INTRODUCTION

As photographers, we are always on the lookout for practical products that make travel easier. Recently, we reviewed the Bagsmart Blast 43L Roller Backpack, a versatile soft-shell bag ideal for those wanting the convenience of a roller bag and the flexibility of a backpack for navigating stairs or rough surfaces.

We love the idea of being able to jump on a flight with just our carry-on luggage for a short break; however, this is more of a reality for those who live in the US, Europe and Asia, as the flights are shorter and the airlines are more forgiving than here in Australia, where flights are long (internationally), and our airlines are stingy with their carry-on luggage weights. So it is refreshing to see bag manufacturers design practical bags that cater for those who want to thumb their nose at airlines who have ridiculously low carry-on allowances. If you are a frequent traveller and live in the US, most airlines have no weight restrictions on carry-on luggage as long as they comply with the size restrictions.

The majority of hard-shell cases for both carry-on and check-in are clamshell bags. These have been, and still are, the most common type of hard-shell bag. However, Bagsmart have developed a hard-shell carry-on case that is front-opening. Instead of splitting down the middle like a traditional clamshell, it uses a top-loading 70/30 “bucket style” build paired with an upright front-opening lid.

Bagsmart kindly sent us the Bagsmart Getaway 20″ Carry-on: Front Loading bag in the Steel Blue colourway for this review. Please read our Disclaimer below.

If, by the end of this post, you decide to purchase, please use the BUY HERE link at the bottom of the post or the banner below and enter the Wide10 discount code at checkout for an additional 10% off.

Here is an in-depth breakdown of how the Bagsmart Getaway bag performs in real-world use.

Disclaimer:  This review is unbiased. We would never recommend using any product unless we have used the product ourselves. We always strive to give you our honest opinion to help you make the best choice. We received the product with compliments , but were not paid for this review; however, we may receive commissions on links in this post.

THE BAGSMART GETAWAY

Above: The Bagsmart Getaway bag fits easily into an aircraft overhead locker

The Bagsmart Getaway 20″ Carry-on Front Loading bag is a sleek and attractive-looking bag. The immediate attraction of the Getaway is its modern, minimalist silhouette. Available in matte finishes like Steel Blue, Porcelain (Ivory), Sage Green, and Shadow (Grey). The Steel Blue colourway sent to us looks awesome. The only initial negative we can find is the weight, which is prohibitive for airline travel in Australia. 

• The Shell: Moulded from lightweight polycarbonate (PC). It feels flexible rather than ultra-rigid, meaning it will flex under pressure to absorb impacts rather than crack, though it seems to lack the reassuring density of high-end, premium luggage for which you will be paying considerably more.

• Pull Bar: The aluminium pull bar is locked in place and is released by depressing the centre button on the handle. The pull bar has 4 lockable height positions. 

Once extended, the pull bar will lock at four distinct heights. Fully extended, it exhibits a tiny bit of play with a heavy load, but it performs reliably on most surfaces.

• Mobility: It rolls smoothly on “GlideTech” 360° double-spinner wheels. They are dead silent on smooth airport terminal floors, but because they are predominantly plastic, they do transfer a fair amount of vibration on brickwork, cobblestones, or uneven city streets. But in all fairness, this is the case with most roller bags from our experience.
• Expandability: An external zipper expands the bag from 40L to 48L; however, if expanded, make sure it still fits within the size requirements when used as a carry-on.
• Handles: There are two exterior handles on the bag. One on the top and one on the side of the bag. These two handles make it easy to lift when placing in an aircraft overhead locker.
• Zippers & Security: Bagsmart uses robust zippers, although they are not the gold-standard YKK zippers. The interior divider zipper can occasionally catch on the tight curves of the bag, especially if it’s packed to maximum capacity. A unique detail is the TSA-approved lock placed on top of the bag rather than the side, which secures the front panel’s zipper pulls perfectly upright.

As with most, if not all, hard-shell cases, there are no exterior zippered pockets. These are more common on soft-shell bags. To compensate for this, the front-loading lid feature (pictured below) makes it easy to access internal pockets for items that would normally reside in exterior zip pockets.

The defining characteristic of this bag is its interior architecture. It has a 70/30 split, with the main compartment at 70% and the front-loading section at 30%. The bulk of clamshell bags are usually around the 50/50 split. There are a few Pros and Cons relating to the split. The interior has a 40-litre capacity, which can be extended to 48 litres by unzipping the expansion section of the bag.

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The front-loading section is the defining element of this bag. This compartment contains all the pockets, including the laptop/tablet sleeves.

This compartment is accessed by the zip closest to the front of the bag. When first opened, it will open all the way; however, if you want the lid to sit upright, then connect the two short straps on each side of the compartment.

Features

The lid compartment, which comprises 30% of the packing space, is designed to provide easy access to your most frequently needed items. As accessing items in the main compartment of this bag can be a little awkward, we strongly suggest you do not pack anything you may need during transit in this section. Instead, use the lid compartment.

The lid section has a large dual-zippered compartment. This compartment can be a bonus packing space for items that can’t fit into the main compartment. Ideally, you will want to use this large pocket for frequently accessed items such as a light jumper, toiletries etc. On the outside of this large pocket are two more pockets – one is a smaller single-zippered mesh pocket while the other is a much larger single-zippered transparent pocket. This pocket is referred to as a Wet/Dry pocket, as you can place wet/damp items here without affecting other items in the lid section. Both pockets make it easy to identify the contents in the pocket, so you do not have to go rifling through the pocket for an item. These pockets are perfect for items such as phone chargers, laptop cords etc. As long as you don’t put too many bulging items in the compartment and pockets mentioned above, there should also be more space in the main cavity of the lid; however, any items in the main cavity will sit loosely and could spill out of the bag when opening, especially if the lid clips are not attached. 

On the opposite side is the divider between the lid compartment and the main compartment. This divider has 2 laddered sleeves and a pocket. The two sleeves are designed to hold up to a 15.6″ laptop or 11″ tablet. These sleeves are lightly padded (5mm) and secured by a Velcro strap to keep the device/s in place (see picture above). Naturally, if you are only using a laptop, then the second sleeve can be utilised for other items. On the outside of the second sleeve is a small pocket that holds an AirTag (not included with the bag). Beneath the second sleeve is a single-zippered pocket. Based on the product description on the Bagsmart website, there is supposed to be a “Mesh zip pocket and a key clip”. However, we have searched high and low and cannot find the key clip anywhere. If we find it, we’ll update this post.

That’s it for the lid section of the bag. The majority of the bag’s features are within this section, so if you are still awake, the main compartment is less action-packed.

As mentioned previously, the main compartment can only be accessed by unzipping the divider between the lid compartment and the main compartment. To access it properly, we would suggest laying the bag on a flat surface and disconnecting the two clips holding the lid. Unzip the divider to access the main compartment. Important: When closing the divider, make sure the two lid clips are moved out of the way; otherwise, they will interfere with the zipper when closing.

There’s nothing to write home about regarding the interior. There are no internal pockets, as this maximises the packing area for a relatively small bag. There is, however, another Wet/Dry bag, but this one is removable and attaches to T-shaped connectors at one end of the interior. This bag is useful for *toiletries or items that could leak in transit. Lastly, as with most bag interiors, there are two compression straps.

*Note: If you are using this bag as a carry-on, you must comply with the airline’s liquid restrictions (International flights from Australia must be in a container of 100ml (or 100g) or less. Containers larger than 100ml are prohibited, even if they are only partially full).

We strongly suggest that you pack the bag in the following order –

1. Open the bag on a flat surface. Leave the two clips in the lid compartment unattached so the lid can open completely. Open the zipper that separates the two compartments.
2. Pack the main compartment first, preferably using packing cubes to keep organised.
3. Once Step 2 is completed, close the zipper between the two compartments
4. Stand the bag upright and attach the two clips so that it sits ajar
5. Add items to all the pockets, and lastly, add the laptop/tablet.
6. Close the zipper. We strongly suggest that you leave the two clips attached during use and only unattach them when unpacking

CONS

COLOURS

The BagSmart Getaway 20″ Carry-on Front Opening bag is available in 4 colours: Steel Blue, Porcelain, Shadow, and Sage Green. We were sent the Steel Blue colourway for this review.

PRICING

THE FINAL WORD

RATED: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED