In this Gadling gear review I’m going to introduce you to the Sub-0-G luggage by Landor & Hawa. By now you’ll know that I don’t review just any old luggage, with so many bags out there, any bag that passes through Gadling better be special.
The Sub-0-G bag may look like a normal rolling suitcase, but read on to see what makes this bag anything but normal. (Kudos to the fantastic OBOW Blog for first posting about this product).
The Landor & Hawa Sub-0-G luggage is quite simply the lightest rolling bag I have ever seen. In fact, I’ll call it “silly light”. The rolling suitcase in this review weighs just under 5 pounds and offers 2759 cubic inches of storage space.
When I opened the box, I lifted the bag out with one finger, and spent my first 10 minutes just playing around with it in amazement.
Light luggage is perfect for those of us that carry far too much stuff. Some of my rolling suitcases weigh 15lbs when they are empty. In fact, I have several backpacks that weigh more than the Sub-0-G rolling suitcase!
Despite weighing next to nothing, the bag still offers everything you’d expect to find on a piece of rolling luggage – retractable handle, smooth/silent rolling wheels, and plenty of storage compartments.
The inner structure of the bag is designed around a fiberglass frame, not unlike the kind of stuff used in an ultralight tent (in this photo I have unzipped the inner cover). Thanks to this design, the weight is kept to a minimum, and the bag still has plenty of strength.
The fiberglass also provides a bit of “bend”, which means over-packers will still be able to bring all their stuff along with them.
On the outside of the bag is where you’ll find 2 zippered pockets, large enough for a couple of magazines, books or other items. On the inside is of course the main compartment, with 2 elastic packing straps. Behind the flap are 4 elastic pouches, perfect for socks, underwear or other small items.
Going back to the outside – the top of the bag features a very comfortable aluminum tube handle for carrying, and a very wide retractable aluminum handle for dragging the bag through the airport.
Sadly, there are two small things that I found lacking on the bag – there is no handle on the side of the bag, and the retractable handle does not lock. Having a handle on the side makes it easier to pull a bag out of the baggage compartment, or off the luggage belt at the airport.
The lack of a retractable handle means you will push the handle in when you push (instead of pull) the bag. Neither of these omissions are that serious, and given how well the rest of the bag performs, I don’t think they are a reason to think negatively about the Sub-0-G bag.
The Landor & Hawa Sub-0-G luggage is available in 3 versions; 20.5″, 24.5″ and 28.5″. The manufacturer is in the process of making some changes to the available sizes, so some online vendors may still stock the previous lineup (19″, 23″, 26″ and 30″).
MSRP for the bags is $205 (20.5″), $235 (24.5″) and $265 (28.5″). A set with all three bags will retail for $600. The bags are covered by a generous 10 year warranty.
Of course, as with all luggage, it pays to shop around, and you’ll easily find some retailers with much lower prices on this fantastic luggage.