As one who loathes to check a bag, like most travelers, I use an expandable 22-inch rollerboard as my main suitcase. It’s become the standard most every luggage company makes, because it’s perfectly suited for most flights. The challenge for me has been the second bag, especially when travelling internationally where it’s more likely you’ll will need to check the rollerboard.
I’ve always used a 2nd bag that can be wedged under the seat, yet still have plenty of capacity. On a long trip, my second bags when fully packed typically weighs about 15 to 18 pounds. It has a laptop, backup batteries, chargers and adapters, headphones, a camera and lenses, medications, an iPad, a book or two, and anything else of value. It must have a strap or open pocket on the back that lets you slip it over the handle of the rollerboard. A couple of examples are the Cotopaxi Viaje 35 L at $130 or the smaller Quince Quilted Duffel Bag at the same price.
But that heavy second bag can turn into a problem when when flying internationally. Very often I’m stopped at the ticket counter and asked to check in my rollerboard. International rules are different, storage spaces are often smaller, and the airlines are stricter.
On my recent trip I took the Cotapaxi duffle. As perfect as the bag was when sitting on my rollerboard, it became an albatross when I had to carry it betwen terminals and down long corriders. How I wished it had wheels!
I had searched for small duffle bags with wheels, but could not find any small enough that would pass as a cabin bag. Traditional rolling duffels are too large to qualify as a second personal item and they have no loop to hang on the handle of the rollerboard. Conversely, small wheeled cabin bags from brands like Briggs & Riley or Travelpro suffer from the opposite problem: they lack the necessary capacity for anything beyond a 13-inch laptop and a change of clothes. While these “underseaters” are well engineered, they are often too rigid to accommodate the overflow when your main bag is snatched away.
But on this recent trip I came across a solution in a store in Heathrow, a design I had never seen before. It’s the Samsonite Ecodiver Foldable Duffle. At first glance, it looks like a standard soft-sided bag, but its brilliance lies in its 4-in-1 design. It provides a massive 40-liter capacity—plenty for a long weekend or a heavy load of tech gear—yet remains flexible enough to be squished into an overhead bin or tucked under a seat.
Check out this video at the bottom of the linked page.
The lightweight bag (4.8 pounds) can be small enough to stay with you on the outbound flight, but its soft-sided nature allows it to expand just enough to carry those extra items you inevitably pick up along the way. The Ecodiver features integrated wheels and a pull handle, allowing it to transition from a “companion bag” to a “primary mover” in seconds. I squshed it down to the left hand position when boarding my flight, and then opened it to the second position once in the plane.
It’s made from “Recyclex” textiles—a durable, rubber-like water-resistant fabric made from recycled PET bottles. When you aren’t using it, it folds down, taking up almost no space in your closet or inside a larger suitcase. When you unfold it, the handle expands and slides under a series of loops that also can be used to secure it on top of your rollerboard.
Unfortunately the $235 bag is not sold in the U.S. Like many Samsonite products, some of their best designs never reach the U.S. as Samsonite operates independently in different regions with their own design and marketing. Some of their European products can be ordered for delivery to the U.S. using www.amazon.co.uk or from some retailers.
