tomtoc Navigator-T66 Liteway Travel Laptop Backpack (28L) Review

At first glance, the tomtoc Navigator-T66 Liteway Travel Laptop Backpack (28L) looks just like the tomtoc Navigator-T66 Travel Laptop Backpack 40L. Obviously, this travel backpack is 12L smaller, but the design is similar. It’s not until you look closely and notice the ripstop pattern in the material that you’ll realize there is a difference between the original and the “Liteway” versions of the bag.

So, what do we think of the change in materials, and is it enough to make us opt for the “Liteway” version of a bag that we liked in its original rPET and polyester materials? Let’s find out.

External Components

With any version of the word “light” in a bag’s name, you’d hope to see a significant weight reduction. The tomtoc Navigator-T66 Liteway Travel Laptop Backpack (28L) is mostly made of 400D ripstop polyester, with a 1680D polyester base for abrasion resistance. That, combined with the smaller size, does save a few ounces (or grams). The 40L original weighs around 2.6 pounds (1200 g) at the time of this review, while the 28L Liteway weighs 2.09 pounds (950 g). You can also get the 40L in a Liteway version, which weighs 2.36 pounds (1070 g), but you cannot get the 28L bag in any version other than the Liteway.

The same Pack Hacker tester has used both the original 40L version and this 28L Liteway model. In real life use, it’s hard to feel the difference from the fewer ounces. However, if you’re looking for a smaller travel backpack rather than a larger one and you like the Navigator-T66 design, you don’t have much choice: ripstop polyester it is.

The bag has quality YKK zippers and buckles, and we have no issues with them. The only thing to mention about the zippers is that they have corded pulls that end in plastic tabs. While that makes them easier to find and grab, they are long enough in some cases to run into neighboring tracks, so you might find the top quick-access pocket zipper getting caught in the laptop compartment zipper track, for example. It’s an easy problem to solve, but it happened to us quite a bit.

Four compression straps run from the front to the back of the bag. They’re easy to adjust and help keep the bag in check when you’re carrying less, as we were on our daily commute, as opposed to when it’s stuffed for a trip.

The top of the bag features a large, padded carry handle. There’s also a thinner one on the left side of the bag to help you lift it out of trunks or off the handle of rolling carry on luggage. A vertical pass-through runs down the center of the back panel so you can slide it over the handle of a larger suitcase if you want, though we prefer to carry it as a backpack in most cases. There is also a small handle in between the top of the shoulder straps to hang the bag on a hook.

The shoulder straps and the back panel padding have the same thickness and flexibility as the top carry handle. All of these are lined with breathable mesh, too. It’s the same mesh used on the original, so even though we’re testing the Liteway in the middle of a Midwest winter, we’re confident that it should be as breathable and comfortable in the heat as the 40L version that we tested in a Florida summer. The pass-through creates a vertical air channel for breathability, and there’s a horizontal one two-thirds of the way down the back panel, as well.

The backpack also has a sternum strap that slides along webbing strips on the shoulder straps and fastens with a YKK buckle. This means you can make minute adjustments to find the right fit, and it nearly always stays where you place it. It’s not too tight or too loose on the track.

Fit Notes

The tomtoc Navigator-T66 Liteway Travel Laptop Backpack (28L) is smaller all around than the 40L bag, so you probably won’t be surprised to hear that it fits smaller users better than the larger backpack. However, we didn’t find the 40L bag uncomfortable, even on a shorter frame, so we think you should really choose between the two based upon how much you want to fit inside. More on that later, but the tl;dr is that you’re of course going to fit less inside a 28L bag than a 40L one that’s about 3 inches taller and an inch or so wider and deeper.

Both bags suffer from some sagginess due to a lack of structure, but it nearly disappears when you stuff them for a trip. We mostly noticed it during our daily commute, but even tossing our lunch inside helps fill things out, and you can cinch down the four compression straps to keep things in check when you carry less. Filling the laptop compartment with your computer also adds structure to the back panel. We don’t mind the way the cushioned rear panel forms nicely to your back, but filling the laptop compartment prevents any bulky gear from protruding into your back.

Inside The Backpack

We are fans of the Navigator-T66 Travel Laptop Backpack’s organization, and we’re happy to see that it’s pretty much the same on the smaller 28L version. Some bags make you sacrifice organization when you want to size down, but tomtoc does not.

At the top is a flat quick-access pocket for your passport, wallet, and whatever else you want to access easily. We used it for our key fob and AirPods, and occasionally a phone. It’s an open space that spans the top of the bag and is only slightly impacted by what you put in the main compartment. The fabric’s flexibility works in your favor here, as you can stretch the top material up slightly to squeeze your hand inside even with the bag fully packed.

There’s another quick-access pocket spanning the front panel. It has a zippered opening on the left and is good for larger gear, like a tech kit, small pouches, or even a small notebook. Just remember that there’s only 400D ripstop polyester between your gear and the floor if the backpack falls forward (and it will), so you might not want to put delicate gear like sunglasses or devices with screens that can get crushed here.

There are large bottle pockets with stretchy elastic at the top to hold your hydration or an umbrella. Compression straps on either side of the bag help hold them in place if you wish, or you may opt to hook your water bottle handle to the strap with a carabiner if you’ll be laying the bag down at some point and want to ensure it doesn’t slide out. We didn’t have any issues with that happening, but we mostly traveled with the backpack in an upright position, so there wasn’t much of an opportunity for one to go sliding out accidentally.

You’ll find the entrance to the laptop compartment against the back panel. It opens completely clamshell with two zipper pulls, leaving only the bottom of the bag attached. Theoretically, this means you can leave your laptop inside the backpack and simply open it to lay flat on the X-ray machine conveyor belt, but whether you can do this in practice will depend on the security officers screening you.

If you can, you’ll be happy to see that there is a wide webbing strap with hook-and-loop fastener that holds your laptop and tablet in place. There are two padded sleeves against the back panel: one for up to a 16-inch laptop and the other for up to a 13-inch iPad. There’s a slight false bottom to protect the edges of your devices, and the sleeves are well-padded on the front and back, so we didn’t feel the need to use an extra protective case.

On the opposite side of the compartment is a zippered mesh pocket for tech accessories like cables, chargers, and whatnot, though there’s no organization inside so everything will jumble together. You may want to organize it with pouches, especially if you have tiny dongles or cards to keep track of.

This entire panel opens by pulling the tab at its top. Doing so opens into the base of the main compartment. We say base because while you can pack it this way, it’s easier to fill from the front duffle-style opening, which we’ll get to in a moment. However, this opening comes in handy at the TSA security line. You’ll already be opening it for your laptop. If you pack your toiletry bag near the top of the bag, you can open the divider slightly to pull it out without dislodging the rest of your gear or unbuckling the compression straps. It’s very convenient if you’re asked to pull out your liquids at security.

However, you can also access the main compartment through a zipper surrounding the large front pocket. You’ll need to unbuckle the compression straps on the left to do so. Then it opens like a lid to reveal a large open space like a duffle bag. While tomtoc says there’s enough space for a 2-3 day trip in this bag, we think it really depends on your packing skills. Using compression packing cubes, we packed enough clothing for 5-7 days, plus a pair of sandals and a toiletry bag. Obviously, how much you can fit depends on the size of your clothing and the type of trip—clothing for warmer destinations is smaller, as is clothing for a smaller user. And there’s no space left for souvenirs or snacks. There is a rigid base at the bottom of the bag to make it easier to fill and provide some structure when you want to stand the bag up, though. It flips up to rest against the back panel when you carry less or don’t want to use it.

Because of this, we think you should pay more attention to how much you need to fit inside than to how tall you are when deciding whether the tomtoc Navigator-T66 Liteway Travel Laptop Backpack (28L) is right for you. The brand says it’s best for users under 5-foot 9-inches, and our short tester agrees. However, the same tester also packed for a 5-day trip inside the 40L version, carried it comfortably to and from the airport, and then had space to bring home souvenirs. So, the question is, how much do you need to carry? Either way, we think the tomtoc Navigator-T66 Travel Laptop Backpack is a great budget option for most travelers. It lacks premium options and bells and whistles, but the money you save by getting it instead of something more expensive can go toward trips for years to come instead.