I flight-tested the best carry-on tech bag with all of my essential devices, and it won a perfect score with ease

Anyone who regularly travels with laptops, gaming handhelds, tablets, and/or other tech accessories knows how crucial it is to have a bag that can hold these devices securely.

Of course, it's also important that such a bag fits your body comfortably. This being the case, knowing that I would be going to CES 2025 this year with a bag full of tech, I was interested in seeing how well the Tomtoc Navigator-T66 Travel Laptop Backpack would work for a business trip.

I did, indeed, travel to Las Vegas and back, primarily using this bag for my electronic devices. The experience was almost perfect, showing me that this is a great option to go with.

• Tomtoc Navigator-T66 at Amazon for $85.99

Tomtoc Navigator-T66: Price and availability

Tomtoc is an accessory brand that offers electronics travel bags, handheld carrying cases, laptop sleeves, accessory pouches, and more. I've used various products from this company over the years and so far haven't met a bag I didn't like.

The Navigator-T66, specifically, is a 38L to 40L laptop backpack with plenty of zippers and pockets to hold your various devices and accessories. It's unique in that it can be carried like a regular backpack, but when you put it on its side, it resembles a duffle bag with a wide, zippered flap. There are two padded sleeves inside that can hold up to a 17.3-inch laptop.

The Navigator T-66 sells for $85.99 at Amazon or the Tomtoc website and is available in an attractive black or dark gray.

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In addition to the Tomtoc Navigator T-66, I was also sent a Tomtoc Light-T12 Electronic Accessory Pouch M, which I used to keep all of my cables, adapters, my computer mouse, and my power bank organized. It's available in a variety of colors and has an MSRP of $25.99 at Amazon or the Tomtoc website.

Tomtoc Navigator-T66

This 38-40L bag works as both a laptop backpack and a clothing duffle bag. There are several pockets and zippers to hold your various belongings.

Buy at: Amazon

Tomtoc Light-T12 Electronic Accessory Pouch M

This accessory bag is available in a few different colors and helps keep smaller peripherals securely stowed away. The interior pouches and pockets make it easy to keep different items separate and organized.

Buy at: Amazon

Tomtoc Navigator-T66: What I like

I received the dark gray Navigator-T66, and I absolutely love the look and durable feel of the material it's made of. Because I was traveling with a lot of tech, I ended up putting a lot of weight into this bag, but it never felt like I was straining the straps or the fabric itself. As is commonly seen in backpacks of this kind, the straps and back of the bag are covered in a padded mesh material that breathes and puts less pressure on my body. For added stability, you can clip the chest belt across your front.

One of the defining characteristics of this laptop bag is that it resembles both a clothing duffle bag and a laptop backpack. From the back, you'd assume it's just a regular backpack, but put the bag on its side, and you will have a large zippered flap over the top that can be opened to fill the interior with your belongings.

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Thanks to the two laptop sleeves and generous 38 liters to 40 liters of space, I was able to pack my laptop, a large JSAUX FlipGo dual monitor accessory, my ROG Ally X, a smaller laptop carrying bag, and various accessories within the Navigator-T66. The main zipper opens clam-shell-wise as far as 180 degrees, allowing me to easily pack or unpack the bag as needed. There was even enough extra space that I was able to put some clothes into the main front pocket along with my tech.

Something I really appreciate is that the tech pouches and laptop sleeves are easy to access. There's even a zippered pocket along the back so I could quickly pull all of my electronics out during TSA screenings and then put them back without disturbing the other items in the main pocket. Speaking of TSA, it's worth noting that the main zippers are compatible with TSA luggage locks, but the rest of the zippers are not.

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There's a small handle on the right side of the bag in addition to the handle on top, so you can carry the Navigator-T66 in whichever way feels best at any given moment. Additionally, a strap along the backpack's backside can be placed over your rolling suitcase's handle to consolidate your load while moving about.

Since this is a somewhat large backpack, I wasn't sure how well it would fit on airplanes. My own experience was mixed — during my flight to Las Vegas with Delta, the bag fit well under the seat in front of me, but when traveling back with Southwest, I did have to put it in one of the overhead bins. If it isn't packed to the brim, you'll likely be able to make it fit.

All of these features and design choices make this an incredibly convenient and reliable laptop backpack.

Tomtoc Navigator-T66: What I do not like

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I'm honestly a bit torn on the front duffle flap and its accompanying buckles. There were times when this design felt limiting, and I wished I just had a regular backpack to slip things in and out of. However, there were also instances where having that wider opening along the back allowed me to arrange interior items a bit more methodically than I could have otherwise.

In the end, you'll have to determine whether or not this design fits your travel needs. Tomtoc does have more traditional shaped bags if that's more of interest, or you can always look at something offered by a competitor.

On a different note, I'm sure some people would like this backpack better if it had a waist buckle in addition to the chest clip. I personally didn't have any problems with stability and balance, but that will change depending on how you pack the bag.

Tomtoc Navigator-T66: Competition

I previously wrote our Waterfield Designs Air Porter Backpack review and have since used this bag several times to travel across the country. Waterfield is a bit on the pricey side, but there's no denying that they produce quality bags with durable materials and snazzy styles. This bag is specifically designed to fit into the carry-on space of the seat in front of you while on a plane. It has two laptop sleeves in the main storage area, along with various zippered pouches and pockets all around. One of the things I like most is that I can fit my earbuds or a small handheld like a Nintendo Switch in the top zipper and easily pull them out while on flights. You can get it in four different colors, and it sells for $419.00 at Waterfield.

Over the years, we've been able to use a few different Waterfield bags here at Windows Central. Our own Daniel Rubino previously wrote our Waterfield Designs Tech Rolltop Backpack review. In his analysis, he found it very versatile and comfortable to wear, while offering plenty of pockets for your various tech devices. If you like the look of this company, you can check out the various laptop bags on offer at Waterfield.

Now, if you just want a good laptop backpack, then you should take a look at our own Zachary Boddy's Razer Rogue V3 Backpack review. They say that this bag is made of high-quality materials and has a useful design that's ideal for school or for simply traveling around with tech. This bag sells for $70.99 at Best Buy.

Tomtoc Navigator-T66: Should you buy it?

✅ You should buy this if...

• You want a laptop backpack that doubles as a duffle bag.
• You're looking for a laptop backpack that's made of durable materials

❌ You should not buy this if...

• You don't care for the duffle part of this backpack.
• You'd prefer to go with something that has more TSA luggage lock zippers

I highly recommend the Tomtoc Navigator-T66 if you're interested. My Las Vegas trip for CES 2025 went very smoothly, partially due to this fantastic backpack. Thanks to the zippers and large storage capacity, I was able to bring all of the devices I needed with me without feeling like I was limited in space. What's more, it never felt like the Navigator-T66 was straining or in danger of breaking, even with the hefty load I was carrying.

The top back zipper makes it easy to pull electronics out during TSA check-ins without disturbing the rest of the bag. On another note, I personally really like the look of the dark gray material and recommend it as a color that probably won't show off dust and dirt as much as the plain black option probably does.

If you are planning on bringing a bunch of accessories, cables, or other small devices, it might be a good idea to grab a Tomtoc travel pouch as well. You'll be far more organized and won't lose smaller items in the larger bag.

• Tomtoc Navigator-T66 at Amazon for $85.99