Travelpro Maxlite 5 Softside Expandable Upright 2 Wheel Checked Medium Luggage, Lightweight, 26-Inch — Black

I took this with me as my primary suitcase on a trip to Thailand. It is not too large, reasonably spacious, sturdy, reasonably priced, and lightweight. What more could I ask for?

Note: The color selection when I purchased this bag (and as of this writing, still on the website) says the bag is "Slate Green", but it is actually black. The manufacturer mentioned in the Q&A that this bag does not come in green. The exterior overall dimensions for the International Expandable Rollaboard are: 21.5" x 15.75" x 7.75", which equals 45 linear inches (55x40x20cm = 115 cm). This fits the current carry-on requirements for many airlines. The interior dimensions are 20" x 15" x 7.75", and the weight is 5.4 lbs. The label says the volume is 45 liters. I already own the Osprey Ozone 18"/36 L Wheeled Luggage, Black that I LOVE as a carry-on, but, but I wanted another bag that would fit most carry-on requirements but also be sturdy enough to check it. (The Ozone is really well made, but because the shell is soft (like a backpack), things inside might get crushed.) The Travelpro bag looks like it will be perfect. It seems very sturdy and well-built, including the well-padded fabric handles on the top and side. The wheels also look very solid. The expansion section is a nice feature, although using it may exceed size requirements for a carry-on for some airlines. Nice for having a little extra space if that's not an issue. Besides the main opening for the interior, there is a large outside zippered pocket that is the full length of the top flap (I don't have a laptop, but it looks like it would probably hold up to a 17" laptop), and also a smaller zippered compartment that is about 6.5" deep. Great for keeping your boarding pass or anything else you want quick access to. The interior is a light-colored plaid fabric, which I prefer to black since it's easier to see things in it. There's a large mesh pocket on the top flap, and a small interior pocket on one side of the main compartment. This particular piece also comes in a "spinner" version Travelpro Luggage Maxlite 5 International Expandable Spinner Suitcase Carry-On, Black , which has 4 wheels on casters instead of the 2 inline wheels. I know a lot of people like spinners because of the ease of pushing them around in any direction, but I chose the rollaboard over the spinner for several reasons: casters are more likely to get broken than inline wheels, I don't have to worry about my luggage rolling away if I'm on a slope, and I find the 2-wheeled bags easier to control over uneven surfaces. But most important, for the same exterior height, rollaboards have more interior space than spinners because of the extra space required for casters. As a comparison, the interior dimensions for the spinner model are 18 x 15 x 7.75, which is 2" less in height than the rollaboard. That's a difference of about 232 square inches, and in a small bag, every little bit helps. Plus the exterior dimensions for the spinner are actually slightly bigger than the rollaboard, at 21.75" high instead of 21.5" high (same width/depth). That makes the total linear measurement of the spinner 45.25", which slightly exceeds some airline maximums of 45".

This is definitely one of the most lightweight rollers I have seen. But it can pack a lot, especially if you use the expandable zipper. I can vouch for it since we used on international flights where they weigh your carryons too. The fabric has a give to pack more if needed, especially ow when the airlines are charging for check ins. The 2-wheel versus 4-wheels, gives more room to pack. Only problem is when the suitcase is not fully packed, and you are pulling it along, it can flip to the side. Upside: the wheels are big and roll on different surfaces better and also easy to change with spare parts available for this brand. The handle is easy to extend and pack, almost too easy. One trick I learnt, pack heavy items towards the bottom. It may not be as bulletproof as another brand which airline crew prefer, but is good enough for us and the price is also good.

super light. fairly tough and great build quality. Always go 2 wheel as they are MUCH less likely to fail. I might hold out for the crew version if you travel more than a few times a year. I don't like the new front feet design on ALL the travelpro 2 wheel cases - much less durable than old design.

I’ve schlepped through terminals, sprinted for gates, and stacked this bad boy in overhead bins without a single crack or complaint. The Travelpro Maxlite 5 is essentially my travel sidekick: 🧳 Featherweight champ: It’s surprisingly light, so I can pack more shoes (priorities, am I right?) and still hit weight limits. 🧳 Expandable genius: Thought I’d just overpacked? Nope—it expands to fit every souvenir I didn’t know I needed. Crisis averted. 🧳 Smooth operator wheels: These babies glide like butter—making lugging 45 pounds through cobblestone streets feel oddly stylish. 🧳 Durable softside body: Stands up to airport conveyor belt assaults and last-minute travel drama. My suitcase is tough, kinda like me… but with fabric. 🧳 Smart compartments: The interior pockets and straps make folding clothes look legit, even if I’ve just rolled my underwear into a ball (again). Bottom line: If you want luggage that’s reliable, expandable, and downright easy to wheel—even from gate D14 to E2 running late—this is the one. My Travelpro hasn’t just survived travels; it’s thrived, and so has my sense of vacation zen.

I bought this rolling backpack as a carryon for a trip abroad. When I received it, I discovered that using the shoulder straps (this IS a backpack) was unbelievably clunky, involving folding the entire back flap {that concealed the straps when not in use) down underneath the pack itself, over the wheels (?) which just didn't make sense at all...For one, the back flap had padding that would ONLY be useful when the pack was being used as a backpack...so why even have the padding if it is going to be folded under the pack? And two, what you end up with is, as noted before, a sloppy flap, fastened by a small piece of velcro, hanging down the over the bottom of the pack, essentially making the wheels useless. I thought, "Maybe I just don't understand how this thing is supposed to be used," but my honest impression was, somebody decided the company needed a rolling backpack in its product line, and threw this idea together in a few minutes...The design, however, was not the worst thing about it...I also immediately noted that the straps themselves seemed to be made with fairly lightweight nylon, with virutally no paddingf or your shoulders, which I could only guess had something to do with the fact the straps needed to be less bulky to make it easier to pack them away under the aforementioned flap when not in use. Nevertheless, I liked the wheeled backpack concept, the size and all the pockets...and as I was leaving in a matter of days...decided to keep it. Bad decision. Several weeks into the trip, when lifting the pack to put it on my back, one of the nylon shoulder straps just snapped in two...which was dumbfounding to me, as, after having used backpacks for over 50 years, this was something I had never seen happen. Nylon straps just breaking? At that point, I had no choice but to continue using it with one strap (any sort of repair was not possible) and then return it for a refund when I got home. Upon arrival, I went to Amazon the next day and discovered that my 30 day return window had expired, which was fair enough...So I contacted the manufacturer directly, expecting them to certainly allow me to return it to them...Howeve, after informing them of the strap break, I was then told that as I had bought the backpack through Amazon, I would have to contact them...which was just amazing to me. It would have been one thing if I'd kept the backpack too long simply because I was lax in deciding whether or not I wanted to keep it...but when I contact a company and tell them that their product failed after two weeks...and have them send me elsewhere to set things straight? Mindboggling to me. Luckily, when I explained the situation to Amazon, they did allow me to return it for a full refund, so everything worked out fine in the end...But I would therefore definitely recommend against buying this product...both for the design, and more importantly, for the quality...And beyond that, I will not do business with their company again. I'd also add, this is the first review I have ever submitted about anything.

First, a caveat: I have not yet used this luggage as it just came today. However, it appears to be exactly what I wanted. It is very light weight! 2.5 lbs lighter than the old one I had which it is replacing, and that 2.5 lbs can make quite a difference when trying to get it into an overhead bin when you are short (like me) and not young anymore. It is the same measurements inside and out as my old heavy one, so will fit just as much. It has 2 nice size pockets on the outside. In the picture it looks like there is just one pocket, but there are two and both are a good size. It seems to maneuver very easily. I tried it on both a hard floor and on carpet and it moved easily. I went with the two wheel rather than the 4 which are 360 degrees because those wheels cut your packing room by more than 2". It appears to be very well made and sturdy. I am very pleased and can't wait to use this as we are soon heading out on an 11-day cruise where this is the only luggage I will take. After that it will be a 22-day cruise, and again this will be my only piece of luggage. I think this will allow me to meet my goal of traveling light, and fit easily into my flight's overhead bin.

I bought this suitcase to replace my 30-year old Hartman carry-on. Honestly, I didn’t expect to love it; my Hartman was perfect to me. But surprisingly, this little gem is even more perfect! I used it for a 5-day trip and it easily held everything I needed. There are 2 outside pockets that zipper closed and the lid expands a couple of inches should you need a bit more space. Inside, the entire lid is a zipped pocket made of sturdy mesh so you can see what’s in there, two interior straps hold your items securely in place to prevent things bunching up at the bottom when the case is standing. The case is lightweight and well balanced; no issues with it falling over when you stand it upright. The handle feels very sturdy an operates smoothly. I’ve used this case on 3 trips now and it’s been perfect for my needs. No more checking baggage for me - this holds everything I need. I highly recommend! (Bonus for me: the color is unique - not pink or purple; I would call it orchid and I love it.)