Why the Bellroy Transit Is My New Favorite Carry-On Bag [Review]

I spent over 1,200 days in my 20s backpacking through more than 100 countries with a single travel bag, fully embracing the backpacker lifestyle. My travel bag of choice was the Topo Designs Global Travel Bag 40L.

But years of lugging a bag on my back eventually caught up with me. About a year and a half ago, I switched to roller bags. While I am still “Team Carry-On,” I now roll instead of carry to give my shoulders and back a much-needed break.

The problem is that thousands of roller bags are on the market, spread across countless brands, all offering almost identical products. Over the past year and a half, I tested carry-on rollers from popular names like Away, Samsonite, and American Tourister. But each one, for one reason or another, came up short.

So when one of my favorite travel gear brands, Bellroy, announced it was releasing a new carry-on travel roller bag (a product category it hadn’t ventured into before), I was immediately intrigued. I purchased and brought the Bellroy Transit Carry-On along on a recent 2-month trip through Asia with my wife, and it performed exceptionally well.

Here’s a look at the Bellroy Transit Carry-On and why it has become my go-to carry-on travel bag.

About Bellroy

Bellroy is an accessories brand founded in Melbourne, Australia, in 2009. It is best known for its minimalist and functional product designs, manufacturing quality, and eye-catching aesthetics in the travel and tech spaces.

Bellroy sells a range of products, including wallets, bags, briefcases, tech pouches, phone cases, toiletry bags, packing cubes, folios, and key covers.

I have been a massive fan of Bellroy and its products for years. I still carry a Bellroy wallet and use a Bellroy tech pouch to organize my electronics.

Bellroy Transit Carry-On

As mentioned, the Bellroy Transit Carry-On is Bellroy’s introduction to the carry-on roller bag space. Although hard-sided luggage may be difficult to innovate, Bellroy added features that set the Transit Carry-On apart from the competition.

Here’s an in-depth look at the Bellroy Transit Carry-On, including its dimensions, external design, internal organization, and aesthetic.

Dimensions and Carrying Capacity

One of the most important things regarding hardside luggage is airline compatibility. I travel a lot with low-cost international carriers, where bag dimensions and weight are of huge concern.

Fortunately, Bellroy sized the Transit Carry-On for global airline compliance. According to Bellroy, the bag’s external dimensions (including the wheels) are 21.9 × 13.8 × 8.9 inches, with a volume of 41 liters. However, the bag’s carrying capacity is lower, at 34 liters.

The bag is also slightly lighter than many travel bags I have used in the past, weighing 6.8 pounds.

External Design

The exterior of the carry-on is like that of many other hard-shell bags. It features a matte polycarbonate shell made with 80% recycled material. Many companies use this tried-and-tested material because it is light, flexible, and cost-effective.

Impact bumpers strengthen the bag and help prevent cracks in hard-shell areas around the top and outer edges, which are common spots for bags to be damaged. As they are slightly raised, these bumpers bear the brunt of abrasions and scratches.

Regarding styling, the Transit Carry-On does not stand out too much from other hard-sided luggage. However, Bellroy did an excellent job with minimal branding: A simple, tastefully applied Bellroy logo is imprinted top and center.

The bag features a woven grab handle, unlike many hard-sided bags with a plastic top grab handle. It is made from a blend of recycled nylon and polyester yarns reinforced with thermoplastic nylon, which provides some abrasion resistance.

Meanwhile, the side of the bag has a built-in, TSA-approved combination lock with zip sliders that click in and lock into place. The side also has the same soft-touch, woven grab handle as is on the top of the bag.

The bag’s main zippers are smooth, abrasion-resistant YKK racquet coil zippers with a water-resistant coating. Bag zippers are one of the most essential characteristics of a good bag, as it’s irritating when the zipper catches on fabric.

The bag features 4 sets of smooth Hinomoto Lisof Silent Run wheels, considered among the industry’s best. A layer of polymer makes the wheels bouncier, which also helps with impact resistance.

Lastly, the bag features a custom-designed ergonomic telescopic handle. However, unlike most bags with a hidden handle, the Transit Carry-On’s handle is entirely exposed. The telescopic handle is smooth, features an underside button, and offers 3 height settings.

According to Bellroy, having the handle on the outside saves significant weight (which is always a plus), as they did not have to cover the handle in extra material. However, the handle’s replaceability, if it were ever damaged, was also considered. More on that below.

Internal Organization

Like most hardside suitcases, the main compartment of the Bellroy Transit Carry-On has a clamshell opening, with an even space split between the 2 halves.

The left side contains a large zippered panel that keeps all my gear in place. I can unzip the panel, opening a bucket space for easy storage. The space is ample enough for an extra pair of pants, a hoodie, and my toiletries kit.

It also features a flat, mesh pocket on top of the panel, best for storing slim items like dress shirts, hats, a laptop, or travel documents.

Meanwhile, the Bellroy Transit Carry-On stands out with the design on the right side of the bag. Instead of the traditional compression panel or straps, it includes 2 packing cubes that double as an internal divider, providing fantastic internal organization.

These packing cubes (or packing cells, as Bellroy calls them) are custom-fitted to the bag. They come in 2 sizes (a smaller one and a larger one).

I packed the smaller packing cube with 6 pairs of socks, 6 pairs of underwear, and a pair of shorts. Meanwhile, I packed the larger one with 6 T-shirts and a button-up dress shirt. This is about a week’s worth of clothing for a trip.

Since the right side of the bag has no compression straps, the packing cubes serve as dividing panels. To maximize the bag, I line the space beneath the packing cubes with miscellaneous items like my MacBook’s power bank.

The cubes can also be removed. Each cube has loops on its top and bottom edges that can attach to each other and to the hooks on the bag itself.

Thanks to the bag’s fantastic organizational structure, it fits a surprising amount of gear. With this bag, I can comfortably pack for a weeklong trip without any issues.

Colors and Sizes

The bag is available in 4 colors: black, chalk, everglade, and bronze.

Additionally, Bellroy has a larger version of the bag, the Bellroy Transit Carry-On Large. However, it is much larger and is primarily for U.S. domestic travel, where carry-on limits are generally more generous.

Replaceability

Another major win for the Transit Carry-On is Bellroy’s commitment to making the bag last as long as possible.

Although Bellroy has a 10-year warranty program, it went a step above with its design of the Transit Carry-On. The bag is engineered for self-repair. Certain luggage parts, like the wheels, telescopic handle, grab handles, TSA lock, and packing cells, can all be replaced.

If any of these parts fail within the 10-year warranty period, Bellroy will send replacement parts and a repair kit. According to Bellroy, its repair kits can replace almost anything on the bag in under 10 minutes.

You can find more information on how to start the luggage repair process on Bellroy’s website.

Final Thoughts

If you are in the market for a new hard-sided, airline-compliant carry-on travel bag, consider the Bellroy Transit Carry-On.

The bag fits a surprising amount of gear inside and offers excellent organization thanks to its built-in packing cubes. I have no issues fitting a week’s worth of clothes inside the bag with room to spare.

High-quality materials ensure this bag will last for a while. Bellroy also offers a fantastic 10-year warranty on the bag, allowing several parts to be easily repaired at home.