1st Place

Samsonite Ibon

Samsonite are true icons in the luggage industry. The brand has been around for 111 years (yes, you read that right) and over their extensive history they’ve pushed the boundaries of luggage; setting benchmarks for durability and creating innovative pieces that changed the nature of what luggage could be. So it’s not surprising that Samsonite are innovating yet again – and this time with the highly impressive Ibon.

Modern-day travel habits and needs have shifted. While hardside luggage is great for protection, it’s not always easy to pack or retrieve gear from it, especially in small spaces. And while duffel-like access is convenient for tight spaces, you might feel a little anxious as your duffel disappears into the bowels of checked luggage carnage. The Ibon offers a refreshing middle ground, courtesy of Samsonite’s signature innovation. A one-point lock opening provides access to the suitcase with a quick and simple twist; job done. But adding to the clever design is the shape of the compartments. Traditional hardside luggage opens up to wide and shallow compartments. The Ibon instead offers narrower but deeper compartments that maintain a smaller footprint. This makes it easier to open, easier to pack, and takes up a lot less space while doing so.

Samsonite doesn’t stop there though. Multiple carry handles (including an interior one) make it easy to maneuver the suitcase both closed and open. You also benefit from useful interior dividers and pockets for organization, as well as the easy-breezy nature of spinner wheels. All offered within a hardside construction exuding the superior quality that travelers have come to love and expect from the brand.

While traveling can definitely be fun, it’s also often tiring and inconvenient. The innovative Ibon does away with a lot of packing frustrations and its useful feature set really does shape a practical travel experience. And when trips are easier, they’re more enjoyable. Exceptional work, Samsonite!

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Highly Commended

These are the pieces that just missed out, and in most cases, by the smallest of margins. To them, we award a High Commendation. The below were of outstanding quality, displaying fine craftsmanship and design flair. With honor, we bow our heads in the utmost respect and kudos. If this were a dais, they’d be biting their teeth into silver medals, while their flags were hoisted into the horizon – a feat not to be overlooked. And we’re sure they’ll be back, to take it one notch higher, next year.

Zero Halliburton Edge Lightweight Continental Carry-On Case

Zero Halliburton’s aluminum cases are instantly recognizable. But being the savvy brand that they are, they knew such cases wouldn’t suit the needs of everyone. It was time for a refresh. Pieces that conveyed that same iconic aesthetic and sense of quality, but lighter. Not to mention less of a hit on your wallet too. The Zero Halliburton Edge Lightweight Continental Carry-On Case delivers all of this in sleek, well-crafted elegance.

This case offers high quality throughout, with thoughtful details that enrich your journeys and bring a touch of luxury to your travels. The ZH Concave Edging adds a classy look but also strength; a scalloped grip handle on the base and ergonomic telescoping handle enhance maneuverability; a smart metal logo badge also doubles as a shopping bag hook. And that’s just the start of the carefully considered details. Practical interior organization also keeps your gear tidy and secure, so you aren’t faced with a jumbled mess on arrival. All wrapped up in a sturdy polycarbonate build available in a range of colorways. A luxurious look and feel, precision manufacturing, and travel-friendly features make this a smart companion for both business and leisure trips. Excellent effort, Zero Halliburton!

Norrøna 120L Trolley Bag

Norwegian brand Norrøna are well versed in creating gear for challenging conditions. And travel can be downright tough. So they’ve designed their 120L Trolley Bag accordingly. This rolling duffel uses highly durable and sustainable fabrics, specifically ECONYL® 450D for the main exterior fabric and a hard-wearing 900D ECONYL® for the base, both with a 2000mm PU coating. However, the bag doesn’t have a metal trolley system, allowing it to come in at a surprisingly lightweight 2.4 kg.

The 120L Trolley Bag also offers multiple carry methods. Tough wheels that will handle offroad use, stowable shoulder straps for backpack carry, as well as a range of conveniently placed grab handles. The main compartment is complemented by a quick-access front pocket, both with their own interior organization. And the clean, tapered shape gives this bag understated style that transitions smoothly from backcountry slopes to urban jungles. This is a well-considered, sustainably made, and burly luggage piece that will serve you well for many years of travel adventures. Well done, Norrøna!

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1st Place

Topo Designs Travel Bag Roller

You can spot a Topo Designs piece a mile off. Their signature styling and colorway combinations help them stand out from the crowd. But their Travel Bag Roller offers more than just eye-catching vibes. It’s been carefully designed to tick all the boxes you want in travel luggage.

This roller is built to last, taking on the demands of travel with ease, with a marriage between a tough hard-sided back and burly softgood front.

In the organization department, you’ll find no shortage of pockets and compartments to neatly store your gear and avoid jumbled messes, while still being able to access the essentials you need on the go. And the design is rounded off with multiple carry options, allowing you to wheel it, carry it by the side handles, or haul it on your back with the stowable backpack straps.

This is the kind of luggage that doesn’t dictate how you can travel or where you can go. Instead, it adapts easily to changing environments, embracing smooth airport floors, cobbled streets and winding stairways alike. It’s tough, playful and versatile, all in a highly considered design intended for maximum travel ease. Bravo, Topo Designs!

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Highly Commended

These are the pieces that just missed out, and in most cases, by the smallest of margins. To them, we award a High Commendation. The below were of outstanding quality, displaying fine craftsmanship and design flair. With honor, we bow our heads in the utmost respect and kudos. If this were a dais, they’d be biting their teeth into silver medals, while their flags were hoisted into the horizon – a feat not to be overlooked. And we’re sure they’ll be back, to take it one notch higher, next year.

Bellroy Weekender Plus

Weekenders have traditionally been associated with casual travel elegance. A grab-and-go bag for last-minute getaways and weekend adventures. But many of them are lacking when it comes to quickly accessing and organizing your gear. And they can be pretty weighty too, with heavy materials and hardware. And that’s before you’ve even put anything in them.

Bellroy’s Weekender Plus shakes the weekender game up. It’s a piece that exudes smart-casual style without forgetting travel functionality. You benefit from a good selection of interior and exterior pockets (including internal padded storage for 13″ tech), plus a wide opening for easy packing and access. And it’s made from durable, recycled fabric and environmentally certified leather detailing, while still maintaining a lightweight build. It’s a highly thoughtful take on the weekender category and an undeniably cool companion on your next getaway. Awesome job, Bellroy!

PROJECTKIN KIN Carry-on

Balancing travel with more sustainable living is a tricky conundrum. But PROJECTKIN are tackling the problem before you’ve stepped out the door. Their KIN Carry-on features a groundbreaking biodegradable shell that offers all the durability you want from luggage, while being far more sustainable to produce than traditional luggage. Where biodegradable components are not possible, the brand have instead opted for high-quality alternatives that will stand the test of time, ultimately resulting in luggage that lasts longer.

The suitcase’s clean lines and striking aesthetics add a touch of personality that’s often missing from luggage, while still being versatile enough for business and leisure use alike. And the functional interior organization keeps the contents neat and secure without cluttering the design. This is a great step forward in the journey to more sustainable travel and wonderful innovation from a brand clearly committed to changing the luggage industry for the better. Superb work, PROJECTKIN!

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1st Place

Peak Design Travel Duffelpack 65L

Peak Design are no strangers to shaking up the carry scene. And their Travel Duffelpack 65L displays their boundary-pushing design in top gear. Taking the gear-hauling duffel – a historically straightforward form – and breathing new life into it, with new plays on harness comfort, adaptability and expansion.

The bag’s shoulder straps, waist belt and sternum strap make up a harness normally seen on technical packs, all easily stowable beneath slick magnetically-sealed flaps for a cleaner profile and greater padding between the user and the load.

 The Duffelpack also provides grab handles on all sides, great when you need to grab and go, or when maneuvering the duffel through airports or when riding buses. 

The wide front opening allows for convenient packing and quick access to gear throughout the main compartment, with a range of pockets ready to stash those important smaller items. And thanks to its expandable design you can make full use of its 65L volume or compress it to 45L for more compact carry.

The clean and understated design is rounded off with a tough, weatherproof build featuring a 100% recycled 600D nylon canvas shell.

Highly adaptable for changing loads and carry requirements, built to take a beating with a recycling twist, and a fresh take on a stale category, the Travel Duffelpack is a bag you can reach for to embrace a multitude of trips and settings. Superb effort, Peak Design!

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Highly Commended

These are the pieces that just missed out, and in most cases, by the smallest of margins. To them, we award a High Commendation. The below were of outstanding quality, displaying fine craftsmanship and design flair. With honor, we bow our heads in the utmost respect and kudos. If this were a dais, they’d be biting their teeth into silver medals – a feat not to be overlooked. And we’re sure they’ll be back, to take it one notch higher, next year.

Thule Revolve Spinner 75cm/30″

If this category was Best Rolling Luggage, the Thule Revolve would win hands down. Surfacing as a hot new player in the hardcase game that showcases style, ruggedness, and new thinking into wheels and navigating terrain.

Designed in Sweden and built in Poland, the case combines slightly spongy oversized rear wheels with recessed smaller front wheels, allowing you to tackle a variety of terrains while increasing interior packing space. Made with an impact-resistant polycarbonate construction and reinforced in the corners and front panel, the case is designed to hold strong, even when met with the roughest of luggage handlers.

Sleek and attractive in aesthetics, this case delivers exterior looks that nail business and leisure trips alike. Complementing the minimalist exterior, the interior compression helps keep your gear tidy without cluttering up the space.

Tough yet chic, and designed to roll with a range of travel settings, this is a reliable companion for extended trips. Congrats, Thule!

RAWROW R TRUNK LITE

Certain tricky situations keep cropping up on travels. Having to scan the baggage carousel like a hawk to pick out your case before it disappears for another merry-go-round. Figuring out what to do if you’ve overpacked. And trying to wrangle a coat or extra bag while maneuvering larger luggage. So RAWROW designed a case to effectively deal with all these scenarios.

The R TRUNK LITE is a hardsided spinner that’s customizable courtesy of colorful leather handle wraps and caps, along with body stickers. So you can tailor it to your aesthetic preferences and easily pick it out on the crowded carousel. The case is also expandable, allowing you to easily adapt to larger loads if you need to. And RAWROW gets clever with a T-shaped handle that serves as a convenient hanging point for a coat or smaller bag.

Functional and well considered, the R TRUNK LITE does a fine job of making your travels that little bit easier. Great work, RAWROW!

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Wheel options

Whether you opt for two wheels or four wheels, rolling luggage will help take the strain off your shoulders and arms. However, four spinner wheels will give you the ultimate wheeled maneuverability, helping you move smoothly and quickly in a variety of directions with minimal effort on your part. Two wheels on the other hand, while requiring more pulling and pushing power, will offer more stability on angled terrain and will tend to be less exposed than a four-wheel design, thereby reducing the risk of potential damage.

Hardside vs softside luggage

Hardside and softside luggage both have their pros and cons. Hardside luggage offers better impact protection and is a good choice if you’ll be carrying fragile or valuable items. Additionally, it offers greater theft protection by resisting slashing from knives, scissors or other sharp objects. In addition to offering better protection for your gear, you may find it stands up to demanding travel environments better as well, resisting over-enthusiastic baggage handlers, snags and inclement weather. Hardside cases will also be easier to keep clean, often requiring a simple wipe to remove dust, mud, liquid spills and the like. However, it’s worth being aware that hardside luggage may show up scuffs relatively quickly.

Softside luggage on the other hand gives you greater flexibility to compress it in tighter spaces (such as cars, storage lockers and so forth). Plus you may find it easier to store softside luggage at home if it is at least partly collapsible or allows other items to be squeezed in next to it for storage (such as within a cupboard or wardrobe). Also bear in mind that there are plenty of durable materials out there, so if you want the compression flexibility while still enjoying durability, make sure to pick a quality material known for its resistance to wear and tear.

Weight

While checked luggage offers a far more generous baggage weight allowance than carry-on luggage, there will still be an upper limit to stick within. You don’t want your checked luggage taking a solid bite out of that limit, so consider picking a piece that offers the features, size and durability you’re after while still keeping weight down. Material and size choices will play a role here, so consider whether packing space, durability or baggage weight is your key priority when picking a piece.

Organization

Getting checked luggage to your destination is often a rough-and-tumble journey, so having a degree of internal organization will help greatly in keeping your gear secure and tidy. Options such as internal pockets, dividers and compression straps will help keep your belongings neat. However, you may also want some form of quick-access organization as well, so if this is the case then keep an eye out for external pockets and the like.

So with the above in mind, we’ve wheeled out the best rolling checked luggage for your perusal. Each particularly suited to a certain need to help you make the most of your trips.

Best Expandable: Victorinox Spectra 2.0 Expandable Large Case

Sometimes you need to carry a lot, sometimes you don’t. The Victorinox Spectra 2.0 Expandable Large Case easily adjusts to your needs through exterior compression straps that allow the case to expand up to 45% more capacity. The case features a durable polycarbonate build, spinner wheels for convenient maneuverability, and an integrated TSA lock.

Best Rolling Backpack: Osprey Sojourn 80

The Osprey Sojourn 80 delivers rolling and backpack carry in one. The stowable shoulder straps and hip belt are useful for navigating steps and rougher terrain, while the retractable ErgoGrip handle and HighRoad chassis keep you moving in durable, convenient style over smoother terrain. And with its handy panel access to the main compartment and StraightJacket compression you can easily pack and access gear and adjust to larger or smaller loads as required.

Best Detachable Daypack Combo: Osprey Meridian 75L

Checked luggage is great for getting large loads to your destination. But you don’t want to have to haul it once you’re there exploring. The Osprey Meridian 75 keeps you agile by combining a checked bag with a removable 16L daypack. Keep the two together while traveling, then separate them and leave the larger bag at your accommodation while exploring with the daypack. Alternatively you can check the larger bag and use the daypack as your carry-on to keep essentials nearby. The larger bag also features a stowable backpack harness so you aren’t scuppered when the going gets tough for wheels.

Best Color Options: Away Luggage

Black is a fairly standard colorway for travel luggage. And with good reason. It blends more easily into formal and informal settings alike, makes scuffs and scratches appear less noticeable, and goes with pretty much any travel attire. But sometimes you want to add a splash of color to your travels. Perhaps to suit your personal tastes, or alternatively to help your luggage stand out on the baggage carousel of countless black bags. And if options are what you’re after, look to Away’s luggage line. Available in two checked sizes and a host of attractive colorways, the cases feature burly polycarbonate construction, interior organization and a removable laundry bag.

Best Hardcase: Samsonite Lite-Box 28″ Spinner 

Hardside luggage is a great option when you want that extra protection peace of mind for your belongings. But while hardside luggage is good at providing improved shock and impact protection, it often involves a weight penalty. Not so with Samsonite’s Lite-Box 28″ Spinner. The case is made with injection molded polyproplyene that offers great strength and impact resistance while remaining lightweight. Elegantly eye-catching in style, the case includes convenient spinner wheels and internal dividers for organization.

Best Splurge Option: Rimowa Hybrid Check-In L

If you’ve got cash to splash and want premium quality for your money, look to the Rimowa Hybrid Check-In L. The case is expertly crafted with a combination of polycarbonate and an aluminum-magnesium alloy for lightweight durability. Stable, polycarbonate wheels keep you moving smoothly, while an adjustable Flex Divider lets you tailor interior organization to changing loads. And with its sleek, timeless aesthetics this case glides easily from business to leisure travel.

Most Durable: Mystery Ranch Mission Wheelie

Mystery Ranch are known for creating carry that can take a beating. Their Mission Wheelie is no exception, embracing demanding travel use with rugged build quality and functionality. The compression-molded shells are sheathed in 1000D CORDURA® and combine a flexible EVA foam exterior and molded polycarbonate interior, providing a thoughtful blend of impact resistance and durability. The case also features large-diameter off-road wheels to tackle a variety of terrains, as well as burly YKK zippers and considered interior and quick-access organization to keep gear tidy and within convenient reach on the go.

Best Wheels for Different Terrains: Eagle Creek Tarmac 29

Adaptable wheels are key in checked luggage that will be navigating different terrains. And Eagle Creek do a great job in keeping you moving with the Tarmac 29. The over-sized treaded wheels venture on smooth airport corridors, pavements, up curbs, and on more demanding terrain without skipping a beat. The wheels feature tough wheel housings and protection against bumps through skid plates. The case is rounded out with other travel-friendly features such as expandability, a coat keeper, padded tech sleeves and a durable, weather-resistant build.

Best Rolling Duffel: Thule Subterra Luggage 75cm/30″

Thule’s Subterra Luggage 75cm/30″ combines a rolling bag and duffel in one to keep you adaptable on the go. The bags can be used independently or secured together depending on your carry needs. The design’s tough exoskeleton and molded polycarbonate back panel helps protect your gear on the go, while the wide-opening main compartments enable easy packing and access. There’s also top, side and bottom grab handles for convenient maneuverability.

Best Anti-Theft: Pacsafe Toursafe AT29 Anti-Theft Wheeled Duffel

Pacsafe have made a name for themselves as creators of thoughtful, anti-theft carry. The Toursafe AT29 is a great example of their low-key yet effective anti-theft design ethos, featuring a puncture-resistant ToughZip and eXomesh®slashguard for discreet protection. In addition to wheels, the duffel includes grab handles for easy maneuverability. There’s also external compression straps and internal compression on hand to adjust to different loads and keep gear secure.

Best Value: American Tourister Z-Lite DLX 28″ Spinner and Briggs and Riley Baseline Large Expandable Spinner

The American Tourister Z-Lite DLX 28″ Spinner offers a great mix of style and function, with attractive aesthetics and a durable but lightweight polycarbonate shell. The case also offers spinner wheels for hassle-free movement, a TSA lock, as well as interior organization to keep your gear tidy. All in a design costing just US$104.99.

Yes, the Briggs and Riley Baseline Large Expandable Spinner costs a lot more (US$649) than the American Tourister above. But you get a lot of value for your money. The case features spinner wheels for easy maneuverability, along with an expandable main compartment that increases the volume by 26% with a simple pull through CX Expansion-Compression Technology. The compression technology also enables you to compress the contents with a simple push. The case has quick-access pockets for handy storage on the go and a built-in garment holder to store suits and other clothing items wrinkle-free. And the excellent build quality will embrace countless miles and keep going strong for years to come.

Best Softcase: Travelpro Platinum® Elite 29″ Expandable Spinner

Tough, functional and low-key, the Platinum® Elite 29″ Expandable Spinner suits a variety of travel environments. It’s crafted with high-density nylon fabric featuring a DuraGuard® coating for stain and abrasion resistance. The case’s inbuilt garment holder provides wrinkle-free storage for suits and other items, while interior organization keeps your travel gear tidy and secure on the move. The expandable design offers an added 2″ of expansion if required, includes an integrated TSA lock, and is backed by Travelpro’s Built for a Lifetime Limited Worry Free Warranty for peace of mind.

Best Versatility: Timbuk2 Quest Rolling Duffel

Timbuk’s Quest Rolling Duffel is a great option if versatility is a priority. With multiple portability options including wheels, top carry handles that can also double as backpack straps, and grab handles on all sides you can easily adapt on the go to suit different settings and terrains. The wide opening makes packing and access convenient, while a floating pocket lets you store shoes or toiletries separately from the rest of your gear. Plus it’s backed by a lifetime warranty so you don’t need to worry about it in demanding environments.

Lightest Weight: Samsonite Lite-Box 28″ Spinner and Timbuk2 Quest Rolling Duffel

If weight is a top priority, look to these two pieces from the choices above to keep that baggage limit in check. The lighter of the two is the Timbuk2 Quest Rolling Duffel, coming in at a mere 5.5 lbs (2.5 kg) with a 48L volume. The Samsonite Lite-Box 28″ Spinner is a savvy option if you want a lightweight spinner, weighing just 6.6 lbs. (2.99 kg).

Best Warranty

All of the above are quality pieces, but a few stand out when it comes to warranty peace of mind. Briggs and Riley’s simple as that® guarantee is a lifetime guarantee covering functional aspects of the product, with no proof of purchase required.

Mystery Ranch’s legendary durability paired with their lifetime guarantee makes their gear a solid choice in this department too.

Osprey’s All Mighty Guarantee makes them a top pick as well, with a nod to their environmentally-conscious efforts to first repair where possible before replacing.

Travelpro’s Built for a Lifetime Warranty in combination with their Trusted Companion Promise also makes the Platinum® Elite 29″ Expandable Spinner worth considering if warranty is key.

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Who It Suits

Anyone looking for a tough, meaty, premium duffel. Fans of Mystery Ranch will be delighted with this bag.

Who It Doesn’t

Those looking for a budget-oriented solution. And ultralight fanatics looking for a featherlight, almost see-through bag with minimal internal organization.

The Good

This time I won’t bore you with a long review…but only because it’s not really needed. Simply speaking, it’s a duffel bag that carries like a backpack if needed. I tried it on a couple of different outdoor trips, but also on regular travel back from the US. I could easily pack into my Mission 55 all the stuff I’d need for a week-long vacation. As the name suggests it’s rated as 55 liters, but to me this sounds quite conservative. Maybe it’s just because of the regular shape and packability but I was able to put inside way more gear than a 50-liter alpine backpack…extended up to almost 60! So treat this 55 as a ‘big 55’ or ‘super packable 55’ if that makes sense.

First of all the shape; it’s oval, or actually almost flat compared to classic round duffels. So I was able to pack my clothing in a more structural way, in flat layers. And also my clothes were not as wrinkled as they usually are after unpacking. And thanks to that shape when carried in backpack mode it stayed closer to my body, more like a regular backpack and not like a barrel with shoulder straps. What is cool is it keeps the shape and stays in a vertical position.

There is a separate storage area in the ‘bottom’ part (in backpack mode) and it’s great for heavier items like shoes, a camp stove, etc. That storage is separated from the main compartment by an oversized floppy nylon barrier and I really like this feature for traveling. I use it often as a laundry area so during my travel more stuff goes in there after use. And that flexible separator allows me to store progressively less in the main cavity, and more in the side storage. Well done.

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“There is a separate storage area in the ‘bottom’ part (in backpack mode) and it’s great for heavier items like shoes, a camp stove, etc.”

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Of course there are multiple pockets inside and one more accessory pocket outside. I really like the double inside pocket in the top flap (for stuff you need close at hand but still secured) and long side pocket on the inside, which I used to store my long bush knife during travel (Chris Reeve Impofu to be precise). Basically it’s very well organized without being “too organized” with a separate pocket for each item, cable, sock and memory card. Yeah, I believe in robust simplicity, just like Dana Gleason of Mystery Ranch I guess.

Now the carry methods. There is a standard two-piece handle of course but I really dig how nicely it follows the bag’s outline without any sign of being floppy. You can also use it to attach a small daypack underneath, like the pictured MR Hitchhiker 20 nicely rolled and secured. Next is the shoulder strap…actually, I took it off the bag and I’m not missing it at all. It’s good but just complicates things.

And finally…a stowable shoulder harness. YES! That’s how you do it! Suddenly, out of nowhere, you’ve got a fully padded set of backpack-style shoulder straps. And it comes with a sternum strap to make it even more comfortable! It works simply great. I’ve had some other duffel bags with shoulder straps but none was as close to backpack comfort as this one. The base serves as the pack’s back and there are many advantages to such a solution. First, you can hide away straps completely. And I mean completely; there is no sign of them in stowed mode, so with the snug handle (mentioned above) it’s ready for air travel as checked luggage without any additional preparations (I tried that on a flight from NYC to Frankfurt, no problem at all). Try that with shoulder straps flopping outside… So, MR got a big win in this regard. Another advantage, you’ve got the equivalent of a frame sheet on your back as the bottom of the Mission Duffel is semi-stiff (kind of high-density foam I guess). And last but not least, most people pack heavy stuff at the bottom of a duffel, so the center of gravity is as close to the body as possible – something exactly opposite on most other duffels with shoulder straps located on top.

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“I’ve had some other duffel bags with shoulder straps but none was as close to backpack comfort as this one.”

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Disadvantage? Well…yes, you need to be more careful as the bottom might be dirty but on an adventure-oriented duffel it’s not a big deal for me. In this case the advantages outweigh that single downside in a huge way (to me).

And last but not least, the construction. Well, what should we expect from a MR product? Perfection! And it is perfect indeed. Heavy-duty YKK zippers, high-density TPU-coated 1000D nylon fabric laminated on the inside, tough and weatherproof (and really holds its own). Plus heavy-duty webbing and of course perfect stitching. It’s almost boring to repeat it every time when reviewing MR stuff but what can I say? There is nothing to nitpick about. As usual.

For me this duffel represents exactly what MR is all about – pure brute performance and perfect craftsmanship, but at the cost of being a bit overbuilt so not the most lightweight on the market. So if you’re an ultralight junkie I suggest you look elsewhere. But if you favor robust stuff that lasts, it’s just for you. A bag you can enjoy for many years and countless adventures.

The Not So Good

As mentioned above, to make the straps fully stowable they located them at the underside of the bag. So if the bottom gets dirty from soil, mud, water etc. it might leave some marks on your jacket or shirt. However, I didn’t experience this last summer. Also when traveling for adventure I simply don’t care as my jacket would be dirty at the end anyway. But it’s something to consider, or at least to be aware of.

Others to Consider

The North Face duffel bags are great alternatives too, not as refined for backpack carry as MR but still very good. The Patagonia Black Hole series would be another one to consider.

Verdict

At this moment it’s the coolest duffel in my bag collection bar none. As I said I’m not a duffel kind of guy BUT when I use one it needs to have that something special. And the Mission Duffel delivers. It’s spacious, very robust and I really like the slightly flat shape. And that stowable backpack harness is just exemplary, it carries like a backpack if needed and disappears when I want it to for a clean look and easy use. A big thumbs-up from me!

– BUY NOW –

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Who It Suits

Who It Doesn’t

The Good

“The case fit so much more than I was expecting.”

“If you want some more security, this is a good solution. It’s discreet, fairly resolved, and doesn’t feel like you’re paranoid.”

The Not So Good

The border can feel a touch aggressive when open, as there is a fair bit of hard plastic moulding detail to make this happen. A weird one, but the opening edge is also quite sharp – it would be neat to just have a slight radius or sanding to this as we caught our fingers against it a few times.

The buckles have quite a few parts, which look like they may occasionally fail at the hands of an over-zealous baggage handler. So far it’s been all good for us though, so this is just something to be aware of.

While the seal looks like it would be water-resistant, don’t expect much. Various assembly areas can still let water enter. In addition, there’s a small weight penalty for the closure system, but in smaller cases it won’t be an issue.

“The border can feel a touch aggressive when open, as there is a fair bit of hard plastic moulding detail to make this happen.”

The finish of the internals is lovely, but the functionality is not as good as some other cases. The X-elastic is set up too high to be really effective, and the enclosed half doesn’t offer any additional pocketing. That means you’ll want to be using packing cubes to keep things tidy.

Others To Consider

Conclusion

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