Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsWorth Every Penny!
Reviewed in the United States on November 25, 2016
I bought this bag as a birthday present to myself and finally had the opportunity to use it earlier this month on a 2-week trip to Asia. At first, I was a bit wary about the size of the bag -- it looks only slightly bigger than a rolling backpack. But don't let the size fool you. With some smart packing, you really can fit a lot in this itty bitty bag!
What I love about this bag:
1. It's a great quality bag. The first suitcase I had completely fell apart and my second suitcase had a weird smell to it that eventually became so strong it transferred to my clothes, so I was willing to pay a little extra for something more durable and high-quality. When it comes to durable travel gear, Eagle Creek has become my go-to company.
2. The size -- When you're traveling internationally, the luggage sizes that airlines allow are a lot more restrictive. A standard U.S. carryon bag is 22 inches tall, whereas international luggage usually has a max height of 20 inches. That is a huuuuge difference! And to my surprise, international carryon size bags were extremely hard to find. Eagle Creek made it easy for me though by offering an international size in almost all their luggage lines. I love not having to worry about whether or not my bag is too big to take onto any flight. And it fit quite a bit of stuff. I was able to fit all the clothes I needed for my 2 week trip in this carry-on. Some packing items I used that really helped were the small pack-it folder and pack-it half tube cube from Eagle Creek as well as a medium packing cube from eBags.
3. The wheels -- I was looking for a bag that had 2 tough wheels as opposed to the more ubiquitous 4-wheeled spinner bags. I absolutely loathe those spinner wheels because they always feel flimsy to me and take up precious packing space, which for a carryon-only packer like myself is a huge con.
4. The grab handles -- There are so many of them. With most other bags I looked at, I'd be lucky to see two handles. This one has 4! There's a thick and tough handle on the top, bottom, side, and front of the bag. I'm always confident that I can get a good grip on the bag no matter what position it's in in the overhead compartment. Major bonus points!
5. The equipment keeper clip -- I got a lot more use out of this than thought I would. It was perfect for strapping down my travel pillow or jacket so I could keep my hands free for other tasks without taking up room in my carryon or personal bags.
6. The handle -- I was worried that a mono tube handle would be flimsier than the dual tube handles I am accustomed to, but it is actually quite a solid handle. It pulls out easily and smoothly and feels good in the hand as well.
What I would like to see improved:
1. The 3-1-1 pocket -- I love the idea of this pocket, but I was disappointed by the size/shape. It is quite wide, but not very deep. I, as well as many other people I know, usually put all of my liquid items in a quart size Ziploc bag. The way this pocket is designed, I found it very difficult to fit my full 3-1-1 bag and had to put it in my backpack instead.
2. This is mostly me being picky, but I hate the way the bag opens. Once unzipped, it opens with the flap still attached at the bottom. This makes it difficult to use the mesh pocket on the inside for longer items, as it is curved where the bag is still connected. I would prefer it if the top half of the suitcase were attached to one of the sides instead of the bottom.
Overall, I LOVE this bag! It is everything I wanted in a bag and more. From now on, if I ever need any luggage, I will most definitely look to Eagle Creek first.
