Troubadour Goods Apex Everyday Tote Review

While we appreciate a good-looking tote whenever we get our hands on one, we can’t help but get disheartened when it turns out to be a bit of a pet hair magnet. It’s a shame, given that the Troubadour Goods Apex Everyday Tote is quite functional despite the seemingly all-show and no-go impression the design gives. Fortunately, we don’t dismiss a bag based on looks alone.

With a built-in laptop sleeve, magnetized bottle pockets, and two quick-stash pockets on the outside, it’s ticking the right boxes for those looking for more than just a basic tote. But does it tick all the right boxes? Let’s find out.

External Components

Troubadour Goods has a knack for designing sleek, professional-looking bags that are generally pleasing to the eye, and it’s no different with the Apex Everyday Tote. There are no flashy bits that are too in-your-face, just subtle accents courtesy of the vegan leather trim. We’re testing the Basalt colorway, and there are others to choose from, such as Livid Green, Scree, Green Smoke, and Black—yes, there’s a distinct lack of reddish colors, and we wish there were one.

But that’s enough of the subjective; what about the stuff that matters? For starters, the main material is FortiWeave, a light, water-resistant fabric made from recycled plastic bottles. Sounds great, right? For sure, and it’s held up to daily use without a scratch or tear to show for it. That said, it’s also quite the fur magnet. After just a little over an hour alone with a hyperactive cat, it managed to pick up every loose strand our furry friend could give it. What you see in the photo above isn’t even the worst of it; our photographer already did his best to clean it up with a lint roller.

As mentioned, the fabric is very water resistant, and splashes roll off relatively easily when they happen. The zippers are also water-resistant since they’re reverse-coil. However, they’re not waterproof as the brand’s page claims, and a cursory look at the ends where there are gaps suggests as much. Some may say that’s a nitpicky thing to point out. Just keep in mind that it’s also the difference between being able to submerge a bag while keeping the valuables inside dry or not, and we want to be fastidious about that.

The tote handles are made of the same vegan leather as the rest of the bag’s accents, thankfully sparing them from fur and lint. There’s nothing too fancy about them other than being stitched over to make them thicker and nicer to hold. Does that count as padding? Maybe, maybe not; that depends on whether you strictly define it as having extra material sandwiched between two others or not. Regardless, the leathery texture isn’t very gentle on the hands, so holding onto these gets tiresome relatively quickly.

Fortunately, there is a workaround. At the ends of the zipper track are D-rings, where you can attach a shoulder strap. Conveniently, Troubadour Goods will happily sell you one, or you can simply repurpose any old strap you may have lying around (we have plenty from testing other bags, so we tried them out for some time).

Fit Notes

However, it wouldn’t be fair to test this tote with a strap it didn’t come with, so we’re sticking with the built-in handles. They’ll suffice in terms of comfort if you want to hold the bag, as long as it’s not too fully packed. Otherwise, carrying it all the way up on the shoulder is definitely our go-to method. An in-between solution is to carry it by the crook of the elbow, especially when you need both hands, such as using your smartphone or checking off a grocery list.

Keep in mind that the tote handles provide just enough room for you to put your arm through, with the bag sitting very close to the armpit when you have it on. Depending on your body type, you may have trouble depending on your body type, in which case, as we mentioned earlier, we recommend getting a shoulder strap.

Inside The Tote

At the front of the tote is a small zippered pocket for your everyday carry items. Its opening is primarily guarded by a zipper with a vegan leather pull, though the fairly tight fabric welt surrounding it also plays a part. In fact, you can honestly get away with not zipping this pocket most of the time and just using it as a spot for quickly stashing items like your smartphone and wallet.

We’d still zip the pocket shut if we’re walking through crowded streets, but if you’re just perusing the grocery aisles, leaving it open is the way to go.

Meanwhile, at the back is a secondary compartment that also doubles as a luggage pass-through. Simply unzip the bottom to slot your rolling luggage’s handle straight through. As an aside, pairing this tote with the LOJEL Cubo Small just looks and feels right, highlighting the professional vibe both bring to the table.

Otherwise, it’s just a large drop pocket where you can throw more everyday carry items. The top opening seals with magnets, which is nifty. On the other hand, the bottom zipper is self-locking, meaning it shouldn’t open easily so long as the zipper pull remains in the folded position.

Getting into the main compartment is relatively easy. At most, the leather handles’ somewhat block the opening since their relative stiffness makes them stand upright. It’s quite annoying to push them to the sides every time, but it’s not that bad or a deal-breaker in the grand scheme of things.

Take note that the zipper track’s ends aren’t stitched to the tote’s edge. Instead, they extend freely and tuck into the sides, hence why we’re not calling them waterproof zippers. This design detail matters whenever you fully pry the opening, thus driving the zippers all the way to the ends of the track. In that case, you have to fish the zippers out as they otherwise sink into the sides and re-tuck the ends after all is said and done. To be fair, plenty of totes use a zipper track design like this, so it’s not an issue exclusive to the Apex Everyday Tote, but it is a reality nonetheless.

The main compartment is more than just a simple open space where you’d chuck all your gear. No, there are a fair amount of organization options for you to play with, the first of which is the laptop sleeve at the back. Designed for devices up to 16 inches in size, it has a sort of faux suede liner and a neoprene flap for added protection. This is a welcome feature, especially if you don’t have a separate laptop sleeve that would also otherwise add bulk.

There’s also an adjacent document sleeve where you can put a tablet or paperwork and a zippered mesh pocket for the cables and charging adapters you’d need for your tablet and laptop.

At the sides are water bottle pockets. Each can fit bottles in the 24-ounce range, such as our Owala FreeSip insulated bottle. In case you don’t fancy using these pockets, though, their magnetic tabs can keep them flush to the sides.

Lastly, there are two pockets on the front side for the rest of your accessories. We use these to store AirPods and small pieces of toiletry when swapping out a toiletry bag for an additional packing cube of clothing.

On that note, there is a fair amount of space to pack all the clothing you’d need for a weekend trip. With some diligence, we fit everything we needed into two packing cubes, which fit perfectly side by side inside this tote. Apart from the stiff leather handles getting in the way, there’s also a tendency for the tote’s top edges to sag under the weight of the vegan leather material, though it’s still not a deal-breaker, just something to keep in mind.