Expert’s Rating
Pros
- Super stylish
- Plenty of storage
- Smart organizer sections
- Hidden phone pocket
- AirTag pocket
Our Verdict
Smart enough to be worn with a suit and full of smart features, the Troubadour Apex 3.0 repays its high price with style and on-the-go easy-access, secure storage.
Laptop size: up to 17in
Capacity: 25L
We’ve tried and tested many laptop backpacks, on our backs on the daily commute, slung by café tables, dragged around airport departures lounges and stuffed into overhead compartments.
One backpack we’d be as careful with as the laptop itself is Troubadour’s Apex—now at an enhanced version 3.0.
We’ve long been fans of Troubadour and its leather phone-case spin-off Mujjo.
Its Apex 3.0 backpack looks and feels too good to gather dust around our feet or suffer any public transport indignity.
It’s one of the few laptop backpacks that looks great with a suit, but it shows off itself well against any good-looking clothing.
Inside is kept just as chic, with the zips and clips matching the bag’s outer color.
Remembering that its purpose is not just to look good but protect a laptop and store our portable belongings, we took the Apex 3.0 backpack out on the road and were truly impressed not just with its high-end looks but its multiple organizer pockets and comfort.
I wouldn’t use it to pack my gym gear, but it is utilitarian enough for day-to-day travel and smart enough for business meetings.
Toubadour
Design
Width: 12.5 inches (32cm)
Height: 19 inches (48cm)
Depth: 6 inches (15cm)
Capacity: 25L
Weight: 2.2lbs (1kg)
Laptop pocket: 15.7-x-11.4 inches (40 x 29cm)
Available in four muted colors—Black, Navy, Obsedian Green and Air Force Blue—the Apex 3.0 will make any standard backpack look very ordinary.
Its 14 pockets and enclosures are cleverly designed and the 25L capacity is generous enough for a day trip and easily enough for a packed commute.
The zipped and padded laptop section is at the back and has been improved with a wider easy-access opening—enough for a 17-inch laptop.
The main section is large without making the backpack look like a hiker’s camping gear, and keeps its shape even when full. Inside there’s a zipped mesh pocket that’s large enough for passport and travel documents or for cables and adapters, wallet, lipstick or other essentials.
At the back of the main section there is another zipped pocket, plus two vegan leather-tipped deep pockets that can fit even the largest phone, another card pocket and a pen holder.
Troubadour
On the front of the backpack is a decent-sized zipped pocket for keys and whatever you need fast-access to. Here’s where the bag starts to get smart. Tucked away—although not a total secret—is a small pocket designed for an Apple AirTag, to help you keep track of your bag and all its valuable contents. A thief could easily remove it but for crime-less temporary bag loss, it’s a neat feature.
And either side are two sturdy bottle holders, both of which can carry up to a 1-litre container.
The neatest new feature to the Apex 3.0 is a hidden, secure zipped phone pocket on one of the shoulder straps. It’s large enough to hold a phone, passport or wallet, and can be reached without taking off your bag.
The Apex 3.0 backpack is comfortable to wear, and features a new triple-layered bonded neoprene grab-handle on top for one-handed carrying.
At the back there’s a luggage sleeve that will slide over a telescopic suitcase handle.
The backpack is made from waterproof polyester fabric created from recycled plastic bottles, according to Troubadour, which is keen to boast about the bag’s sustainable manufacture. Fluorocarbons were removed from the waterproofing process, and recycled metal was used for the zipper pulls, clips and branding.
Troubadour
Price
In nobody’s mind is the Troubadour Apex 3.0 a cheap backpack. It looks great and is full of smart organization features, and its premium nature comes with a premium price tag: $245/ £245.
if you just want a backpack that protects your laptop but doesn’t have to look the business, consider the many cheaper alternatives in our best laptop backpack feature.
Verdict
You can certainly buy cheaper backpacks, and the Apex 3.0 is likely out of a lot of people’s price range, but if your backpack goes everywhere with you and holds all your valuable portable tech, then you’ll be reassured by its robust construction and especially its five-year guarantee against any “manufacturing fault”.
Smart enough to be worn with a suit and full of smart features, the Troubadour Apex 3.0 repays its high price with style and on-the-go easy-access, secure storage.
