Thanks to OBOW reader Till for a learned and careful comparison of three high-quality carry-on shoulder bags (Use arrow keys to navigate full-size pictures).
In my never-ending quest for the perfect carry-on “sans wheels” I have now bought three bags practically at the same time. I can justify this because my car’s trunk is of such a stupid shape that four standard-size carry-on cases are the best way to load it optimally. Good thing I don’t need to justify my expenses otherwise…
You can check out my review of what I consider the perfect, wheeled business carry-on here.
The “King’s” only downfall is that it is indeed a bit on the heavy side even when empty. These literal carry pieces discussed here are obviously much lighter. The review will follow the same system as the Travelpro Platinum 5 review so that we can compare things in the same format.
The bags are:
Briggs and Riley 235x Expandable Suiter Tote $209 incl. S/H
Easygoing Carry-on $185 + around $15 S/H
Pathfinder TX2 Expandable Carry-on $62.50 incl. S/H (discount. Otherwise in the same price range as the competitors or even more) - link to Overstock.com - good for limited time
B&R 235X
EASYGOING CARRYON
PATHFINDER TX2
Durability:
All three bags look very well made. All seams are reinforced on the inside and the zippers are YKK coils on all of them with the EG and TX2 having clearly the biggest and sturdiest looking zippers similar to those on the Air Boss but in a coil design. Material is 1050D ballistic nylon on the EG and the TX2 (Dupont brand certified for the TX2, don’t know for the EG) and 2520D ballistic nylon on the BR. The handles might be the weakest point of the otherwise very sturdy looking EG bag. They are only 1x or 2x stitched to the bag. One cannot see that from the outside because they tie into the main seam welt. The handles on the TX2 could hardly be any sturdier unless one wanted to use concrete/steel beams. The BR handles are in between but still very sturdy. That said, I would think that the handles even on the EG will hold easily 60lbs or more. So we are on the safe side.
;)
EG back gusset strap details
Mounting hardware on all three candidates is serious metal stuff and I wouldn’t be able to discern except that the BR stuff is custom molded and that the zipper pulls on the EG are gigantic. The TX2 has very serious feet whereas the BR has 4 small plastic studs and the EG five bigger metal studs to protect the bottom of the bag. The four corner seams are reinforced with plastic piping only on the BR, though, which might be necessary due to the somewhat small feet.
None of the bags risks being checked in, unless you get a really cranky gate agent but I would bet there wouldn’t be the slightest wear problem with any of them if you were to check them in.
BR has the famous “simple as that” warranty and they honor it. The TX2 has a limited lifetime warranty on defects. I am still trying to find out for the EG. The EG is designed and made in the USA. The two others are designed here and made in China for the BR and in the Philippines for the TX2.
EG feet
Design:
This is about the look rather than functionality (see below). All three of them dressed in black ballistic fabric are appropriate for business. Personally, I believe the Air Boss isn’t; at least not for my heightened sense of style. That’s why I never bought one. The TX2 has the sportiest appearance with a rather animated exterior (patches and zips and seams). The EG is the most understated and simple looking but its attention to detail shall show in the functionality section. The BR is simply super sexy if that is possible for a bag. The material oozes quality, it sparkles whereas the EG shines; the TX2 material is really similar to the material on my Tumi briefcase. The BR will clearly call attention to it also with its two asymmetric outer pockets that are unusual. Nobody will notice the EG which is a good thing, and only the expert will recognize the quality behind the TX2 because it looks rather common, even if its layout isn’t as we shall see. So inconspicuous is good, too. That said, with bags as with women, I prefer the sexier ones to the degree that they are not the equivalent of a Limited Edition Japanese designed Louis Vuitton bag that gets stolen the second you leave it out of sight. You can look at the pictures and judge for yourselves.
Functionality:
There are so many features on these bags that it would be way too long to list them all and functionality is also a bit subjective depending on how you like to pack. For example the EG is almost as minimalist as the Air Boss. I say almost because it has more structure (which by the way you can take out to make the bag even lighter and give you more interior space; very clever). It also has more pockets and one of the compartments is a generously sized chute style ( that don’t lie flat). I like that because it allows you to open the bag while carrying it and to look for stuff without fear of things falling out. It also has a webbing strap to put it over your wheeled case’s handle and even a snap fastener to center and secure it on the handle. The EG has two large zipped flat pockets for files and magazines on the outside, plus an open slip pocket for tickets and boarding passes. Not super safe but super quick. It is so deep that nothing will fall out if you don’t turn the bag upside down. So this would be ideal for at the airport but in town I would only put a map or chewing gum or sunglasses there, not important documents.;)
EG handle & strap
The EG’s three main compartments are very well laid out with the one in the center being the deepest and having tie-down straps. This center compartment also differentiates this and the other bags from the Air Boss. In the Air Boss the center compartment is divided in half. In my bags the zip is on one side of the compartment, which I find makes it easier to pack because you are filling a cavity and stuff stays inside while you pack. If you use the bundle method or packing cubes this is less relevant. The EG is not expandable but the BR and TX2 are. The BR expands two inches and the TX2 even three inches. This will turn the TX2 into a 46 linear inch bag and the BR into a 45.5 linear inch bag. The EG is fixed at 43.
In terms of weight the minimalist EG bag wins, of course. It weighs a svelte 1636 gram, that’s 3.60 lbs. This is 0.3 lbs lighter than the Air Boss despite of what Doug Dyment says on his otherwise fabulous site. All weights include the luggage strap and, in the case of the EG, also the removable foam padding. So you can shed a few extra grams if you absolutely want to streamline. I checked all weights on my digital kitchen scale, which measures to the gram and is also to the gram accurate/coherent with the certified scale at the USPS office.
TX2 feet
The TX2 weighs in at 2292 gram (5.05lbs). Its measures are given as 21x13x11 but I measured it and would say it’s rather 20x13x10. It expands three inches in the main compartment to give you a really deep (seven inch) space with tie down straps. The layout on the TX2 is quite different from the two others. On the TX2 you don’t have three compartments that are spread out over the entire surface of the bag. Instead only the center compartment is a “full compartment” and completely folds open. The two outside compartments are very deep gusseted pockets with a big flap opening. The opening doesn’t extend all the way to the bottom of the compartment so it is really like a big pocket. The advantage is that things won’t fall out so easily and that it is much less bulky. The disadvantage is that you lose some volume. The center compartment has a zippered full length slip pocket inside. The two outer compartment are identical in that each has the same measures and two inside stretch pockets. With a width of only 20 inches the TX2 will require some ingenuity to fit a man’s suit jacket in there without folding it too much even in the center compartment. But since even the outside compartments are deep enough to accept dress shoes this might still work.
The BR weighs 2668g with the rather useless suiter insert and 2583 (5.72lbs) without it. There are a number of ways to fold a suit jacket almost wrinkle free and a suiter will only prevent wrinkles if it really cushions the folds like the one included with the Travelpro Plat5 does. So there is a difference of more than two pounds or almost a full kilo between the lightest and the heaviest bag here.
Alors? What does this extra weight give us? For starters more structure and protection and a more formal look. It also provides tons of pockets and little details like a key strap and an integrated, elastic, hideaway leather name tag. Extremely elegant! The EG does not come with a luggage tag. The TX2 has a nice quality covered leather one with a metal buckle. On the BR you will also get magnetic top grain leather handle wraps, interior mesh and elastic pockets and large tie-downs.;)
TX2 front gusset & details
A word on the handle wraps. I was somewhat disappointed when I saw that the EG does not have them. In actual use, however, I do not miss them and actually like the fact that I can quickly open all zippers without having to undo the wrap. The webbing handles of the EG are individually wrapped in a carbon fiber optic material that is very nice to the touch and that I have never seen. It feels like soft leather. The BR has the elegant magnetic closure but the stitching used to sew the leather wrap to the webbing handles is very hard and I find it not very agreeable if not outright painful in the hand. I am quite sure that when the bag is heavily loaded this will be exacerbated. I prefer the EG in this regard even if the solution is not as fancy. The TX2 has a leather handle wrap with snap fasteners. The individual web handles do not have an extra wrapping. Clearly the most cumbersome to close and open, particularly because the handle webbing is extended so far down that it also blocks access to the out pockets. The stitching is not as rough as on the BR but still too rough for my taste. It is remarkable how the EG gets the best score here with the most minimal means. By the way, the handles on my Tumi briefcase are designed just like the ones on the EG but with real leather instead of the carbon fiber like material.;)
TX2 main compartment
When the zipped handle pass-through of the BR is closed you get two magazine/newspaper pockets in the rear, otherwise only one. For me the newspaper pocket is an important feature. All three bags have it but the one on the BR does not have a zipper, just another magnetic closure which might serve a similar function as the EG’s snap fastener to secure the bag on a rollaboard handle. The TX2 doesn’t have a specific newspaper compartment but the third compartment will serve to this effect. The TX2 does NOT have a contraption to attach it over the expandable handles of a rollerbag, unless you use the TX2’s carry handles, which is of course possible.
The EG is not lined but the material is PU-coated to improve impermeability. The BG is lined in a fine light gray material. Again, elegant and functional because it allows one to find things more easily. Talking about lining. While the BR doesn’t have a zippered newspaper compartment it does have a zippered ticket and passport compartment; one which is lined in a beautiful orange color. They call it the Speed-Thru pocket and claim the orange lining is a safety feature because you will easily notice if you left it open.
All main compartment zipper pulls on the BR have the little loops to attach a lock. This is necessary because the zipper pulls are sculpted to allow for a better grip. Obviously, this is very fancy and you’d think it increases cost quite a bit. The EG does not have these loops but it doesn’t need them either because the pulls have holes in them to tie them directly together. They are standard pulls but they are huge so no need to sculpt anything.;)
235 back gusset pocket
On the TX2 there are lock holes but they wouldn’t be necessary since the pulls also have holes although they are not standard pulls. The TX2 does not have a special travel document pocket. The zippered flat pocket that is smack-dab center and front will not hold an unfolded ticket or boarding pass but the pocket behind it will and it will also hold the 1-quart baggie. The problem is that in order to unzip it, you need to undo the handle wrap. See? This is why I like the minimalist EG solution.
Shoulder straps? What about shoulder straps? Very different approaches here. The EG is literally maximum security. The BR is maximum comfort. The TX2 is maximum normal, so to speak. It is well padded and has big anti-slip surface but it is not contoured. The BR’s strap is very high-tech with a neoprene material that acts like a spring and thus makes the bag appear lighter and easier to carry. This really works and I enjoy the same feature in my Op-tech camera strap a lot. The BR strap is nicely padded, has anti-slip surfaces and a double contour design, meaning that it is concave towards the shoulder and that the side towards your neck also has a little concave cutout. This is the most ergonomic shoulder strap shape I have ever seen. In addition, it has a leather loop on each side. I imagine these are there to attach glasses or a pen. Otherwise I see no utility. The upper material of the shoulder pad catches dust very easily. It is easily cleaned, too, but it would be even better if they had come up with a less dust attracting solution. Finally, the EG strap is really special. I bet the inventor has had an unfortunate experience at Termini station in Rome. It is padded, contoured on the shoulder side and has anti-slip on the entire underside. But the real trick here is that there is a steel cable built into the strap. Moreover, there are covers that slide over the carabine hooks so that no thief can simply snap open the hook. You can buy that strap separately even and also use it for cameras (it has a special attachment for this purpose) at www.daymaker.com.;)
235 details
The TX2 strap seems shorter than the two others. If you are really tall or really large this might be a problem if you want to cross the strap over your torso. Otherwise no big deal. It is compensated also by a very smart detail the two other bags lack. The metal loops on the bag into which you hook the strap’s carabiners are plastic-clad. This means metal won’t rub on metal. No noise and no unsightly abrasion of the black galvanized surface. The Tumi has a similar feature but it is the carabiners that are plastic-clad. One could argue that it makes more sense to have that feature on the bag, particularly if the strap is a bit lackluster and users will maybe want to exchange the strap for something better.
Overall:
Obviously, for the price, the Pathfinder TX2 is unbeatable as a high quality Air Boss style one-bag. If I am not mistaken the discontinued TX2 line was the top or close to the top line of this brand. The MSRP according to the sticker that was still on my bag when delivered was $230. The similar but slightly smaller Weekender bag from the Revolution LT line had a list price of $250 so this is clearly in the range of the two other bags. If you can find one, get it. It’s a steal. Use it as a roomy sports bag if you don’t like it for travel, though I wouldn’t know why except for the limited width. It might not be the roomiest bag to start with – actually it looks much more compact than the others - but it has the biggest extension. I’d call it the Toyota Highlander Hybrid of one-bags, even though this analogy is not perfect. Personally, I can imagine the following use for this bag: The center compartment gets the padded camera insert from my Tenba messenger bag. This will enable me to carry a big DSLR with battery grip and a lens safely. One of the gusseted compartments holds a laptop and maybe some soft clothes for extra padding. The gusseted compartment bottoms are padded anyways and have very good feet. The other side will still hold clothes and toiletries for a weekend. The perfect, robust and low-key bag for a photo-shooting weekend.
;)
235 feetBesides this really reasonable middle of the road solution you have two bags that are almost on the opposite end of the spectrum but are practically identical in price.
The EasyGoing Carry-on Bag is the clear winner on weight and safety, thanks to its no non-sense construction and beautiful but inconspicuous design, the anti-Mafia strap, the snap fastener for rollaboard attachment and the sturdy metal protectors for the bottom. Weight and safety might be the biggest concern for the logical traveler who is not swayed by good looks or status i.e. a very small group of people. With its minimalist and yet detail-oriented, form follows function design it seems very German. To stay with the car analogies it would have to be a sleek Land Rover or Mercedes G, kind of sexy in its utility.
The Briggs and Riley 235x suiter might be the overall winner. It offers significantly more features and better looks than the EG and TX2 as well as the best warranty at almost the same price as the EG. This is where Made in China and Made in USA make the difference. The Briggs is really a useful luxury item. I’d say it’s the Lexus or Range Rover of one-bags. Did I mention that the bigger outside pocket fits the new 13” Macbook like a glove?
I am really glad I own all three bags. I can use the Travelpro Suiter in the EG bag if I feel the need. Or I can use my Eagle Creek packing folder and cubes to give it yet more structure and organization. This would add cost and weight, though. The thing is, with the EG I have the choice. I can even go super light and floppy when I take the foam out. With the BR I have no choice. Besides the 85 gram (less than 3 oz) I cannot lose any weight. It is always great but also always heavy. In this regard it is similar to the Travelpro Platinum 5 rollaboard (4800 gram with all its goodies included) BUT this Briggs ain’t rollin’ baby.
So, I could use the Samsonite Micromover cart together with any of these bags and it would add 1007 gram. This would give us a BR+cart weight of exactly 3600 gram or 7.93 lbs. That’s still lighter than even most of the super light rolling cases but gives more packing room, more versatility and more features than those super-light cases at a similar or cheaper price. The only problem is that the cart is quite a hassle to deal with.
Conclusion:
I’d take the BR, like the Lexus or Range Rover, if I really only want to carry one bag and no extra tech or computer briefcase and if I go to something where I want to show off a little e.g. a wedding or a friend’s lake house but when I don’t have to take heavy stuff. I am not built like Arnold.
The EG will be the bag if I need to carry quite a bit of stuff including a briefcase and might want to throw in the cart. It’s very versatile. Basically, the EG with the cart is the same weight as the BR without it.
The TX2 is so big (yet looks so small) and has so much expansion room that it almost becomes a suitcase but it looks smaller than the two others. It will be ideal when I have bulkier things to carry or when I know that I will buy a lot of things at my destination but don’t want to bring an extra bag (I always carry a crushable mini-tote with me anyway but have never used it). It will also be the ideal bag when I travel in third world countries or when I actually want to transport something very valuable because it is so totally inconspicuous, even more so than the already understated EG.
I could never afford to buy the three or four cars used as an analogy all together and it wouldn’t make sense. So, if I really only could have one car, I’d probably go for the Lexus, Range Rover or Cayenne because I like the stylish looks while being utilitarian. However, the truly refined connoisseur in me knows that the G-series is really the most special car of this group, so that would be the EasyGoing bag; it has a certain exclusivity because only insiders will really know how good it is.
However, for the classic business trip with lots of airport running and where a briefcase and more tech gadgets are required, the combination of Travelpro roller and Tumi briefcase will still be “l’arme du choix”.