Osprey Daylite Wheeled Duffel 40 Review

We recently tested the newest, upgraded version of the Osprey Daylite Wheeled Duffel 40 and it's still our favorite pint-sized gear-hauler for several reasons, but our favorite features are its generous storage compartment and its ability to transform into a backpack or duffel with ease.

Performance Comparison

Capacity

In terms of its overall capacity, the Daylite is the ultimate twofer (two for one) or BOGO (buy one get one). It's not only one of the lightest bags on our list but also offers a great amount of space for your stuff. During our weight tests, the newest version of this bag tipped the scales at 5.2 pounds, which is a little heavier than the previous model we tested, which weighed 4.6 pounds. We feel this is due to its beefier 3.25-inch wheels, a more extensive wheel housing, and an upgraded trolley handle. The Daylite also boasts one of our lineup's largest interior volumes at 42.2 liters.

So why are the Daylite's weight and volume important? The answer is directly related to airline weight restrictions. Many U.S. domestic flights don't enforce a carry-weight limit; however, some U.S. airlines do, and that average limit is about 35 pounds.

Weight limits for international flights vary greatly, with the average being about 20 pounds (some can be as low as 15 pounds). Taking these restrictions into consideration, the Daylite's weight and volume suddenly make complete sense: the Daylite offers more room for your stuff but also offers you a greater weight differential than heavier bags.

In short, you can carry larger, heavier things. This is a real plus when you need to pack bulky, heavier gear like rope, laptops, camera gear, or boots. However, the Daylite's lighter base weight is achieved by using lighter materials, namely its thinner 450-denier polyester shell (a downgrade from 600-denier fabric on past models). Although we haven't experienced any problems to date, we are slightly concerned this less-dense exterior simply can't protect or secure payloads as well as thicker materials can. By comparison, The North Face Base Camp Rolling Thunder 22, another one of our favorite gear haulers, is shielded by a much thicker 1000-denier polyester shell. However, it's also heavier and does not convert into a backpack.

If your adventure travel plans involve more than a weekend getaway, you may want to take a gander at our review on the best luggage. We've traveled with and tested several of the leading checked bags on the market, including many of the best adventure-based gear haulers. And, if you like being matchy-matchy, the much larger sibling to Daylite Wheeled Duffel 40, the Osprey Daylite Wheeled Duffle 85, is a great lightweight option. It also can be converted and carried as a duffel or backpack.

Ease of Transport

The Daylite has the grit of an off-road vehicle but the sleekness of a race car, making it one of our favorite go-anywhere bags, earning it a very solid score for this metric. Our testers especially loved Osprey's recent improvements to this bag's wheels. Previous models rode on 2.5-inch wheels, which were narrowly spaced, causing the bag to be a little unbalanced while in transit.

The latest version of the Daylite sits atop two widely spaced, 3.25-inch rollers, giving it much more clearance and stability. On a recent trip to Acadia National Park in Maine, we pulled our Daylite over pavement, dirt, gravel, rock, and grass without any serious impediments. Even better, when terrain became too aggressive, we loved the fact that we could simply convert our Daylite into a backpack… talk about versatility.

The Eagle Creek Warrior XE 2-Wheel also rides on 3.25-inch wheels, which allows it to pass easily over all types of varied terrain. The Cotopaxi Allpa 38L Roller and the The North Face Base Camp Rolling Thunder 22 use 3-inch wheels.

Large wheels and aggressive off-road treads usually equate to more vibration — not an ideal characteristic if you're trying to compete with super smooth spinner wheels found on most carry-ons. However, this is a small negative trade-off for an adventure bag. But if you care, we specifically noticed this vibration when rolling on smoother flooring found in airport terminals.

Being a two-wheeled roller has its drawbacks. The Daylite is less responsive and requires more effort to move because it needs to be pulled. It doesn't effortlessly glide alongside your hip like the Travelpro Platinum Elite 21" Expandable Spinner, so it doesn't earn the same top-tier scores that are reserved for our best four-wheeled spinners. We also held back on offering our highest marks for this metric because the Daylite's sleek exterior is limited on exterior handles. More often, when it comes to adventure bags, our testers preferred models like the Eagle Creek Warrior XE or The North Face Base Camp Rolling Thunder, which offer several locations for grabbing and gripping.

Also, when it comes to holding its own, we noticed that the Daylite can be a little unsteady when standing upright. This bag is designed to collapse after use, which makes for easy storage, but it also results in a less rigid, less balanced design. However, on a positive note, we loved the complete overhaul of its trolley handle. It's more reliable, easier to use, and noticeably stronger.

Construction Quality

As mentioned, the manufacturer opted to downgrade the exterior shell of the Daylite from 600-denier recycled polyester to 450-denier recycled polyester. Our testers directly compared old and new models side by side and were unable to determine much of a difference in thickness, but we still don't like the idea that the new model is thinner. We assume lighter fabric was used to offset the increased weight of the Daylite's beefier wheels and trolley handle, which allows this bag to remain one of the lightest in our lineup — a standout feature we still really like. We also liked that the polyester has a finer thread, which results in a softer, more pliable, less bulky shell.

Other construction features that caught our attention were high-end buckles and clips, a reinforced polyester kick plate, strong grab handles, and reinforced ribbon fabric, which act as bumper rails along the backside of the bag. All of these factors propelled us to give the Daylite an excellent score in this metric. Of particular note, we are impressed with the use of reverse coil zippers on the exterior of the bag. This type of zipper conceals the zipper teeth behind a cloth flap, making the zipper a little more dust-proof and water-resistant. One downside to this option is a slower, more stubborn zipper that requires a bit more effort to open and close.

All totaled, we found the Daylite to be a perfect blend of beauty and brawn. It glided (tumbled?) through all our stairwell tests with ease, its seams are double stitched, and its zippers — although harder to slide — are tough as nails. Our only true complaint was the Daylite wasn't as water-resistant as we hoped it would be. We feel this bag's defenses can stand up to the occasional sprinkle; however, after drenching it with hose water, our testers noticed that its shell tends to absorb water. The interior of the bag was basically drenched. In fairness, most of the bags we've tested through the years tend to take on some water, but we were disappointed with the performance of the Daylite. To be transparent, two of the best performers in our water tests were the Travelpro Platinum Elite 21" Expandable Spinner and the SwissGear Sion Softside Expandable 21-Inch.

Design and Functionality

It's perfectly at home in the overhead bin, and it rolls through airports like it owns the place. Even better, it seamlessly converts to a backpack and gladly hauls your gear into the great outdoors. We packed and unpacked our Daylite with countless combinations of clothing and gear and were pleased to find that it could handle a wide variety of payloads, resulting in impressive scores for this metric.

In addition to its main interior storage compartment, the Daylite offers three additional exterior pockets and one interior mesh pocket. Our favorite was the largest exterior side pocket, which runs the length of the bag, and is a perfect place to shove last-minute items or dirty clothes. We also loved the newly designed wheel housings, which also double as exterior bumper rails, and we dig the “press-anywhere” trolley handle lock.

The Daylite has a very unique, sleek design, but it's much more than a pretty face. We loaded ours with endless blends of ski boots, rope, climbing gear, bulky clothes, hiking boots, and even a wet suit, a daypack, a small backpacking tent, and a sleeping pad. It swallowed them all easily, and the rugged interior straps held everything in place well. Even better, its softshell style allows the bag to contort to oddly shaped items. We've already touched on this bag's ability to transform into a duffel or backpack, but there is one step of this process that we were a little less keen on. The deployable straps use hook-shaped, spring-loaded clips, which hook on small fabric loops. The clips are quite stubborn and require a large amount of thump force to depress. Unhooking them requires several attempts because the end of the hook catches on the fabric loop, making it nearly impossible to wriggle free.

When the trip is finished, the Daylite has a velcro hinge that allows the bag to collapse, making it very flat and easily stored just about anywhere, which is great for travelers who don't have a lot of storage space at home. Lastly, we're probably being a little picky, but one design feature we didn't really like is this bag's bottom kickstand/handle. It's too small, so it doesn't balance the bag very well when standing upright. It also sticks out too far, so it catches on surfaces and is prone to being bent or damaged in other ways. We also just don't like how it looks. Of all the softshell roller bags we tested, the Cotopaxi Allpa 38L Roller has one of the best bottom handles of the bunch.

Should You Buy the Osprey Daylite Wheeled Duffel 40?

Generally, the Osprey Daylite appeals to the outdoorsy, adventurous type, those looking to haul some gear for a long weekend. However, we feel a slight case can be made for the average traveler who simply wants the freedom of duffel-style packing and the option of wheeling, carrying, or backpacking their luggage through various airport mazes. It also collapses flat, so it may appeal to minimalists or others who have limited storage space at home. If you relate to any of these types, the Daylite should be a serious consideration for your next trip.

What Other Carry-On Luggage Should You Consider?

Two other great gear-hauler carry-ons to consider are the The North Face Base Camp Rolling Thunder 22 and the Eagle Creek Warrior XE 2-Wheel Convertible. The Rolling Thunder is super tough, and we absolutely loved the Eagle Creek's amazing features and options. If a traditional carry-on suitcase is more your style, take a look at the SwissGear Sion Softside Expandable 21-Inch. If you'd prefer a more structured hardshell to keep gear safe in transit, we suggest the Amazon Basics 20-Inch Hardside Spinner.