Sterling Pacific - 35L Cabin Travel Case - Full Aluminum Carry On Luggage, Italian Leather Handles

Exceptionally well-engineered, well-constructed, and absolutely gorgeous. Mine has held up for two years now without any problems despite some moderate abuse. Solid, but not overly heavy. The rollers still operate smoothly even after considerable airport mileage. The spring-loaded latch mechanism secures the lid firmly. I usually loop a backpack around the telescoping trolley when rolling through the airport terminal - the trolley still remains straight as an arrow and still retracts smoothly into the housing. There are a lot of suitcases out there but nothing quite like this one.

This case has a solid foundation. The materials feel premium, the structure is rigid, and the overall design is well executed. From a durability and engineering standpoint, it does what it should. Where it falls down is finishing and quality control. There are multiple areas where exposed aluminum edges were not fully finished. Some edges lack proper rounding and feel abrupt or uneven. In at least one spot, the surface is rough and scratchy, consistent with burrs left behind from cutting or trimming. This is not just cosmetic. It is noticeable by touch and could easily scratch skin or fabric during normal handling. Feels I guess like jagged edges left behind by a machine. These are not deal-breaking defects but at this price, tactile refinement matters and quality control. A product positioned as high end should not have exposed edges that feel unfinished or sharp. That level of detail should have been addressed during final finishing and inspection. This feels like a very good product that missed the last finishing touch of craftsmanship that justifies its price. Buyers who care about fit and finish should be aware of that. I'd probably say its a solid 5 star at maybe 25% reduction in what I paid for it, where its still high end pricing but has some room for cheapening on finishing or small quality control misses, it just wouldn't bite as hard in expectations. I didn't have plans to use this for travel but more as my in-office briefcase where it would be more on display or decorative to peers and employees who frequent me, so finishing maybe mattered more to me, I imagine a lot of people generally wouldn't notice for a luggage that was going to be thrown around or actually used for travel. I'm lucky enough to have a husband who works in a fine arts foundry that specializes in metal who could have the quality issues corrected very easily if I really cared enough to do anything about it, so none of the issues stress me too much, I just would have preferred to not have to think about any of this.

If this were a piece of jewelry, it would be Cartier. It's well-built, easy to maneuver, and beautiful luggage. I like the 90-degree case opening because you don't need to find additional space to place your bag when arriving at your destination. It allows additional packing room above the base of the bag. For me, the two wheels make it easier to maneuver. I'm 5'2" and often my Hartman spinner wheels would jam up in the recesses of cement cracks, heavier carpet, gravel, or cobblestone. Not so with the larger wheels that are recessed into the bag. It's quiet and makes traveling for me an easier experience. That's about it.

I initially posted a 1 star review, because I had purchased the 40l and had a quality issue -- the hinge popped out. I'm revising because not only did they fix the issue, they went above and beyond what any manufacturer has done. As seen in the pictures, I bought the 40l carry on. The first time I took it for a weekend, in the overhead, the hinge popped off. I was aggravated, left a 1 start review here, and emailed them on a sunday complaining. Within *2 hours* -- again, on a sunday --- I got a call from them, and an email. They offered, without me asking, to send me a brand new one. They had read in my email that I was going away again the following weekend, and overnighted it. All without messing around with proof of purchase or verifying the claim-- they just took me at my word. But what REALLY put them over the top, UPS had a delay, and I wasn't going to get the case until after I got on a plane. Again, they called me, *and offered to buy me a competitor carry-on from amazon so i had luggage for my trip*. I didn't need it, I was able to borrow a friends, but this... was over the top customer service. I received the replacement after I got back. I haven't had the opportunity to take it on a trip, but based on their absolutely insane customer support, I revised this to a 5 star review. I'm going to assume for now that the initial issue I had with the hinge was a one-off unfortunate occurrence.

I was nervous about spending so much money on a suitcase but after my first international journey with this case I can say it was worth every penny. From the pictures you can tell this case is great to look at and it's incredibly unique. Once you actually have it in your hands you can feel the quality and craftsmanship that went into building it and that's what really makes it stand apart from the competition. Now beyond that I had a chance to work with the customer service team and my experience with them couldn't have been better. They're a company that cares about each customer and is willing to do whatever it takes to earn your business. I truly respect that as it's hard to find.

Everything looks and feel luxurious until you start rolling the luggage in the long hallways of the airport and you find out this luggage doesn’t have spinner wheels. Why leave out that important feature on this day and age?? Too overrated. I wouldn’t buy if I were you unless you have a lady in waiting who will haul this bag for you while looking for your layover gate. And don’t even get me started when you had to park at the garage and walk to the terminal. All the looks with hollow features. No thanks.