If you’re a chronic overpacker, then you’ve had the experience of wrestling your bag into the overhead compartment only to realize its bulging makes it impossible to shove it in and sit down. While everyone is giving you the stink eye for taking up space in the aisle to drag it back down to unpack the outside compartments, you vow to never pack too much again…you know, until it happens again. As much as I love those outside pockets on my carry-on bags, it can be too tempting to stuff them full of things that didn’t necessarily fit inside. Then I get the angry look from both my husband and other passengers, so it only happened twice before I stopped doing that.
Does your carry-on take you
sitting on it to get it closed, even when it’s expanded? Then maybe you need to
try a hard-sided case. The EXO 2.0 from eBags is fantastic. It has all the
inside features you want along with all the necessary outside requirements with
the exception of extra compartments and an expansion zipper. Think you can’t
get everything you need into this bag? Think again.
I put together all the clothing I
would need for my trip to the East Coast this fall and decided to find out if I
could get it all in the EXO 2.0 Hardside Spinner. Believe it or not, everything
fit, including two packable rain jackets, sandals, a large travel towel and
toiletry bag. Above you’ll see both my travel wardrobe and my husband’s laid
out. Because the weather is going to be both warm during the day and cold in
the evenings, I needed to pack both pants and shorts, so this was an especially
challenging packing job, with layering being necessary for both ends of the
weather spectrum.
Eric’s clothes take up more room
than mine, which is fine, since I can normally pack his and then fit mine in
the nooks and crannies left. It’s nice to be able to organize your clothing
though and be able to open your bag and immediately find what you need, even if
you’re just totally unpacking when you get to your destination. This carry-on
is perfect for you if you like this as well. There is an adjustable divider/shelf
on the one side that can be moved into a variety of positions to separate your
items. In my case, I used it to put Eric’s heavier clothes on the bottom and my
lighter ones on top. As you can see, it’s easy to see whose clothes are where,
as the divider fits perfectly, plus it’s very sturdy, so if you haven’t packed
your bag totally full, even when things are jostling around a bit, your
belongings stay on the right side.
Compress your clothing to make
sure it all fits snugly by using the innovative six-point adjustable tie
straps. They seem to work better at evenly compressing your clothes and
eliminating that wrinkle you might get with the traditional tie-down straps in
regular luggage. This means you don’t get that side crevice either, giving you
the illusion that you can (should?) actually pack more.
The other side of bag has a great
mesh zippered compartment, so you can see the contents easily. I always use
this side for sandals, flip flops, undergarments, socks and swimsuits. I found
that it had more room than the usual mesh compartment, so I was also able to
pack it in such a way that my toiletry bag fit inside and also my travel towel
and waterproof phone case (for when I go to the beach or pool).
I’d also like to take a second to
address the fact that the inside of this bag isn’t black, so it’s not like
packing your clothes inside a cave. The light reflects off the inside fabric
instead of sucking it all in and making it impossible to differentiate between
articles when the room isn’t all that bright to begin with.
Though it might seem pretty
straightforward, the outside of the bag is just as awesome as the inside. You
have eight large and incredibly
sturdy spinner wheels on the bottom, giving you an amazing rolling experience
on all types of surfaces, including being able to glide your bag down the
squishy airplane aisle without banging into everyone’s shoulders and/or knees like
when you have to hug your regular rolling bag to your chest, because it only
wheels one way. As much as I would like to be strong enough to carry it over my
head, I’m not, and I’m sure that would create different sort of issues.
Have you heard of those people
who’ve been robbed out of their carry-on while
it was in the overhead and they were sitting four feet away? If not,
apparently this has become a problem on some flights, because people never know
whose carry-on is whose and nobody suspects someone is going to try to sneak
things out of other peoples’ bags on a plane full of people. I’ve never been
the victim of this, but if you’re worried, this bag has your back. You can lock
the zippers without making the TSA mad. Anyone can take a set of clippers to a
zip-tie, and they are only one-use. The cross-over X zipper pulls lock easily
and restrict access with a number lock. TSA can get in quickly with a universal
key, but the lock is found on the side in the middle, so someone would have to
pull your bag almost all the way out of the overhead to even try to open it and steal your stuff.
Foiled!
And while we’re talking about the
zipper, let me point out the fact that it is self-healing, in case someone
attempts to break it open with a pen – because that’s how some thieves do
things. You don’t have to cry and buy a new bag. Just run the zipper back over
the broken part and then watch it repair itself when you re-zip it. eBags has
used the strongest zipper available, so even if you pack it a little too full,
you won’t ruin it by pulling on the zipper a little too aggressively.
There are two heavy-duty handles
on the outside – one on top and one on the side – making it easy to carry up
and down stairs, get it into the overhead on the plane and also get it in and
out of the trunk. On the side that doesn’t have a handle, you’ll find four
recessed feet, so you aren’t putting your bag directly on the floor and
possibly damaging the polycarbonate shell (though the pattern on it also
reduces the chance of you scuffing up the outside and making it look
super-used).
Are you tall or short and travel
with someone who is the opposite, or at least a noticeable enough difference
that when you drag a bag behind you the handle may not work right for one of
you? This can be a problem for us. The EXO 2.0 adjusts to three different
heights, so everyone can pull it comfortably.
And can we talk about the colors?
I picked this bright yellow and I love it. It is easy to see, no one will
mistake it for their bag, even on the baggage carousel, and it makes you excited to pack. Black, blue and red
bags are becoming the norm. Don’t you want one that stands out and makes you
happy? I sure do. This bag fits all my criteria. I even like the giant eBags
logo on the back, because when people like something, they always want to know
where you go it. Now they don’t have to chase you down the terminal to ask you.
If only more bags had bigger logos that won’t catch on things and then fall off
after your third trip with it.
More information
Size: 21.75" x 14" x 9" | 7 lbs, 3 oz
Colors it comes in: Black | Blue | Yellow (shown) | Crushed Graphite | Celestial Bronze | Grey | Purple
How much is it?: $149.99
Where you can buy it: eBags website or Amazon The 2.0 is no longer available, but the 3.0 is an upgrade and cheaper at $132.99 or less - Purchase on ebags website or Amazon
Other specs: 100% pure polycarbonate shell
Right now is the perfect time to buy the EXO 2.0, because Ebates is running a great deal:
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Disclaimer: I was provided with the EXO 2.0 Hardside Spinner Carry-on for the purposes of this review, but all opinions are 100% mine.
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