I’m a bit of a tech bag junkie, so it made sense that I picked up the Bellroy Tech Kit to try out with my electronics and computer accessories when I travel.

The Bellroy Tech Kit is a one-of-a-kind tech pouch that zips up into a minimal (dare I say “very attractive”) design, and is an upscale version of more squishy casual tech cases you’ve seen out there.

In this review, I’ll go through a lot of the handy features in Bellroy’s tech pouch, and I’ll compare it to a few of the other winners on the market right now.

Thank you to Bellroy for providing me with a Tech Kit in order to create this review; all thoughts, photos and opinions are completely my own.

Bellroy Tech Kit: A Summary

The Bellroy Tech Kit felt classy and upscale when I first laid my hands on it. It has a clamshell-opening style, and zips 85% around so that I can lay it flat on a table and see everything.

Rather than creating tech case chaos, the Bellroy Tech Kit has a spot for everything, so that there are no floaters among my cables, wires, plugs, headphones and “stuff.”

The goal of this tech kit is to have all your accessories organized and in one place, with a number of “organizational” aspects to use. These include the “floating wall” of pockets, a daisy chain of elastic holders, a magnetic pocket, pull tabs and a dedicated pen or Apple Pencil holder.

All in all, it comes in a helpful size and shape (rectangular, and about 5 inches by 9 inches) that can stack in a daypack, a suitcase or a larger backpack. It even fits in Becca’s purses and totes with no issue. In the outline below, see why I’ve called it one of the best tech organizer bags for packing on trips.

What I like about it

Here is a highlight list of my favorite features of the Bellroy Tech Kit.

The zippers

Zippers are something I talk about a lot in my reviews, because they can really make or break a product. Another two travel brands that also make tech cases with exceptional zippers are Peak Design and Troubadour. I like to put Bellroy up on a pedestal with those for focusing on zipper quality.

Clamshell open design

It’s very satisfying that the Bellroy Tech Kit lays totally flat when I open it. It feels like the experience is just right. I prefer the total-opening concept to a tech case that opens, but doesn’t sit totally flat on a surface when I want it next to my laptop and work setup.

Elastic strip for organization

I like that the elastic strip (sometimes called a “daisy chain” by other brands) alternates large with small spots to cinch my cables and wires. I tend to travel with a LOT of cables and wires, relating to my laptop and camera, and nowadays, our toddler’s baby monitor.

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Photo of Becca Siegel and Dan Gold

One of the loops also specifically fits an AirPods case, which is great. I always have trouble finding mine.

Separation

Bellroy states that the object of this tech case was to create a hierarchy of tech products, separating large ones from small ones. I think this is interesting. Other tech bags I have more loose room for shoving in one final wire, whereas the Bellroy one focuses on strict organization.

Bonus: the “floating wall”

I’ve seen features like this before, and the way Bellroy’s floating wall works inside the tech bag is having it stretch out via elastic. On the divider wall itself, you’ll find a pull tab and a tiny pocket for small things like camera memory cards (and I travel with quite a few of those).

What I don’t really like

While the side pockets are snug, there is a possibility that things like an Apple mouse or a charger block could fall out, if I were to tip the Tech Kit upside down. I think what would’ve solved this would have been velcro tabs that held tech items in place. That is just my two cents.

Second, there are no exterior pockets on the Tech Kit. This is likely because Bellroy focuses a lot on the exterior look of their products, much like Becca discusses in her Bellroy Transit Backpack Plus review. Bellroy tends to hide zippers and exterior pockets, focusing on slimming designs, minimalist lines and solid panels.

Does it look good?

Yes, it really does, much like everything from Bellroy, as you’ve likely seen in my Bellroy brand review. Zipped up, it looks like a fashionable and timeless luggage accessory, great for a business traveler or stylish jet-setter (or someone who goes to the office regularly and likes to keep things neat).

Oh, and before I forget: this tech kit comes in a larger range of colors than I’ve seen for other tech bags on the market. With a range of nine colors, how would you even choose? I picked Navy for mine, as a contrast to the “everything I own is black” aesthetic that I usually wind up with.

What’s it made of?

While you may not be able to tell just by looking at it, because so many products I’m seeing nowadays feature “vegan leather,” the Bellroy Tech Kit actually does have both genuine leather and vegan recycled fabrics.

The leather is “environmentally-certified,” to have the least environmental impact. I learned more about Bellroy’s sourcing of leather at their materials page.

One criticism I have is that Bellroy doesn’t verbatim say that the “plant-based” recycled materials are ripstop nylon. The product page mentions “recycled woven fabric” and “Recycled Ripstop,” but some consumers may not know that this refers to nylon or polyester. I think that would be helpful to clarify.

Tech Kit Compact (smaller version)

What’s the difference between Bellroy’s original Tech Kit and the Tech Kit Compact?

At 6.5 inches (approximately) by about 5 inches, the “compact” version of the Tech Kit is a bit smaller and therefore holds less volume. Inside, the daisy chain is abbreviated into having one large loop, one medium and two small. The elastic pockets are also more petite, but will hold a mouse and large MacBook charger just the same.

Also, price-wise, you might as well opt for the larger one, as it’s only a few dollars more. I find that to be an interesting price strategy, to price a product 20% larger at just a few dollars more. I feel like you might as well size up and get the Tech Kit rather than the compact version.

(Another critique: I wish Bellroy listed the total volume in liters for each of these products, but they do not include that in “Specs.”)

Comparison to other tech bag winners

The Bellroy Tech Kit is a rather unique tech bag for the style-minded traveler.

I could recommend the Peak Design Tech Pouch (roughly the same price) or the Troubadour Rig Case (more expensive) as well, if you were on the fence in your travel tech case search.

The Bellroy Tech Kit is the most hyper-minimal, whereas the PD Tech Pouch holds 2L and the Troubadour Rig Case holds 4L of your stuff.

Some differences still are that the PD Tech Pouch opens accordion-style, letting you see everything side like a “foldering” system, and the Troubadour Rig Case stands on its own, with a zippered top opening that allows me to reach in. As I mentioned above, the Bellroy Tech Kit has a lay-flat 100% open clamshell style, which a lot of tech-minded travelers and professionals may find appealing and helpful.

Where to get it

For all your Bellroy gear, I suggest shopping the Bellroy online store.

Why? It’s simple: your Bellroy products are covered by the 3-year warranty, which is really helpful. I’ve utilized travel product warranties before and I’ve been grateful that I have access to them.

You’ll also get Bellroy’s free US shipping nationwide.