The ultra-light yet rugged Gear Warrior™ four wheeled suitcase is a versatile carry-on rolling bag from Eagle Creek. How did it stand up on a Trading Places road test?

On two recent short trips, I’ve tested out the Eagle Creek Gear Warrior rolling suitcase. With four wheels for easy maneuvering and carry-on size that meets airlines specifications — along with a host of versatile features — I was excited to take this little baby for a test spin on the road.

As a huge fan of Eagle Creek (they’re pretty much my only, go-to brand for travel gear), I’ve used a number of different types of luggage: traditional two-wheeled rolling suitcases (like the carry-on size Tarmac 22) and larger, convertible wheeled Flip Switch backpack, along with rolling duffel bags like the Migrate. However, one type of bag that I’ve not used so far in my travels, but have wanted to add to my gear collection, is a 4-wheeled rolling carry-on.

There are a number of main benefits to a 4-wheel suitcase:

• Much easier to roll than two wheels; bumps, steps and other ground irregularities don’t throw it askew so much.
• Way easier on your arms, back and shoulders — with a two-wheeled roller, yes the bag is gliding but you’re also pulling it, and a lot of the weight is resting on your arm/shoulder. With a four-wheel, you are taking on none of the weights, simply gliding the suitcase alongside you.
• It’s easier to stack something else (a small backpack, purse, jacket, shopping bag, etc) on top of the suitcase without it falling off in transit, because the bag isn’t angled as it’s rolled.

I feel that the benefits of a four-wheeler are more important with a carry-on bag than a checked bag, for me anyway, because a carry-on is what you’re keeping with you the whole way, often through multiple changed planes and layovers. It’s the bag that you have to get from gate to gate, in and out of overhead bins, through the entire transport process.

When it came time to select a four-wheel carry-on, I opted for the Eagle Creek Gear Warrior™ in Coral Sunset color. The bag came, and I was ready to go. I test-drove the new luggage on two separate short trips: An auto road trip to San Antonio, Texas for two nights, and a long weekend (on flight) to Wisconsin last weekend. Here’s how the Gear Warrior fared.

Packing

It was easy to pack, especially using Eagle Creek’s packing sets which I swear by. The larger cubes (in which I packed my clothing) fit perfectly within the bag, and then my toiletries and smaller cube for undergarments slipped in nicely around it.

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One nice thing about this specific 4-wheel bag is that, even though yes it’s small inside (it’s a carry-on, after all), there is some extra bonus space at the bottom of the interior, between the handle bars. I used this to slide a pair of sandal/slippers without really taking up extra space. I slid my book and a few other ancillary items in and zipped up the main compartment.

In the outer “gear” compartment part of the bag went my laptop computer, well cushioned in the internal padded sleeve and well secured by a durable velcro strap to hold it in. My charging cords for the computer and my phone slid into the outer pocket area of the compartment. I strapped my jacked into the handy hooking elastic strap across the top, and I was good to go!

There’s Junk in this Bag

One thing I love about Eagle Creek is their commitment to finding new ways of using recycled and sustainable materials in their products. My Migrate rolling duffel has a coating made out of recycled windshields, and this Gear Warrior has a 100% recycled main body fabric that’s made from repurposed plastic bottles!

The Road and Flight Tests

On my two trips, I found the Gear Warrior to be extremely easy to lift, roll and maneuver. For the car trip, the top and side handles made it easy to lift in and out of my hatchback, and I could even grab hold of the additional bungee-like strap across the top where you can store additional items like jackets, a travel blanket, etc. The same was true of the ease in putting the bag up into the overhead bins on the flight. It’s a really lightweight bag — less than 7 pounds empty — but yet it has all the durability I’ve come to expect from Eagle Creek, from the body material to the heavy-duty locking zippers, straps, etc.

The Final Verdict: A+

I honestly can’t find anything to critique on the Eagle Creek Gear Warrior suitcase, and I definitely share any cons versus pros in my opinion and experience with testing travel gear. This piece of luggage performed exactly as expected/desired, did exactly what I needed to do and excelled on every level.

The four-wheel rolling design is perfectly executed, giving a smooth roll with wheels that swivel to move in all directions. I never once had a problem maneuvering it, or the bag remaining upright and steady no matter what sharp turns or bumps I traversed.

All of the other aspects and features of the bag are equally impressive, from the durability and quality of the components to their versatile functions. In years and years of traveling (hard and often) with my collection of Eagle Creek gear, I’ve never once broken a zipper or busted a seam — and that’s not likely to happen with this bag either, given its solid construction.

It also gets high marks for looks; the other colors (jet black and arctic blue) are nice as well, and the entire piece of gear is nice looking and functional. And it comes with Eagle Creek’s amazing “no matter what” guarantee, so you can always feel covered. I highly recommend the Gear Warrior!

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More specifications from the Eagle Creek site: