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Traveling is stressful. And the last thing that I need is a suitcase or carry-on that feels more like a burden than anything else. This is coming from someone who traveled for years with luggage that did not have those wheels that pivot to any direction you're walking in. Well into adulthood, my traveling habits have changed and I've reached the point in my life where comfort is important and the little things in life like pivoting wheels bring me joy.
Recently I've been looking for a replacement for the Primark carry-on that I had to buy while in Spain at the last minute. That's where Carl Friedrik, the leather and travel goods brand, comes in. They reached out about the The Carry-on X. Their polycarbonate travel luggage advertises itself as one "crafted for confidence and designed with detail for the modern travel experience." The Carry-on X is zipperless, has compression straps, lightweight 360 Japanese design spinner wheels, and has an easy access front pocket for laptops or other travel essentials.
So how does this carry-on rate? I took it on a trip to Spain for the first time and here are my first impressions, the longevity test, the best part, and my final thoughts.
Right off the bat, the Carl Friedrik Carry-on X feels luxurious. Maybe it's because I've never invested in a piece like this before, but when I opened the box the carry-on itself came in a smooth cloth pouch like I bought a luxury handbag. When I pulled it out of the bag, the handle details were clean and they didn't feel fragile when I pulled on them. Next came the spin test, one of my favorite parts of this carry-on and a test of its durability if I have to run to catch a flight. This carry-on glides. So much so that I started spinning it in circles just for fun and it was fast and didn't make much noise.
As for the inside of the carry-on, it's quality material, from the straps to the compression panel on one half of the carry-on. There's an additional pocket on the panel and on the inside of the carry-on itself. The only tip that I have for the carry-on when it comes to the inside, is to remember that the compression side shares the same wall with the area for the easy access zipping area for your laptop.
So if you pack a lot on that side in particular, it's going to slightly push into the laptop space. I'm telling you this as someone who packed a lot on the compression side and was worried about my laptop in the front panel. But the clothes cushioned the laptop on one side and the hard shell made sure it was taken care of on the other side.
Like any good carry-on there will be scrapes and scuff marks by the end of a trip.
On my trip to Spain I accidentally clipped the carry-on against a hard partition trying to avoid other travelers. It scraped the side and left a white mark. Initially I was devastated because the Carry-on X was brand-spanking new and there was already a pretty visible scuff mark. I tried to wipe it with my finger and it didn't go away. So I made peace with it being a part of my suitcase. But when I got home from Spain I took a little cloth and ran it over the scrape. Whatever residue was on there came off and the scuff mark was minimized.
If you do like a super clean look without fingerprints, I will say that oil from fingers stands out on the Carry-on X. I noticed as I was opening it and closing it throughout my travels that the natural oils on my fingers could be seen on the shell of the carry-on. Not super noticeable, but noticeable enough if you are someone that's into little details like I am. With a little wipe from a wet cloth and the carry-on and it was fine. But also, it's travel luggage. It's going to get some scuff marks and wear and tear from travel. A couple trips in at the moment of publication of this article, the carry-on still looks new.
The best part of the Carl Friedrik Carry-on X are the accessibility features.
I'm not sure if the brand meant for these to be accessibility features in general, but as someone who has issues with her hands, the design of the carry-on really helped me. Firstly you have the locks. It's a little discombobulating to realize that this carry-on doesn't have a zipper for the main compartment. But sometimes my hands have problems with gripping a zipper and the two lock closures are easy for me to open and close.
Then there's the strap inside to compress one side of the carry-on. When you strap down the panel with the compression straps, there's a loop to tighten it that you can slip your hand into and pull that didn't strain my hands or wrists. Loosening it was just as easy as clicking it into place as well because of that additional loop on the compression straps.
The Carl Friedrik Carry-on X is an investment piece for someone who flies all the time. It not only looks like quality material, it feels like it too. Also, it's perfect when you need to take out your laptop quickly and put it on the conveyor belt to get scanned at TSA. No fumbling about to find which compartment you put your laptop in needed.
If you combine that laptop accessibility ease with the smooth wheels that are perfect when you have a short connection between flights and you're running across the airport, it's a worthy addition to your travel luggage. Also, despite it being the larger size of the carry-on the brand carries, yes, it fits into the overhead bins on the plane like nothing.