The Travel Hack Pro Cabin Case Review

The Travel Hack Pro Cabin Case Review - Monica Stott with the suitcase she designed

Wondering what The Travel Hack Pro Cabin Case is like? I tested this carry-on suitcase for you – find out what I thought in this honest review.

“Hold on,” I panted, jiggling the handle of my carry-on case. My face flushed as my friends smirked along with fellow passengers and impatient cabin crew. I kept jiggling the handle, knowing that if I could just find that sweet spot, I’d be OK.

“There!”

Triumphant, I pushed the handle down, stowed my bag in the overhead locker and took my seat, clearing the way for the build-up of passengers behind me.

It was time for a new suitcase.

I’d been using my Salomon Container Cabin for about six years. It was the perfect carry-on case: light, durable, with perfectly-designed compartments, silent wheels, and the right size for (almost) all airlines. It was far too big for Ryanair, but as I spend my life avoiding Ryanair, that was never an issue.

But, after countless trips, long-haul and short-haul flights, stairs and overhead lockers and baggage carousals later, my Salomon case was tired.

OK, fine, it was knackered. It needed to be replaced.

But the thing was…I couldn’t let go. Even when the handle was stuck, and I was holding up a plane full of passengers, I worried that I wouldn’t find another case quite as good as the one I had. I couldn’t just replace it, either – Salomon had changed the design to this one, which I hadn’t tested. What if it didn’t live up to my (admittedly, extremely high) expectations?

What is The Travel Hack Pro Cabin Case?

And then a suitcase arrived in the mail.

My incredibly clever friend Monica has designed her very own cabin case in collaboration with Cabin Max and I have to say, it’s gorgeous. Like, so pretty that I was almost ready to chuck out my old case immediately.

I looked at all the features: spacious main compartment, a handbag compartment (for those EasyJet flights where they will NOT let you take a second bag on your flight, even if it’s the size of a postage stamp), a padded laptop sleeve, a water bottle holder and internal pockets, and I was impressed.

The Travel Hack Pro Cabin Case Review - diagram of external features

The Travel Hack Pro Cabin Case Review - diagram of internal features

But a suitcase needs to be truly tested before it can be reviewed, and so I waited for my next trip to come around, and in the meantime I stared at the pretty pink lining and the rose gold zippers on that gorgeous black quilted case, and I prayed it was as good as it looked.

Travelling with The Travel Hack Pro Cabin Case

The first opportunity I had to truly test this carry-on case (not including a quick road trip to Cornwall) was my Christmas markets trip to Zagreb, Croatia, in December.

I’ve done quite a few winter weekend breaks with my trusty Salomon case, so I’ve come to know what I can fit in there, and what to leave at home. After packing everything I thought I needed for my trip into my new The Travel Hack Pro Cabin Case, there was still space. Loads of space. I panicked a little. I’m not used to having extra room, and it made me nervous that I’d forgotten something.

So I did something very un-Elle-like…I packed some extra bits. For just in case (of course, just in case never happened, and I didn’t wear any of the extra things, and I felt mildly guilty all weekend for breaking my own packing rules).

The Travel Hack Pro Cabin Case Review - Elle with her case

This picture was taken on a trip to Cornwall, not the Christmas market trip!!

Impressed with the roominess of The Travel Hack Pro Cabin Case, I still withheld judgement. The true test of a case isn’t what you can get into it, it’s whether (or not) it makes a good travel companion.

I arrived at the airport and, as I was travelling with hand luggage only, I made my way to the security screening queue. I’d packed my clear plastic bag of liquids, along with my Kindle, into the top handbag compartment, which meant when I got to the front of the security line, I just had to reach in and grab them – no more rummaging through pockets to find all the bits and pieces that need to be presented separately for screening.

I wasn’t flying EasyJet, so I had another small handbag with me, but it would have easily fit – along with my liquids and kindle, into the top pocket. This feature really is a game-changer. I smugly sailed through security, wondering how I’d travelled without such a clever suitcase before.

Through security, it was time to face what I saw as the biggest challenge: getting onto the plane without them confiscating my bag. The Travel Hack Pro Cabin Case was designed to be taken onto most airlines as hand luggage, but it looks much bigger than my old case, which made me worry that the cabin crew would also see it as huge and make me put it in the hold. One of my biggest travel pet peeves is having to collect luggage at my destination, so if this bag wasn’t going to pass the boarding test, it simply couldn’t be my favourite.

I waited nervously in the line, got to the front, and…no one batted an eyelid! I know it would have fit in the measuring cage thingy if it had come to it, but I didn’t fancy having to argue my case (pun intended). However, there were no problems and once I’d boarded, it fit easily into the overhead locker (after I’d grabbed my in-flight essentials from the handbag compartment, of course).

Overall impressions of The Travel Hack Pro Cabin Case

Travelling with The Travel Hack Pro Cabin Case is a dream.

It’s roomy, expertly designed and manufactured to an exceptionally high standard. The wheels roll smoothly, the zips glide along perfectly, and the telescopic handle, unlike my old case, feels sturdy and is comfortable to hold.

The Travel Hack Pro Cabin Case Review - Elle with two cases

There were only two very minor things I wasn’t so keen on. The first was that I couldn’t get the compression straps to stay closed. This wasn’t an issue as I wasn’t trying to close a very full suitcase, but if you rely on the straps you might struggle a little.

The other thing was that the handle to carry the case when you weren’t wheeling it was in a bit of an unnatural position, meaning if I wanted to keep the telescopic handle up, I couldn’t grab the carry handle as it would squash my hand. The solution? Push the telescopic handle in before carrying the case.

Even taking into account these tiny points, I have still fallen in love with this case. I’ve all but forgotten my once-beloved Salomon case, and have been recommending The Travel Hack Pro Cabin Case to all of my friends and family.

And the best part about it? The price! At £72, this is one of the best value suitcases I’ve seen. I have no doubt that it’ll stand the test of time, and I know it’ll be my new favourite travel companion for many years (and many adventures) to come!

Buy your own The Travel Hack Pro Cabin Case here!

The Travel Hack Pro Cabin Case
  • Price
  • Size
  • Features
  • Durability
  • Convenience
4.9

Summary

A brilliant carry-on bag that’s designed by a seasoned traveller who knows what a good suitcase needs, and that’s accepted on many major airlines .

Heads up: I was sent a The Travel Hack Pro Cabin Case for free in exchange for an honest review, but I genuinely did love it as much as I said – I’m always honest in my reviews.

Pin this for later: 

The Travel Hack Pro Cabin Case Review