SwissGear 7208 Expandable Liteweight Spinner Review
Our Verdict
Our Analysis and Test Results
The 7208 Liteweight Spinner measures 20" x 13.5" x 10.5" and weighs 6.11 pounds. It is made with Durable Dobby Weave Polyester, has two exterior and two interior pockets. Its four 360-degree spinning wheels are great for maneuvering through tight airport terminals and airport shuttles.
Performance Comparison
Ease of Transport
We love the Liteweight Spinner on pavement and polished floors. It has four 360 degree spinning wheels that allow you to push the bag in front, pull it behind, and make sharp turns in tight spaces. The ease of maneuverability makes this bag ideal for airplanes and airport shuttles.
The bag's lightweight also makes it a pleasure to wheel around. This is partially due to its small and lightweight wheels. These are less than ideal on varied or uneven terrain, however. We found a lot of resistance when attempting to roll the bag over dirt and gravel.
Storage
The SwissGear Liteweight Spinner is spacious and easy to pack for our long winter weekend test, which includes two pairs of pants, sweaters, shirts, running shoes, work clothes, undergarments, a laptop, a large novel, and toiletries. It also has an expandable zipper for packing in an extra puffy jacket or souvenirs.
It's also an easy bag to organize. Compression straps keep clothes in place when opening the bag. It comes with a removable plastic toiletry bag, an exterior laptop pocket, and a smaller exterior wallet or passport pocket, keeping time in the TSA security line to a minimum. Although the Liteweight Spinner does have an interior mesh zipper pocket, there is no ideal space to keep business attire wrinkle-free.
Features
The simple design of the Liteweight Spinner has fewer features than many of its competitors. The most distinguishing attributes of this piece are its removable plastic toiletry bag and its expandable zipper. The bag also comes with a lockable main compartment zipper.
Durability
The Liteweight Spinner is made with Durable Dobby Weave Polyester. Its fixed handles are well stitched and the corners of the bag are reinforced with plastic lining. The lightweight spinning wheels showed signs of wear and tear after testing over one mile of varied terrain but overall they performed better than expected. The bag balances durability with a lightweight design. Wheel durability seemed to be sacrificed in order to keep the bag ultralight.
Weight
At 6.11 pounds the Liteweight Spinner is one of the lightest bags we reviewed. This lightweight design makes it easier to carry the fully loaded bag over stairs and lift into overhead compartments.
Style
This bag is not particularly sleek or fashion-forward. However, it has a clean-cut and simple design that is appropriate for business trips and travel adventures alike. Although it is one of the most affordable bags we reviewed, its low price point is not reflected in its high-quality appearance.
Best Applications
This bag is ideal for the infrequent traveler who needs an affordable bag for occasional long weekend getaways and informal business trips. It performs best on hard, even surfaces through tight and narrow spaces, making it ideal for airport and bus travel but not great for adventure travel over uneven terrain.
Value
The older generation SwissGear carry on, the Swissgear Meyrin 20 won our Best Buy award in the past with a total score of 73 and the price listed as $120. The Liteweight Spinner is our new Best Buy award winner with an overall score of 76.5.
Conclusion
The SwissGear Liteweight Spinner is the perfect piece for the light-duty traveler who wants a quality bag for a competitive price. With smaller and lighter plastic wheels, you may find yourself wanting to carry the bag over uneven terrain or stairs to make the bag last longer. This can be cumbersome, but for such a low price, many travelers may find it's worth it.