Now that my children, ages 8 and 10, have outgrown their preschool-sized, plastic pull-behind suitcases, all four family members use standard 22-inch carry-on bags with wheels. I’m pleased to add the Lands’ End Flightwise Carry-On Wheeled Duffel Bag to our family’s varied collection of luggage.
This bag is particularly good for anyone who don’t really need separate and distinct sections for storing clothes in their carry-on. This duffel is one big (roomy) compartment, with a slim interior Velcro-shut pouch (and one long zippered pocket and one Velcro pouch on the outside). When my kids pack, they just toss stuff in a bag, no folding involved — and this bag is great for such, um, messy packers. Of course, if I ever use it I’ll roll or stack neatly.
My daughter used the bag on a recent plane trip when she was traveling with her grandmother, brother and four cousins for a four-night resort stay. She was able to fit all of her clothes and limited toiletries with a ton of room to spare. In fact, on the return, the bag held a lot of the souvenirs — including a large stuffed animal and a big plastic ball.
I appreciate that the bag is incredibly light; so much lighter than the TravelPro wheeled carry-on bags we’ve been using for years. The FlightWise piece weighs just 4 lbs 11 oz; the ripstop polyester is not only light, but durable — if I did have to check this bag, I’d feel comfortable that it could stand up too any rough wear-and-tear via baggage handlers and conveyor belts.
The top retractable handle slides down into the bag, and you can zip the top closed, so the handle stores completely within the bag. There are also feet on the bag so it stands upright when you take a break from wheeling. The “duffel handles” snap together with a piece of leather, for carrying comfort.
Reviews on the Lands’ End website point out that it would be helpful to have more side or bottom handles for hauling the bag out of overhead compartments (perhaps like this sweet Tom Bihn Aeronaut bag that’s so easily grab-able). I agree that would be a nice additional feature. Just a few firsthand users complain on the Lands’ End website that the snaps and the piece of leather holding the snaps are poorly made or flimsy — but I haven’ t used the bag enough to be able to weigh in on that at all.
Overall, I dig how much stuff can fit into this lightweight carry-on bag; I like how it’s soft-sided and can squeeze into overhead compartments around other bags — and we all know how coveted overhead bin space is these days!
Purchase the FlightWise Carry-On Wheeled Duffel Bag for $129.50 on the Lands’ End website; it comes with a clear zippered bag and empty plastic bottles, jar and toothbrush holder — ideal for your “quart size bag of liquids.” Other bags in the FlightWise series include a backpack, wheeled carry-on upright and a non-wheeled duffel bag.
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