tomtoc TechPack-T73 X-Pac Laptop Backpack Review

tomtoc’s TechPack-T73 X-Pac Laptop Backpack was designed with travel, business, and comfort in mind. It offers a spacious 30L capacity and a top-loading main compartment with ample organization. The backpack also features a dedicated tech compartment and easily accessible front pockets with additional organization. With this backpack, you can quickly find a place for everything you need.

Whether used for dedicated travel or daily commuting, the stylish black exterior of the backpack provides a minimalist aesthetic that is weather-resistant, thanks to its waterproof X-Pac fabric and YKK zippers. One standout feature is the zippered side pocket, which allows quick and easy access to essentials such as headphones, a wallet, or keys.

Picking up this backpack is incredibly comfortable, thanks to the extra padded top grab handle and smaller side handle. The harness system features highly comfortable and ergonomically designed shoulder straps that are thoroughly padded.

While the most exciting feature of the tomtoc TechPack-T73 X-Pac Laptop Backpack may be its zippered side pocket for quick access, it excels in simplicity and functionality, providing ample storage, easy access, intuitive organization, and a sleek timeless aesthetic. Using this backpack is a joy because it just works.

External Components

The front face of the pack is made with X-Pac, a 100% waterproof material designed to stand up to any challenges from you or Mother Nature. The rest of the bag is crafted from high-denier nylon, which is durable and rugged. This durability extends to all of the zippered pockets, thanks to the use of industry-leading YKK zippers. The two front iterations have an AquaGuard finish, and the back two are standard YKK #10 racquet coil models. The sleek black fabric feels sturdy to the touch, but it can be somewhat noisy. Despite this, its all-black aesthetic allows it to blend in and appear minimalistic. With its boxy frame, the backpack resembles a modern business briefcase and maintains its shape, whether empty or fully packed.

The solid frame of the bag allows it to stand up on its own, which we always love to see. The exterior branding is minimal, with just a black tomtoc logo in the top corner and a small loop on the back. We really like the sleek black aesthetic and the minimalist design.

On the outside, the backpack has 2 front pockets, a travel water bottle pocket, and a side pocket that blends in with the bag’s exterior. The top grab handle is exceptionally padded and comfortable to use. There’s also a grab handle on the right-hand side, which is more modest but still comfortable when carrying the bag like a traditional briefcase. When carrying the backpack by the side grab handle, the bag has a tendency to lean inwards due to the way it’s attached, but we didn’t find this to be too big of an issue. Additionally, there is a luggage pass-through handle on the back of the bag, allowing it to sit on top of a suitcase and function as a travel backpack or personal item. One thing to note is that when using it this way, the grab handle on the side is positioned behind the water bottle pocket, which makes the setup easy to use together.

When not in use, the water bottle pocket sits flush against the backpack and blends in nicely. Its gusseted pocket allows for some stretching, but fitting a 32 oz Nalgene bottle proves to be too difficult. Retrieving a water bottle is easy, but inserting one (depending on its size and shape) requires some finesse. However, once it’s in, we don’t have any concerns about it falling out during normal daily use.

The only attachment points on the exterior of the bag are on each of the shoulder straps, and while they aren’t groundbreaking or revolutionary, they do work well when temporarily storing sunglasses. The shoulder straps themselves are very comfortable and fit well. The adjusters are easy to use and have slack keepers to manage any extra straps after adjusting to the right fit. The straps have a slight S-shaped curve that fits nicely, and their padding is thick and spongy. Initially, we didn’t pay much attention to them, but after wearing the bag for a while, we noticed that they almost disappeared because they are that comfortable. Even when the bag is packed, we find that the cushioned padding provides incredible comfort. A similar padding can be found on the back of the backpack that sits up against the back. This provides a good amount of padding and decent airflow to prevent overheating.

The shoulder straps also have a chest/sternum strap, which is attached using a super easy-to-use rail system. This allows for easy adjustment and ensures a perfect fit. The attachment points are located in a somewhat hidden compartment on the strap, so they aren’t visible unless you open the flap.

One thing to note is that the chest/sternum straps are not removable and tend to dangle when not in use, though we found a solution to keep the straps out of the way. By tucking the shoulder straps into the flaps, they are kept secure and won’t dangle. While this solution is not foolproof, it worked reasonably well for us (your results may vary).

Fit Notes

The sleek, all-black aesthetic gives it a professional and minimal look. We greatly appreciate its straightforward appearance and the boxy form, which resembles a modern-day briefcase, especially when carrying it by the side grab handle. It maintains a rigid structure regardless of whether it is empty or full, which not only adds to its durability but also ensures that it retains its sleek appearance over time. However, it is worth noting that due to this design, we may have accidentally knocked over some items when trying to turn around in a smaller shop with the backpack on. This aspect aside, the overall design is undeniably professional, minimal, and stylish. Its aesthetic blends in and looks absolutely fantastic on the floor of a coffee shop, on a boardroom table, or even atop a rolling suitcase at the airport.

Inside The Pack

The main compartment uses a top-loading opening style. While it may not be ideal for travel, we found that it is nice in day-to-day use. The zippers extend all the way down the side, providing a wide opening and easy visibility of the contents. It’s worth noting that side gussets are used to prevent anything from falling out when fully zipped. We found that this, along with the wide opening, works well for packing and unpacking while ensuring nothing falls out. It also makes it easier to see everything inside.

Right off the bat, you’ll notice the vibrant orange interior, which feels as if it’s made with a similar fabric to the X-Pac on the outside, though it features classic grid ripstop rather than the signature X-Pac diamond. It feels smooth and durable, and we like the added contrast with the black. A small but meaningful touch is the use of black as an accent to distinguish pocket and zipper lines. This helps eliminate any guessing as to where all of the pockets were while also being aesthetically pleasing.

Inside the main compartment are two large document sleeves at the back, two zippered pockets (one with a mesh lining for quick viewing), and an additional bottle pocket on the side. We appreciate the minimal addition of organization, as it also allows the main compartment to be used as a cavern to quickly dump everything else when needed.

On the front of the backpack are two zippered pockets with an AquaGuard coating. The top pocket includes a mesh pocket with good visibility, 2 pen/stylus pockets, and another slip pocket. One issue we encounter is that the slip pocket doesn’t expand much, so we have to choose carefully what we wanted to fit inside. Additionally, we notice that this slip pocket doesn’t have a black accent on the opening, which is different from the other pockets. While not a major issue, it did result in some slight fiddling when trying to organize our gear in the pockets. The rest of the pocket can be used as a dumpsite for storing daily essentials.

The second front pocket at the bottom is a bit bigger and also protected by an AquaGuard. This pocket appears to be slightly larger and offers more storage space. It also includes two slip pockets, which, like the aforementioned ones, do not have black accents near the openings—not a huge issue, though it does hinder visibility. These slip pockets are made of the same material so they do not stretch but are still nice in providing a bit of organization in the pocket as a whole if you don’t like to carry too many tech pouches. As a result, we have to be selective with what we could fit in them. However, we have no trouble fitting a 2TB Orange Lacie hard drive. The rest of the pocket can be used as a storage dump for anything else you may want to store.

The side pocket is one of the standout features of this bag. It is simple yet well-executed. Located on the left-hand side, the pocket has a zipper that opens about 50% around. Inside, there is additional organization for quick and easy access without having to remove the bag. Inside the quick access pocket is another zippered pocket that spans the entire length. This one is made of mesh which helps provide clear visibility to what’s inside. In our experience, we used this pocket to store wireless headphones, and it was effortless to retrieve them. On the opposite side of the mesh pocket is another slip pocket with a matching black accent for added convenience. This pocket worked well for storing a minimalist wallet, as it allowed for easy access in and out. Lastly, the bag includes a key leash with ample slack. We found the leash user-friendly and long enough to easily reach standard locks with keys attached without needing to sorority squat.

Separate from the main compartment is a tech compartment that sits between the main compartment and the back of the backpack. This includes a laptop sleeve that can fit up to a 16-inch MacBook Pro, as well as an additional sleeve for a tablet or notebook

The back of the laptop sleeve is made of a soft, plush-like material to prevent scratching, but the secondary pocket in front of it is not. These pockets, similar to the document sleeves in the main compartment, have black accents to distinguish the openings. One thing to keep in mind is that the laptop sleeve seems to be only very slightly lifted off the ground so keep that in mind and be careful when setting the bag down.

Opposite the laptop sleeve is another slip pocket that is made with an anti-bacterial fabric pocket. We found this perfect for slipping in a phone or a hard drive for quick and easy access. Initially, we tried using this as a pocket for sunglasses but due to its flat structure and lack of padding, we steered away from that. The rest of the compartment can be used as a semi-spacious compartment/sleeve for notebooks, magazines, and things of that flat nature.

The tomtoc TechPack-T73 X-Pac Laptop Backpack may not have any fancy features, but it offers well-designed organization, ample storage, and a sleek aesthetic. With its 30L capacity, it provides space for essential items and plenty of organization in a modern briefcase-like style. Whether you need a travel backpack to complement your roller luggage or a daily carry for work or errands, its stylish black design and durable exterior can handle whatever you throw at (or in) it.