Customer Reviews

ALVIN Expandable Tube - 3-3?4

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I would rate this an average document tube carrier. It should not be checked in but taken as a carry on item onto a plane. The plastic is not hard enough to withstand the abuse of being checked baggage. It is wider than most tubes so you can carry more than 1 poster, very easily. And it's light-weight.

It didn't come with any instructions, and it came collapsed. It took me some force to pull the tubes apart to start using it. It doesn't stay in the "locked position" very well, but my poster didn't experience any crushing so I don't think it slides around either.

The cap can become untwisted fairly easily....next time I will duct tape it shut. The cap does have a clear plastic cap on it that comes off and you can place a label or your business card and contact info underneath).

Overall it is a fairly good carrier if you are looking for something light-weight to carry on. If I wanted to check in a document tube, I would simply use the cardboard ones that we have and try to duct tape a strap to it.

I am extremely disappointed with this poster tube. I ordered it for my trip to a conference in Japan. By the time I had carried it to the security checkpoint in the airport, I knew I had made a mistake in ordering this item. As I write (in Japan), I'm seriously considering throwing the thing away right after my conference so I don't have to lug it back to the States.

The tube is made of extremely flimsy plastic. In addition, the collapsible feature which supposedly provides a method to lock the tube in the selected position does NOT stay where you put it. It immediately slides out to its full length. In addition, the screw-on cap does not function as advertised. You can just yank that cap right off. This is a problem because the carrying strap is attached to the cap. So when you're carrying it by the strap, the cap will invariably come off, letting the tube fall to the ground and expel your poster. This happened to me multiple times just when I was in the FIRST airport of my trip.

To sum up, this product is terrible.

When I purchased this product it was sold by "court street office supplies" and fulfilled by Amazon. The seller has since changed so I just wanted to make that clear. I purchased this tube to transport a large poster for a conference. I carried the tube on the plane as a carry on item and it easily fit in the overhead bin. I didn't have any issue adjusting the tube to correctly fit my poster and the tube didn't come unlocked or anything during my travels (I didn't tape it or anything). The lid screws on and it didn't come loose or fall off. Additionally, the cap has a clear cap where you can put a piece of paper with your contact info in case you somehow manage to lose it. The strap is easily adjustable to comfortably carry the tube at any size. The tube does have a large diameter, which is good because you don't have to roll your poster up as tight and you could also fit many posters if needed. Overall this product got the job done, it is a good price and will serve it's purpose for a long time.

This product came in the callapsed position and after struggeling with it to expand I was finally able to put in the locked position to find out the lock does not work. As soon as you put the tube on your shoulder, the lock comes out which makes it very frustrating and will come down on your posters and wrinkle them all up. If you are certainly in need of a tube that expands and hold in lock position, this is not the tube for you. I returned mine and that part went well. The only positive about this tube is the strap. It worked well.

The students like these for transporting their posters. Some complain that the locking mechanism doesn't hold well when the tube is fully extended, so one of the students actually taped the middle of the tube when it was fully extended. That makes it a little difficult to store the tube, but it is the first choice of students who need a tube that length.

The only complaint I have about this tube is the locking mechanism doesn't really lock. The two ends won't come apart because of the strap, you just get some slide action going.

Other than that, it gets the job done.

Great tube for posters. I carried 7+ 3'x4' posters without any problems. People have written negative reviews on it for its lack of strengths but I thought it was fine. Overall, I highly recommend this tube!