Travelpro Platinum 5 22” Rollaboard review

Sometimes, you will want to have those wheels. Frankly, for business airport travel with decent ground transport and endless airport terminals and hotel corridors, schlepping a bag is not so great. I am both a frequent traveler and luggage nerd and have researched this purchase ad nauseam as I usually do. I am not disappointed. So here is my review.

If you are a business traveler, you are most likely familiar with the Tumi Alpha or Gen4 Briefcase series. The Tumi, in the eyes of many, is the ultimate briefcase of this kind. The Platinum 5 22” Rollaboard can arguably claim the same in its category. Paired these two pieces of luggage are probably quite unbeatable at least for the male business user. Women, casual travelers or ultimate lightweight travelers might not be as pleased. This is due to its high weight stemming from its non-minimalist approach to luggage design.

Durability: To be honest I have not made a trip with it yet. I have test packed it, though. I It seems to be extremely well built. Everything is tight and quite hefty. The very good warranty on the Platinum 5 series should make for a painless process if stuff does break. From other reviews the holder for the extra-bag attachment and the wheels seem to be weak point. I believe both can be easily exchanged. All exposed corners are protected and reinforced.

Design: This category is probably more about the look than the engineering part of it or the functionality. The design is, well, the classic Rollaboard. Travelpro is the pioneer in this field. The ballistic nylon is very nice and shiny. It is perhaps not quite as black as the one on my Tumi briefcase but one has to scrutinize it in order to see the difference. The lining has a ton-sur-ton (jacquard) pattern in it; quite nice and classy. Its color is a bit unfortunate, though. It is a grey-taupe-beige, greenish non-color. A neutral light gray would have been better. In terms of functionality however this color should be showing stains a bit less than a light grey. Great attention to detail has been paid, as is the case only in the most upscale luggage. For example, the zipper pulls, wheels and some details on the handle all have a hammered metal look. In this sense it really rivals the high-end Tumi and Samsonite luggage. Still, this is not a case for the super fashionable crowd who will prefer the more extravagant designs of Tumi, Samsonite or perhaps even Vuitton. Not pretty but solid and functional.

Functionality: This is where the bag clearly shines. Let me emphasize right away, though, that this functionality and durability comes at the price of a relatively high weight (10.6 lbs altogether; probably closer to 9 lbs if you don’t use the suiter and strip all the other details like strap padding).
The arrangement of pockets, straps and zips is incredibly well thought out. It will be difficult to improve this. Here are some examples:

The suiter really works although if you wear larger than a 42 US size the shoulders will not quite fit. It has handles so you can pull it out easily and it attaches to the main luggage in its own compartment. The hangers are fixed in an adjustable webbing loop. Two suits should fit. Three quite certainly would be too much. Since the suiter can be removed completely you can either use it in another less structured bag (very nice idea) or just forego it entirely, lessening the weight of your case. By the way, for a no-wheel carry-on check out the wonderful Easy Going Carry-On bag, an exclusive of the eponymous website.

The main compartment is quite roomy and the handle contraption, while naturally encroaching into this compartment, is upholstered and under a lining so that nothing will damage or wrinkle your cloths. There are two elastic pockets in the main compartment, one on each long side. I am not quite sure what they are for; maybe shoes even though they seem a bit short for that. One could just use them for various items such as a hairdryer or socks or whatever, keeping in mind that the heaviest items should be to the bottom and back of the case. Shoes and a Dopp kit easily fit. Even bulkier items will fit but you might have to leave the 6 quart pressure cooker at home. Theoretically one could fit a fully packed 15” computer briefcase in there.

Talking about the Dopp kit. These things are usually heavy and take a lot of room. Travelpro has come up with a very smart answer to the grooming/beauty storage problem. It is a sheet with pockets and elastic straps. The elastic straps are adjustable and can take any size bottle or grip. There are three pockets, one of them mesh, with zippers for razors, brushes, small stuff etc. Since your liquids will be in a separate ziplock bag anyway, there is no risk, strapping this sheet over your clothes. Instead it will actually act as a barrier preventing your stuff from falling out should you open the back in its upright position. Smart! When you take the sheet out the quick fasteners of both sides snap together to create a very lightweight bag. In its unfolded state you can hang it in the bathroom to conserve counter space. Newer Dopp kits also have this functionality but are ten times as heavy and much, much bulkier. Check it out in the photo.

Two pockets that are true treasures for me are the big flip-open front storage compartment and the flat pocket on the back of the bag. The flip-open compartment opens wide with its three-sided zip. It has padded tie-downs, so you can put trousers and shirts even without a packing folder. Its most ingenious use however is as a coat pocket. It will fit a trench coat or a light cashmere coat or a windbreaker anorak and keep it readily accessible. This means, your precious coat won’t get soiled in the overhead compartment and you don’t need to carry it on your arm. This is immensely practical. The lid also has another mesh pocket that would be an ideal place for ties.
The other pocket on the back is one that a lot of wheeled carry-ons are missing. This one can take even an oversize magazine, or newspaper or a big file. Since it lays flat against the back of the case the paper won’t get crumpled up.

The extension feature is clever, too. You can extend just the main compartment outward, keeping the suiter compartment its original size. This will increase the outer overall size and push you over the 22x14x9 size. Or you can extend just the suiter compartmetn inward. This will keep the overall outer size the same but it will change the proportions of the compartments within the bag. Finally you can extend both. I have not come across another carry-on that had the same feature. On some you can actually only extend the outer compartment and not the main compartment. Obviously the space gain in the main compartment is the most important, so this point should not be overlooked.

The final pockets are the two front-most flat zip pockets. The one on top will hold a well stuffed 1 quart liquid bag. It won’t be super comfortable to get in and out because the zip is tight and the pocket is not gusseted but it will fit. The lower one again serves for paper or a road atlas. There are many possibilities of flat storage in this piece of luggage. If, like me, you always bring back a ton of catalogs, files, flyers and brochures, you will appreciate that these will travel without damage.

The ergonomic handle is indeed very comfortable. It has a non-slip rubber on the bottom of its ergonomically shaped grip and just sits great in my hand. It is much more agreeable to use this unique handle than the regular handle. But in case you don’t like it, just leave it folded down. The pull-out handle is long enough on its own. Both mechanism work very smoothly. So the extra handle has a number of advantages and one or two disadvantages. For really tall guys it works as an extension. For everyone else it is simply super comfortable to pull the bag as there is almost no weight in your hand. But the real trick is that this handle makes it very convenient to actually push the rollaboard instead of pulling it. You won’t have people tripping over your luggage anymore, you have full control of where you are going for example on escalators, and you never let your luggage out of sight. Great! The downside is that it makes things heavier, more complicated in terms of engineering and more stuff to break, and it takes room in the main compartment.

The carry handles are sturdy and comfortable but not stylish. Having three handles makes for easy handling which is important. There are five little rubber feet on the second long side, so you can set it down like a small suitcase and the nylon material won’t directly touch the ground. Again, this is just sensible design but a lot of bags don’t have these simple features.

There is a TSA lock delivered with the bag. It does not have a Search Alert function, unfortunately. Some TSA locks will actually show an indicator when the lock has been opened. A great feature because I don’t trust TSA or baggage handlers and like to check immediately when my bag has been opened. So far I’ve never had anything go amiss but there were times when the bag was opened and no note was left inside. Actually, since using TSA locks the frequency with which my bags get opened has triples or quadrupled. It makes things really easy for them. I have since come to attach an additional zip-tie. They can easily cut it but it will be very conspicuous and they do have to destroy it, which might pose at least a minimal inhibition.

A foldable, detachable, outside extra bag hook is delivered with the bag. Again very smart and something I haven’t seen on any other bag.

The main compartment zip could run around the corners a bit smoother but I am nitpicking here.

Overall: This is the king of rollaboards and is very affordable on top of it. The only problem is that it is quite heavy even when empty. Bree from Germany, for example, makes a full featured, high quality model which is just 6.5 pounds. It is however, 25-35%more expensive and afaik not available in the US. Some business women might have a hard time lifting a 20-30 pound case into the overhead bin. I say “business” because this is the function that this model is clearly tailored for. There are better solutions for private and tourist travel. Also the weight means that if you are traveling on an airline with a 22lbs=10kg carry-on restriction, and you like to overpack, you might have to leave some stuff at home. In terms of volume it would fit but you will have maxed out that limit before the bag is full. It is a very well-made bag (bravo to the Chinese, America is righteously afraid) and very well engineered to provide excellent functionality and durability. I would buy it again and think about getting another one as a back-up because they are now producing the Platinum 6 series which does not have the handle I like so much. I didn’t think I’d even care for the handle but its really the handle and the tricked out design that set this case apart.

That's one heck of a comprehensive review! So I thought it deserved at least one response.

I know a lot of one bag travelers eschew rollerboards as carry-ons for weight and relative capacity reasons, but I have to say when you are in a large terminal and need to walk to one end to the other and then just pop your bag in the back of a waiting taxi or car, they are pretty darn hard to beat if you carrying anything over 20lbs. This scenario constitutes a high % of business travel and probably a good percent of leisure travel in most of the industrialized countries hence their overwhelming popularity!

Shoulder bags are torture - for me at least - if they weigh near 20 pounds. I don't like towing a bag; that's why I keep the load very light and why I'm shopping for a sub-3 pound netbook. But, if you can't go light, just roll. One-bag travel shouldn't be a form of masochism.

Thanks for the appreciation, Ash. Review might be a bit "overdone" but a) I love to do this kind of thing and b) I profit a lot from other people's review in my buying decisions so I like to return the favor. Astanley's review of the same bag is also very good.

I also bought the Carry-on bag by Easy Going that onebag.com mentions. I think it's great and have already come up with some slight modifications (compression straps and loops to hang stuff like keys or flash lights) which will be implemented soon. I will write a review and maybe post some pics because there are no detailed pics of that bag on the web. Someone just gotta tell me how I can upload the pics here. Maybe email them to Brad (blog owner)?

Brad, you're right. One bag travel shouldn't be a form of masochism. You can strip down the weight only so much. At you end of the day you gotta carry whatcha gotta carry. I also had several jacket shoulder pads deformed by carrying shoulder bags. And I see that often in business travelers. Why buy an expensive suit or even wear a suit to look good at all when your outfit looks as if it had passed the night under a bridge.? The rolling bag will prevent that problem by allowing you to even put the computer bag on top of it, so there is nothing on your shoulders but the weight of job's responsibility. :)

I think you make a good point Till. If you sacrifice the purpose of your travel - I am thinking for example a case where one needs several crisp suits for a series formal business meetings - for the challenge or satisfaction of one bag travel but you end up with wrinkled suits or lugging a 25-lb shoulder bag on a 8hr stopover then I think you have lost more than you gained in going 'one bag'.

I also know that a lot of experienced business travelers do pretty well with the 20 inch rollerboard + briefcase. And as I have posted earlier, they seem to manage just fine as the walk briskly through the terminal en route to their connection so it can't that impractical can it?

Having said that, with a bit of careful planning I can go 'one bag' + a personal item/briefcase for the majority of my business or leisure trips. Much of it just comes down to careful consideration of what to take and more importantly, what to leave behind. And my preference for that style of bag.

Brad, I am honored if you want to post the Travelpro review on the mainpage as a reader review. Thanks! I might even be able to send you some pics. I just arrived in Germany and the trip went swell. It fit into the bins of a 737 and a 767-200 without a problem.
As for steering the bag when pushing it like a wheel barrow, that is a bit difficult but still possible. It is easier to pull it and the weightless handle system keeps its promise. I am thinking of replacing the wheels with real inline skating wheels with good bearings and a tighter axle tolerance. Pimp your rollaboard, LOL.

The Easygoing Carry-on review will have to wait a bit. I had to go back to Germany for my grandma's funeral. So helping the family heal takes priority, of course. But it will come. I am also thinking of adding some straps here and there to it although it really wouldn't be necessary. I'd like to have two loops for carabiners in there. One in the front document pocket for keys and one in one of the main compartments for a flashlight on a lanyard, which I keep in all my bags.

Very nice! Thanks for posting this in the main section. I hope it helps some other prospective buyers to make the right decision whether they want all these tricked out features or a lighter bag. As I said, BR and Tumi are heavier and not as well thought out, in my eyes.