As one who loathes to check a bag I use an expandable 22-inch rollerboard as my main suitcase. It’s become the standard of all the luggage companies because it’s the maximum size allowed that fits most overhead bins. The challenge for me has been finding the ideal second bag, especially when travelling internationally where it’s more likely you’ll need to check your rollerboard.
I’ve always used a second bag that can be wedged under the seat, yet still have plenty of capacity. On a long trip, that second bag fully packed weighs 15 to 18 pounds. It has a laptop, backup batteries, chargers and adapters, a pair of headphones, a camera and lenses, art supplies, medications, a change of clothes, an iPad and sometimes a book or two. It needs to 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, a bag that my wife uses.
But that heavy second bag can turn into a problem when when flying internationally or on smaller planes in the U.S. Very often I’m stopped at the ticket counter or gate and asked to check the rollerboard. International rules are typically more stringent and storage spaces are often smaller.
On my recent international trip I took the Cotopaxi duffle. As perfect as the bag was when sitting on my rollerboard, it became an albatross when I had to carry it betwen terminals, down long corriders, and up and down the stairways. The problem was compounded when I also carried my wife’s second bag. How I wished one the two had wheels!
My past searches for a small duffle bag like the Cotopaxi with wheels were unsuccessful- I could not find anything 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, Tumi, and Travelpro suffer from the opposite problem: they lack the necessary capacity for anything beyond a 13-inch laptop, a change of clothes and a few other items.
While these “underseaters” are well engineered, they’re often too rigid to accommodate the overflow when your main bag is snatched away.
But on this recent trip I came across a solution at a luggage store in Heathrow Terminal 3, a design I had never seen before. It’s the Samsonite Ecodiver Foldable Duffle. At first glance, it looks like a standard soft-sided duffel 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 folded down to easily tuck under a seat.
Check out this video at the bottom of the linked page.
The lightweight bag, just 4.8 pounds, is small enough to take with you as the perfect second bag that fits under the seat. It’s a flexible version of the hard sided Briggs and Riley cabin bag.
It can also be expand in increments to 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 under-the-seat bag” to most any other size in seconds.
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 on the back of the bag 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 departments. This bag is can be ordered for delivery to the U.S. from many of Samsonite’s European retailers or delivered to you if you fly through Heathrow.
