By Ron Stern

I have gone through my fair share of rolling luggage in my travels and have had gripes with most of them, including flimsy construction, wheels that break after extended use, and I have even had two where the handles broke off. Also, with airlines charging hefty bag fees for overweight bags, finding the lightest carry-on possible would allow for more items inside and be easier on my wallet.

These concerns were all resolved in the new Travelpro Walkabout® Lite 3 which I had the chance to try out on a recent short haul trip. Weighing in at only 9.2 lbs. this 22” Rollaboard is light on its proverbial feet and is both durable as it is functional. Constructed with airline-grade aluminum tubes and using tear-resistant nylon fabric makes this a top pick for long-term use and is backed up by a lifetime limited warranty. The telescoping handle has two extensions, one of which is 43”, a godsend for tall people like me who hate stooping over while walking through a concourse.

The bag is expandable with plenty of pockets including a convenient one on the outside where I can place a last-minute bottle of water or bag of peanuts that would be easy to retrieve once onboard. There is also a 3-in-one suit folder that performs triple duty, keeping perfect creases in dresses and suits; detaching as a packing board to prevent clothes from wrinkling and acting as a divider to keep clean and dirty clothes separate.

I also appreciated the attention given to the high performance wheels on this product constructed with dual sealed ball-bearings and a protective housing that makes pulling it smooth and effortless. Travelpro has even thoughtfully included a 3-1-1 plastic see through pouch for liquids and gels when going through security. All of these thoughtful innovations are probably the reason why Travelpro is the primary bag of choice for flight crews and was seen being tugged about by George Clooney in the recent movie, Up in the Air.

Website: www.travelpro.com