Travelpro Platinum Elite 29" Review

The Platinum Elite fits the bill as a full-size piece of checked luggage. Measuring from the floor, it stands 32 inches in height, making it the tallest bag in our flight crew. Its main compartment also boasts the most volume of any bag on our list.

Performance Comparison

Capacity

In terms of capacity, the Platinum Elite rolls into town big and beautifully.

Its 117-liter main compartment offers the most packing volume of any bag in our lineup, and it also provides one of the most comprehensive packing systems available in the luggage industry.

Our favorite feature is the bag's fold-out suiter, a folding compartment for hanging clothes like dresses, suits, formal wear, or any other clothing that needs special care. It minimizes wrinkling and tucks away on the backside of the main flap.

Two mesh garment panels let you compress some or all of what you pack in the main compartment. They double as mesh bags for toiletries or small items like socks or gloves. A zip-out, plastic pocket on the right-hand side of the main compartment provides a safe place to store any liquid toiletries. Another pocket on the left helps subdivide your smaller items further.

All told, the Platinum Elite provides a nice amount of storage, and that's just on the inside. Two large external pockets complete the package. They're nice for stashing a few extra layers, a magazine, and maybe your wallet. But they are also large, running the full length of the suitcase, so they won't keep smaller items very organized or within easy reach.

Being the biggest also has its drawbacks. Weighing in at 12.2 pounds, the Platinum Elite ranks among the heavier bags on our list.

This added weight could potentially impact your travel plans, as most domestic and international airlines enforce a standard 50-pound weight limit for checked luggage, with fees assigned to bags that weigh more. In short, despite having an enormous amount of capacity, you may not be able to use it all depending on what you pack and how much it weighs.

Ease of Transport

Despite its massive size, the Platinum Elite maneuvers quite well, earning it top marks in this metric. Our testers specifically felt it rolled smoothly, hopped stairs and curbs well, and stayed balanced when being lifted by its grab handles.

When it comes to terrain, most luggage wheels do most of their cruising on smooth airport floors, with occasional rides on concrete or metal escalators. However, for this metric, we wanted to push our Platinum Elite to its limits on dirt, gravel, and grass. During our off-road adventures, we feel its wheels performed as well as could be expected, with just enough clearance to plow through nearly any terrain. Loaded with a max weight of 50 pounds, it certainly didn't tackle the great outdoors like a high-end SUV, but we were pleased nonetheless — although we do feel the wheels should be just a little taller.

Embedded magnets allow the Platinum Elite's 2-inch tall, double-wheeled spinners to simultaneously align in any direction you're traveling and from whatever side of the bag is leading. This simple but very effective technology is like an autopilot for your luggage, keeping the bag right next to your side as you run, stroll, or pull it on two wheels over a cobblestone path. This auto-alignment feature really shone during our rolling tests.

When it came to using brute force, this bag was not the easiest to lift into vehicles or schlep up a flight of stairs (or three). This is mostly due to the Platinum Elite's massive size. We admit, when fully loaded, it's one bulky sack of potatoes. That said, it does have two strong grab handles that are made to endure repeated lifting, tugging, and yanking. We often opted to lift and carry our bag by its top handle because it was easier than spinning it onto its side and carrying it horizontally. Although very sturdy and balanced, our only complaint about both handles is their size. Each is a little small and constrictive, so lifting this bail of hay for long periods can be a little uncomfortable.

Construction Quality

Above-average fabrics, plastics, zippers, handles, and buckles earned the Platinum Elite impressive scores for its overall quality of construction. We feel this bag is built for extensive travel and is ready to serve you for the long haul.

Indestructible is certainly an adjective we hope to give any bag we test, but in reality, the airline checked luggage life can often be a bumpy road, so unbreakable is not always true to life. However, do expect a certain level of brawn from our best overall bag, and the Platinum Elite did not disappoint. Its tough nylon exterior withstood our tumble and drop tests with only minor scuffs and scratches.

After being pushed down stairwells and dropped from ledges, we doused our Platinum Elite with several minutes of hose water to see how resistant it was to H20. After being drenched from all sides, we were pleased with this bag's performance. The exterior pockets were slightly damp on the inside, but the main compartment of the bag was basically dry.

Design and Functionality

It certainly isn't the trendiest bag on the block, but what the Platinum Elite lacks in trendy style, it makes up for in function. Simply put, this bag has some of the best packing features of almost any bag on the market, all at a price that is hundreds less than luxury suitcases that offer the same features.

We gave the Platinum Elite high scores in this metric for several reasons. It has unbeatable storage capacity, thoughtfully placed pouches, pockets, and compartments throughout, and top-notch auxiliary features (i.e., zippers, wheels, and trolley handle). Lastly, we feel its capstone feature is its exceptional packing system that can accommodate a wide variety of clothing and accessories.

Should You Buy the Travelpro Platinum Elite 29"?

Frequent flyers who require the ability to pack uniforms, formal wear, or other important clothing will enjoy the many storage and organizational features of the Platinum Elite. Although somewhat expensive, its price point is more appealing than luxury luggage brands that offer many of the same features. So if you take to the air often for work or pleasure and desire a bag that will accommodate your particular packing needs, this suitcase is certainly worth considering.

What Other Suitcases Should You Consider?

If you want a softshell bag that offers a lot of room but doesn't dent your bank account, we suggest the SwissGear Sion Softside Expandable Roller 29", although the Sion is not as sturdy as the Platinum Elite, and isn't built for routine extensive international travel. For an upgrade in durability and a top-tier design, consider the premium Briggs & Riley Baseline Large Expandable Spinner. Lastly, if you like the features of the Platinum Elite but don't need its full capacity, we suggest looking into the Travelpro Platinum Elite 25" or the carry on-sized 21-inch version.