REVIEW – One instance of realizing that you are now an adult is when you finally find yourself shopping for luggage. What used to be just handed down to you or whatever you could find in your closet to stuff clothes in for spring break suddenly turned into a systematic (spreadsheets may have been involved) search for the lightest, largest capacity, rolling suitcase (because when you become an adult your back also starts hurting), that you can easily spot on the conveyor belt at a decent price. Let’s see if Roam’s The Expedition Expandable roller checks all the blocks.
What is it?
The Roam Expedition Expandable is their largest roller suitcase with 121 liters of total capacity weighing a svelte 10.6lb and you can fully customize the colors. Roam luggage is hand-made in Vidalia, Georgia to your specifications when you order it. They have two carry-on and two larger check-in sizes to choose from with all four available in either non-expandable or expandable form.
What’s in the box?
The Roam Expedition Expandable luggage arrived in a form-fitting box with a nice protective storage cover.
Specifications
Unexpanded: 30”h x 19.5”w x 11”d
Unexpanded Capacity: 89 Liters
Expanded: 30”h x 19.5”w x 13”d
Expanded Capacity: 121 Liters
Weight: 10.6 lbs
- 100% virgin polycarbonate shell made in USA
- Telescoping handle with 4 height settings
- Ergonomic handle grip (top and side)
- Water-repellent zipper
- TSA-approved combination lock
- 4 smooth-riding ball bearing wheels
- Interior compression system on both sides
- Water-resistant, washable fabric lining
Design and Features
The Roam Expedition is a rectangular hardshell check-in style roller case that allows you to customize the color of the front shell, back shell, zipper, binding, wheels, carry handle, and monogram patch. At the time I had 7 colors to choose from for the front and back shell. The Venetian Green came out a little more muted than I would have liked but the Como Blue really pops. For trim, wheels, and carry handle I had 10 color options. One of the best colors I thought was Arabian Purple but it was only available for the binding at the time.
I loaded up the Roam Expedition Expandable luggage with clothes and a 20lb dumbbell and the ball bearing wheels were still very smooth even when it weighed 60 lbs. The handle clicked into the 4 different height settings solidly and was easy to grip and push or pull on all 4 wheels or tipped over on 2.
This isn’t the largest suitcase on the market but at 30”h x 19.5”w x 11”d I think it’ll be the perfect size for most trips and I found the dimensions easier to maneuver than the taller thinner suitcase I have. Even when expanded to add two more inches of room it didn’t feel unwieldy and was very easy to navigate.
The Roam Expedition Expandable has a TSA-approved lock located on the side near the lay-flat side carry handle and there is another lay flat carry handle on the top as well. There are no external pockets which gives it a nice streamlined look but does have a long zippered pocket on the inside hinge for miscellaneous items and comes with two compression panels that also have mesh pockets to keep socks or smaller items organized.
The best feature of the Roam Expedition Expandable luggage for me is that they have a lifetime limited warranty which covers any non-cosmetic damage that your case might incur, even if it’s from aggressive airline baggage handlers.
The limited warranty covers the following:
- Cracks in the front or back shell
- Wheels, handles, or telescoping handles that are no longer usable
- Zippers that can no longer be opened or closed
- Fabric tears that render linings and compression boards non-functional
If you find yourself looking for luggage I am sorry to say you are now an adult but you aren’t stuck with the boring traditional one color suitcase any more thanks to Roam.
What I like
- Quality construction and wheels
- Custom color options
- Lifetime warranty
- Hand made in the USA
What I’d change
- More color options
- Bottom carry handle
Final thoughts:
I love the Roam Expedition Expandable luggage. At $695.00 it is not cheap but similar cases from other brands that I looked at were well over the $1,000 price mark; were heavier, not made in the USA, and did not have as good a warranty let alone allowed you to pick your own colors. I do wish more colors had been available and that it came with a bottom carry handle to help when lifting but those are minor complaints since Roam has checked all the other items on my list for what I need in a rolling suitcase and then some.
Price: $695.00
Where to buy: Roam online store
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Roam.
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As one who has traveled extensively over the years, Through many Airports, in many countries, I’ve bought dozens of pieces of luggage. The failing that these type of hardshell cases has is in the wheel style. You need one with the wheels recessed into the case bottom, unlike those like those pictured above. Baggage handlers universally, play snap the stem to relieve themselves of the boredom.