Background
American Tourister is one of the brands acquired by Samsonite and certainly carries a certain cachet, with its products prominently displayed in department stores.
Design
One of the first features to notice on the Air Ride range is the triangular design, giving what would be an otherwise staid, ridged surface a distinctive geometry. The case has a good amount of space, and I found that extra material I accumulated during my trip (such as brochures and souvenirs) were easily accommodated thanks to the flexi material and generous measurements. The Spinner 55/20 TSA could be considered the baby of the Air Ride range, but it’s no less robust – it maintained its shine and capabilities after back-to-back trips to Bangkok and Adelaide. A double zipper is the tool of choice for opening and closing, while the interior is designed to provide a compartment for the lid section with a zipped pouch and another neat zipped section against a panel on the lower section. Another highlight for this case is that it’s very lightweight, at just 2.9kg.
Handling
The Spinner has one handle for carrying and gripping, but positioned on the top; sensible enough as the lid and opening section offer more room for packing this way. The extendable handle gives four positions for coasting along airport walkways or the tilt and drag towards the taxi stand.
Security
Zip tags clip into recessed TSA locks with a latch on a groove and four-digit dials.
Verdict
This was a solid, no-fuss carry-on that performed well and proved adaptable enough to deal with extra contents on my return.
Quick facts
DIMENSIONS 55x35x25cm
VOLUME 36.5 litres
WEIGHT 2.98kg
COLOURS Textured silver, matte black, matte burgundy, matte grey
WHEELS Eight
WARRANTY Three years limited
PRICE US$132
CONTACT samsonite.com
Martin Donovan
