Water bottle? Check. Laptop? Check. BookTok best-selling paperback? Check. Packing for a day in the city can turn you into a 24-hour prepper, squishing half your life into a rucksack. But if you want to swap a cramped carrier for chic storage, the Troubadour Apex 3.0 backpack might be the best companion a commuter can have.
The London-based luggage studio has refined its backpack design to make every single stitch count, resulting in one of the best-looking, and most comfortable to wear bags out there. We’ve been living with the Apex 3.0 for a couple of weeks now, and it’s become Shortlist’s go-to choice when running around town.
Pocket paradise
Measuring 48cm x 32cm x 15cm, the Troubadour Apex 3.0 has a capacity of 25L — plenty of space for even laptops up to 17-inches in size. And there’s a pocket for everything. Inside you’ll find pouches for books, headphones, chargers and tablets, as well as a mesh zipped compartment.
There are plenty of stash points on the exterior of the Apex, too. A rear zip pocket hides a carabiner clip for your keys, while elasticated sides stretch out to accommodate two 1-litre bottles on either side of the bag. We can confirm they’ll hold a couple of tinnies for parched park summers, too.
An everyday backpack designed for the pursuit of the extraordinary.
Security considerations are built in as well — AirTag owners can make use of a pocket specifically designed for Apple’s item tracker, letting you hunt down the bag should you ever misplace it. It’s secure for your gadgetry — not only is that main compartment lockable, but a ‘NanoCushion’ suspended laptop sleeve means your prized tech should be better protected to survive a fall inside the Apex as well. And there’s even a secret front-facing easy-reach zip pocket tucked inside the shoulder strap.
Shoulder saviour
With enough room to fit everything but the kitchen sink (disclaimer: we’ve only eyeballed the sink fit, so... who knows?) it’s going to need to be comfortable to bear the load headed to your back. But the Apex 3.0 is supremely padded, with sculpted shoulder support and a breathable back panel that’ll be a god-send on hot underground journeys.
It’s well suited for international travel, too. As well as its easy-reach pouches for travel documents, the Apex has a rear luggage sleeve for sliding over the handle of your suitcase. It’s also well under the British Airways baggage size limit (although you’ll want to measure against budget airline restrictions — in which case the Apex Compact edition, with a capacity of 16L, will get the job done instead).
Last but not least, it’s a great-looking — and green-friendly — design. Despite all those hidey-holes, the Apex is sleekly curved, keeping breaks in its shell-like surface to a minimum. Waterproof without resorting to a fluorocarbon coating that would outlive the heat death of the sun, it’s completely circular in its green credentials, made from recycled plastic bottles that can be recycled once again when finally disposed of.
Whatever your outfit, Troubadour has a colourway to match. There’s the go-to black option of course, but if you want a splash of colour, you can also pick up the Apex 3.0 in Navy, a two-tone Green Smoke and Obsidian Green, a near-white Scree grey, a foresty Livid Green, and a two-tone AirForce Blue.
The Troubadour Apex 3.0 is available now, priced at £249, and comes with a five year guarantee.
Looking for something a little smaller? Troubadour’s Apex Sling, priced at £149, keeps the design language of the Apex 3.0, but shrinks it down to a single-strap size for just the must-haves — perfect for festivals and sardine-packed tube journeys.
Hands-free carrying, all-day comfort and clever storage for your everyday essentials.
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