Both also come at a premium retail price -- $200 for the HyperPack Pro and $150 for the Cypress Hero.

 Both also come at a premium retail price -- $200 for the HyperPack Pro and $150 for the Cypress Hero. 

But considering how much most of us use our backpacks and how much expensive gear they carry -- sometimes thousands of dollars worth -- it can make sense to invest in a good bag that is going to last, organize the gear you take on the go, and enable you to track down the bag from your phone if it gets misplaced or stolen.

How the built-in Apple tracker works

Both Targus and Hyper bags are part of the official Find My network accessory program that allows third-party products to make use of the same Find My app and Apple network that allows you to find a lost iPhone, iPad, Mac, AirPods, or other Apple product. Using anonymous end-to-end encryption, this network takes advantage of Bluetooth connectivity on the network of nearby Apple devices. 

Also: 7 ways AirTags can simplify your life (beyond tracking keys)

The Targus and Hyper bags have a built-in hard plastic square with a watch battery in it that serves as the tracker. This acts the same as an Apple AirTag, with one exception -- it does not have the Precision Finding technology available in AirTags that shows you an arrow with the direction pointing to where it's located. Instead, these bags have the same basic finding feature as most Apple products that simply shows if you're getting nearer or farther from the device.

Jason Hiner/ZDNET

I recently tested the HyperPack Pro on a week-long trip to New York City and the Targus Cypress Hero on a week-long trip to South Korea. Let's take a look at the standout features of both of them as well as buying advice for who can most benefit from them.

HyperPack Pro is the bag tech enthusiasts will love

If you want extra protection and security for your gear and want to be able to easily charge all of your devices from a battery pack inside the bag, the HyperPack Pro is the backpack to beat. There are only a couple of drawbacks to this bag, and we'll talk more about those in a moment.