tomtoc Navigator-T03 Passport Bag Review

This passport holder comes in at a budget-friendly price point and can hold a lot of passports. All that’s excellent, but how well does it do while you’re traveling? Let’s dig in.

The Rundown

The exterior has CORDURA® nylon and polyester, which is durable but not too heavy. It feels rugged enough to handle the bumps and knocks of travel. However, it’s pretty large, which we’ll get into later. The exterior is sleek, but the tomtoc logo is a bit big, which may deter some more minimalistic travelers.

The zippers are unbranded, which is typically a red flag for us. That said, zipper failure doesn’t happen that often, but when you’re carrying your passport, it might not be something you’re willing to risk. Luckily, we haven’t had any issues with these zippers yet. They have a PU coating, which offers extra protection from the elements, keeping your passports and other travel documents safe and sound. There’s a small zipper garage, too, so water can’t sneak through the hole at the end of the zipper track as quickly, either. So far, so good.

There’s a wrist strap to attach the case to your hand, which is, well, handy. It’s nice when you’ve got to wait in line and present your passport or travel document somewhere, like the airport, hotel, or embassy, adding some peace of mind by keeping your passport attached to you. While somebody could cut it, odds are, they’ll prey on somebody else without a wrist strap if they’re trying to steal passports.

While you’re using the strap, it’s oriented so that if it’s hanging from your wrist, your passports won’t fall out of the interior organization, which is helpful. However, if you open it while you still have the wrist strap on, everything is upside down. This is minorly inconvenient but worth noting.

The back side of the Passport Bag has a slide pocket, which is handy. You can slide cash or other items inside while waiting in line or place your passport there momentarily when you’re almost to the front of the queue. It has no topper, so it isn’t ideal for long-term storage.

Now, it’s time to start the party. Let’s move inside this thing!

The center spine has an elastic loop for a pen, stylus, or other thin object. We like having a good pen for customs instead of one of the cheap ones they hand out on the plane.

On the left side, there’s a slip pocket where you can slide a passport or travel document. It only has coverage on two sides, so things can, in theory, slide out. However, a passport is too broad to do so because of the case’s spine, at least while it’s closed. In addition to working for passport storage, there’s an AirTag holder here, too. You can always know where your passport is, even if it’s across the room of your hotel. There’s no harm in taking extra precautions, right?

On top of that slip pocket are three more pockets: two liner and another slip. You can stow passports, travel documents, or other identification here. They’re designed to fit a passport, but you can put whatever you want here as long as it fits.

On the right side of the organizer, we’ve got a side slide pocket behind everything. We dig this larger storage area. Obviously, we want to carry passports in this bag, but it’s nice to have space for other, taller items, too. It’s not a bad spot to stow extra cash in an emergency.

There are also two larger and four smaller slide pockets on this side. You can fit passports in the larger iterations and cards in the smaller ones. You can stow identification cards, extra debit or credit cards if your wallet gets lost or stolen, and essential cards like your insurance or AAA card.

On the bottom, there’s a zippered mesh pocket. This is ideal for coins or other small things you want to keep out of the hubbub of the main compartment. A lot of countries are cash-focused, so keeping some change is handy.

The zipper pull has an integrated SIM removal tool and offers space to stow one SIM card. This works well if you’re going to a country where you need to change your carrier or want to keep an extra one, just in case. You can also stow a micro SD card here if you’re a photographer, videographer, or an international spy.

Packability

This thing is pretty beefy; there’s no way around that. It measures 9.45 in x 5.12 in x 1.18 in (24 x 13 x 3 cm), which takes up a lot of space. However, for the sheer number of passports you can fit inside, it might be worth bringing along for the ride. It weighs 6.77 oz (191.9 g), which isn’t that heavy in the grand scheme of things. When you add your passports, ID cards, cash, and coins, it’ll beef up a little, but you were going to bring them anyway.

Given its size and weight, this isn’t something you’ll want to hang onto with your hands all day long. However, while waiting in the queue, it’s manageable, and this is helped by the wrist strap that we mentioned earlier.

It’s too large to fit in most sized slings, but it’ll fit into your daypack or travel backpack in transit just fine. If you want to stow it inside your carry on luggage or safe back at the hotel for security on a night out, that works well, too. Because of the size and design, this isn’t meant to be brought with you if you aren’t carrying a bag.

Quick Comparison

A similar multiple passport solution for travel is the AmazonBasics RFID Travel Passport Wallet.

The Amazon model comes in at 10 in x 5 in x 0.8 in (25.4 x 12.7 x 2 cm), or 645.16 cubed centimeters, which is roughly 69% of the tomtoc’s 936 cubed centimeters. It might seem like the 41% difference is a lot, but these things are minor in relative scope while traveling, so that isn’t as much as you might think.

The Amazon model is 7 ounces compared to the tomtoc’s 6.77 ounces, so you save some weight in that regard, even though it’s larger.

All that said, these two feel like they’re roughly the same size and weight. The data proves that they aren’t, but in use, there isn’t that much of a difference. How well do they carry passports, though?

The tomtoc model advertises that it can fit four to six passports, but we find that you can fit seven safely if you don’t need to use any of the dedicated organization for other things. That’s not to say there isn’t space for extras, but most of the area will be used by passports if you do this.

The Amazon iteration can hold up to five passports comfortably, so the tomtoc has the leg up. However, it comes down to how you pack and what exactly you’ll be bringing to determine which is a better fit for you.

The credit and ID card organization feels more thorough on the Amazon model, which is handy. Plus, it has two more zippered compartments. tomtoc has an integrated SIM tool and storage area, which is handy and something that the Amazon Basica model lacks. Again, your needs will which one makes more sense for you.

Last but certainly not least, both come at a budget-friendly price. Even so, the Amazon Basics model is roughly half the price of the tomtoc one at the time of writing. The latter uses more durable materials and can stow more passports, but if the price is your biggest factor and you don’t need to carry that many or have a dedicated SIM tool, this might not be the best option for you.

Whichever you choose, you’ll be getting an excellent deal and have more than enough space for your travel identification!