Packing for a long journey is seldom as straightforward as stuffing some changes of clothes into a suitcase. Throw in winter coats, kids’ necessities, spare footwear, toiletries and the inevitable ‘Oh dear, what was I meant to pack?’ dash across the house at the last minute and even a standard size family suitcase starts to feel limiting.
Enter the Bagsmart Getaway 30 Trunk. Boasting a claimed capacity of 96 litres, spacious trunk-style base, adjustable dividers and even an integrated luggage scale, it’s obvious that this bag is aimed squarely at people who value packing capacity and compartmentalisation above minimalist packing lists.
We recently got a Bagsmart Getaway 30 Trunk for a first hand review. We haven’t yet travelled with it through an airport, had it loaded onto a plane or subjected it to the rigours of real-life baggage treatment, so you won’t find any analysis of long-term durability in this review. Instead, I’ll be covering my initial impressions of build quality, layout and travel-friendly features here, ahead of our upcoming trips where it’ll get put to the test.
First Impressions of the Bagsmart Getaway 30 Trunk
Let’s talk size. At 30 inches, the Getaway Trunk is not a small suitcase. It is definitely substantial piece of checked luggage. The Getaway Trunk does not try to be a weekender or mid-sized suitcase. This oversized travel trunk is built for long haul flights, long vacations, packing for multiple seasons or family trips where someone is always lugging everyone else’s suitcase.
The exterior has a sleek matte finish that feels very minimal. Bagsmart opted not to put any huge logo on the front of the bag. Instead, you’ll find a small Bagsmart logo towards the front of the bag. Horizontal stripes across the bottom half of the trunk give the exterior a little texture while breaking up what would otherwise be a smooth shell.
The recessed grab handle on the front of the bag is another nice touch. Since this is a larger suitcase, it can be difficult to grasp all the way around the suitcase when lifting it off the baggage claim carousel or shoving it into the trunk of your car. The recessed grab handle on the front of the suitcase gives you a secondary place to grab on.
Speaking of shape, this suitcase is less rounded than most suitcases. That trunk-shaped design will help you fit bulkier items without wasting space around rounded edges.
A Large 96-Litre Capacity for Longer Trips
Bagsmart lists the internal dimensions as:
- 28.50 × 15.51 × 13.58 inches
- 72.4 × 39.4 × 34.5 centimetres
- 96-litre capacity
The published external dimensions are:
- 31.50 × 16.54 × 14.09 inches
- 80 × 42 × 35.8 centimetres
We’re talking about a lot of space here. That cavernous interior is especially appealing for bulky winter coats, sweaters, boots, packing cubes and any other garments or gear that could overwhelm a more modest suitcase.
I can also envision the bag being used by families as an everything goes shared checked bag. Rather than each person carrying multiple medium-sized suitcases, perhaps parents and children could pool their items with kids’ garments bundled together with some of their adult belongings in one big haul.
There are two caveats however.
The suitcase weighs 12.24 pounds (5.55 kg) when empty. That’s not particularly heavy for an oversized structured suitcase but it does take up a non-trivial amount of your airline weight budget before you pack a single item.
If you had a checked baggage allowance of 23 kilograms, for instance, you’d have roughly 17.45 kilograms of weight to play with for your clothes and accessories. The integrated scale may alleviate that problem to a degree but packing will still need to be done wisely.
Second, if you add together those three exterior dimensions you end up with just over 62 linear inches. Curiously enough, that puts you right at or barely above the mythical 62 linear inch standard that many airlines use to define an acceptable sized standard checked bag. Airline rules vary and enforcement is inconsistent, but you may want to confirm the exact allowance with each of your carriers before you travel.
The Drawbridge-Style Opening Is One of Its Most Interesting Features
This Getaway 30 Trunk features what Bagsmart calls a bridge- lid or drawbridge-style opening.
Instead of splitting open into two halves that are equally deep, there is one large packing compartment, and a shallower lid section. When you open up the lid, it lays flat rather than sticking up and taking up just as much floor space as a traditional clamshell suitcase.
It’s a subtle difference, but one that might be welcome if you’re staying in cramped hotel rooms. I’ve stayed in hotel rooms where if I open a big clamshell suitcase all the way up on the floor there wasn’t anywhere to walk around the bed.
Because most of the storage space on the Getaway Trunk is in the deeper main body, you can set it down on a luggage rack or against a wall and open up the main compartment without needing two bulky halves taking up space all across your room.
The support straps on each side of the case also gives you some control of how wide you want the lid to sit. When I examined it, it seemed very stable.
A Highly Organised Interior
The inside of the Bagsmart suitcase is where it really distinguishes itself.
Instead of one big open area, the Getaway Trunk has multiple options to segment your clothes, accessories and travel items.
Inside the lid are various zippered pouches, including mesh bags and larger covered compartments. This could be helpful for storing chargers, travel documents, socks, underwear, medicines and any other small things that tend to get lost in the main storage area.
There’s also a clear pocket. This is handy for quickly seeing what you have stored without needing to open every zipper.
The main compartment includes two compression straps with clip fastenings. These straps can be pulled tight over the clothing you pack to minimize shifting and help keep everything secure when you open the suitcase.
The buckles are sturdy compared to the flimsy clip systems on some low-cost luggage. I also prefer how the straps span a wider area of the compartment rather than securing just a small strip in the middle.
Movable Dividers Let You Customise the Packing Layout
My favorite discovery while inspecting the bag was its adjustable divider system.
The inside panels are held in with hook-and-loop strips. That means you can adjust them as needed based on what you’re packing. You can section off multiple small compartments for shoes, clothes and accessories. Or, you can take out the dividers entirely if you need one big open space.
Adjustable compartments are beneficial because different types of trips call for different packing configurations.
If I was going on a winter trip, I would probably take out some dividers to allow more space for bulky jackets and sweaters. If I was travelling with my family, I could create individual spaces for both adults and children’s belongings. Camera gear, sports equipment and other irregularly shaped items are other examples where travellers would find value in customizing the compartments.
The dividers aren’t very rigid, so think of them more for organizational purposes than protection. They can keep your belongings from moving around, but I’d still use protective cases for things like laptops.
Wet and Dry Separation for Shoes or Used Clothing
Bagsmart comes with a removable wet-and-dry separation bag that clips into the suitcase.
This might sound pretty niche, but it’s actually very handy for longer vacations. It allows you to separate sweaty swimsuits, worn clothes/shoes or toiletries that you don’t want to soil your clean laundry.
If you have kids its something that parents will definitely appreciate. Children have a knack of getting towels, messy food and dirty shoes at the worst possible time.
Its also helpful that the bag is removable, allowing you to take it out and have more packing space when its not in use.
Of course if items are particularly wet I’d still pop them in another sealable bag before packing them away, especially on a long flight. But overall it should make staying organised a bit easier.
Built-In Weight Tracking Could Prevent an Airport Surprise
The side handle has a built-in weighing function that alerts travellers when their suitcase is getting too heavy.
This is another one of those features on the Getaway Trunk that’s meant for frequent travellers. When you’re packing a big piece of luggage it can be easy to over-pack. This is because large suitcases have enough room for you to keep stuffing until there’s almost no more room, well beyond when the bag has officially exceeded an airline’s weight requirements.
With a built-in scale on the luggage itself, you won’t need to bring your own scale or rely on the old bathroom-door gymnastics trick before heading out the door.
That being said, I have yet to weigh the bag with its handle against a calibrated luggage scale with actual clothes in it. I’ll have to wait until I load this sucker up and test it out before my next flight to give it an accurate review.
Still, in theory it works. It just makes sense that a suitcase this large would benefit from a built-in reminder not to break the weight restrictions. At 96 litres, this travel trunk is prime for over packing beyond a typical airline’s baggage allowance.
TSA Combination Lock
The Getaway 30 Trunk comes standard with an included TSA007 combination lock that is integrated directly into the luggage piece.
Integrated means that the lock is actually built into the shell of the bag itself. This way your zipper pulls can be secured without the addition of a bulky padlock. It’s a cleaner setup and one less small item that could potentially be lost right before traveling.
While an integrated TSA-approved lock won’t make your luggage theft proof, it will deter opportunistically opening your luggage and help prevent your zipper pulls from separating while in transit.
Placement on The Getaway 30 Trunk is strategic as it sits near the side handle allowing easy access when needed without taking away from the overall aesthetic of the suitcase.
As always with checked luggage, we recommend not packing things like passports, cash, medications, jewellery, or important electronics with your checked luggage no matter what kind of lock is used.
Polycarbonate Shell and Exterior Construction
According to Bagsmart, the shell is made from scratch-resistant polycarbonate.
When I first picked up the bag, the outside did feel rigid, but not totally stiff. That slight flex is acceptable with many polycarbonate suitcases. It can allow the shell to flex under pressure instead of cracking right away.
Keep in mind that large flat exterior surfaces also mean scratches and airport carousel scouring will show after time, especially on darker shades. No suitcase is forever pristine after going through a few airport checkpoints.
The horizontal ridges along the base may also hide some cosmetic scuffs, while the sturdy corners and wheel housings create rigid barriers around areas typically prone to impact.
I can’t yet speak to how resistant the shell is to deeper scratches, denting or general rugged baggage handling, as I haven’t actually checked this suitcase on a flight. That is something I will have to evaluate after a few real life tests.
GlideTech Double Spinner Wheels
It has eight wheels, comprising four doubles.
Bagsmart specify these as GlideTech 360-degree spinner wheels with shock absorbing wheel housings. The assemblies themselves are quite chunky, which is comforting to see considering you could pack this case very heavily.
(Double) spinner wheels have smoother rolling and weight distribution than lots of tiny wheels. They also let the suitcase straddle a surface when rolling, which is useful when weaving through airports queues, hotel corridors and train platforms.
The wheel housings look like they’re part of padded reinforced corners at the base of the case. We’ll likely have to keep an eye on this area in use, as wheels are often the first things to become damaged on checked luggage.
I can only assess so much indoors. Rolling it packed to the brim over airport carpeting, pavement seams, hotel carpets and various other outdoor surfaces will be the real test.
Three-Stage Aluminium Pull Handle
The Getaway Trunk features a three height adjustable aluminium pull bar.
One advantage of a slim handle is that they take up less room inside big bags. Bulky internal handle tubes eat into valuable packing space. Bagsmart have tried to limit that intrusion and still offer a few different height settings.
The adjustment system looked simple when I first played with it. Multiple settings should allow shorter or taller people to push or pull comfortably.
We’ll see how little the handle moves when the bag is weighed down with goodies. Telescopic luggage handles often have a little play, but too much flex weakness can annoy you when dragging around a heavy suitcase.
What I Like So Far
My biggest first impression has to be that the Getaway 30 Trunk doesn’t just want you to throw things inside. It actually tries to accommodate real-life packing.
The movable dividers work well, there are plenty of pockets on the lid and the main compartment is deep enough to fit bulky things. The flat-opening lid also might make it more comfortable to use in tight hotel rooms.
The integrated scale is another thoughtful touch. A 96-litre bag encourages overpacking, so being able to monitor your approximate weight right from the handle might spare you a stressful repacking at the airport.
The Getaway 30 Trunk even manages to avoid feeling overly busy from a visual standpoint. Most of the organisational elements are stored away inside, leaving the exterior relatively simple and refined.
Potential Drawbacks to Consider
Sadly, the empty weight is a significant downside.
Weighing in at 5.55kg (12.2lbs), the Getaway 30 Trunk is best suited to travellers with high checked-baggage allowances. It likely won’t make sense on airlines with lower weight limits or ones that enforce their limits strictly.
Its overall size is another factor some shoppers will want to consider. A bag this big can be difficult to manage on busy public transit, lift up and down stairs, and store in tight hotel rooms. It will also take up a lot of space in a small SUV/boot.
Even the external dimensions are large enough to put it around the 62-linear-inch threshold for many airlines checked-luggage requirements. Prospective travelers should confirm their airline has higher limits instead of assuming this is a “standard size” bag they can take without penalty on every flight.
Lastly, not everyone will need the various pockets and dividers. Frequent cube-packers might find them redundant. The good news is Duffel has designed several of the interior features to be movable or taken out entirely.
Who Is the Bagsmart Getaway 30 Trunk Best For?
From my analysis I would say the Getaway 30 Trunk is ideal for:
- Family packing one big checked bag
- Vacationers on extended trips
- Winter travelers hauling coats/bulky sweaters
- Cruises and road trips with ample luggage space
- Frequent travelers who appreciate an organizer built right in
- Fussiness pants who tend to exceed luggage weight limits
It might not be the best for light packers, train/frequent stair climbers or anyone that flies with tight economy baggage restrictions.
Bagsmart Getaway 30 Trunk Specifications
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Product | Bagsmart Getaway 30 Trunk |
| Luggage type | Large checked trunk |
| Capacity | 96 litres |
| External dimensions | 31.50 × 16.54 × 14.09 inches |
| Internal dimensions | 28.50 × 15.51 × 13.58 inches |
| Empty weight | 12.24 pounds / 5.55 kilograms |
| Shell | Polycarbonate |
| Wheels | GlideTech 360-degree double spinner wheels |
| Pull bar | Three-height adjustable aluminium handle |
| Lock | Integrated TSA007 combination lock |
| Notable features | Built-in overweight indicator, movable dividers, compression straps, wet/dry bag and flat-opening bridge lid |
Warranty, Returns and Delivery
The Getaway 30 Trunk has a lifetime warranty against defects in materials and workmanship, as per Bagsmart. Bagsmart also tells customers that they can get free replacement on manufacturer defects within 1 year. Customers can return unpersonalised products which have not been used within 100 days if they are in their original condition and packaging. Bagsmart claims it offers free shipping to US destinations on orders over US$50. Estimated delivery time is about 3-4 business days. Terms are subject to change so view terms prior to purchasing.
Final Verdict: A Promising Large Trunk
The Bagsmart Getaway 30 Trunk earns points for presenting itself well as a roomy, well-organized checked bag printed with checks.
The 96-liter capacity gives you space to pack for extended trips, bulky garments, or to bring along the whole family. Organize your items with the adjustable dividers, which give you more configuration options than most bare suitcases. I’m also fond of the flat-folding opening, TSA-lock compatibility, double spinner wheels, and integrated weight lift handle.
It’s worth mentioning up front, however, that this suitcase will not wow you with ultralight credentials. It’s a big (5.55 kilograms) bag meant for travelers who don’t mind hauling heavier loads. Its external dimensions also approach the commonly used 62 linear-inch baggage limit of many airlines.
Finally, we haven’t actually taken this bag on a flight yet. I can’t properly assess wheel longevity, outer durability, handle strength, or even baggage-scale accuracy until it’s been through its paces. Based on my initial hands-on review, however, the Getaway 30 Trunk seemed especially appealing to families and other long-distance travelers who want plenty of packing space without sacrificing organization.
Bagsmart Getaway 30 Trunk Review: A Hands-On First Look at This 96L Checked Luggage