Surfanic Luggage Maxim Roller Bag

Bought a couple of these for a big trip. Stood up to multiple flights, being repeatedly packed, unpacked and transported. The zips are particularly robust and well made. The flap that covers them can be a little stuff but worth it for the protection.They’ve taken a few little knocks on the corners but feels it’ll last for a good few years which is more than can be said for other bags I’ve had for a similar price.

Just what I wanted

Lots of good reviews on here so I'll keep this relatively short.Why: I bought this bag a few months ago now and I wanted to hold off on a review until I'd actually used it in anger. I bought it to replace an old Olympus holdall I'd literally had for decades, which had just disintegrated from old age. I wanted something similar: soft shell with wheels, an extendable handle and compression straps. Something that is versatile for short or even longer trips, without the bulkiness of a hard shell case.Design/ease of use: The fact this bag goes together like a clam-shell is great. I put this bag to use for a short skiing holiday initially (it was purchased with this type of holiday in mind mostly). The bag was absolutely perfect for this for this (for one person). On one side I could fit my ski boots, helmet and additional skiing paraphernalia (gloves, etc). One the other side, a nice compartment perfect for toiletries/underwear and larger compartment for clothes. Splitting in half really does make it easy to arrange everything and find things easily. Don't get me wrong, it can still be a tight fit...but it does fit. I wouldn't want anything smaller or bigger for this purpose.Construction: The bag itself is made from a strong polyester (see description for the specs). It certainly feels like it could happily take a beating, to some extent, on an airport conveyor system. Though I get the impression that if it were to catch on anything moving for a length of time, it might damage the material or cause marring. No such thing happened though on my first trip with this bag. Overall, it feels like a very sturdy quality product. On the back side of the bag, there is a stiff fitted insert to make the bottom of the bag rigid, taking the weight of my relatively heavy 7KG boots easily. The zips are substantial and they need to be to keep the clam together, though like others have posted, this is where I hit my first negative. It can be quite difficult to manoeuvre the zip around the corners of the bag, especially when empty - Surfanic please take note, opportunity for a design improvement here as this can be quite frustrating. There are also substantial throw-over / compression straps to help keep things all together. This improves confidence massively knowing the bag will not bust open if a zip fails after rough treatment by an airport baggage handler! My second gripe is with the wheels. These were so stiff when it arrived, they would barely turn. I had to apply a little 3-in-1 oil near the bearings to loosen them up. Though once the bag was weighted up, it was absolutely fine after this. The 2-stage extending handle also worked as expected and felt well made, feeling strong enough to cope with any weight you'll have in this bag. My final minor gripe is the bag I received is not quite as pictured, there was no 'Tech/Apparel/Supply/Co' stitched logo on top corner of the bag as per the photo. Though I don't really care being honest.On a final note, just be aware that after I received mine, the bag did smell of manufacturing quite badly. I believe this is called 'gassing out' and happens to most products, some worst than others, usually after initially manufacturing. Mine must have been so new that there had been little chance for this to happen before I received it. So before putting to use, I did have to air it in the garage for a week or two before the fairly pungent smell disappeared. Now it is absolutely fine though and others who have purchased the bag have not suffered the same issue.So all in all, for the cost (~£60) this is a great bag and highly recommended.

If you're hopeless at travelling light - this case has the space for you. If you need to pack various footwear including long boots - this is the case for you. If you're sporty or artistic and needing to pack equipment alongside your clothing - this is the luggage for you. If you're going away for more than a week - this case is more accommodating than most. If you're needing to look good while away and need to pack lots of toiletries, hair styling tools and several sets of nightwear on your travels, then this bag has the space for you. If you are travelling during the winter, or to a colder destination, this bag can handle several thick jumpers. BUT, obviously with most luggage, this means it's a tight squeeze to also fit in two sets of nightwear, several pairs of bottoms and tops, socks and under garments, shoes, wash bag etc. It's roomier than most and it expands really well, but one idea is to pack the jumpers in those vacuum travel bags to make more room).I love the way this case has two halves that zip together. It's thoughtfully designed, with zipped compartments and outer straps to secure the case. The zips seem strong and I found it sturdy to travel with; although I've not tested it's strength after being put through baggage handling on a flight yet. I will update my review at a later date. The grey contemporary fabric is stylish and the case will stand out on the carousel more than the average black case.The luggage is much lighter than a shell case; so it's a good option if you're looking for lighter luggage and perhaps travelling by car, train or coach, where the case will need to be lifted. It also collapses down and takes up less storage space than a shell case. I would describe the luggage as unisex and not just for sporty types. It has the softer, roller boot type wheels, which are usually quieter, however the case was still fairly noisy on pavements. I narrowed down my shortlist to the Surfanic roller case and the Samsonite extra large duffle case, but the wheels are not soft on the Samsonite and the Surfanic has far more style. I am really pleased with my choice.Update Oct 2018: I've used the case for 9 trips (not flights) so far since my purchase in 2018. The fabric handle is super strong even after taxi drivers lifting my very heavy load in and out of car. No rips in fabric or signs of any deterioration. Zips all working fine. Wheels still secure. Fabric looks like new.

Generally a good all round bag, I used it to go skiing and did the job well.One negative is the zip, it’s a real struggle to get round the corners of the bag to do up! This would probably stop me from buying this product again

Bought two of these bags on sale and really like them. The bag splits open like a suitcase and has different compartments which are really useful for storing snow boots separately from clothes & ski wear. I noted that some reviews have complained about the zip being tricky to get around at the corners of the bag. One of our bags is a bit sticky getting around corner & other one is fine. Great bag for the sale price and would be happy to pay full price.

Great case so far, I expected it to be hard case but it's definitely heavy duty and stylish at the same time at least. The top of it has a waterproof covering however it's a soft case so not sure how long it would be able to withstand water leaking into it. I also expected it to be slightly bigger in depth, none the less it fits what is required

Ideal travel back well made not to big in size