Prime decide
This spinner carry-on provides the perfect steadiness of dimension, worth, reliability, and sturdiness, plus high-end particulars. It’s backed by a lifetime guarantee.
This two-wheeled carry-on bag isn’t as maneuverable, however it provides barely extra space, a garment folder, and bigger, extra sturdy wheels.
The Travelpro Platinum Elite 21″ Carry-On Spinner is our high decide for a soft-sided carry-on; for those who want a bit extra room, we additionally suggest the Travelpro Platinum Elite 22″ Carry-On Rollaboard.
It has a historical past of nice efficiency. Travelpro’s Platinum Elite line has been our high decide for nearly each iteration of this information as a result of it addresses the considerations of most vacationers for an inexpensive worth: Along with smooth-rolling, replaceable wheels, it options stable and cozy telescoping handles and a hard-wearing nylon exterior propped up by a stable 7.8-pound inside chassis. Travelpro backs all of it with a lifetime guarantee that covers airline harm and transport to the restore facility (so long as you register the luggage inside 120 days of buy).
It’s sized to maximise your area, however you do have choices. Formally, the Platinum Elite measures 23 by 13.5 by 9 inches. Some sharp-eyed readers will discover that these precise dimensions, which embody the deal with peak, exceed the 22-inch peak restrict for carry-ons on most home airways. In actuality, any baggage producer maximizing its overhead allowances will push handles into the grey space between a case’s said dimensions and its true total dimensions. Travelpro, if something, is being extra trustworthy in reporting the bag’s true 23.5-inch peak than many different manufacturers. As you possibly can see within the picture under, the Travelpro’s body matches into the American Airways baggage caddy positioned at check-in, because it does in most standard-size caddies.
I’ve personally traveled with Travelpro carry-ons this dimension for greater than 45,000 miles unfold throughout 50 flights, from regional to long-haul to worldwide routes, and I’ve by no means had a problem becoming inside gate-side baggage sizers. Should you’re nervous about getting caught on the gate or usually fly in very small regional planes, Travelpro makes a 20-inch Platinum Elite in addition to a slimmer international dimension, however they maintain much less (naturally) and lack a suiter insert.
It strikes effectively throughout most surfaces and thru most conditions. The spinner bag’s configuration stands out specifically due to its MagnaTrac wheels, which magnetically snap right into a ahead place when the bag is shifting. The small monitoring help makes a big distinction once you’re navigating the Platinum Elite by way of a crowded airport or down a busy road. It additionally has an easy-to-use, detachable garment bag. After years of testing, we predict the superior maneuverability of spinner baggage, together with enhancements in manufacturing processes, makes four-wheel baggage a better option for most individuals. Nonetheless, for those who desire barely extra packing capability (the equal of compacting in two extra sweatshirts), bigger wheels that run extra easily over tough terrain, and a extra protecting built-in garment folder, it’s possible you’ll admire the two-wheeled 22-inch version of the Platinum Elite. Certainly one of our paid testers, who’s 6-foot-6, advised us that though he might see the enchantment of a spinner, “I might nonetheless select the two-wheeler. It has a bit extra space, and once you’re my dimension, packing is simply so horrible.”
It retains garments compacted however not creased. Inside, the Platinum Elite has a pair of tie-down straps and two broad panels with pockets that cinch down, related in design and performance to what you’d discover in rather more costly Briggs & Riley luggage. In contrast with the straightforward tie-down straps you usually discover in cheaper baggage, the panels do an amazing job of protecting issues compacted with out creasing garments—an issue we’ve encountered in quite a few different baggage we’ve examined. Past that, the Platinum Elite’s inside group system is about common. It will likely be acquainted to anybody who has used a suitcase earlier than, which implies there’s no studying curve for optimizing the storage capability. One lengthy mesh pocket sits on one of many bag’s sides, and a smaller detachable clear plastic bag sits on the opposite facet for straightforward TSA inspection of toiletries.
It’s powerful but versatile. The outside is manufactured from a hard-wearing nylon cloth, a key function of all the luggage we’ve examined. It hides scuffs and scratches, and it’s rather more versatile than hard-sided baggage. An growth zipper permits you to enhance storage by about 30% in a pinch—though the bag is now not carry-on compliant at that time. We desire to make use of the growth zipper as one thing of an ad-hoc compression system: We unzip the growth zipper whereas packing the bag after which zip it on the finish, tamping every little thing down tight. The Platinum Elite carry-on additionally has quite a lot of handy exterior pockets, together with two within the entrance, appropriate for a sleep masks and different small miscellaneous objects, and one on the facet for a battery, although it will probably match a bit extra if vital. It additionally has an accordion pocket on the entrance for magazines and digital tablets.
In whole, the Platinum Elite has an 1,856-cubic-inch inside, which we measured using hundreds of Ping-Pong balls. In real-world phrases (the wants of Ping-Pong champions however), the Platinum Elite swallowed up 5 days’ value of garments with no downside and had a great deal of room to spare—and that’s with out our resorting to the growth zipper.
It has a wonderful guarantee. Ought to something go improper, you possibly can reap the benefits of Travelpro’s beneficiant lifetime warranty, which covers airline damage and transport to the restore facility (so long as you register the bag inside 120 days of buy). The only real different firm we’ve seen providing this in depth a guaranty is Briggs & Riley, whose carry-on suitcases begin at about $500. Travelpro has a number of repair centers. To get restore service, you possibly can both drop the bag off at a restore middle or ship the bag to Travelpro, the price of which the corporate will cowl. Take into account that the guarantee doesn’t cowl beauty put on.
It’s vital to notice that the Platinum Elite’s guarantee protection is “higher” than the usual Travelpro guarantee (together with the one supplied on our different decide from Travelpro, the Maxlite) and most forum discussions we’ve read masking the topic over time appear to agree that Travelpro’s service was immediate and painless. After all, it’s higher if nothing breaks within the first place.
Travelpro has a historical past of fixing manufacturing errors remarkably shortly. In 2019, we observed a small uptick in Wirecutter reader complaints about zipper tabs breaking. We reached out to Travelpro, and a consultant advised us {that a} manufacturing error expanded the capability of the entrance pocket of the Platinum Elite; this allowed vacationers to overpack the pocket, which put extreme pressure on the zipper. Travelpro recognized and glued the difficulty earlier than it had reached the brink of various feedback on-line.
Dimensions: 23.5 by 14.5 by 9 inches (HWD)
Weight: 7.8 kilos
Quantity: 46 liters
How the Platinum Elite has held up
After almost a decade of testing the Platinum Elite line of baggage from Travelpro, now we have but to come across a single severe problem. The material exterior brushes off scrapes and is simple sufficient to wash. Merely, it’s a remarkably constructed bag that continues to journey effectively, 12 months after 12 months.
Flaws however not dealbreakers
- Although the Platinum Elite rolled effectively generally, we’re nonetheless involved when dragging the bag up stairs. Among the different baggage we examined had lengthy plastic bumper strips working a lot of the manner up the size of the bag; this Travelpro mannequin’s skid plate isn’t as huge or as protecting. I haven’t had a problem, however for those who’re notably tough in your baggage or uncomfortable lifting the bag over curbs or up stairs, it’s one thing to concentrate on.
- In 2018, Travelpro added a USB-A pass-through cable to the Platinum Elite as a technique to compete with so-called good baggage. We just like the battery pocket, however the built-in cable itself, which routes from the pocket to a USB port lower than 6 inches away, is an pointless merchandise, which at greatest provides a possible level of failure to the bag—USB cables don’t final without end. Does it wreck the bag? No. Is it a function? Probably not.
- Some vegan readers might dislike the leather-based accents.
