REASONS TO BUY
Affordable
Expandable zipper
Light weight
REASONS TO AVOID
No great place to fold in business wear without creases
Small wheels perform poorly over uneven surfaces
SwissGear 7208 Expandable Liteweight Spinner Review
SwissGear's 7208 20" Expandable Liteweight Spinner is an affordable bag that gets the job done well
Credit: Amazon
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Our Verdict
The 7208 20" Expandable Liteweight Carry On Spinner from SwissGear is an excellent choice for the infrequent traveler on a tight budget. Its four 360 degree spinning wheels handle the tight spaces in airports, train stations and airplanes with ease. At 6.11 pounds, this bag is easy to carry and lift into overhead bins. Its expandable zipper allows extra space for souvenirs on the way home. The 7208 Spinner also comes with a removable plastic toiletry bag to help keep items organized and to provide easy access to liquids during TSA checks. It may not be the best choice for frequent travelers who put their gear through the wringer, but at $119 it will get the job done without breaking the bank.
If you're looking for a bag that you can knock around, knowing that it will last, check out our Editors' Choice bag, the Travel Pro Platinum Elite. This bag can do almost anything, but its abilities are reflected in its higher price.
Our Analysis and Test Results
The 7208 Liteweight Spinner measures 20" x 13.5" x 10.5" and weighs 6.11 pounds. It is made with Durable Dobby Weave Polyester, has two exterior and two interior pockets. Its four 360-degree spinning wheels are great for maneuvering through tight airport terminals and airport shuttles.
Performance Comparison
The 7208 Spinner is affordable and highly functional.
Credit: Miranda Oakley
Ease of Transport
We love the Liteweight Spinner on pavement and polished floors. It has four 360 degree spinning wheels that allow you to push the bag in front, pull it behind, and make sharp turns in tight spaces. The ease of maneuverability makes this bag ideal for airplanes and airport shuttles.
The bag's lightweight also makes it a pleasure to wheel around. This is partially due to its small and lightweight wheels. These are less than ideal on varied or uneven terrain, however. We found a lot of resistance when attempting to roll the bag over dirt and gravel.
This bag is less than ideal for uneven terrain.
Credit: Miranda Oakley
Storage
The SwissGear Liteweight Spinner is spacious and easy to pack for our long winter weekend test, which includes two pairs of pants, sweaters, shirts, running shoes, work clothes, undergarments, a laptop, a large novel, and toiletries. It also has an expandable zipper for packing in an extra puffy jacket or souvenirs.
It's also an easy bag to organize. Compression straps keep clothes in place when opening the bag. It comes with a removable plastic toiletry bag, an exterior laptop pocket, and a smaller exterior wallet or passport pocket, keeping time in the TSA security line to a minimum. Although the Liteweight Spinner does have an interior mesh zipper pocket, there is no ideal space to keep business attire wrinkle-free.
This model has two exterior pockets for easy access to laptops and passports.
Credit: Miranda Oakley
Features
The simple design of the Liteweight Spinner has fewer features than many of its competitors. The most distinguishing attributes of this piece are its removable plastic toiletry bag and its expandable zipper. The bag also comes with a lockable main compartment zipper.
This luggage comes with a removable plastic toiletry bag for quick TSA security checks.
Credit: Miranda Oakley
Durability
The Liteweight Spinner is made with Durable Dobby Weave Polyester. Its fixed handles are well stitched and the corners of the bag are reinforced with plastic lining. The lightweight spinning wheels showed signs of wear and tear after testing over one mile of varied terrain but overall they performed better than expected. The bag balances durability with a lightweight design. Wheel durability seemed to be sacrificed in order to keep the bag ultralight.
Smaller plastic wheels help keep this bag under seven pounds.
Weight
At 6.11 pounds the Liteweight Spinner is one of the lightest bags we reviewed. This lightweight design makes it easier to carry the fully loaded bag over stairs and lift into overhead compartments.
Perfect for the occasional business trip for an infrequent traveler.
Credit: Ron Phifer
Style
This bag is not particularly sleek or fashion-forward. However, it has a clean-cut and simple design that is appropriate for business trips and travel adventures alike. Although it is one of the most affordable bags we reviewed, its low price point is not reflected in its high-quality appearance.
This model is suitable for business or more adventurous travel.
Best Applications
This bag is ideal for the infrequent traveler who needs an affordable bag for occasional long weekend getaways and informal business trips. It performs best on hard, even surfaces through tight and narrow spaces, making it ideal for airport and bus travel but not great for adventure travel over uneven terrain.
This SwissGear bag won't break the bank if you're traveling on a budget.
Credit: Ron Phifer
Value
The older generation SwissGear carry on, the Swissgear Meyrin 20 won our Best Buy award in the past with a total score of 73 and the price listed as $120. The Liteweight Spinner is our new Best Buy award winner with an overall score of 76.5.
With four 360-degree spinning wheels, this bag is great at maneuvering through tight spaces on airport shuttles.
Credit: Ron Phifer
Conclusion
The SwissGear Liteweight Spinner is the perfect piece for the light-duty traveler who wants a quality bag for a competitive price. With smaller and lighter plastic wheels, you may find yourself wanting to carry the bag over uneven terrain or stairs to make the bag last longer. This can be cumbersome, but for such a low price, many travelers may find it's worth it.
—
Clark Tate
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