We have quite a lot of luggage in our arsenal but a little like Goldilocks, sometimes it’s hard to find one that’s ‘just right’ for a particular trip. When Amelia and I were travelling to Japan, everyone said pack light – that’s just not my bag (pardon the pun) but I did take note that hotel rooms are often smaller in size and therefore our usual double sided bags might not cut it. As much as I like double sided bags for organisation, they are inconvenient as they don’t fit on hotel luggage racks. So, we went on a mission to find luggage that might work well for our trip and we found the Kathmandu Hybrid Trolley bags.
Kathmandu Hybrid Trolley luggage review
As I eyed the bag up and down in the store I wondered how on earth I’d fit my usual items in there and still leave room for shopping at our destination but I had a steely resolve and we came home with one 50L Kathmandu Hybrid Trolley and one 70L Kathmandu Hybrid Trolley. Who bought the big one? I’ll sheepishly raise my hand and confess it was me. I just couldn’t imagine travelling with such a small bag (50L) but Amelia wanted to go with the more compact bag, which makes sense for her upcoming travels to Europe.
There are several advantages to the Kathmandu Hybrid Trolley bag, the first being that it will fit on a luggage rack making access easier when staying in a hotel.
The hybrid part of the bag is the fact that you can use it as a backpack too.
Even with only 17kg (just over 37lbs) in the bag it is pretty weighty to lift onto your back.
When the backpack isn’t in use the handles tuck in and can be zipped away for safekeeping.
The handles raise without much effort and the wheels are smooth running when in use.
People warned us that hybrid bags can be wobbly when wheeled and quite easily tipped over. That’s not what we’ve found with the Kathmandu Hybrid Trolley luggage. We’ve now used it extensively and can say it wheels well, even when busting at the seams.
The only negative we have found to date (aside from the limitations the space puts on my shopping and packing) is that the bags are material and therefore if there is heavy rain when the bags are being loaded onto the plane they can get quite wet. We pack a raincoat last and make sure it is covering everything at the top of the bag in the hope that helps keeps things dry.
The bag can be locked and replacement wheels can be purchased if anything happens to them.
All in all the Kathmandu Hybrid Trolley luggage gets a big thumbs up. We until the bags were on sale to purchase ours. Although I do like the fact the bag can convert to a backpack I find the weight of it a bit much.
If the Kathmandu Hybrid Trolley luggage isn’t a solution for you, take a look at some of our other luggage reviews below.
Victorinox Werks Traveller Suitcase
Flylite On the Go Wheeled backpack
Luggage tips for travel
Our lost luggage & two packing tips to help if it happens
