Moment Everything Tech Tote Review

Ah, the humble tote bag. We use it for everything from books to beach supplies to groceries. Travel totes can range from a big open space with handles to carry by hand or over your shoulder to a laptop bag without backpack straps. Heck, some tote packs even bridge the gap with shoulder straps that allow you to carry it on your back if you’d like.

The question is, are you in the market for something closer to the former, or do you need a few organizational options and a place to slide your computer? If you want to bring your tech along for the day, you’re in the right place. Like its name suggests, the Moment Everything Tech Tote is for everything—including tech and travel tech gadgets. Moment designed it to be your go-to bag for tech, travel, and every day with organization for a travel mouse, headphones, sunglasses, and your laptop, as well as the ability to pop in the Moment Everything Camera Insert 4L to carry a mirrorless setup and an extra lens. But is it everything we hoped it would be? Let’s find out!

External Components

If you’re familiar with the rest of Moment’s Everything line of gear, which includes the Moment Everything 17L Daypack, you’ll be happy to see the durable, water-resistant 420D ripstop nylon on the outside of this bag. Especially if you have furry friends or like to wear fleece, its coating repels lint, dirt, and pet hair, no matter how often your pooch naps next to it. (Thanks for the help with the testing period, George!) It also repels water, so you don’t have to worry as much about getting caught in the rain, especially since this tote zips closed without any pockets or compartments left open to the elements.

The Moment logo is embroidered near the top right corner of the front of the bag. We have the Workwear colorway, which is a mustard yellow with reddish-brown accents, and we like the subtle styling of the coordinating color, but you can also get it in Black if that color’s not your thing. We know it may not be for everyone, so it’s nice to have options.

Although the zippers are from YKK and work well, they’re not AquaGuard models, so moisture will eventually make its way inside. If you’re looking for a waterproof backpack, this isn’t quite that—it’s weather-resistant, not proof (so don’t take it scuba diving!). However, it is much better at repelling spills and rain than that free bag from the library, so you should use this instead to return your books. Back to the zippers, though—some have corded pulls, and some have webbing loop pulls. In either case, they’re easy to grab.

We’ve also got Woojin Hardware for the strap adjuster, which we’re happy to report stays in place nicely where we set it and is simultaneously easy to move when needed. It’s the best of both worlds when shortening and lengthening the shoulder strap so you can wear the bag crossbody. This strap is removable; it clips to D-rings on either side of the bag. There are also two carry handles with an 11-inch drop, long enough to sling over your shoulder. We ended up using the straps interchangeably, depending on the day.

While there is some padding on the tote, it isn’t enough to be considered “back panel padding,” and we frankly didn’t even feel it was enough to protect our tech. We’ll explain more shortly, but when we set down a tote and hear the “thunk” of our laptop hitting the countertop, we think there could be more cushion, especially in a bag that touts itself as a “tech tote.”

Fit Notes

While it may not be the most protective bag, it is a nice-looking travel tote. Don’t be fooled by the ripstop—it’s not flimsy like a parachute or a packable bag. It’s definitely a more structured bag, although it’s not so stiff that it will necessarily stand upright, depending on what is or is not inside.

We think it looks sleek and stylish, though, especially if you go for the under-the-radar Black colorway. We like using it to go to and from work daily, as a personal item bag on the plane, and to work remotely at the local cafe. The straps are super soft and comfortable, even over bare shoulders. It will depend on your preference whether you like the tote straps or the crossbody strap more; some Pack Hacker team members are OK with wearing large bags crossbody while others are not.

Inside The Tote

Along with the plethora of pockets inside, you can stash your gear in a few places around the outside of the tote. On the front is a pocket with a hidden magnetic topper that we mainly use to hold our phone. It’s super convenient to pull it out to answer a text and then slide it back in without missing a stride.

A nearly identical pocket is on the back, though this one zips closed. It’s a great spot for your passport and extra cash to keep them safe and secure against your body. A fabric welt nearly hides it, and it includes a key leash with a gatekeeper clip so you always know where to find them.

Now, let’s head inside. The tote’s zipper spans the entire width of the bag, so we find it easy to see inside to grab what we need. It is just a single-sided zipper, so you can’t open it just anywhere along the track to grab something specific, but we don’t find that an issue in daily use.

Inside, you’ll find a stiff, octagonal-shaped insert. It has strips of the hook side of hook-and-loop fastener on either end and can separate in the middle. These attach to the loop sides stitched on either side of the bag (centered along the front and back panels). It separates the bag into two compartments and protects a camera or other sensitive gear in the center, but while we like the idea, we don’t love the execution. It is extremely rigid and hard to maneuver, making the tote slightly bulge in the center. Even when both sides of the divider are together, it is awkward to work around, and when they are separate, we’re left with very small sections for our gear. Luckily, it’s there if you need it, but removable if you don’t, and after a while, we decided we just didn’t.

Against the back side of the tote is a zippered pocket for up to a 16-inch laptop. However, It has minimal padding and no false bottom, so we recommend using a laptop sleeve or case for device protection. We quickly grabbed one after setting the tote on the counter and hearing a “clunk” as our laptop touched down. Adding a sleeve is no issue if you have a 13-inch device like we do, but you may run into issues trying to add cushy bulk to a larger computer.

There are stretchy internal pockets for travel water bottles on each side of the bag, which we find very convenient. Obviously, you’ll have to use a bottle you trust to be leak proof since it’s residing next to your tech, but we find these pockets handy for glasses in sturdy cases, travel umbrellas, and other accessories, as well.

But wait, there’s more! There is another large slip pocket on the left side of the front panel. It’s a stiffer pocket and lacks stretch, but we find it a great place to slide a travel journal, a slim tech pouch, or something similarly sized. Next to it are two more pockets: a smaller pocket that easily fits a mouse or minimalist wallet, and a stretchy pocket below that we have been using for medication in travel size bottles and a small toiletry bag.

Then, in between, you’ll find open space to do with as you please. Use it for gym clothing, a soft cooler, that camera insert we mentioned above, extra layers, or whatever your heart desires. Without the origami divider, we find the 19L spacious enough for daily use and travel. It does get easier to use with practice if you find that extra organization useful and need a stiff divider to protect your point-and-shoot camera or other sensitive equipment. If you’re not carrying anything delicate, however, or prefer the added padding and protection of a dedicated camera cube, you may find the extra space more helpful.