Imagine you’re preparing for an upcoming business trip.
The suggested clothes to pack include suits, button down shirts, and dress pants. In addition, you want to pack some running clothes to get in your morning workout in the hotel gym prior to your meetings. How do you pack everything in an organized, wrinkle-free way?
A shrewd choice would be taking a garment bag. Garment bags are suitcases designed to be like wardrobes on wheels, holding your suits, shirts and pants wrinkle free.
The Sparrow garment bag from ECBC can hold all of your suits and dress clothes while having a completely separate compartment for other clothes or gear and another compartment for your laptop and any important documents.
Here are my thoughts on the ECBC Sparrow:
Pros:
- Well organized, lots and lots of pockets, even has a water bottle compartment
- Easy to access laptop compartment
- Uses ECBC’s FastPass System which allows you to open the laptop compartment and go through TSA security without having to remove the laptop
- Carry-on, but large enough to fit a week’s worth of clothes or more
- Great for packing suits and dress shirts, ideal for business travelers – travel wrinkle free
- Smooth YKK zippers
- Durable, the bottom of the bag is reinforced
- Two handles (one at the top and one at the side) make it easy to lift, also you can hold the bag by the bottom feet if needed
Can it be used as a carry-on?
The Sparrow is within carry-on restrictions for most US airlines, although if you overpack it, it won’t fit. The depth of the bag is slightly too large – ideally the bag would be a bit smaller so travelers could comfortably take the ECBC Sparrow with them in the cabin. If you fill the laptop compartment to the max, it’ll be difficult to fit the bag into one of those carry-on boxes at the check-in counter.
So in short, yes, the Sparrow can be used as a carry-on, but if you overpack and the bag is bulging, it won’t fit in one of those carry-on measuring box.
Wheels
The ECBC Sparrow is a two wheeled suitcase. It is not a spinner. The wheels run smoothly and are made of a hard plastic material.
Interior and Organization
In my opinion, the standout feature of the Sparrow is it’s organization. There are 3 main parts to the bag:
1. The front compartment – this part is where you’ll put your laptop, electronics, notebooks and anything else you’ll need to quickly access
2. Garment compartment – this compartment allows you to easily pack and organize your suits, pants and dress clothes without wrinkles. You can leave the clothes on their hangers when using this compartment. Inside this compartment are two triangular packing compartments, ideal for small items like socks or underwear
3. The main compartment – it has a standard rectangular design with two elastic straps for keeping everything in place. This compartment is about the same size as the garment compartment.
Cons:
- Telescoping handle is not as durable as I’d like – it’s wobbly and thin
- The zippers are not lockable
- Minor design concern: The zippered compartment which covers the handle is a bit annoying and unnecessary
- Pricey, retail $399
- If you’re not traveling with a suit, blazer or dress shirt, the garment organizer is somewhat useless
- I found the tablet compartment to be a bit unnecessary. Usually if you travel with a laptop, you wouldn’t need an iPad, so it wasn’t needed for there to be both a laptop and tablet compartment. Also, the tablet compartment is heavily padded – which is a good thing if you’re using it – but it takes up precious space.
- Having the laptop compartment on the very front of a soft-sided bag isn’t the most secure place.
The current zippers are durable and smooth, but they’d can’t be locked. This is a concern in particular for the laptop compartment. It would be an easy improvement if the zippers were like the ones depicted below, found on most suitcases:
Or, even better than lockable zippers, ECBC should include a built in TSA approved lock, like the ones found on the Victorinox Spectra carry-on and the Hedgren Traction suitcase.
The Verdict:
The ECBC Sparrow garment bag is a winner in terms of organizing your clothes and gear, but it could use some improvement with it’s telescoping handle, zippers as well as it’s sizing. If you’re taking a trip that’ll require you to wear a suit in the near future, you’ll need a garment bag, and the ECBC Sparrow is a great option.
This luggage is priced at retail $399.
Where to Get It:
- You can find the ECBC Sparrow Wheeled Garment Bag on ec-bc.com
- Also at Amazon.com
What are your thoughts? Leave a comment below.
The ECBC Sparrow Wheeled Garment Bag was provided for this review. As always, this ECBC Sparrow Wheeled Garment Bag review contains only my honest views and opinions. 🙂 Find out more about me and this site here.
This would be perfect for my husband! He’s traveling to North Carolina in a few weeks!
Very cool, is he going for a business trip? Good luck!
LOL I live in NC!! We are traveling to DC, Emerald Isle and Florida this summer but I would love to use it to travel to Singapore with the family!
I would take this on a weekend getaway with my boyfriend.
I have loved my tiny suitcase to death and this one would be the perfect replacement! 🙂
Awesome!
To Hawaii
Nice – when are you planning on going?
EVERY TIME I GO ON A 1-3 DAY TRIP – I will take this. Business, Pleasure, near or far I always need room for a jacket or two, shirts and pants, workout clothes and electronics. It will likely even be my carry-on for all long haul trips! Hopefully I don’t wear it out too soon. I Can’t wait to start using it! … Pretty Please :))
Good luck!
I would go to British Columbia its so pretty out there
I travel intermittently for business, and my well-loved bag just broke a wheel (the rubbery plastic ‘tire’ of the wheel, to be specific) at JFK on my last trip. I have upcoming trips to Boston and Detroit, and would love to use this bag (without the repetitive sound of my now-broken bag.)
Virginia, to visit friends
I would love to take this to Santa Fe and Taos , New Mexico! I’m impressed by
the organization and the three compartments. This bag will handle all of my
clothes and I’ll arrive wrinkle -free.
I’d like to take this with me to Ireland.
This would be perfect for traveling
Going on a cruise. This would be perfect.
The next place I want to travel with the ECBC garment bag is Nova Scotia. Thanks for the chance.
I would use it to go to Malta !
Nice – I haven’t been to Malta, but want to visit!
I would be so happy to take this on my next family vacation; thank you so much.
I would take this to see my best friend in Charlotte.
will go to Florida with it to our condo
Fabulous review on this luggage. My husband needs some so badly and I would LOVE to surprise him with this. He would first take it on a trip to the beach in Destin this summer but it would also be great for work travel. Thanks so much for the chance to win.
I would like to travel to Iceland.
Awesome! I was in Iceland about 2 years ago; it’s a super photogenic place!
I’m going to Disney World in October
I would travel to Florida, love this bag
I am heading to Paris France
My nephew lives in Michigan- so I can totally see myself taking this beauty on a trip to visit him!
Good luck!
We are traveling to Texas and this would be wonderful to have on the trip
Nice! What part of Texas are you visiting?
My husband will be traveling to Europe this fall on business!
Have fun! Are you planning on squeezing in a vacation after with the business part?
Heading to San Francisco. Perfect bag.
I’d use it for weekend trips to Disney.
It’d be perfect for that! Which is your favorite Disney Park?
Planning on going to Lindon next year. This would be the perfect carry on.
Our niece is getting married in South Carolina in September. Perfect bag!
I would go back to San Juan, PR….Just to relax and get some Retail Therapy in Old San Juan
My Dad’s high school class reunion is in August in Pennsylvania and this would fit my travel luggage needs perfectly.
Peru and Ecuador!
I am taking a lifelong dream trip in January and heading to London! Desperately needing a new carry on!
I would take this to Ocean City or wherever I go. Thanks for the chance to win!
purposedrivenlife4you at gmail dot com
I will travel to visit my BFF in another state.
Cool! What state is your BFF in?