Tomtoc T71 vs Nomatic 14L Backpack

If you’re looking for a new commuter laptop bag you have two great options. Check out this recap for the Tomtoc T71 vs Nomatic 14L Backpack

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Contrary to popular belief I don’t spend every last second on the trail. There are plenty of times when my walk is from my vehicle to my working place, while visiting a new city, or from gate to gate in an airport. 

Because of hiking, my gear needs to be something that will hold up over time, have plenty of organization, and be able to carry what I need when I need it. 

In this post, I’ll discuss two bags that hit each end of the budget, which are similar in size and perfect for off-the-trail commuting. This information lets you decide if the higher-priced pack is worth your money based on the features. 

My original daypack: Patagonia

I tried to use my day pack for my daily work backpack, and the Refugio 28 liter from Patagonia is a great backpack, but I found that it lacked some of the features I wanted for everyday carry items. 

I’ve had this backpack for over a decade, and it shows no signs of wear, but there aren’t many individual pockets for smaller things, so my smaller gadgets were getting lost. These are all first-world problems, but I realized I wanted to keep this one as a day pack for hiking and have it ready to go for when I need. 

After months of research, I settled on two different brands; TOMTOC and NOMATIC

Both of these brands make well-reviewed packs for city life, and for traveling. 

I honed in on their smaller packs, as I didn’t want to have too much room and feel like I needed to stuff it with random items. 

TOMTOC T71 Laptop Backpack

This is the TOMTOC Navigator T71 laptop backpack in the medium 18L size. 

It retails for 79.99 on the Tomtoc website, but you can usually find a deal on Amazon. I’ll put a link in the description. This backpack also features a two-year warranty if you register the product, but only one year if you don’t. 

 Right off the bat, one concern was that it only comes in black in either volume size, but I was willing to grab it because of the reviews and see how I liked using a dark pack in a world filled with black bags. 

My first impressions were that I liked the size and feel of this bag.  The YKK zippers glide smoothly, and I know the water-resistant fabric will be helpful if I ever get caught in a drizzle. 

There are four areas for gear.  Two front pockets, a main compartment, and a space for up to a 15.6-inch laptop and or a tablet in the padded back pocket. 

There are multiple grab points too that I’ll highlight a little later in the post. 

So let us start from the front. 

The two front pockets each have ample space for your electronic chargers and cords, your keys, small notebooks, and where I put my sunglasses and brush while I’m at work. 

The stretch mesh pockets give you plenty of room for bigger charging blocks that you’d use for your laptop as well. 

The zippers on the front pockets do face up, so despite the water-resistant nylon, the upward-facing zipper liner could attract water easier, but it makes for a better opening experience since everything is facing upwards. 

Tomtoc T71 Main Compartment

The main compartment will zip halfway down on either side of the backpack to give you plenty of space to get your items in and out.  Remember, this is an 18L backpack, so you will have to remember to accommodate for that. 

On the back side, you’ll have sleeves for another tablet, or you can put documents and/or a notebook. On the side panel, you’ll find a pocket with a pass-through into the outside water bottle holder, perfect for a portable charger. 

Opposite of that you’ll see a sizable stretch mesh zippered pocket for additional cables or small accessories. 

Other reviewers have mentioned it being too dark inside of this pack, but the pockets are shallow enough to find what I need without it being too much of an issue.

The volume of the main compartment offers plenty of room for my headphones, my lunch, and a rain jacket if I needed.  Exactly the amount of room I need. 

It is important to note that none of the pockets are RFID-protected. In fact, TOMTOC only has that feature in its passport holder and sling bag options. 

The laptop pocket is padded and is located on the inside part of the backpack.  This makes weight distribution more comfortable.  The dedicated sleeve for your laptop is neat because it features protective padding all around, including the bottom, so you don’t have to worry if you accidentally set your backpack down harder than normal.

Inside, you can see additional foam support on the side of this backpack. 

The tablet sleeve is a soft felt-like pocket, but it has a ton of space, so you could use it for a handful of different flat items.

Outside features of the Tomtoc T71

Because this is more business-inspired, and not outdoor-inspired, the sleek look will give you options to carry this bag like a briefcase and not a backpack. Give it more of a professional look. 

There are two straps on top that make carrying this feel more solid like a duffle, and there is one side strap.  The one-side strap does take up the space of an additional water bottle pocket, and some other reviewers mentioned that the opposite-side bottle pocket was not sturdy enough to hold a bottle sideways.

Which brings us to the water bottle pocket itself. It is secured back to the pack when not in use by an elastic strip that may wear out over time, but it keeps its sleek silhouette when retracted. 

The pocket itself is pretty small.  The maximum bottle that fits comfortably is the YETI 26oz. Rambler bottle. Definitely not a Nalgene 32-ounce bottle.

The shoulder straps are nicely padded to coincide with the breathable padded back panel.  Those black backpacks on a hot day could cause quite the perspiration, so it’s good to have some breathable mesh back there. 

You have a luggage pass-through on the back, and two pockets to stuff your backpack straps when not in use.  Perfect for when you’re shoving your backpack under the seat on a plane. 

The straps feel comfortable on my shoulders, but the 18-liter does not come with a sternum strap.  That would be nice to have even at this price point.  Despite everything being padded on the shoulders, this backpack starts to feel heavy rather quickly.  If you’re carrying a laptop, water bottle, and a charging block, a sternum strap would be nice a and comfortable addition. 

Overall, after a few weeks of use, I’ve really enjoyed this bag’s simplicity, construction, and organizational design. 

For the price, I think you’re going to be happy with this bag for daily use. 

Nomatic 14l Backpack

If you have a little more in your budget then you can opt for the NOMATIC backpack seen here in the 14l size. This is the NAVY color and it retails for $259.99

One major difference for this pack is it is expandable to 17l, so you get a little more bag if you need it. 

I was already familiar with the NOMATIC brand when doing research for a camera bag for the trail.  I ultimately opted for the Backlight 18-liter bag, and if you’d like to learn more about that pack, watch this video.

In doing that research though, I learned about the quality of craftsmanship that goes into the bags including water-resistant materials, YKK zippers, padded straps, and grab handles. This backpack is also vegan and made from 100% synthetic materials. 

NOMATIC also has a lifetime warranty on all of its products. Certain restrictions apply, but if they can’t repair it they may send you a replacement. 

So in terms of the overall features of the exterior of the bag, you’re getting a lot of similarities between the two. 

The things that separate the different backpacks, and what creates a price increase in most things, are the little details. 

You do get a few extra storage items in the 20-liter bag that are not included with a smaller pack like a hidden stash compartment, and the luggage strap on the back panel is facing a different direction, but overall you get a lot of the same storage in each size offering. 

Inside Capacity of Nomatic 14l Backpack

Two main zipper compartments zip down on each side for a full view of your contents.  I actually like the idea of a half zip up front so everything doesn’t spill out, but there is a pocket on the bottom of the outside compartment that holds the flap from falling down completely. 

That is not the case with the main compartment.  Just keep that in mind if there are loose items in your bag, and you open this up in the food court of the airport and everything spills out onto the floor in front of a million people. Just saying. 

On the inside of the outer pocket you have two stretch mesh pockets for a charging cord and charging block, below that you have a notebook stash pocket where I put a small notepad and my small gear pouch for my external hard drive and laptop media hub.  

On the opposite flap, you have two additional stretch mesh pockets and a zippered pocket.  Here is where I keep my hand sanitizer spray.  One size you’ll find a place for one pen. So make it a good one. I use this true utility multi-tool pen. 

Above that you’ll have an RFID-safe zip pouch that can also be locked.  Perfect to store your wallet while traveling. 

On the top of the backpack, you have a small fleece-lined quick-access pocket. This is perfect for small items like a cell phone. It also has a pass-through to the inside compartment for a charging block. 

Main Compartment Features

On the back panel, you have two main sleeves that are perfect for a laptop up to a 16” MacBook and a tablet device. There is plenty of room for a book if you would like to use it for that instead. Below that you have two stretch mesh pockets on the left, and on the right, one long stretch mesh pocket.  You can fit tech accessories like a mouse or even a slim keyboard. 

Now a small addition, but one of my favorites. 

There are two side panel stretch mesh pockets, and included with the backpack is a hard sunglasses case with an included sunglasses pouch.  I’m going to keep my sunglasses in their own case, but that fits into the pocket as well.  You could store additional pens or small accessories in here and keep them on the other side.  The other side is actually where I keep my brush but also included in this nifty retractable keep ring that attaches to a stretch loop inside. 

The rest of the space carries the same daily items mentioned earlier in this video.  My headphones case, my lunch, and plenty of room for a rain jacket if needed.  I have that extra space with the expansion as well!

Additional Outer Features

The outside of the pack is fairly streamlined.  You have grab handles on both sides and the top that have plenty of cushion, and you have two water bottle pockets.  These pockets are kept svelte by a magnetic closure that opens up and retracts when not in use. 

Despite the stretch panel, the water bottle capacity is the same on both backpacks.  I was able to fit the Yeti 26oz bottle with a little effort into the pocket. This is where outdoor backpacks tend to excel. My day pack for hiking fits a 32oz bottle with no problems. 

The back panel has good foam, and the shoulder straps have a bit of cushion as well.  You also get the sternum strap and a reflective loop to clip a flashlight or carabiner. 

The straps can be extended out and tucked behind the luggage strap when not in use as well.  The larger version has a dedicated strap pocket. 

So there you have the two options for a daily commuter laptop bag.  Which one are you liking more?  Let me know in the comments below which bag you’d grab, or which you’re using currently. 

Watch the review video