Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I ordered and compared this to the Travelpro Maxlite3 and the Eagle Creek FlipSwitch 22. First of all, if you're unsure of even which type of luggage to get, here are just some of the reasons you may want a rollaboard style over a spinner or larger bag: luggage with you means never lost, no bag fees, spinners of the same dimensions have considerable less capacity due to sitting fully above the wheels, and yes you can fit everything you really need in a rollaboard (longer trips just mean finding a laundry or dropping stuff off at the hotel desk or cleaners..for still less than bag fees, and much less crap to haul around and worry about). And of course you want a well made bag. I once took a chance on a bag from Target (Embark) because it was convenient and LOOKED surprisingly well made (beefy zippers etc). The wheel came off on the first trip so I had to carry it or drag it behind me. Pick a bag that's got lots of good reviews, and be sure to read the most recent reviews as well because production runs can really vary. My first roller ever, and longest-lasting one, was an American Tourister. But that was a long time ago and they don't make em like they used to. This being only a little more expensive than the super-bargain bags has me wondering about long term durability, but it looks reasonably well made. Moving parts are usually the culprits: wheels, handles and zippers, in that order in my experience. It's hard to predict what's going to fail first, but the only seeming weak spot here is the side handle. I cut it off, because fully loaded it just does not seem reinforced enough for baggage handlers. It's still got top & bottom (much better reinforced) handles to yank it around by. The zippers aren't as beefy as the other 2 bags, but I've never had a zipper blow out on a carry on (usually larger bags, and another reason I don't use them). The biggest advantage to this bag is its capacity. I measured inside main pocket dimensions at 20 x 14.5 x 9.75 deep (bottom of the bag to the zipper). The Travelpro was similar in length & width but nearly 2" less deep. The Eagle Creek is tiny by comparison, an inch or 2 smaller in every dimension, even with the removable backpack straps taken out. This is easily the most stretchable of the bags as well. I stuffed an entire hamper full of laundry into it, and could have fit more. The Travelpro took about 80% of it and was stretched to the max. The Eagle Creek only 50%. The expandability of both this bag and the Travelpro only adds about an inch of depth (don't believe any hype to the contrary), so it's really more of a compression zipper feature. Will that front pocket fit your laptop? Probably. It fits my Acer Travelmate, which is a 15.6" (larger than most these days). It is a super tight fit: 3 corners fit right in, and I have to work the zipper and pocket around the corner of the 4th. Once it's in the zipper isn't stressed, but it is a bit of a pain going in (not as much coming out). The bright side is no one will be able to unzip and yank it out so easily that you wouldn't notice. Despite its smaller capacity, the Travelpro does appear better made with larger zippers and a slightly sturdier seeming extension handle. It's twice the price and I don't really think it's TWICE as well made, but quality matters to me so I first decided this was going to be my keeper. Then I took a trip with it. Its fatal flaw for me is that it has a seriously annoying habit of falling over with a laptop in its front pocket. Using the full capacity of this bag (and its larger front pocket) guarantees you will never be able to set it down for a moment without leaning it against something. I also prefer the pocket placement of the Splash, but the dealbreaker here is that you have to keep hold of it at all times or it falls over. I thought I could live with it, but it may prove more annoying than you think too. I got home and tried testing it with different loads, and if you're careful to pack heavier things near the extension handle, and lighter things elsewhere (very light things in the front pocket- no laptop, or even much in the way of books/magazines/etc), then it will stand upright. That is too much of a tradeoff for me, especially combined with the smaller capacity. Eagle Creek makes seriously good luggage, and seems to provide the best quality of the three in this comparison as well. I ordered this because it was marked down to nearly the same price as the Travelpro, I'm confident of their quality, I read that the backpack straps are removable (don't think I'd ever use them but I suppose it's nice to be able to add them if you're young and going somewhere rugged), and without the straps I've heard the bag can be squeezed into the somewhat smaller carry on restrictions of foreign carriers. Also it has a lot of pockets providing great organization. But due to a more rounded shape and some extra padding because of its backpack features, it's just too tiny, even with the pack straps removed. You would have to be a very light packer indeed for this to be your only bag (or only a weekend trip). If you don't need much space and the features of this bag appeal to you, I can't imagine you'll dislike it for the price. Happy Travels