Tried & Tested

Lat 56 Road Warrior Carry-On 4-wheel case

10 Oct 2015 by Tom Otley
This review accompanies our earlier review of the Lat56 2-wheeled bag (see here). I said at the time I'd like to try the four-wheeled one (actually eight wheels, because each wheel is a set of two,) and so a few weeks later this model (the RW_02) arrived and I took it off for a trip to Toulouse and Helsinki on-board the new A350XWB aircraft from Finnair. To read a review of that flight, click here). As with the other Lat56 luggage we have reviewed (see here and here) this is well made, well thought out and extremely tough without being overly heavy. Lat 56 Road Warrior Carry on 4 wheel case Having tried out the two-wheeled version I was surprised at how different this one was, but having chatted with the designer I discovered that it was slightly smaller than the Lat56. It has the same 55cm height and 20cm depth, but the width on this 8-wheeled is 35cm rather than 38cm. Both of these are fully compliant with carry-on rules, but this 8-wheeler feels smaller, and as a result can’t fit in the suit carrier from Lat56 (PS_01.1 Suit Packing System), which I had tested in the previous review because there is less volume built into the lid of this one. Lat 56 Road Warrior Carry on 4 wheel case That said, this one had its own distinct advantages. Having eight wheels, for instance, means that you can turn it sideways and wheel it along the aisle of an aircraft easily, and since I was also taking a heavy laptop bag along with it for my carry-on allowance, it also had no problem supporting that (and saving me from carrying it over my shoulder). The bag has the same strong sides and frame, robust feel and attractive deep red interior, along with three zipped pockets (one long, two smaller), and a top part where you can zip items into the lid - I folded up a spare pair of suit trousers and a couple of shirts here, since I was wearing my suit for the whole of the trip and so didn’t need to pack it. Lat 56 Road Warrior Carry on 4 wheel case The wheels work well with the rear wheels being about 50% larger than the front set meaning when the ground is rougher (pavements etc) you can drag it on the rear wheels very easily. As with the other bags it comes with a five-year guarantee, seems very waterproof to me, and protects your items inside. The zip on mine was quite stiff but perhaps that will ease over time. It comes with a detachable shoe bag which I didn’t use on this occasion, but would work well for keeping dirt from your clothes in the bag, and also a top pocket for placing your plastic bag with toiletries in, so you can gain access to it for security without having to unzip the whole bag. There’s also a side carrying handle, which I missed on the other model and is a welcome addition. The handle is very firm and easy to have in your hand, worth considering when you are taking the bag around town on a trip). Here's a picture of it in an overhead locker on the A350. Lat 56 Road Warrior Carry on 4 wheel case VERDICT Again, an excellent bag. I like the four wheels (OK, eight wheels), but miss the extra volume, so I'd recommend buying both this one and the larger one since they suit different types of trips. TECHNICAL SPECS
  • Price: £299
  • Weight: 3.7kg (8.1lbs)
  • Dimensions: 55cm x 35cm x 20cm (21.5" x 13.5" x 7.5") (LxWxH)
  • Exterior material: Military-spec moulded EVA foam + Ballistic Nylon 1680x1680.
  • Carry-On size: Yes
  • Internal Volume: 32L (1953 cu.in.)
  • External Volume: 38.5L (2349 cu. in.)
  • Warranty: 5 years.
lat56.com
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