Making your way through the airport can be a (literal) drag, from trying to keep your bulky items in order to deal with delays and last-minute gate changes. Luckily, Nomatic luggage is lightweight, effortlessly glides on its spinning wheels, and looks good while doing it.
Just in time for the holidays, the Nomatic brand has released a sleek carry-on, the Method Luggage Carry-On. The team boldly claims they “broke science” by devising a bag with 20% more packing space than comparable models. It’s also 15% lighter weight than other carry-ons that are the same size, literally taking a burden off of the savvy traveler.
But with so many luxury travel bags on the market, is this one worth its price tag, and what actually fits inside? After a few weeks of testing The Method Carrry-On up close and personal, here are my thoughts on what it does best and who it’s best suited for.
The Method Luggage Carry-On comes with these luxurious features
First, let’s talk specs, leading with durability. The company put it to the test with 30 stress tests, including tear, water, and crush simulations. So you won’t have to worry about breakage, and even if something does happen, Nomatic luggage is covered under a lifetime warranty.
This lightweight travel bag offers:
- Outer protection: Nomatic’s durable shell is designed with lightweight yet protective polycarbonate and an aluminum handle
- Highly secure wheels: These micro-welded wheels are securely attached without puncturing the case itself, preventing splitting. They’re also silent multi-directional wheels, making it easy to maneuver tight spaces.
- Fluff-free interior: The cloth-free interior reduces overall weight while maximizing storage space. It’s also easier to clean the bag with a rigid interior.
- Compression Panel: This helps you to pack more, so you don’t need to compromise on packing all of your air travel accessories, while also allowing you to separate your clothing on either side of the adjustable panel if preferred.
- Built-in TSA-friendly luggage lock: You’ll never lose your luggage lock since it’s integrated into the polycarbonate shell. You can set (and reset) a combination quickly and secure your things by locking down the durable YKK Zippers.
- Tracker Pocket: Instead of tossing your Airtag into the main compartment, securely tuck it in a small mesh pocket. Paired with the impenetrable lock, it’s easy to secure and track your belongings if they’re lost or stolen.
- Flexible storage: This 39-liter bag expands to 47 liters when needed, perfect for coming home with double the amount of souvenirs you originally planned on buying (it happens to the best of us).
In general, Nomatic ticks most of the boxes when it comes to performance and ease of use. While the bag has a fairly minimal design, it has a ribbed exterior that adds additional durability while giving it a unique look.
You can choose from black, gray, moss, and navy colors. I found the navy to have a deep, luxurious tone (sometimes I find navy shades are chalky and faded, a clear sign of a less-than-quality producer). The logo is well-placed, nodding to the brand without detracting from the design itself. The interior features neutral light-gray mesh, a welcomed departure from the predictable black interior.
Pack test: What actually fits?
Packing the bag was an easy and, dare I say, enjoyable experience. I can see this reducing my overall frustration on short-notice trips. The separate compartments make it easy to throw everything in quickly without creating an unorganized mess.
I would say this is a good bag for carrying about a week’s worth of clothes, if one of the mesh compartments was used for toiletries. I was able to pack 7 days worth of clothes as well as a fairly bulky toiletry kit inside without the bag burstin at the seams.
Now, this applies to summer and fall-rated clothing, as I tested the bag with undergarments, jeans, t-shirts, and thinner, longer shirts. But I think that winter wear would fit well too – I would simply unzip and expand the bag to its 47-liter capacity.
I did find zipping and unzipping the bag a bit tough, which may be because the bag is constructed with heavy-duty zippers. But the good news is that this reflects how secure the zip actually is. If the bag was unlocked, I wouldn’t worry about it bursting open and scattering my belongings everywhere – even if a less-than-gentle airline employee gave it a good toss.
Final verdict: Should you invest in the new Method Luggage Carry-On bag?
Let’s cut to the chase – this bag is a great fit for the traveler seeking a blend of comfort, functionality, and style. The attention to detail is noticable without being overwhelming or over-functional. From the multi-adjustable handle to the plyable ergonomic grips on either side of the bag, it’s clearly designed with intention, but as the user, you don’t have to overthink it – simply pack it up and head out.
And the lightness is noticable, at 6.9 pounds. Even when packed to the brim, it was easy to spin around, pull and pivot on a variety of floors, ranging from carpeting to grass. It even performed well on a section of cobblestone – a notoriously annoying surface for rolling bags to traverse.
I am used to an external pocket on a bag that makes it easy to cram my passport, flip-flops, or other odds and ends into the bag without opening everything up. So while I did miss that, the sturdy bag actually outperformed my soft-case bag by making it easier to balance my smaller travel bag ontop of – which eliminated a need for an additional pouch on the Nomatic bag.
As far as cost, I think the pricing is excellent. The upfront cost is a good value in comparision to other luxury carry-ons that offer the same specs. And more importantly, the lifetime warranty makes it a no-brainer investment, and purchasers report that their customer support team actually honors said-warranty, a small but extremelly important detail when investing in a piece of travel gear.
Accessories that pair well with the Method Luggage Carry-On
This bag practically has it all, but here are a few additional accessories that will make your trip complete:
- Airtag or Tile: As mentioned, there’s a custom pocket for trackers in this bag – don’t skimp on this; you never know when you’ll need to track your luggage down. I recommend investing in a device before taking your first trip.
- Laptop bag: Since this bag is so solid, it’s perfect for throwing a laptop bag on top for easy access to anything you’ll want to use in the airport. CCertainbags come with elastic straps that allow for a snug fit, making sure nothing will fall off.
- Luggage beverage holder: With my soft-shelled luggage, it’s easy to use a caraibner to attach my water bottle to it. But since this is a rigid item, I woudn’t be able to stand the loud noise of the bottle tapping the sides. Luckily, you can purchase a slip-on cup holder that can accomodate bottles and cups. It’s much easier to take a quick sip and avoid spills with one of these handy guys.
The Nomatic brand has been perfecting carry-on luggage over the past decade, and it’s refreshing that they are still innovating products rather than relying on previous best sellers. So, if you’ve experienced the quality of Nomatic luggage previously, you can expect the same. And if this is your first time trying out the brand, get ready for a breezier journey that brings all of your goodies along for the ride.
