What it is

The Troubadour Apex Backpack 4.0 is Troubadour’s award-positioned everyday work backpack. Official page lead: “Named NYT Wirecutter’s “Best Laptop Backpack” for two years running. Fits up to a 17’’ laptop, with 22L of space for everything else.” Official description: “Made for makers. The award-winning Apex 4.0 combines clever interior organisation and clean design with incredible comfort. With soft, contouring backstraps, smart weight distribution, and a sleek profile, the Apex 4.0 is perfect for city-commutes, travel, and everything in between.”

This page is the Apex Backpack 4.0 product page only (canonical https://www.troubadourgoods.com/products/apex-backpack). It is not the Apex Compact Backpack 4.0, not the Apex 4.0 EPX fabric edition sold on a separate URL, and not the larger Apex Travel Backpack.

Official Overall Dimensions on the product page (2026-09-14):

• Volume: 22 L
• Height: 18.9” | 48 cm
• Width: 12.6” | 32 cm
• Depth: 5.9” | 15 cm
• Weight: 2.7lb | 1.22kg (product metafield list also states 2.69 lbs / 1.22 kg)
• Laptop: designed to comfortably carry laptops up to 17” without added bulk

Materials / build (official feature copy on the product page):

• FortiWeave fabric, waterproof zippers and lining, and eco-friendly fluorocarbon-free waterproofing
• Fabric spun from recycled plastic bottles, engineered to endure
• CrashPad Cocoon laptop sleeve suspends and cushions your device
• Lockable zippers, luggage sleeve, and shoulder-strap pocket for essentials
• Official marketing also shows a 5-year guarantee badge on the product experience

Official US pricing at review (Shopify priceRange + schema.org AggregateOffer on the product page): $279 USD across offers (lowPrice and highPrice both 279.0; offerCount 6; availability InStock). Colour option values listed on the product: Black, Basalt Blue, Scree, Green Smoke, Obsidian Green, Nomad Grey, Navy, Terracotta, Ink Blue, Bronze Red. Confirm current pricing and stock on Troubadour before buying.

Who it’s for

Use it if your work day wants a structured 22L pack with a CrashPad Cocoon sleeve for laptops up to 17”, FortiWeave weatherproofing, lockable zippers, an integrated luggage sleeve, a quick-access origami quiver pocket on the shoulder strap, dedicated water bottle pockets (two deep 3D bottle pockets—one with zip-safe closure), and interior organisation aimed at a mobile office—built as a city/office daybag rather than a hiking or tactical pack.

Official key claims on-page: all-day comfort via ergonomic shoulder straps with soft padding and smart curvature; integrated luggage sleeve; quick-access origami quiver pocket; dedicated water bottle pockets; effortless organisation; tech protection via CrashPad Cocoon; weatherproof FortiWeave build; recycled-bottle fabric; travel-ready lockable zippers.

Skip it if you need hiking or tactical gear, a fashion handbag, or one-bag travel as the whole product. Also skip if you want the smaller Apex Compact 4.0 silhouette, the separate Apex 4.0 EPX fabric page, or the larger Apex Travel Backpack instead of this 22L work pack.

Standout details

• Official NYT Wirecutter “Best Laptop Backpack” positioning on the product page for two years running, with a 22L daily layout and up to a 17” laptop claim.
• CrashPad Cocoon suspended laptop sleeve plus lockable zippers, luggage sleeve, and FortiWeave weatherproofing with fluorocarbon-free waterproofing.
• Official dimensions 18.9” × 12.6” × 5.9” (48 × 32 × 15 cm) at 2.7 lb / 1.22 kg on the Dimensions table.
• Official US price $279 at review (schema AggregateOffer; six offers; InStock).
• Distinct from Apex Compact 4.0 and Apex 4.0 EPX: this listing is the standard Apex Backpack 4.0 at /products/apex-backpack only.

Cover source for Press: official Black studio JPG (Apex4.0_Black.jpg) from the Troubadour / Shopify CDN, converted to /thumbs/troubadour-apex-backpack-4-0.webp. Official product URL to screenshot: https://www.troubadourgoods.com/products/apex-backpack

Honest verdict

Use it. For a laptop-first commute that wants Troubadour’s Wirecutter-named 22L Apex Backpack 4.0 with a CrashPad Cocoon sleeve (up to 17”), FortiWeave weatherproofing, and lockable travel-ready details at $279 on the official US page (AggregateOffer InStock at review), this is the clearest Apex work-pack pick when Compact/EPX/Travel variants are the wrong shape.

Do not buy it if you already need the Compact silhouette, the EPX fabric edition on its own URL, hiking/tactical/one-bag travel as the whole product, or a different price than the $279 matrix shown at review. Re-review if Troubadour changes the $279 offer matrix, drops or adds a colourway, revises the 22L / 17” / 18.9×12.6×5.9” / 2.7 lb claims, or moves the canonical product off /products/apex-backpack.