Cabin Max Backpack Flight Approved Carry On Bag massive 44 litre travel luggage 55x40x20 cm

A great product at the price. With some well known budget airlines now charging for hold baggage but lifting weight restrictions on cabin bags, the Cabin Max does what it says and allows you to make full use of the available space whilst staying within the size limits. Once loaded the straps are tensioned to condense the bag to the required size. There are lots of inner pockets and compartments to stow toiletries and possibly wet clothing. On a week long stay in Spain I was able to fit everything I needed into the Cabin Max and still have room for a tea pot and baby clothes. The lack of wheels and pull out handle reduces weight and was not a problem as the shoulder straps are perfectly adequate. The Cabin Max is excellent value for money.

We bought one of these and one Düssel Laptop Backpack for Aircraft Cabin 55 X 40 X 20 cm for a trip to Sardinia in January. The main advantage is that you save time and money checking in bags into the hold (Ryanair now charges up to fifty pounds for the privilege). And in terms of carry-on options, a bag like this is good because it frees your hands up to wrestle with passports, print-outs and restaurant trays. You're also not going to get stopped by the "queue police" with a bag on your back; as far as I can tell only people with wheelie cases seem to get harassed.

The two bags differ mainly in terms of weight. Whereas the Cabinmax is ultra-light, it's not waterproof. The Düssel bag provides a lot more padding and protection (actually, it's designed to protect laptops), and is also water resistant. However, it is quite a bit heavier and therefore harder to store.

Another difference between these products is the size - CabinMax can be totally stuffed and still not be over the size limit whereas you'd have to be a bit more careful with the Düssel bag because the outer dimensions are the maximum allowed. Price-wise I'm afraid Düssel wins hands down. And the quality of the Düssel bag is actually better in my opinion.

But if you want a lightweight cabin bag that's easy to store and has one main pocket with a few external ones for passports and things, this Cabin Max is great!

Firstly, it's very light. Approx 750 grams, which is far lighter than any other comparable-sized bag that I own. So the bag itself will not weight you down, and will leave over 90% of your 10 kilogram weight allowance free for its contents.

Although it may take several trips to be certain of this, the material and the construction look very sturdy, despite the light weight. It seems to be made of some type of tough cloth with some added nylon. The zips have good-sized metal teeth and open and close smoothly.

Apart from the surprisingly-large main compartment, there is a well-planned full-length pocket, with many compartments, and a smaller outer pocket for quick access.

Perhaps to achieve its light weight, the bag itself does not have an especially firm structure or shape by itself, but will partly rely on its contents to give it its shape. The four compression straps on the sides will help to achieve this and prevent a less-than-full bag from being floppy.

The shoulder straps are padded and have a nice curved shape which keep them securely positioned on one's shoulders. Note that, unlike some other bags, the straps do not have a hide-away pocket, but this is not a big issue. The bag itself also has three large padded areas on the back, for added carrying comfort.

Although not in any way ugly, the bag is not especially stylish nor glamourous. So if you're looking to cut a fine figure or make a fashion statement as you stroll into your first-class cabin, then this might not be the bag for you. But if you want a sturdy, functional, light-weight, practical bag, then ... why are you still even reading this review, just go click on "Add to Basket"!