Contour Backpack

It's so close to being perfect! Love the design; I was going back and forth on getting the Apex Compact but I just didn't love the overall aesthetic of it. There's something about the overly sleek design that screamed "stylish but decidedly male-coded" that I just couldn't get past. When I saw the Contour, I immediately loved it! The angular, tote-like shape, the leather front pocket detail, the satchel flap; those details made it actually stylish. It's big enough for me to fit my travel essentials -- my laptop, my tech accessories, snacks, notebook and pens, a light sweater and water bottle. The overall dimensions felt just right; I'm 5'2" and always worry that backpacks will be too bulky. A couple of details that, to my surprise, didn't meet my expectations. Given the attention to detail evidenced in the rest of the design there are 2 aspects that were surprisingly poorly designed. One is the straps. They're uncomfortable! I think it has to do with the shape changes the weight distribution but they kind of dug into my shoulder / arms. The straps are on the thin side, which aesthetically I liked; the thinness plus weight distribution might just not be balanced enough. And then the little rear luggage sleeve is placed too low so that when I did slide it onto my suitcase handle, the weight of my full bag tipped over. The sleeve thing isn't a huge deal; the straps might be a dealbreaker. That being said, I do love it, it's cheaper than the Apex and I know I'll use this for years to come.

Love the design of my new Troubadour Contour backpack as it is very well thought through. The shoulder straps and feel when you carry a heavy backpack could be a bit better.

The bag seems well made and looks great in person. It also is comfortable to wear. Unfortunately, while this bag is advertised as fitting a 16 inch laptop, it only technically and barely fits. My 16 inch MacBook pro was straining up against the zipper and was hard to get in and out, to the point where I was concerned it would put too much stress on the zipper and potentially scratch the laptop. I was sad to have to send it back, as it seemed to be a good fit for everything I was looking for otherwise.