Troubadour Apex Everyday Tote Review: a Sleek Travel Laptop Bag

Table of contents

Main pros & cons to know about
Spec feature summary
Summary of exterior features
Summary of interior features
Ideal uses
Critique and shortfalls
Worth the investment?
Where to get your Apex Tote

I will say this: I don’t own any other totes quite like the Troubadour Apex Everyday Tote. It looks like Troubadour dreamed up my ideal work tote that works great as a personal item for vacation, too.

This tote bag blew me away with prominent tech storage features, and hidden travel features.

In this review, I’ll tell you all about the “real feel” of the Apex travel tote and laptop tote (it’s also environmentally-friendly). I’ve explored all the features from top to bottom, to showcase the usability of how it’s built and the thoughtfulness in all of its design.

Main pros & cons to know about

Here’s a simple list of takeaways for reading my Apex Everyday Tote review:

Pros

Design: A great look that I am very happy with. It’s minimal, with clean lines and a two-tone mixed-media composition from the woven fabric and vegan leather upper trim, signature to the Troubadour Apex Collection.
Travel features: There are too many to name here, so you’ll have to keep reading in my exterior and interior feature highlights outlined below, regarding things like the luggage trolley sleeve, AirTag pocket, water bottle sleeve, zippered pockets, comfy shoulder strap and more.
Versatility: It’s a perfect professional-level tote for business trips, leisure travel, everyday commutes or even just going out for the night and daily use.
Weatherproofing: From the waterproof lining to the weatherproofed zippers, my tech stays dry with this laptop tote even if I get caught in some rain.

Cons

Straps: I go into detail below in “Criticisms” about how the vegan leather straps take time to straighten out and loosen up.
Care: It is not machine-washable.

Spec feature summary

When I look at travel bags or really any type of bag that I’ll be wearing or toting, two things matter: the volume it fits and how much it weighs.

I’d say both of these factors matter to me because I’m 5’2” and every inch of height and ounce of weight makes a difference when I “wear” a bag, in how I look and feel with it.

A few things I want to find out first about the Apex Tote are:

Volume: 16.5 liters
Weight when empty: 2.2 pounds
Measurements: W 18.5” x H 19.7” x 2”
Laptop max. size: 16”

Summary of exterior features

There are a few things that stand out in my mind that I think make the Apex Everyday Tote different from all others on the market.

Luggage trolley sleeve (but it’s a pocket, too!)

This was where I said, “Oh, wow!” as Dan and I were exploring the features of the bag before I used it. Basically, the trolley sleeve lets my carry-on suitcase handle pass through, and when it’s not in use, it zips from the bottom to become a handy exterior slide-in pocket.

Overall, I give it 5/5 stars as a bag for what to pack for working remotely and traveling if that is your jam (and it’s mine!).

Non-slip crossbody strap (and it’s detachable)

Troubadour’s products always had me stop and appreciate the crossbody shoulder straps they make. From my Orbis Duffel to my Ki Crossbody bag, the Troubadour a la carte strap (included in the Apex Everyday Tote) is different.

It has a slight non-slip grip, and has both vegan leather and neoprene to keep it sturdy, flexible and looking great. It’s detachable via some very classy metal clips at either end of the tote, and I liked clicking the ends in. It was satisfying, just like so many Troubadour features.

Exterior zipper pocket (with key ring)

The nearly-hidden exterior zipper pocket on the “front” of the tote (but really, either side can be the front) has a little awning off of which rain can glide if you get stuck in some weather.

Opening the zipper, I found a key ring attachment inside. I’ve really started using these in recent years to attach my keys and keep them in check (whereas in the past, I’d glaze over key rings and refuse to use them in my travel gear).

Summary of interior features

Let’s get inside the Apex Tote! Here, I’ll show you what I think are the stand-out highlights from inside the bag.

Laptop sleeve (with “hood”)

I slid in my MacBook Air to test out the size of the laptop sleeve in the inside of the tote. My MacBook Air (13”) fit in it with lots of breathing room, which meant Dan’s MacBook Pro (15”) would fit with a little more snugness.

Not to be missed is the “hood” I noticed, which is built into the bag’s interior above the laptop sleeve pocket. It’s the type of useful thing that would keep a laptop larger than mine from sliding out while the bag is perhaps on its side, under the airplane seat in front of me. It helps create a little tucked-in laptop.

Water bottle (or umbrella) holder (2 of them)

Something I saw for the first time in my Troubadour Generation Leather backpack (detailed at my Generation Leather Backpack review) was an interior slip-sleeve for a water bottle.

In the Apex Everyday Tote, Troubadour’s product page says it can also be used for an umbrella (a dry one, I imagine). The fact that there are two of them is great, because it means no matter which way I “wear” the Apex Tote, I can choose to have my water bottle secured in the front, or the back.

Mesh pocket

The mesh pocket in the interior is where I keep my little tech accessories, like my AirPod case, charging cables, an external backup battery for being on the go and some things like pens or small notebooks.

Waterproof lining

I mentioned above that the entire bag is far from machine washable; however, the good news is that the interior lining is claimed to be waterproof. That helps out if I happen to have a water bottle spill, or if my umbrella inside is slightly wet.

Ideal uses

Here is when I use the Apex Everyday Tote:

Business trips: This is the perfect laptop tote for having as a personal item when I fly for business. Even still, it’s the perfect size and capacity for taking on a one-day business trip, like I did once!
Commuting (work bag): When I’m not traveling, the Apex Tote is a chic way to carry my laptop into the city for a meeting, business event, a day at a coworking space or some “laptop time” at a coffee shop.
Personal item for vacation: If you’re a “tote bag person” and you want a great carry-all crossbody tote for traveling, the Apex Tote is the stylish answer to a daily bag with a few ways to wear it. Plus, it has all those travel features like the trolley sleeve for “suitcase stacking” at the airport.

Critique and shortfalls

I mainly have one critique of the Apex Everyday Tote, and that’s in regard to the handles. They get squashed during shipping, and it takes them some time to straighten out and loosen up due to the vegan leather.

If you are ready to use this travel tote right out of the box and you want it to look pristine and ready for a trip, I’d consider this.

My suggestion: make sure you order early, in time for your trip or your business uses, and try these tricks:

Let the tote bag “breathe” and take it out of the box immediately.
Fill it with some light stuff, and hang it from a hanger or on a doorknob so that the handles can stretch out and un-curl.
Let me know if you found anything else that worked!

Worth the investment?

As I explored this bag, I was “wow-ed” continually, and I think that speaks volumes for the “worthiness” of this laptop tote for travel. The fact that Troubadour thought of everything, as they usually do, in any of their business travel products, really made me consider that the Apex Tote is worth every penny.

I’ve seen some other reviews that the bag isn’t quite worth the price, and I’ll riddle you this: try to find a travel-ready tote bag from another brand as well-trusted as Troubadour with sustainable materials and supreme durability at a lower price. I don’t think it’s possible.

Where to get your Apex Tote

I always recommend getting your Troubadour products at the Troubadour website, as you’ll get the Troubadour Warranty, and I’ve detailed at length in my Troubadour brand review. Your Apex Tote will also be protected with 100-day returns (so you can change your mind) and free shipping for orders over $100!

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