Lat_56 RW_02 Road Warrior Carry-On Review

There’s nothing more transit-worthy than a dependable and well-thought-out suitcase.

Expert travelers certainly agree. For most, it’s a stretch to find that right suitcase. There are thousands out there and not all fit the bill.

The RW_02 Road Warrior carry-on spinner by Lat_56 is one which catches the eye.

It isn’t a purely soft-side suitcase, nor could you consider the Road Warrior a polycarbonate clad hard-side suitcase: it’s a hybrid. With that, you get the best aspects of each type. The RW_02 has a solid but flexible hexagonal-lattice exterior in the front and sides and a back that are made of a tightly woven ballistic nylon.

I’ve been testing the Lat_56 Road Warrior for some time now and here are my thoughts on the spinner:

Pros:

• Good organization, has several interior pockets, includes a shoe/dirty laundry pouch
• Very robust telescoping handle
• Durable construction
• Front pocket allows you to access toiletries without opening the main compartment – great when going through airport security
• Included luggage lock
• Pocket at the back of the bag for holding items like notebooks
• Lots of attention paid to detail in the design (i.e. there’s a plastic handle at the bottom of the suitcase, great for lifting)

When using the Lat_56 suitcase for the first time, the main aspect which stood out to me was the protracting handle. I’ve tested a lot of carry on suitcases, but I’ve never felt handles as durable as those on the Road Warrior. The telescoping handles on most suitcases (even the $700+ Tumi luggage) tend to wiggle and rattle, but there was none of that from the RW_02. It was abnormally smooth.

The overall construction of the Road Warrior is high quality. There are two carry handles, one at the top of the bag and one at the side. There is also a plastic handle at the bottom of the bag which makes lifting easy.

The bag also features a pocket for holding your toiletries.

Since the side of this suitcase is made of fabric, it does not have a built in TSA lock like the Victorinox Spectra or the many other hard-sided suitcases do. Although there isn’t a built in lock, there is a combination lock included with the Road Warrior – I was pleasantly surprised to find a Lat_56 branded TSA approved combination lock inside the suitcase.

The included lock will do, however I would prefer a built in luggage lock as I tend to lose most independent locks (I recently lost my Masterlock cable lock somewhere in the Dominican Republic).

Read more: 7 Best Luggage Locks for Travelers

Durability:

The Lat_56 Road Warrior is one of the most durable suitcases I’ve tested. All of it’s components are sturdy and able to withstand the stresses of travel. The corners are reinforced and I can’t perceive it having any tears or cracks, even if thrown by luggage handlers.

Weight:

The Lat_56 Road Warrior suitcase weighs 8.6 pounds when empty, according to my luggage scale (not regurgitated from manufacturer’s specs). 8.6 pounds is heavy compared to other carry-on suitcases. The weight can mainly be attributed to the heavy duty materials used. The telescoping handle itself probably weighs quite a bit since it’s more than double the thickness of that on the 4.6 pound Delsey Chatillon luggage.

It’s not uncommon to see carry-on suitcases that weigh around 4 pounds, and some suitcases, like the IT Luggage (which weighs only 3.6 pounds and costs under $50! (but isn’t the best quality)) weigh even less than that.

The question is, how much does weight matter to you? When traveling with a spinner luggage, you barely have to lift it up, except for when you need to put it into an airplane’s overhead compartment or lift it out of a car’s trunk.

The Interior:

The interior of the Road Warrior spinner is lined completely with a red fabric. On the clamshell opening is a mesh pocket and on the sides of the main compartment are pockets, perfect for holding items like socks.

The red pouch with the Lat_56 logo is the toiletry pocket, accessible from the exterior of the suitcase as mentioned earlier. That pouch isn’t removable and sometimes gets in the way when packing the main compartment.

When I first opened the Road Warrior, I felt like the interior was quite small. The included shoe pouch took up almost half of the entire suitcase. In reality, the Road Warrior spinner isn’t much smaller than the other carry-ons I’ve tested, but it appears small, especially when using the shoe pouch.

Overall the interior is convenient with it’s many pockets, but feels a bit cramped.

Cons:

• Heavy, 8.6 lbs when empty (with the rise of spinner suitcases, the weight of a suitcase is less important, since they can be moved with little effort and only infrequently need to be lifted)
• All discerning travelers know: zippers can make or break a bag. Unfortunately, the zippers on the Road Warrior spinner are tight and can be tough to move especially around corners

The exterior zippers on the Road Warrior suitcase can be tough to move due to the zipper design. Take a look at the diagram below:

The zippers on the Road Warrior look more like the blue zipper than the grey one. The coils are covered making it more water resistant, but tighter and harder to zip and unzip, especially around the corners. Water resistant zippers are somewhat unnecessary, I don’t see a pressing need for them – I’d much rather my zippers be smooth than water resistant.

The Verdict:

Overall, the Lat_56 Road Warrior spinner luggage is an attractive and well made suitcase, albeit not without flaws. This suitcase is ideal for business travelers and globetrotters.

The Road Warrior costs retail $449, which is on the higher end of the pricing spectrum. I’d expect for this suitcase to last a long time. The handle is one of the most common places where suitcases break and above all others, the Road Warrior has the best handle making it easy to maneuver in any airport surfaces.

Where To Get This Suitcase:

• You can find it on Lat56.com for retail $449

What are your thoughts? Leave a comment below.

The Lat_56 RW_2 suitcase was provided for this review. As always, this Lat_56 Road Warrior suitcase review contains only my honest views and opinions. 🙂 Find out more about me and this site here.