eAs wonderful as it is, traveling can be stressful. Whether you are traveling for leisure or business it is essential that your suitcase has the interior capacity needed, durability, and meets airline luggage regulations to avoid unexpected fees.
My wife and I have (happily) used the same Travelpro carry-on rollerboards for the past decade — or more, in my wife’s case: he’s had it for at least 15 years.
My children have outgrown their small, pink and primary-colored rolling suitcases, and are big enough to start pulling grown-up-sized luggage. So, it’s been fun over the past few months testing some different manufacturers’ rollerboards on our frequent family travels.
TravelPro provides a variety of high quality suitcases with ample space including a built-in bag for dirty laundry, exterior foam-padded pocket for laptop, extra storage pockets for wallet, passport, wet swim wear etc. and heavy duty zippers you can count on.
The large wheels make it easy to roll through the airport or rugged terrain with the rubber skid guards for added protection. Not to mention you can’t beat a life time warranty!
I’ve said in no uncertain terms that I’m no fan of this recent retro bags trend—there’s a very good reason we don’t use gear from the 70s and 80s anymore. It sucked. Like bell bottoms and leisure suits, those designs (and fabrics) should rest in peace as historic artifacts.
National Geographic Luggage Kontiki Expandable Rollaboard
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This Kontiki line from Travelpro is the first batch I haven’t dismissed out of hand. That’s because the retro call-out is subtle and also because, let’s face it, we didn’t have suitcases with wheels back then and the fabric here is synthetic, so you can chalk this all up to fashion consultants.
Also, the big suitcase I tried is officially called the “Kontiki Expandable Rollaboard,” though I don’t know any commercial airline on the planet that will let you “roll aboard” a 26-inch suitcase. On a Lear Jet maybe?
I would love to talk about its merits instead of misleading marketing tags though, so let’s move on. When it comes to how it functions, none of that matters because this is a great bag.
First of all, this is a check-in bag. There are plenty of others in the National Geographic Kontiki line to choose from, but this one is for when you’re flying on Southwest, taking an international trip, get a free checked bag from your credit card or elite status, or are willing to cough up the money for baggage fees.
You will not roll it aboard. It’s large and wide, with total linear inches of 56.5. It weighs in at 8.4 pounds, which is pretty average for a soft-sided bag with wheels and lots of pockets.
Inside there’s a map of the world on the fabric, which is a nice Nat Geo touch, plus a built-in removable laundry bag that my wife was really excited about.
It doesn’t have the crappy little wheels you see on cheap suitcases, but ball-bearing inline skate wheels that you only get on quality bags meant to last through years of heavy use.
The retractable handle feels solid, the zippers are heavy-duty, and there’s another built-in pocket with a water-resistant lining in case you have to stow something like a wet bathing suit.
The retro look of this Travelpro suitcase doesn’t affect the functionality since it’s made of water-resistant nylon and the leather is all faux.
What I did appreciate was how easy to spot this was on the luggage carousel. No need to tie on a ribbon or stick on colored duct tape to set your bag apart from the sea of others.
There is a padded front pocket you could use for a laptop, though if you’re crazy enough to put a laptop in checked luggage, you’ve got more money to blow than I do.
Use it for cheap souvenirs you bring back instead. Otherwise, you’ll appreciate the corner guards, skid bars and kick plate that protect it from damage.
Our previous family go-to checked bag was an Eagle Creek 26-inch bag I’ve had for five years now and it’s still cranking.
This one holds a bit more though for when you really need to take a lot. See all the specs and the other Kontiki bags at the Travelpro site.
The Travelpro warranty has a lot more wiggle room for them to back out of than the ones from Eagle Creek or Briggs & Riley, but going by all the Travelpro bags you see airline crews carrying, this one should keep going strong for a while.
This Travelpro National Geographic 26-inch suitcase is just getting out into the marketplace right now, but you should be able to find it soon at most quality luggage stores and you can order it now through J&Ror their marketplace on Amazon. It lists for $189.
Travelpro WalkAbout Lite 4 Business Rollaboard Suitcase
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An airline crew favorite, the Travelpro line is known for its high quality, durability, and ample pockets. The Walkabout Lite 4 suitcase is lightweight and crafted from a nylon fabric with a DuraGuard coating to resist stains and scratches.
The handle pulls up slightly higher than other bags making it much easier to roll, especially for taller travelers. It also has two settings so it can easily be rolled by people of all heights.
The central compartment is spacious with enough room for multiple shoes, clothes, electronic chargers, and other bulky items. An interior pocket zips open on the inside flap of the bag to keep certain things separated.
The large wheels roll effortlessly especially on rugged surfaces like cobblestoned streets in Europe or airport carpeting that can sometimes slow things down. Rubber skid guards around the wheel keep the bag’s base protected from bumps on the road.
An exterior pocked has space for a laptop and includes a Velcro strap to keep it locked into position while the foam-padded pockets add protection.
A separate smaller pocket is great for passports, boarding passes, coins, or keys. Business travelers can conveniently pack suits or formal attire without worrying it will move around thanks to a strap inside that fastens to keep them in place.
Upon purchase, the bag comes with a detachable strap that can be hung from the top handle to carry a smaller bag or briefcase. The suitcase comes in black and blue and various sizes.
The handle at the top of the bag is padded for stress-free lifting, which makes it easy to store in an overhead compartment or carry up a staircase. Other bags often have plastic or thin handles, which can hurt your hands.
My favorite feature of this bag is the plentiful pockets that make it easy to store stuff quickly in the bag when on the go. Heavy packers may prefer the four-wheeled version as it is easier to push through the airport or train station.
Travelpro also has a lifetime warranty in case the bag breaks in use. This bag stands the test of jostling in overhead bins and being thrown down jet way stairs on a regional jet.
Travelpro is certainly an expert in this field, and the WalkAbout Lite 4 is now an important part of my travel regime.
This Walkabout Lite line comes in multiple sizes and sometimes you can find phasing-out versions heavily discounted. Try eBags for the tw0-wheel or spinner versions and see these links at LuggagePoint and Luggage Guru.
In March the four of us (my wife, me and our 2 kids) spent a week on the Riviera Maya and packed only carry-on luggage. Here’s my report on three of the new-to-us bags we brought:
High Sierra Elevate 22-inch Carry-On Wheeled Upright
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This bag is awesome because it’s so stinkin’ light — only 6.8 lbs. I sure appreciate its light weight when hefting it into planes’ overhead bins or onto airport-security counters.
Truly, the High Sierra Elevate is a pleasure not only to carry but to pull, as the inline-skate-style wheels are smooth (and inset in protective corner-mounted housings.)
The exterior ripstop material has a weave-like texture that is stain- and water-resistant, and I love the red-orange “Lava” color (it also comes in “Amazon” green and black).
The lightweight handle is easy to pull up and push down; I like the top front pocket for holding need-to-access-quickly items like itinerary, boarding passes and passport; the main compartment is plenty roomy, with hold-down straps for clothing and a large zippered mesh pocket on the “lid.”
Unzip a gusset and the main compartment expands two inches (though you’ll need to zip it shut to make it carry-on friendly).
Really, I can’t find much to complain about regarding the High Sierra Elevate; it’s a solid piece of travel gear that I’ll likely use for years.
Best part? It retails at online sites like Amazon.com, where it’s currently listed for an incredible $82. If you’re in the market for a new rollerboard, I’d jump on that deal.
High Sierra ATGO Carry-on Wheeled Business Upright with Computer Sleeve
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While this is marketed for business travelers, because it has a separate compartment specifically for laptops (up to 17-inch screen) with its padded sleeve, I’d deem it appropriate for any traveler who brings a laptop along on vacation (i.e. me and my husband who nearly always need to be plugged into work while we’re on the road).
It’s not “checkpoint-friendly,” so you do need to pull your laptop out of the bag when going through airport-security screening, but the front compartment does make the laptop easy to access — whether in the security line or for use on the plane.
This bag also has the top front pocket for small items, as well as a lower front pocket with a bunch of compartments and pockets for keeping “business” items (i.e. smartphone, notebook, pens, etc.) organized.
On the side of the bag is a mesh water-bottle pocket; I’ve not seen many rollerboards with this included feature, and I think it’s super handy, since I always travel with a reusable drinking bottle.
Another cool feature: the zippered divider panel between the front and main compartments.
When you open the bag, you can have one big compartment, by rolling the divider and securing it, or keep the two sections separate, say, if you have dirty clothes you want to keep away from clean ones.
The main compartment also expands 2.5 inches — via a zipper — for additional storage capacity.
The High Sierra Carry-on Wheeled Business Upright comes in black/grey (pictured), royal blue/grey and a nifty black plaid. This piece of luggage sells on Amazon.com for $104.
Travelpro Crew 8 20-inch Expandable Business Rollaboard
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As I mentioned, I’ve used Travelpro luggage for years, and I think the company delivers amazing products. Indeed, it’s what many, many pilots and flight attendants use.
This Crew 8 20-inch Expandable Business Rollaboard is indeed designed for the frequent business traveler.
Like the rollerboard above, it also has a specific zippered area and padded sleeve for a laptop, as well as various pockets and pouches for office supplies and handheld electronic devices.
A couple of cool things here: Expandable mesh pockets on the interior of the main compartment are great for stuffing socks, belts or stashing electronic devices, and a hidden pocket underneath the lining can hold small valuables or cash.
Indeed, the entire main compartment expands an additional 2.5 inches in depth, though that would make the bag non-carry-on compliant (zipped up, the dimensions are 20 x 9 x 14 inches).
At 8.7 lbs, this smaller bag does weigh about two pounds more than the High Sierra Elevate. However, if you’re looking for rollerboard that will last you a long, long time, consider this one from Travelpro, known among business travelers as a quality luggage manufacturer.
Also see the 20-inch Wide Body Expandable Rollaboard and the 22-inch Expandable Rollaboard Suiter.
Find the 20-inch Expandable Business Rollaboard, in black or a deep-green “Spruce” on Amazon.com for $169.99.