REVIEWED: Lat56 RW_01 Road Warrior carry-on suitcase (2-wheel) with garment bag
Supreme build quality and functional design make this high-class two-wheeler perfect for business trips and weekends away
Two-wheeler carry-on luggage is everywhere, but so generic it’s dull. Cue the multi-functional Lat56 RW_01 Road Warrior that’s packed with handy pockets and serious thought; this is luggage designed by travellers, for travellers.
Suits you
A key feature of the Lat56 RW_01 Road Warrior is its SPS Suit Packing System, a foam coat-hanger and foldable suit cover that comes with detachable Velcro cubes for storing socks and underwear – and all in the lid. Zipped away and out of sight, it’s easy to go on a business trip without a suit dominating your packing. There’s even a detachable shoe bag for storing something smart. TravGear hates travelling with extra footwear, but we’ll make an exception here.
Silky fabric
At 55x37x20cm and weighing 3.1kg when empty, the Lat56 RW_01 Road Warrior is perfectly sized for a night or two away from home. The inside of the bag is excellent, with a lush red silky fabric lining containing zip pockets around the frame. Great idea! Perfect for toiletries and toothbrushes, they can also be used to store cables and other gadget clutter. We managed to pack it full of photography gear, from SD cards and cables to lens brushes and even a tripod!
Handle woes
On the outside is a zipped pouch that hides the handle and retractable column, a highly unusual and very neat feature – in theory. However, this is where we hit a problem; unzipping the pouch is simple, but yanking the handle out while on the move is not easy – it snags on the pouch. It caused us to have to stop amongst a stream of train passengers at the airport to sort it out. This happened every time we used the handle. However once it’s up and out, dragging the Lat56 RW_01 Road Warrior is a dream, with its signature red wheels solid and stable as well as eye-catching.
Liquids pouch
Also on the outside is a full length pouch ideal for holding a magazine, a Kindle, or iPad while boarding the plane. Could this be toughened-up to take a small laptop (a feature this case surprisingly lacks)? There’s also a pouch accessible from the top to store a plastic bag of liquids for easy access at security. Getting at your shampoo and toothpaste quickly proved useful, but once you’re through security that pouch would be better used as a place to slip an iPad for a quickdraw on the plane. Sadly, only an iPad Mini fits. Using the pouch also affects the space available on the inside of the case.
Blistering build
The Lat56 RW_01 Road Warrior makes it easy to get what you want, when you want it, and without any of the sharp edges that so many overnight bags have. Truly, designer Kevin Fox has thought of everything – save for a laptop sleeve, which is conspicuous by its absence. A grab handle on the side and perhaps a integrated luggage tag might be useful additions, too. Either way, the Lat56 RW_01 Road Warrior has heaps of personality, from its streamlined-design right through to its blistering build quality.