Ridge have ventured from building metal, minimalist wallets to luggage that places a premium on durability. The Ridge Carry On (that’s the rather bland name) is a hard shell roller with a conventional design that’s been beefed up for rugged luxury.
Solid State
The Carry On comes in a nice set of choices from Royal black, Alpine navy, to Basecamp orange, personally my favorite. It’s bright – easy to find at the luggage carousel if you decide to check it in but isn’t as neon as it looks like on the Ridge website. This is more of a fuller orange that stands out but isn’t tacky looking. The polycarbonate shell is matte so there are no reflections or fingerprints to worry about and also makes the carry on more scratch resistant
All around Ridge have accented the Carry On with black bumpers around the exterior and anodized aluminum corner guards. It stands 20.5 inches (about 52 centimeters) high and is 14 inches (35.5 centimeters) wide.
Ridge have used weatherproof zipper lining – these are YKK zippers one of the more durable manufactures – the lining also being black adds a nice contrast to the over all look of the ridge carry on. Weatherproofing here is IPX3 rated, which means the carry on can a spray of water but isn’t waterproof. For rainy days though even if you check this bag and it’s sitting on a tarmac, it should provide a good amount of protection for the contents.
Keep On Rolling
The Ridge Carry On moves along 4 sets of double solid plastic wheels that are roll fairly well but occasionally still do that thing a lot of 4 point rollers do where it takes a second to align the wheels when changing directions. The wheels are thick and feel sturdy making it easy to move around on relatively flat surfaces. You can also roll the carry on at an angle on steeper inclines or less even pavement.
The handle has three height settings and a unique honey comb rubber grip that’s easy to hold – this thing isn’t going to slip out of your hands any time soon. The handle is smooth and clicky when it gets set and collapses nicely back into the body of the Carry On when not needed.
The Ridge Carry On isn’t a revolutionary design but raises the bar on the quality of parts and materials of a typical 4 point roller. The corner guards, slightly thicker shell, and use of heavy plastics in the wheels are some of the things that set it apart from luggage with similar body shapes and design. The use of those materials though does come with two other carry-ons though: price and weight.
Calculating Costs
The Ridge Carry On costs about twice as much as some other 4 point rollers you’ll find in this size and shape. Ridge are hoping that their investment in the build will mean while you’re paying more upfront for their Carry On, it’s luggage that will last you many years. The second price of the design choices Ridge have made with the Carry On is the weight. It’s 3.4 kilograms or 7.6 pounds, which is about a pound or half a kilogram heavier than similar hard shell rollers this size. Fortunately you probably won’t have to weigh the Carry On for many flights depending on where in the world you are but the weight is something you’ll want to keep in mind for both airlines limits as well as lifting the carry on into overhead compartments.
The Carry On is spacious enough for a 2 week trip. There’s enough storage for clothes, jackets, extra shoes, and most people, the Ridge Carry On will let you travel without having to check a bag. I could see this going well with a backpack for your laptop and other electronics so if you pack wisely that could be your entire luggage set up.
The Ridge Carry On is a bit pricier than some of the competition but if you travel frequently and find that you’ve had to replace your roller more than you’d like or you want to jump into the world of freedom that is not having to check a bag, then you might want to take a look at the Ridge Carry On.
