REVIEW – My husband has accumulated many things he needs to bring in his everyday travels. Shorts or pants pockets can no longer hold what he needs on a daily basis. He has been looking for a good lightweight, small bag to carry his two wallets (yea, don’t get me started!), reading glasses, a large set of keys, and a pill bottle. Troubadour has a compact messenger bag that looks like it will fit the bill.
What is it?
The Troubadour Compact Messenger is a sling bag worn over the shoulder or as a crossbody bag. It is lightweight and made of vegan leather and stretchy recycled polyester fabric. It has multiple pockets inside the bag and a slip pocket on the outside of the bag. It comes in black, navy, and khaki colors. We were given the black to review.
What’s in the box?
- Thank you card
- Compact Messenger bag
Hardware specs
- Weight: 160g / 0.3 lb
- Width: 16.5cm / 6.5”
- Height: 20.5cm / 8”
- Depth: 6cm / 2.4”
- Capacity: 2 L
- MATERIALS: Recycled polyester fabric, recycled polyester lining, vegan leather trim
- Lightweight waterproof, recycled fabric
- Spacious main compartment with key clip, pockets for phone and pen
- A padded divider protects the e-reader or small tablet
- Fast access front slip pocket
- The rear slip pocket sits close to your body
- Soft, adjustable webbing strap
- Waterproof YKK zippers
- Expands and contracts as the load varies
- Ripstop and wipeable antibacterial lining
Design and features
On the very front of the bag is a slip pocket. It is made of very soft recycled polyester fabric. It looks very narrow but can expand to hold a phone easily or even a fat wallet. Because the fabric is stretchy, it grips whatever you have in the pocket and keeps stuff from falling out.
The inside of the bag has four separate compartment areas. The front pocket has a lanyard to hold onto your keys. It has a metal clip for the keys. The middle section can hold something as large as the latest Kindle Paperwhite. Another pocket on the back side has a smaller section divided off. This is where you could place a pen or stylus. All of the pockets have a very soft lining, so nothing you put in them will get scratched by the bag.
The straps are connected directly to the back by two points in the front and the back of the back. This allows the bag to sit easily by your side. The straps expand with the attached material as you put more stuff in the bag.
There is only one zipper on the bag, and that is at the top of the main compartment. It is a YKK zipper, and it is a waterproof zipper. You can see in the picture below the rubber-like material that sits above the metal zipper teeth.
The bottom of the bag is made of vegan leather for extra durability.
The front of the slip pocket on the front of the bag is also made with vegan leather and embossed with the Troubadour brand. The inside of the slip pocket is not leather but the much softer recycled polyester fabric. There is an identical slip pocket on the back of the bag, but it only has the fabric on the front of it.
Performance
The picture below shows an iPhone 14 Pro in the back pocket. It is held very snugly in place. If you have a larger phone, it will likely stick above the top of the bag.
This shot shows the storage capacity of the bag. We have a large set of keys in the front compartment attached to the lanyard. The middle compartment has a small wallet and pill bottle. The back compartment holds some gum and a pen. You can’t see the front pocket, but it has some readers.
Depending on how much you put into the bag, it can actually stand on its own. This picture shows how much it can expand. It certainly had more room to grow if we wanted to stuff more into it. This shot also gives you an idea how the strap attaches to the bag.
Here is my hubby proudly modeling the bag. He finds it very comfortable to wear around. The shoulder strap is very soft and does not cut into him anywhere. His only real complaint with the bag is that the zipper was hard to operate initially. I am sure it is because of the waterproofing around it. It has gotten a bit easier over time. He says nothing has fallen out of the bag as he has used it daily for the past few weeks. I also included a shot of me wearing the bag so you can see a size perspective.
What I like
- The bag is very lightweight and comfortable
- Stretchy fabric allows the bag to expand and contract as necessary.
- The material in the pockets is very soft and won’t scratch my devices.
- Waterproof zippers
- Five-year warranty
What I’d change
- Maybe add some brighter color choices. I would love to see a bright purple, emerald green, or orange bag.
Final thoughts
The Troubadour compact messenger bag has become my husband’s everyday carry bag. It stays good-looking due to the black color scheme and holds everything he needs for his daily routine. He loves how it can expand and contract as necessary, how comfortable, and how lightweight it is.
Price: $85.00
Where to buy: Troubadour
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Troubadour.
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I go through several pouches a year but alway wind up using the bags from Jean Newell. I used her PUP for decades but with the larger phone have gone to the Gizmobag. They do come indifferent colors. They are thin, lightweight, and organized for what I carry. http://www.lovemypup.com
Vegan leather? There is plastic, rubber, vinyl, but leather is not vegan.