Travelpro Platinum Elite 29” Expandable Spinner Review

1. Introduction

For short-term holidayers, choosing an efficient, small suitcase is sometimes the most convenient option. After all, it means less weight to lug around. For digital nomads, however, you often need to carry your whole existence with you on your travels. The bigger the luggage, the better!

That’s where having a mammoth, 100l-plus bag comes in handy – and they don’t come much bigger than the Travelpro Platinum Elite 29” Expandable Spinner.

Travelpro actually has a fascinating history as a company. It was founded by a guy named Robert Plath, who essentially invented the wheeled suitcase as we know it in 1987. An airline pilot who craved greater convenience, Bob Plath initially sold his product to fellow airline employees, before widening his sights to take aim at the whole travel market.

The Platinum Elite has evolved a lot from Plath’s initial design, but the core tenets of Travelpro have remained the same: mobility and durability.

2. Size, Capacity & First Impressions

With dimensions of 32.5” H x 21” W x 13.25” D (82.5cm x 53.5cm x 33.5cm), the Platinum Elite 29” is a beast of a product – and looks it. As soon as the box arrived on our doorstep, we were slightly awed by the thought of having to drag the bag about with us, but maybe that’s just because we’re kind of short!

The total capacity is advertised at 143.5l, and the suitcase certainly looks huge, even before expanding its depth an extra 2”.

That may sound awesome, and it is to a degree. Just bear in mind that the size of the Platinum Elite 29” is not going to meet a lot of checked luggage restrictions if you’re traveling in Economy. For example, American carriers like Delta and United as well as international carriers like Lufthansa and Turkish only allow checked luggage that is less than 62” (158cm) when you add the height, width, and depth together.

FYI, the Platinum Elite’s dimensions add up to 66.75” (169.5cm). That’s substantially over, although there are airlines that will allow big bags. When we were testing the Platinum Elite 29”, we flew with British Airways, which doesn’t seem to care about the size of the luggage, just how much it weighs.

Speaking of weight, the bag is 11.5lbs (5.2kg) empty, which is OK for a softshell suitcase, though slightly on the heavy side overall.

Now we’ve got size out the way, let’s talk a bit about our visual first impressions. One thing we really liked off the bat with the Platinum Elite 29” was the way the interior lining matched up with the exterior color. Travelpro has done a really nice job of coordinating its exterior and interior fabric, to a greater degree than a lot of luggage brands.

We went with the rich Bordeaux Red, but you can also go for Shadow Black, True Navy, Vintage Grey, Coastal Blue – there are quite a few color options, all tastefully understated.

3. Features & Functionality

Bringing together scuff-resistant fabric, chrome zippers, and a water-resistant lining made from recycled plastic bottles, there’s a lot to like about the Platinum Elite 29”.

Storage & Interior Design:

There’s a ton of different spaces for packing your stuff. First up, there are two compartments on the front of the suitcase for items that you might want quick access to, one slimmer and one that opens out into a decent-sized space that can also house dirty laundry in a pinch.

Inside is the large main compartment, featuring a buckle-based compression system to cinch down clothes, as well as two long pockets along the side where you can store toiletries or electronic cables.

The interior of lid of the suitcase houses a trifold garment area, which is designed to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and is the perfect size for a formal suit or dress.

Both the compression pads and the garment area are fronted by mesh pockets, which we used for books and notebooks.

Wheels & Handling:

We were really into the telescopic trolley handle, which is made from aluminum and has four different stages. What most attracted us to this feature was the rubberized touch points on both edges of the handle, which encouraged us to push the suitcase from the side rather than guiding it from the top. Honestly, that’s not how we normally, er, roll, but it worked very well with such smooth wheels.

Speaking of the wheels, the four, 360-degree dual MagnaTrac spinners are lovely to use in airports and across pavement, but they are a little vulnerable. They seem to jut out of the suitcase more than similar softside models.

Security:

There’s a built-in TSA-approved combination lock on the side of the suitcase, which the chrome zippers click into with a satisfying snap. It’s pretty standard but nicely made.

Mobility & Ease of Use:

We loved the feel of the main handles, which are made from a wonderfully soft leather – although admittedly it’s not the most animal-friendly feature. There’s also a grab handle on the bottom of the suitcase for added maneuverability.

4. Durability & Travel Performance

A bag this size is always going to be difficult to lift, and we did find it quite cumbersome, despite the easy-to-use handles. It also develops a bit of a bulge when you pack it quite full, which is not unusual with softside bags but isn’t an attractive look either. We weren’t winning any style points with this piece of luggage in tow!

Some of our initial concerns about the fragility of the wheels dissipated when we used the bag, and actually that extra height seemed necessary when we were dragging the suitcase behind us. Still, we can’t help thinking that the design of those spinners poses a risk long term.

Then again, the Platinum Elite 29” comes with a lifetime warranty (at least in the US) that covers the repair of the wheels. While having to send off the suitcase from abroad would undoubtedly be a massive inconvenience, at least we wouldn’t have to pay out to fix the issue.

Incidentally, there’s also a 100-day trial period so you can test drive the Travelpro suitcase – just remember it will have to be returned in pristine condition if you don’t like it!

5. Pros and Cons

Pros

• Massive capacity
• Lifetime warranty
• Excellent organization

Cons

• Too big for many airlines
• Cumbersome to maneuver

6. How It Compares to Other Checked Luggage

The Travelpro Platinum Elite 29” Expandable Spinner is cast in the same mold as the Briggs & Riley Baseline Large Expandable Spinner and the TUMI Extended Trip Expandable 4 Wheeled Packing Case.

All three have loads of different compartments and pockets for organized packing, as well as a special garment area for formal clothing. They also all come with a capacity of at least 100l – although the Travelpro is the largest of the lot.

Where they massively differ is the price. The Travelpro is $450.49, which isn’t cheap, but it doesn’t come close to the cost of the Briggs & Riley ($929) or the TUMI ($1,395).

The flipside of that is the Platinum Elite 29” isn’t quite as smart as the Baseline Large Expandable Spinner or the Extended Trip Expandable Packing case. For us, the Travelpro looks and feels more like a big suitcase for a long-term expat couple or even family, rather than the understand business chic of the Briggs & Riley or the TUMI.

We also need to return to the issue of size. The designers at Briggs & Riley clearly had an eye on the limits for most airlines, as the Baseline Larger Expandable Spinner fits pretty much every airline’s checked luggage limits. The TUMI is a bit more hit and miss but will mostly pass muster if you don’t have the expandable functionality engaged.

The Travelpro, on the other hand, is almost always going to be oversized. That will probably mean paying an additional baggage fee to take it with you in. However, it might be worth forking over some extra dollars to ensure you have everything you need abroad.

7. Who It’s For (And Who It’s Not)

Perfect for: long-term expats, remote families

Not ideal for: lightweight packers, nomads who regularly move

Even for the chronic over-packer, the Platinum Elite 29” will have you covered for a month, no problem. We can’t envisage many scenarios where you wouldn’t be able to pack all-weather outfits plus the usual toiletries into this big-boned bag – unless you’re an Antarctic researcher and need loads of hardcore winter gear and equipment!

8. Final Verdict & Rating

The price to quality ratio on the Travelpro Platinum Elite 29” was a no-brainer for us. Is it as high-quality as true luxury luggage? No, but that’s reflected in the massively lower price.

Of course, this isn’t a cheap suitcase by any means, and it certainly counts as what we would call an investment piece, but it also feels more robust than a really bargain-basement bag.

We wouldn’t recommend this suitcase to those expats who flit from location to location every few weeks because it’s simply too unwieldy. BUT for digital nomads who really are packing up their whole lives and plan to stay put in one place for months (if not years), there’s a lot to be said for the enormous capacity and numerous organizational compartments.

Rating: 4/5

9. FAQ Section

What’s the warranty policy?

Travelpro provides a limited lifetime warranty that covers functional defects, such as wheels, zippers, and handles. It does not cover cosmetic damage. As a nice little bonus, the company will also cover shipping costs for product repairs/replacements as well as damage caused by airlines if you register your suitcase within 120 days of delivery.

Is the luggage waterproof?

The suitcase has a DuraGuard exterior that is water and stain resistant. That means it will repel rain and snow, but it will not necessarily protect its contents during torrential downpours or if it undergoes a full dunking in a river.