Minima Carry-On Luggage / 22"x14"x9" Lightweight Polycarbonate Hardshell/Spinner Suitcase/TSA Approved Cabin Size (Onyx (Black), Carry-On Luggage)

This is a review of the Chester Carry On Luggage. I travel constantly and go through luggage like crazy. On one level, the polycarbonate carry ons are all the same. But, not really. If you are detailed, like I am, here's a comparison of the Chester to all carry-ons I've owned before: Wheels: Chester as good as any, may be better. It rolls easily, even over the carpet that is sometimes in airports or hotels. Most luggage I've owned in the past gets a little harder to pull over carpet. Not as difficult with the Chester. Weight: I haven't weighed it, but Chester "feels" slightly lighter. Durability: I've only had it for two trips. I'm hard on luggage as I travel a lot. This seems like it should hold up at least as well as any I've ever had. Extension Handle: Seems well made. On first two trips it stays solid when rolling sideways. In some of my others the entension twisted a little when rolling sideways. And, the release on the extension is solid and easy to use without too much effort. Luggage Handles: The only negative. They are a bit too small for me to comfortably get my hand under them for a solid grip. Not bad, just not as good as some others I've had and not up to the thoughtfullness shown in the other elements of the product. "Packability": This is the most important element to me. In fact, the pictures of the inside on the Amazon website are what got me to buy the thing in the first place. And, I'm not disappointed. Consider each side of a typical carry-on... a. On the inside of the "extension tube" side, the two extension tubes stick through to the inside so you don't have a flat surface to pack on. It's part of the deal with every piece I've ever had, regardless of size. I use it for shoes and fill in the spaces with little things, like socks, etc. But, the Chester has something I haven't had before: That side has a zip-up cover which is terrific. On every other piece I've had, there is just a small canvas harness that covers that side of the luggage, so little things might fall out when the item is open. The Chester has a zipped cover so when it that side is full, you zip up the cover and nothing can fall out. b. Flat side, inside: This is where the luggage really shines. On almost all other carry ons I've had, the space on the flat side is kind of small. I'm not sure why, but the designes are flat and the zip up cover doesn't allow much depth for packing. The Chester has as close to an "empty box" as I've ever seen, and it's pretty deep. It makes it the easiest I've ever used to fold slacks, shirts, even a suit jacket. It might seem like a little thing, but for someone like me who is always looking for the extra cubic inch of usable packing space, it's the best I've ever had. Size: It is absolutely the largest size allowable on airplanes, except maybe for a franction of an inch in height. That makes it have the most interior space, which is important to me. Small Airplanes: If you fly on some of the regional jets, you know that overhead bin space is at a premium and normal carry on size, including the Chester, needs to be checked. When I know I'm going on that kind of airplane, I just take a really small carry-on (I've got a couple made just for that purpose) or plan to check it. Chester no different from all others in that regard. Price: Could be the most expensive piece I've ever bought for the purpose. The little things I've mentioned that make the Chester stand out vs everything I've ever owned before make me price insensitive. In connection with price, I've never owned any of the "luxury brands". I'm thinking of Rimowa and Tumi for examples. They cost a lot more. I'm hard on luggage and I've never found any of those that have more functionality than what I buy historically, although I think the Rimowa polycarbonate might be a tiny bit lighter (maybe). I don't believe any of those brands will stand up any better than the Chester. As I said, I'm hard on luggage and travel a lot. I have no idea how long the Chester will last. My best guess is only 2 years, more or less. That's neither more nor less than I would say about any luggage. As I said, I travel a lot and I'm hard on luggage! So, I really like Chester, it is the most functional I've ever owned and the price is, at least for me, a non-issue vs. the functionality. Finally... I just found out that they don't make their stuff in any other sizes. It's too bad. As I've said several times, my wife and I are hard on luggage, we're ready to replace most of what we have and based on my experience with the Chester carry on I'd buy their other sizes, too.

I have been quite happy with this suitcase. I did a lot of research looking for bags that actually meet the airline regulations for sizing. This bag (including wheels and handles) measures in just right at 9x14x22. I have used this bag for three trips now. On one of the legs I checked the bag to see how it would hold up. I didn’t use the provided protective sleeve and it survived without even a scratch. This suitcase easily fits in the overhead bins on larger planes, but it also fits on the small CRJ regional jets as well. Smaller prop planes you will still need to gate check it, but nothing fits on those planes. The fit and finish is good. The telescoping handle is strong and secure. The top of the telescoping handle is shaped so that my briefcase strap easily slips over it (nice touch). The wheels track well so that I am never twisting the handle to keep it moving ahead of me in the right direction. This was not the case with my old Travel Pro. Even in those carpeted airports the Chester bag moves nicely and I rarely have to switch to “drag it behind” mode like with other bags. The only downside I see is that the side and top pop-out handles are a bit tight for my big hands and probably won’t work well with a gloved hand in the winter.

What an amazing suitcase! I am starting to travel more and really needed a reliable carry on bag. I wanted one of those new bags that spins on all four wheels (check), has a rather solid exterior (check), and has built-in safety features (check). The price is well worth it! This bag looks great, feels great (very light), and is very sturdy with plenty of room. My mom has a Tumi carry-on that she spent tons of money on and I honestly hate it. It has a soft exterior (so it protects nothing inside...you cant even stack other bags on top of it), no safety features, and hardly holds anything. Chester is the best!!!

I usually avoid suitcases in favor of a Tom Bihn travel backpack, as most wheeled cases are bulky and push the limits of carry-on allowances. Chester, however, is sleek and lightweight. It rolls easily (a bit harder on carpet like all spinners), and seems well made. I took it on its maiden voyage last week and I was amazed at how much it held (more than my husband's larger soft-sided case) and how the clamshell design made it easier to keep things organized. The bag fit very easily in the overhead of a JetBlue A320 (wheels or handle out), and I feel confident it would fit on smaller aircraft. I'm looking forward to taking Chester on more adventures.

Let me start off by saying I never write reviews for my Amazon purchases, however, this suitcase deserves it. As a female who over packs everything, I was beyond excited when I realized how much this suitcase can pack. I was able to pack 4 sweaters, 8 shirts, 2 pairs of jeans, sneakers, a small (empty) purse, and a foe leather jacket in this baby with no issue. On each side there's compartments for you to pack clothing: one that's featured in the pictures, the other compartment is on the side where the smaller, mesh pockets are (at first I didn't realize there were two compartments and you can probably imagine how surprised and excited I was when I did) My friend was so amazed at how much I could pack, she ended buying one of these herself!! Also I like how the hard shell provides sturdiness, it's not bothersome to carry around as it's 4 wheels which makes it easy to transport around the airport, and the fact that it can lock provides the security I need when I'm not near my belongings. The fact that the size is appropriate for national & international flights is an extra bonus. Get this suitcase! You won't regret it!

So - my daughter-in-law needed a suitcase to fly internationally as a carry-on with an airline with carry-on size limitations. She has an infant and a pre-school aged child, so even with my son's help, both of their hands are full. I had traveled by car with the Chester 22" Carry-On luggage to visit them before their international trip. They wanted to travel with 4 carry-on pieces of luggage - on per ticket. They were struggling with a decision on whether to buy new luggage or pay the checked baggage fee. I dumped my stuff and handed my suitcase to her because there was no time to order a new one. After they returned, I asked how the suitcase traveled. The suitcase traveled beautifully. My three-year-old grandson proudly demonstrated the ease of use. He pushed and rolled the suitcase from the 8th floor of the hotel to the lobby and down a bumpy sidewalk until he met the grass. He was instructed by his proud dad on how to telescope the handle to a height he could manage whereby he continued hauling the luggage to the trunk of the car. Of course, he was so cute through all of this, but I observed the ease by which a three-year-old could manage a full suitcase as if was a toy. The suitcase was delightfully balanced, unlike the other suitcases of all sizes that I own. The suitcase never tipped over even when he pushed it into the grass. While I am sure it will tip over if the physics are right, my other suitcases quickly tip over when they are full of stuff. Not this one. Even though the suitcase was packed full, the zippers and fabric did not tear. The clamshell effect when the zippers are closed has a compression effect on the contents. The hard slightly flexible shell on the outside kept the luggage from being overstuffed and at risk for being charged as a checked bag. To be clear, it is a bit pricy. You can get a cheaper suitcase at discount stores which is why I chose Amazon to search for an improved model four-wheeled suitcase that met the strict size of a carry-on for JetBlue airlines. I have a physical limitation which means every physical activity must be adapted so that I can accomplish tasks independently. I am learning that my adaptations are actually modifications that benefit everyone. All these decades I have been tolerating poorly designed wheeled luggage that seemed okay in the stores, but quickly prove to be uncomfortable in use. Being cute with lots of pockets is not so cute when limping in pain in an airport while having to pull a suitcase that should roll easily by my side as I discovered a few months ago when my old suitcase could not handle being rolled on a carpeted floor at an airport. A suitcase should roll easily on flat carpet and flat tile airport floors. A suitcase should roll easily over small bumps in a sidewalk without tipping over. The inner and outer zippers should work well. The question to ask yourself is this: How much are you willing to pay to get the suitcase that meets your travel needs? I have physical limitations where I can't lift much and can't haul stuff around an airport or back and forth to hotels. It did not occur to me that mothers of young children have the same limitations because they are also hauling around children. Watching the three-year-old helping with luggage was delightful. The Amazon response when I called about the first suitcase with a zipper issue was met with Amazon shipping a new suitcase immediately. I can stay that if you look at the warranty and act upon the warranty right away if you see any issues with the suitcase, Amazon customer service will take care of the customer. To be clear, you get service along with the product and not just the product. If you see this suitcase at a price you can afford, yes its worth the cost. I currently have five suitcases that when added together cost more than one of the Chester Carry-On Luggage 22". None of them work as well as the Chester. Each one has a problem that makes them a struggle to use at an airport or hotels. Let me give you an example. I bought a cheaper suitcase of similar weight from a discount store. Because the suitcase did not roll well when full - it rolled great when empty - I left the little suitcase in the car never suspecting that anyone would break into my car and steal it. Yes, someone broke into my car and stole that suitcase. I waited a year before buying another lightweight suitcase of a similar size. This time, the ability to roll well on all four wheels when full was a priority. We cannot feel the product online. All that we have are what we hope are honest reviews and great customer service.

If you desire the best of the best in luggage, this is for you. Even zippers and lining are made from quality materials. The locking mechanism is a bit tricky, which is perfect, as anyone not familiar with Chestier will likely take 10-15 minutes to determine how to open the suitcase, even without setting a locking code. i.e. Any luggage handler will highly likely not be able to open the luggage. This was a gift for my daughter, but I will be getting one for me and another for my mother. Yes, it is that good. Pay the extra money over the $140 suitcases as the quality is dramatically better. Time will determine how long it will last, but I am more confident with this luggage than my existing luggage. I don't see how it will be damaged, crushed or heavily scratched. Superior wheels in strength and smoothness as it glides…… Enjoy!

Uploaded a small video showing the inside of this suitcase so you can get a better look at it. The compartments are great, for organizing all your items. There is also a compartment with a smaller bag inside that you can easily tuck away if you're not using it. The bag even comes with its own dust bag which is great for storing. I wanted to wait until I actually used the bag until writing a review! I took a flight with it last week and I didn't have to think about anything at all! It's the lightest and smoothest luggage I've ever used and the wheels maneuver super easily. Worth the price and so much better than what I expected it to be. I would give this above a 5 start if I could.