Standard Luggage Co’s Review: Backpack & Gear Pros and Cons

✅ Standard Luggage Backpack Pros:

• Laptop Sleeve – padded neoprene, attached but removable, with an open tablet pouch on its side

• 3 Ways to Carry – shoulder strap, backpack straps, and 2 hand grips, on the long and short sides

• Roomy main compartment – could easily fit enough for any length trip for light packers; lockable

• Lots of pockets – 2 zipper pockets on the external front, 2 small (one mesh) and one large zipper pocket on the inside of the flap. Plus a hidden internal pocket and a cord inlet

• Water bottle pocket: a stretchy, zipper-collapsible pocket on the side

• Zippered expandable section: can be used as 35L or unzipped to 45L

• Detachable straps: the shoulder strap and the waist belt both unclip

• Comfortable straps: details below. The sternum strap has a safety whistle

• Padded back: the surface that lies against your back when you wear it is airy & padded for comfort

• Soft-sided: the bag is nice and pliable; unless it’s stuffed, it’s easy to squash into small-ish spaces

• Two sets of accents: bag comes with 2 sets of coloured hand grip covers, luggage tag,& zip pulls

• Water-resistant: you’re fine if you get caught in a sprinkle, and it comes with a rain cover, too

• Guarantees: comes with a Satisfaction Guarantee and “Lifetime Warranty“. More on these, too

✅ Standard Luggage Backpack Cons:

• Size and shape: the bag is boxy and wide. It may be a bit long and/or wide for people who have a short or narrow torso

• Flimsy zipper pulls: both sets of zip pulls (2 colours) are thin and flimsy. They feel like they may tear if you pull on them too often instead of the zipper tab itself.

• No colour choices: the colour accents help, but this black bag looks like a lot of other black bags.

• Exceeds some restrictions: the bag will need to be checked on some budget airlines. Always check with your airline before your flight.
  • Average international carry-on size = 22″ x 14″ x 9″
  • One example of a budget airline carry-on size limit = 16″ x 12″ x 8″
  • Standard Luggage Co. Carry-On Backpack = 21.5″ x 13.5″ x 7.5 to 9.5″

As you can see, this suitcase/ backpack hybrid has many more pros than it has cons. Read on for more details where they’re needed.

External Details

✔️ The straps: the shoulder strap and the hip belt are nicely padded and comfortable to wear. It even has a sternum strap – not a lot of hybrids do – which makes it more comfortable to wear for long distances or long time periods.

As mentioned, the sternum strap even has a safety whistle.

The shoulder straps and hip belt attach with sturdy plastic clips, so they don’t get in the way or caught on things when not in use.

✔️ The accents: the bag is shipped wearing the orange grip covers, luggage tag, and zipper pulls. It comes with an additional blue set or can be used without the accent pieces.

✔️ Expandable: You can use this as a 35L bag or unzip the expander to add an additional 10L. Or pack it expanded to 45L and then zip it back to 35L to compress your stuff. Watch the weight of the bag, though. Be sure you can still lift it above your head.

There are internal compression straps to cinch things in once you’ve packed, too.

✔️ The laptop sleeve: made of neoprene, it velcros shut, attaches by straps and clips to the inside of its own compartment. It can slide out &/or be completely removed. There is also a pocket on the front of the sleeve for a tablet of up to 10″ to slide into.

The sleeve’s zippered compartment is lockable. It sits between the main compartment and the zippered pocket where the backpack straps tuck away, so it’s protected.

Unfortunately, the bottom of this laptop compartment has no extra padding for protection. I rolled up a face cloth and created my own padding for peace of mind.

✔️ Water-resistant: A drizzle will bead up and roll right off the backpack’s exterior. But if you get caught in a downpour, the bag comes with its own rain cover. The cover is completely separate, not built into a pocket of the bag.

I prefer this, but you may not. It could leave you open to forgetting the cover or losing it.

✔️ Easy to clean: the outer denier nylon is easy to wipe clean. Also, fyi, I have reason to know that things like dog hair and slobber easily wipe right off with a damp cloth.

✔️Roller-handle Sleeve: the back of the bag is equipped with a trolley sleeve so you can slip it over the handle of a roller bag.

✔️ Metal Loop: Another small detail is a metal loop attached to the bottom of the bag. This is the type of loop that you’d attach something to with a carabineer, like a pair of hiking shoes, etc.

Internal Details

On the inside of the main flap, there is a zip around 3 sides to keep dirty laundry separate or swimwear from regular clothes, etc. The spacious main compartment makes it easy to use packing cubes if that’s how you roll.

Carry Options = 3.5 Ways to Carry

It’s entirely a matter of personal preference, but I like to sling this bag cross-body (this is the 0.5 way). I’ll use the shoulder strap, with the bag sitting across my back. The padded shoulder strap makes this a comfortable option.

For smaller airports and shorter distances, I’ll carry it like a shoulder bag or duffel. I have a bit of a hard time keeping this bag from slipping off my shoulder, but this shouldn’t be a problem for those with broader shoulders.

For longer treks than across a big airport, though, you’ll love the stowable backpack straps that tuck away in the back. The hip belt, the shoulder straps, and the back surface of the bag are nicely padded.

Add the sternum strap, and this is a more comfortable convertible bag to carry backpack-style than many similar ones.

There are also 2 hand grips, one on the long side and another on one end. It’s easy to carry like a suitcase or grab out of the overhead bin with these.

The Company’s Satisfaction Guarantee & Lifetime Warranty

Here are a few important details:

The Satisfaction Guarantee states that you can “request a return” within 15 days of purchase. And this is only if you buy directly from Standard Luggage Co. The company will send you instructions and a printable shipping label if they agree to your return.

The Lifetime Warranty has some caveats. The warranty covers defects in the materials and construction. Several situations aren’t covered, one of which is “improper care”, something that can be pretty subjective.

If you do want to return something, keep in mind that you will need to make your return with “all original labels and packaging in an unused state”.

I encourage you to read Standard Luggage Co.’s details on the subject if you’re concerned about this.

How to Buy Standard Luggage Co. Products

You can order the Standard Luggage Co. carry-on backpack online, either from the company itself or from Amazon. They’re not currently available in a brick-and-mortar store.

I received my products from Standard Luggage Co. themselves. Shipping was fast, everything was well packed, and I can definitely recommend shopping through the company’s website.

The company offers free shipping to Canada and the US. International locations can find shipping info on this page of their website.

At the moment, the packing cubes and travel wallet can be found only on the company website. Follow the links below:

Summing It Up: Standard Luggage Co. Backpack & Gear

Overall, I’m really impressed with these Standard Luggage Co. products. They contain high-quality materials and are thoughtfully designed, with practical features and attention to detail.

This trio was definitely created with the needs of dedicated travellers in mind. The carry-on backpack is versatile, spacious, and comfortable to carry.

The packing cubes and passport wallet add extra layers of organization and security to your travels.

The Carry-On is now my go-to when I travel, and I might even use the packing cubes. The only changes I’d make would be to streamline the shape a bit and add some colours.

But these are minor details when you consider what you get with this bag. If you’re in the market for reliable and affordable travel gear, I highly recommend checking out Standard Luggage Co.