From Gate to Getaway — Why the Peak Design Roller Pro Carry-On Is My New Go‑To Travel Bag

Over more than 400 flights to hundreds of destinations worldwide. I’ve tested numerous travel backpacks and gear from major brands. After turning 30, I switched to carry-on roller bags to take the weight off my back, and Peak Design’s new Roller Pro Carry-On caught my eye. At $599, it’s a premium-priced carry-on, but it’s proven to be one of my best travel purchases.

Here’s a closer look at the Peak Design Roller Pro Carry-On, a newly released carry-on roller bag packed with unique features, and why it is my new favorite travel bag after just a few short trips.

About Peak Design

Peak Design is an American company specializing in travel gear and camera accessories, renowned for its innovative and durable products designed primarily for photographers and travelers. Founded in 2010, Peak Design has rapidly become a recognized leader in the travel gear market.

I have several Peak Design products, including packing cubes, a Dopp kit, a tech pouch, camera straps, and clips. I value the company’s lifetime warranty on its products. The assurance that the company will fix or replace an item if something goes wrong helps justify paying a higher price.

Peak Design Roller Pro Carry-On

Although Peak Design has produced numerous travel and everyday bags, the Roller Pro Carry-On marks its entry into the carry-on roller bag market.

The Roller Pro Carry-On was designed from the ground up to stand out from nearly every other roller bag on the market. Achieving that, however, is easier said than done.

Roller Pro Carry-On Exterior

Most roller bags today utilize a polycarbonate shell, as this material is lightweight, flexible, and cost-effective. The Roller Pro Carry-On builds on this tried-and-tested design with a unique take.

The exterior of the bag features a hybrid shell design — a rigid polycarbonate frame wrapped in Peak Design’s Versa Shell 550D fabric, similar to many other Peak Design travel bags. This design combines hard-sided protection with the organizational flexibility of soft-sided luggage. The fabric exterior also gives the bag a truly high-end look.

The bag has a quick-access everyday carry pocket on the front that can hold essential small items, including a phone, wallet, and headphones. It also includes a padded laptop compartment with a snap-tent magnetic flap for added protection. The sleeve is deep enough to accommodate a 16-inch laptop and easily fits my 14-inch MacBook.

With carry handles on every side, including the bottom, it’s easier to lift into a plane’s overhead compartment. A zipper extends around the bag, allowing it to expand an additional 2 inches in depth from its base size, making it a convenient option for travelers who need extra space in a pinch or tend to overpack.

The bag also includes cord hook attachment points on top and each side, allowing additional items to be secured to the exterior. These have been useful for attaching my camera tripod.

The back of the bag features kickplate protectors that shield it from scratches and help it lie completely flat, a small addition that improves functionality.

The handle is entirely made of carbon fiber and is slim, smooth, and more rigid than traditional designs, with virtually no wobble. It’s easily the best I’ve seen on a carry-on roller bag.

Finally, the bag features 60-millimeter easy-gliding omnidirectional wheels. Larger than most roller carry-on wheels, they make it much easier to roll over uneven surfaces and provide the smoothest glide I’ve ever experienced in any roller carry-on bag.

When compared to a more generic carry-on bag, the difference is obvious. From the overall construction to the smaller design details, the wheels clearly prioritize durability and ease of use.

The wheels — often the most vulnerable part of a bag — are easily replaceable with a simple screwdriver.

Roller Pro Carry-On Interior

The interior is just as impressive as the exterior. I appreciate the drawbridge-style opening with friction hinges because it gives you a clear view of the contents while keeping the bag’s footprint minimal when open.

This opening style allows the bag to occupy only half the space of a traditional clamshell design, a feature that’s especially useful in small hotel rooms.

Unlike most roller carry-on bags with a clamshell design, which provide packing space on both sides, the Roller Pro Carry-On features a single, deep main compartment with a high-visibility felt lining.

Since the bag’s handle occupies less space than traditional handle tubes, it eliminates wasted interior space, providing more usable space.

The bag has a packable volume of 34 liters and can expand by an extra 2 inches in depth, accommodating up to 39 liters of packable space.

Using the Peak Design packing cubes I’ve relied on for over 100 flights, I was able to fit more items into the Roller Pro Carry-On than other bags, even those with larger advertised capacities. I can easily pack enough clothes for over a week.

The bag also has an internal Cord Hook retention system to help keep items securely in place. Even with compressed packing cubes, the bag’s bungee-cord system provides extra compression without interference.

While I appreciate bags with organization, too many compartments can be a drawback if items don’t fit perfectly, as they can reduce packable space. The Roller Pro Carry-On keeps things simple with its separated storage pockets.

The top interior panel of the bag features 3 see-through nylon ripstop mesh pockets, which are relatively flat and take up minimal space.

The organizational panel can be rolled up and tucked away if the pockets aren’t needed, freeing up additional space in the main compartment. However, I use the mesh pockets.

The bag includes a hidden compartment, ideal for flat items such as a passport, extra cash, or credit cards. Additionally, there is a concealed AirTag pocket.

Drawbacks of the Roller Pro Carry-On

While I absolutely love this bag, its weight and size can limit its use.

It’s Heavy

The bag weighs just under 8.5 pounds (approximately 3.8 kilograms) when empty, which is relatively heavy.

This may not be an issue for domestic travel, where I have never been asked to weigh my bag. But it could pose a problem with budget carriers in Europe or Southeast Asia, where many airlines strictly enforce carry-on weight limits and weigh bags more frequently.

The Expanded Bag May Exceed Carry-On Size

Although the Roller Pro Carry-On meets global airline carry-on requirements, it exceeds them when fully packed and expanded.`

Still, I had no trouble fitting it into a Spirit Airlines baggage sizer on a recent trip, even when it was fully packed with more than a week’s worth of clothes and gear. I packed the bag fully expanded to fit all my gear, then used its compression to reduce its size.

Final Thoughts

Peak Design, best known for travel gear and everyday bags, has an outstanding new Roller Pro Carry-On. The bag’s innovative features — like the drawbridge-style opening that minimizes its footprint and the exceptionally durable carbon-fiber handle — make it stand out among roller carry-ons.

Although the bag is on the pricier side at $599, I still highly recommend it. Its high-quality materials ensure long-lasting durability, and combined with Peak Design’s respected lifetime warranty, I can easily see this becoming my go-to bag for years to come.