Let me lay my cards on the table: I’m a big fan of Peak Design bags and have been for almost a decade. That’s why I jumped at the chance to review the company’s first roller bag with admittedly high expectations.
Peak Design Roller Pro review: rethinking the carry-on
Travel bag or photo workstation, you choose.
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is a deputy editor and Verge co-founder with a passion for human-centric cities, e-bikes, and life as a digital nomad. He’s been a tech journalist for 20 years.
Like Peak Design’s new Outdoor Backpack I recently reviewed, the four-wheel roller bag didn’t elicit a great first impression. It’s just another wheeled carryon, I thought, and my god, the price! It took a 10-hour train ride to the French Alps, two bus rides, and 10km of dragging it over cobblestones, ice, snow, muck, gravel, curbs, and silky smooth walkways to understand how this bag improves upon the competition.
But I’m still not convinced by the $599.95 list price, and that’s before spending another $139.95 for Peak Design’s new XL Camera Cube. Fortunately, those prices are slightly improved during the company’s traditional Kickstarter launch cycle.
7
Verge Score
$600
The Good
- “Drawbridge” opening is the star
- Convenient external carry options
- Works as travel or camera bag
- Protects like a hardshell with soft-shell features
The Bad
- Expensive
- The Cord Hook retention system can be fiddly
- Slightly heavier than some competitors
Peak Design says the Roller Pro is made with “entirely-custom parts and assemblies” — not cheap off-the-shelf catalog components with sloppy tolerances — to maximize the usable interior space that, notably, can be expanded from 34L to 39L with a zip.
But my favorite aspect of this bag is how it opens. Instead of using a traditional clamshell design, requiring twice the footprint when splayed, it opens like a drawbridge. The hinged opening works with or without two nylon support cords that can be adjusted to better hold the lid when weighed down by heavy items in the pockets. This approach simplified access when in confined spaces like a train and my tiny hotel room. Conversely, it meant I had to stack items inside the bag, requiring some digging, but I was happy with this tradeoff.
I also like the versatility. I tested it as a travel bag, but given Peak Design’s heritage, it’s also designed as a gear bag for photographers that converts into a workstation upon arrival at your job site. The bag works with Peak Design’s ecosystem of camera and packing cubes, including the new XL Camera Cube which fills the entire cavity and able to fit a giant 400mm prime lens used by sports and nature photographers. With the drawbridge open, you have quick access to all your gear protected by the cube, and your cables, cards, batteries, and other accessories stored in the three translucent pockets of the organization panel.
The Roller Pro comes with a pair of elastic bands for Peak Design’s “Cord Hook” system. It’s the same approach used on the company’s Outdoor Backpack, and lets you lash items to integrated gear loops scattered all around the inside and outside of the bag. I found these to be super useful for carrying my helmet and / or snowboard jacket on top, for example, without blocking the handle or the drawbridge opening. Those bands can also secure a tripod to the side of the bag.
1/27The hard plastic wheels can get a little bumpy on rough surfaces.
According to San Francisco-based Peak Design, the Roller Pro is designed to compete with high-end brands like Briggs & Riley, Tumi, Manfrotto, “and even Louis Vuitton” — bags that start at around $400 and peak well above $1,000 — not carry-on rollers from best-selling brands like Travelpro, AER, and Away that are priced closer to $300 and perform very well for most people.
There are so many more useful and thoughtful touches found on the Roller Pro — like a hidden pouch for Apple’s AirTag tracker; a plush front pocket for quick access to passports, chargers, keys, glasses, and earbuds; and a protected sleeve for a laptop/tablet — that it’s worth seriously considering Peak Design’s first roller bag if you can afford it and you’re already in the market for a new carry-on.
But there’s nothing here that would compel me to retire one of my current rollers, purchased for less than half the price and still going strong after ten-plus years of global travel. I’m also not a professional photographer and have long thought that Tumi bags are grossly overpriced.
Specs
- Expandable from 34L to 39L.
- 21.8 x 14 x 9 inches (55.4 x 35.6 x 22.9cm) and 8.8 pounds (4kg).
- 60mm spinner wheels designed for easy replacement when they wear out.
- The polycarbonate hard shell is covered in a rugged and weatherproof Versa Shell 550d fabric that’s 100 percent recycled and Bluesign approved.
- Weatherproof zippers can be locked together with your own TSA-approved lock.
- The thin space-saving carbon fiber handle helps to maximize interior space.
- Handle expands to lock at 90 or 100cm.
- Global carry-on compliant.
- Integrated grab handles on the top, bottom, and both sides.
- Available in Sage (green), Eclipse (aubergine), and Black.
- Backed by Peak Design’s lifetime warranty.
The $599.95 Peak Design Roller Pro can be preordered with Kickstarter discounts starting today. The best deal will get you the Roller Pro for $425 with deliveries set to begin in August and beyond depending upon demand. If you don’t want to wait, then you can pay $525 to have a Roller Pro shipped in May from a batch of bags already produced. The XL Camera Cube is also temporarily discounted to $99.
Photography by Thomas Ricker / The Verge
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