EcoPlum Shines a Spotlight on its B Corp Suppliers: Troubadour Goods Ltd

This is the eighth profile in our blogpost series about our B Corp suppliers.

In today’s competitive accessories market, Troubadour Goods Ltd stands out as a company that balances elevated design, utility, and sustainability. The New York Times Wirecutter, named the Troubadour Apex 3.0 Backpack the “Best Laptop Backpack” of 2025. Based in London, the company is best known for its high-functioning backpacks and bags designed for modern professionals. Troubadour has redefined premium backpacks with purpose and performance.

The Troubadour brand is sustainably focused and has carved out a distinct position as a Certified B Corporation (B Corp), treating business success and environmental responsibility as inseparable.

Troubadour premium backpacks showcase minimalist design paired with maximum functionality.Who doesn’t want a lightweight, versatile, and sleek-looking backpack to organize your everyday essentials and protect them from the elements with durable, waterproof fabric? These backpacks are easy to carry and great for business. The roomy size can accommodate everyone’s office needs, gym clothes, or personal items that are needed around town and when traveling.

The Troubadour brand is represented by the peregrine falcon, a symbol embodying the company’s core pillars of performance, functionality, comfort and sustainability. This sleek and refined icon reflects their commitment to creating innovative, sophisticated and contemporary products.

What Inspired the Launch of Troubadour?

Troubadour was founded in 2011 by Samuel Bail and Abel Samet, two young finance professionals who set out to solve a simple but unmet personal need: bags that combined functionality, sophistication, and sustainability without compromise—an overnight bag that could transition seamlessly between weekdays and weekends. 

Initially focused on men’s accessories, the brand expanded over time to include unisex and women’s collections, created by feedback from creative leadership—including Creative Director Samantha Jacob, who joined in 2015 and now helps steer the design ethos.

Their launch wasn’t rooted in any fashion industry pedigrees but from curiosity and questioning norms about how products were designed and produced, which propelled them to challenge conventional materials and practices early on.

Innovative Design and Environmental Impact

The design and environmental commitments at Troubadour are ambitious and structured. They influence creative, sourcing, manufacturing, logistics, and packaging decisions—making sustainability a core business driver rather than an afterthought. Here are some of their eco accomplishments and product innovations: 

• Carbon Neutral, with 100% Offsets Across the Business

• Recycled materials. Their FortiWeave fabric is eco friendly, woven from 100% recycled plastic bottles, and cleans effortlessly. Each bag is produced from about 44 bottles, keeping them out of the garbage chain. Almost 95% of their products on volume are made from recycled materials, and in addition to that achievement the company hopes to make all products recyclable this year.

• Revolutionary Fluorocarbon-free sustainable waterproofing to reduce toxic coatings. Plus, the fabric cleans up easily with a simple wipe.

• Ergonomic Strap Design. S-shaped contour straps on the Apex 4.0 relieve pressure points and elevate support. They stretch for balanced weight and lasting comfort.

• Smart, Compartmentalized Storage for everyone’s gear and necessities, including a zipped compartment for convenient mobile phone access on the shoulder strap.

• Trolley Sleeve to fit over luggage for smoother travel.

• Guaranteed to Last. Five-year guarantee on quality and reliability. To keep bags out of landfill, when a bag reaches the end of its life, the company will buy it back. They sell, donate or recycle the bags they receive.

• Ethical Production. 100% of suppliers have signed the Troubadour Code of Conduct.

• 100% Recyclable and Compostable Packaging. Plus 100% of their boxes are made from 100% recycled materials.

• Orbis Circular Collection. One of the first fully sustainable zero-waste circular bag lines made from recycled PET/polyester. And they can be recycled again, enabling true recyclability without quality loss—products that will never need to go to a landfill!

What Makes Troubadour Unique?

Troubadour differentiates itself in several key ways:

• Bridging craftsmanship and sustainability — combining modern, minimalist design with functional engineering to create versatile products for professional and personal use, day-to-day activities and travel.
• Thoughtful material selection, moving beyond recycled content to pursue true recyclability and circularity in product life cycles.
• Award recognition.Industry awards like the Marie Claire UK Sustainability Award in 2023 and Red Dot Design Award in 2024, as well as acclaim in many reviews that have highlighted the company’s design excellence along with their eco impact.
• Longevity-oriented brand ethos. Durability, repair support, and multi-year guarantees aim to reduce unnecessary consumption.

By focusing on premium utility and longevity, Troubadour targets discerning professionals who care about both performance and planet.

The Troubadour Mission and Measures of Success

Troubadour’s mission is clear: to make great products with the least possible environmental impact while enhancing everyday life through thoughtful design and long-lasting utility. This dual focus defines its success metrics—not only product sales and market share but also material circularity, reduced ecological footprint, ethical manufacturing practices, and third-party impact verification.

B Corp Certified

Troubadour became a Certified B Corporation (B Corp) in November 2021, joining a global cohort of companies rigorously vetted for social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability. The decision to pursue certification anchors the company’s mission in verified standards. B Corp status signals that sustainability isn’t superficial. It’s embedded in governance, operations, stakeholder engagement, and the strive for continued improvement.  

As a B Corp., success for Troubadour isn’t just profit. It is positive, measurable influence on how its business can contribute to environmental and societal goals. Their B Impact Score of 106.4 reflects high performance relative to traditional business benchmarks and is well above the ordinary-business median of 50.9. To gain certification, a company must score at least 80. For more about the company’s B Corp status, read here.

The Troubadour Values Chain: Giving Back

Troubadour’s values extend beyond product design into corporate culture and community responsibility:

• Business as a force for good — using entrepreneurial capability to solve environmental problems.
• Commitment to transparency and ethical sourcing — from supply chain ethics to internal practices.
• Continuous improvement and collaboration — working with labs, academics, and partners to pursue circularity and material innovation.

Troubadour Backpacks in the EcoPlum Sustainable Swag® Line

Troubadour rPET Apex Compact Backpack 4.0

Troubadour rPET Neo Backpack

Troubadour represents a compelling case study in turning values into measurable impact, while still crafting products that resonate with modern, discerning users.

Their evolution, from a self-funded startup to a Certified B Corp with globally recognized products and circular design breakthroughs, shows what’s possible when purpose and performance coalesce in the marketplace.

And so EcoPlum salutes Troubadour and its innovative backpacks.

Editors’ Note:

EcoPlum is a B Corporation and distributor of sustainable promotional products, including the featured products byTroubadour.

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