains affiliate links, and if you buy through one of them the site earns a small commission at no extra cost to you. That commission does not change what I test or what I recommend, and the backpack reviewed here was carried exactly the way a buyer would carry it.
The Cross Town Plus is the larger sibling of the famous JanSport Big Student, and it adds the padded laptop sleeve and the side bottle pocket that make it a modern everyday pack. The rest of this review covers the compartments, the laptop protection, the comfort, and the honest limits of a classic design.
Design and Build
The Cross Town Plus is unmistakably JanSport. The body is a soft, structured backpack with a simple paneled front, padded shoulder straps, and a fabric top handle. The Navy color is a versatile dark blue that works with a suit and a hoodie alike, and the small leather patch with the woven logo adds a touch of classic charm without shouting for attention.
Build quality matches the brand's reputation. The ballistic style polyester feels tough, the zippers run smooth and catch nothing, and the stitching is clean with no loose threads after a month of hard use. The main zippers are sturdy enough for daily opening and closing, and the whole pack held its shape even when loaded to the brim, which is not true of every bag in this price range.
Key Features
The main compartment is genuinely large. It swallows a couple of thick textbooks, a change of clothes, a lunch container, and still leaves room for odds and ends, which makes it ideal for school, work, or a day trip. The opening is wide enough to see what is inside, so nothing gets lost in the bottom, and the shape keeps the pack standing upright on the floor.
The padded laptop sleeve is the upgrade that defines the Cross Town Plus. It sits at the rear of the main compartment, sized for a 15 inch laptop, with thick padding on the back panel side that protects the machine from the world and from the ground when the bag is set down. It is not a separate compartment, but it is well placed and secure.
The front organizer keeps the small stuff tidy. A zip pocket and a couple of slots hold pens, a phone, keys, and a wallet without them rattling around the main compartment. On the side, the water bottle pocket stretches to hold a 32 ounce bottle or a thermos, and the stretchy fabric keeps the bottle in place through a full day of movement.
Real-World Performance
For daily commuting, the Cross Town Plus handled everything without drama. A 15 inch laptop, a full lunch, and a jacket all fit comfortably, and the bag never felt like it was straining at the seams. The side pocket held my water bottle upright through a crowded train and a long walk, which sounds minor until you have carried a pack that flings its bottle across the platform.
The laptop sleeve earned its keep immediately. A 15 inch work laptop slid in and out easily, and the padding kept it safe when I set the pack down hard or shoved it under an airplane seat. The sleeve is not a hard case, so a drop onto concrete is still a risk, but for normal daily use it offers solid protection.
Comfort is good for a pack of this style. The padded straps are wide enough to distribute a full load, and the back panel is softly padded even if it does not have the ventilation channels of a dedicated hiking pack. A fully loaded day left my shoulders tired but not sore, which is a fair result for an everyday commuter bag rather than a technical pack.
The honest limits are the ones the design accepts. There is no water bottle pocket on both sides, no hidden security pocket on the back, and the straps, while comfortable, are not the padded suspension of a premium travel bag. It is a simple pack that does simple things very well, and trying to make it more than that would miss the point of the design.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Large main compartment holds a full daily load
- Padded laptop sleeve protects up to 15 inch machines
- Side water bottle pocket keeps bottles secure
- Front organizer handles small items neatly
- Tough build with smooth zippers
- Comfortable for a full day of carrying
Cons:
- No second bottle pocket on the other side
- No hidden security pocket for valuables
- Straps are basic, not a hiking suspension
- Laptop sleeve is not a hard shell
How It Compares
The Cross Town Plus competes with the larger JanSport Big Student and with premium laptop backpacks. The table below compares the three.
| Feature | Cross Town Plus | Big Student | Premium Laptop Pack |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laptop sleeve | Padded, 15 inch | Padded, 15 inch | Often dedicated, hard shell |
| Main pocket | Large | Larger | Variable by design |
| Bottle pocket | One stretchy side | One stretchy side | Often two, sometimes insulated |
| Price | Affordable | Affordable | Premium |
| Best for | Daily commuters and students | Heavy textbook loads | Tech professionals |
Against the Big Student, the Cross Town Plus trades a little volume for a slightly tidier layout, and both cost about the same. Against a premium laptop pack, it gives up dedicated compartments and luxe materials but keeps a lower price and a lighter, simpler design that many people genuinely prefer.
Who Should Buy It
Buy the JanSport Cross Town Plus if you want a dependable everyday pack for school, work, or travel without a pile of gimmicks. It suits students who carry a laptop and books, commuters who want one bag for office and gym, and anyone who remembers JanSport from their own school days and wants the same reliability in a modern shape.
Skip it if you need a separate hard shell laptop compartment, if you carry two water bottles or heavy camera gear, or if you want a sleek professional pack that matches a suit. For a simple, sturdy, affordable everyday carry, the Cross Town Plus is hard to beat. You can check the current price of the JanSport Cross Town Plus on Amazon when you are ready.
How We Test
I carried the Cross Town Plus as my daily backpack for a month, cycling between work with a 15 inch laptop, a gym day with a change of clothes, and a short weekend trip. I tested the laptop sleeve with a 15 inch machine, loaded the main compartment to capacity, and watched the water bottle pocket through a full week of movement.
I did not test the pack with a 17 inch laptop, and I did not run it through a waterproofing test in heavy rain, since it is not a rain rated bag. For a broader look at laptop backpacks, Wirecutter has tested the best laptop backpacks in depth. The JanSport Cross Town Plus listing on Amazon shows the current price and available colors.
JanSport Cross Town Plus Backpack: Questions People Ask
How big is the main compartment of the Cross Town Plus?
The large main pocket swallows a full load of books and a change of clothes, and the front organizer keeps small items within easy reach.
Does the backpack fit a 15 inch laptop?
The padded sleeve accepts most 15 inch laptops and larger 16 inch models, and the sleeve sits high enough to cushion the bottom on a table.
Is the water bottle pocket useful?
The side pocket stretches to hold tall bottles and keeps them upright through the day without spilling into the main bag.
How comfortable is the pack when it is fully loaded?
The padded back panel and straps distribute weight well, and the pack rides comfortably on a full commute load over long days.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
