Troubadour Pioneer Backpack | Black

This bag is a perfect work bag to fit my laptop and gym kit in. The design is super sleek and comfortable, zipper feels strong and durable and looks smart enough to wear with a smart ish work outfit. Would highly recommend!

I am a gear nerd and backpacks are where that really comes forth for me. I work internationally and often need to pack for 15 hours of travel plus a week of daily commuting. I have been looking for years for one stylish bag that can hold all of my overnight airline needs plus show up to the office day after day. I've been using a bellroy, which is a great bag but I have long been frustrated by how thin and constraining it is. Plus, the interior bottle pocket has left me with a wet hoodie on too many overnight flights. I finally upgraded to the Troubadour Pioneer and it has solved every problem I had with my previous bag. It's stylish, with upscale fabric and comfortable padding. But, importantly, it adds a few inches of depth, smart pocketing, and a large U zipper that allows easy access to everything. Whether I need my extra layer, need to store my shoes, or just want a charging cable, everything fits easily and cleanly into the ample space. And best yet, the sleek, low, profile water pockets keep my bottle on the right side of the waterproof outer fabric. No more wet hoodies! As an added bonus, it has a secure pass-through for my carry-on to make gliding through airports a breeze. I'm extremely happy with my Toubadour pack and my partner is already starting to think about one!

Was looking for a really nice backpack that could do double duty for both work and also family travel. This backpack is awesome for both. It fits my 17 inch MacBook Pro no problem, and I really like that I can access it either from the side zip or through the inside of the backpack as well. There are a ton of pockets on the inside for organizing work things or kid things. And although I don’t typically carry around of pair of shoes, I really like the zipper access at the bottom to a separate compartment. I could see stashing a sweatshirt or the kids hoodies in there for easy access without getting all tangled up with the things inside the backpack. Also has standard stuff like water bottle pocket and sleeve for slipping over your roller bag handle. The material quality really fits with the price. The zippers are solid and the outer material seems like it will last through a lot of transport and tossing around. I really like that the zippers on the top for the main compartment have little loops so you can secure them together with a lock or even just a twist tie to slow down access in a crowd. And I really like that the structure means that it can stand up on its own without flopping all over even when nothing is in it. (It’s still squishable, not rigid or anything. Just stiff enough to stay upright) I’ve never spent this much on a backpack before, but the price actually matches with the quality and the features, so I’m excited about it.

I bought this for my husband after getting the Apex directly through Troubadour. He really liked the green color, but he's like 6'4 and uses a backpack as a suitcase. This bag is a tank. And I don't mean in size. I'm 5'9 and could carry it without it being larger than me. But it is longer than your normal backpack, so it can fit just about anything. My husband was able to put his laptop, charger, pair for shoes, and enough clothes for two days without issue, and he still had space. Also it has tons of pockets for all the things you might need to find more easily like a passport or keys. And the zipper quality, something I never would have thought of, he says is really good. He has a Dagne Dover bag that is a bit smaller that he loves, but he actually seems to like this one better.

First off, Troubadour is a real London-based company. The Amazon listing (lots of keywords) made me think this was a cheap imitation brand but when the bag arrived, it was clear that this is not the case. My Pioneer was delivered well-packaged, in a large, branded cardboard box. The materials have a premium look and feel, with thick nylon and faux leather throughout and sealing zippers similar to those on my waterproof ski gear. The bag keeps its shape when empty and can sit on a floor or table when empty. I bought this bag as a "one small item" carry-on for business travel and tested it on a recent trip from SF to the UK, involving a business class flight and train travel. For this purpose, it proved absolutely perfect. I would give it 5 stars on the over-handle design alone (see pic below). I was able to slide it over my roller board bag handle with one hand while getting on and off the plane, and the Pioneer stays UPRIGHT, unlike my previous bag that slid over the handle horizontally. A surprise benefit was that it fit perfectly in the shelf found in business class pods. Because of the zipper design that allows the top to open like a flap, I could use the bag like a drawer for my laptop, electronics, and snacks. I pack light so I didn't use many of the internal slots and zippered compartments - just the laptop slot and the small zippered compartment on the lid. It also has a side pocket perfect for a water bottle, or in my case, a can of Coke Zero. I would remove half a star if possible for the internal nylon shoe compartment accessed from the bottom. I can't imagine someone (in the US anyway) wanting to bike commute with this bag, or bringing it to the gym for that matter as it's too nice/expensive. I personally can't think of another situation in which you would carry a second pair of shoes, so the nylon for the shoe compartment just wastes internal space. Also, the Amazon picture of shoes going in the bag makes it seem like the bag is tiny (it's not, as you can see below in relation to my shoes). Did they use size 14 shoes for the photo?! Maybe this is a useful feature for some, but for me the shoe compartment is a minor downside about which I completely forgot when using the bag. Overall, I love this bag and would classify it as a "luxury travel bag". I didn't feel silly wearing it with a suit jacket and I wasn't concerned with being caught in a suprise UK rain storm due to the sealed zippers and waterproofing. It's my new go-to bag for business travel, so I'll be able to update this review with an assessment of durability as I take more trips

Very thoughtful design that is exquisitely executed! The shoe bag is a game changer, since I like to walk in sneakers, but want a nicer shoe when I get to my destination. Just the right number of pockets. I was always trying to remember where I put something in my last backpack. The capacity is generous, but the design for weight distribution doesn’t make it seem heavy. The phone pocket on the strap is great! So easy to access. I found that pinching the fabric helps pop it right out. Love the large water bottle pocket too! So convenient to put on a roller bag. My last backpack was horizontal and i had more than a few spills if all my zipper weren’t closed. this is much more practical. The materials seem great and i expect this to last a long time