REASONS TO BUY
Large internal volume
Expandable
Many features
REASONS TO AVOID
Heavy
Expensive
Travelpro Platinum Magna 2 Review
Great suitcase for frequent flyers and business travelers
Travelpro Platinum Magna 2
Credit: travelpro
RELATED: Best Carry-On Luggage of 2024
Our Verdict
The Travelpro Platinum Magna 2 expandable carry on is a fairly well-made bag with lots of handy features for the business or casual traveler. It has an integrated suiter, lockable zipper tabs, an add-a-bag strap, and two smooth-rolling wheels. While the telescoping handle seems durable and well-made, the frame of the suitcase was dented after checking this bag in for one flight. We'd still recommend this bag for business or casual travel, but if you are a frequent flyer and/or hard on your luggage, we'd opt to pay a little more for the Briggs and Riley Baseline Domestic instead. The Travelpro Maxlite 5 has a similar shape and design as this model, but costs half as much (or less), as does our Best Buy winner, the SwissGear 7208 Expandable Spinner.
Our Analysis and Test Results
The Travelpro Platinum Magna 2 carry on weighs 8 lbs 4 oz and measures 22 x 14 x 9 inches. This bag has two wheels, three carrying handles, and four internal and two external pockets. It has skid and corner guards for added durability and currently comes in Black and Olive colors.
Performance Comparison
Does it fit? Yes, it does. We had no issues fitting this bag in a variety of sizers, and it fits the standard 22 x 14 x 9 carry-on dimensions.
Credit: Cam McKenzie Ring
Ease of Transport
This bag didn't score as high in this metric as some of the four-wheeled bags that we tested, like the Samsonite Inova 20 or SwissGear 7280 Liteweight spinner. While the high-performance in-line skate wheels rolled smoothly over a variety of surfaces, the four-wheeled bags were much easier to maneuver in crowded airports and narrow airplane aisles. When dragging this bag down the plane's center aisle, it kept bumping into the sides of the seats unless we carefully pulled it dead center behind us. If you are trying to get off the plane in a hurry, you'd probably be better off just carrying this bag in front of you. It was easier to maneuver in and out of overhead storage bins thanks to its three carrying handles (top, side, and bottom). This feature is much more convenient than the hard-sided bags that we tested that only have one or two grab handles, like the Rockland Melbourne. We did like the option for the three different hand heights (38", 40" and 42.5") so that you can customize the bag to your preferences.
Storage
This bag has a generous amount of internal storage capacity and an expanding zipper in case you acquire too many souvenirs on vacation (like we did) and need to check this bag on the way home. We did several pack tests with this bag, including:
1) A real-life “can we go to Mexico for a week on the beach with only this bag” — PASS
2) A wintertime long weekend pack test, with a nice dress in the garment bag and heels — PASS
3) The Delsey Shadow 3.0 21 uber pack test, which included four pairs of pants, ten shirts, four pairs of shoes, two toiletry bags and two jackets — FAIL
(Well, we could get all the items for test #3 in there, but we had to undo the expandable zipper, thus making it a checked bag.) Only the Delsey and Briggs and Riley models were able to pass that final test, most likely due to their flat interior packing surfaces. All things considered though, this bag can carry a lot of gear, including business attire in the folding garment bag.
The folding integrated suiter is perfect for business or wedding travel where you need to keep your clothes in good condition. This bag accommodated all of our “pack for a week” clothes as well as a full suit.
Credit: Cam McKenzie Ring
The main exterior pocket on this bag can hold a 16" laptop, though it did make the bag a little front heavy and prone to tipping over.
Features
Too many features to list, including (clockwise from top left): an add-a-bag hook, expandable zipper, high-performance in-line skate wheels, and lockable zipper tabs.
Credit: Cam McKenzie Ring
This carry on is loaded with many useful features for the business or frequent traveler. The tri-fold suiter folds up into itself, keeping your suit or fancy dresses as close to wrinkle-free as possible. The compression straps have a pocket attached on each side for stowing small items like a phone charger, and they cover all of your belongings, ensuring that nothing goes flying out in case you need to open your bag in the airport.
The wide compression straps do a great job of securing all of our belongings, and have built-in pockets for storing small items like charging cables or jewelry boxes.
Credit: Cam McKenzie Ring
It doesn't have an integrated lock, but the zipper tabs have large enough holes for one. This bag comes with an expandable zipper, similar to the Travelpro Maxlite 22, which adds 1.5 inches to the width of the bag. While this takes it over the legal carry on limit, it is a nice feature in case you cannot fit all your dirty clothes back in the bag on the way home and/or just prefer to check it.
Durability
This bag is made with a Duraguard coated twill nylon, which is a method of weaving the fabric so that it forms a distinct diagonal line. This is a heavier material than the polyester used in Travelpro's Maxlite models and should be more durable in the long term. We did not see as many scratches and scuffs in the Magna's material after the same amount of travel as the Maxlite model. The handles are also more securely engineered in this line as opposed to the Maxlite line.
The carry handles are durably tacked on to the bag.
Credit: Cam McKenzie Ring
This bag is covered by Travelpro's “Worry-free Lifetime Warranty,” which covers “Damage as the result of defects in normal wear, loss, or damage of contents caused by airline or other carriers” but not damage due to normal wear or loss. The warranty on a suitcase is an important thing to consider when purchasing a new (and expensive) model. Briggs and Riley offers a no-questions-asked type of warranty. If it's broken, they'll fix it free of charge, no matter who did the damage or if it was due to “normal” wear and tear. They also replaced a missing piece on the Baseline with no hesitation, even though we couldn't be sure if it hadn't come with the piece or it one of our testers had misplaced it.
The frame of the Magna dented after checking it in on a return flight. This may or may not be covered under warranty depending on if it's deemed normal wear and tear (not covered) or damage caused by an airline carrier (covered).
Credit: Cam McKenzie Ring
Weight
The Platinum Magna weighs 8 lbs 4 oz, and it feels noticeably heavier to pull around and lift into overhead bins than lighter weight bags like the Travelpro Maxlite.
Style
The style of this bag is basic yet classic. The black leather strips on the front of the bag and on the handles add a nice contrast, and overall this bag has a little more style than the similarly shaped Maxlite. While this bag is classy enough for business and leisure travel, it doesn't quite make a statement like the Samsonite Inova 20.
We'd call this classic but classy carry-on styling. The leather ascents add a luxurious touch, and all the detailing is higher-end than Travelpro's more budget oriented Maxlite series.
Credit: Cam McKenzie Ring
Best Applications
This bag is best suited for business or casual travel where you won't be lugging it up and down stairs or on public transportation. The expanding sides make this a great option for travelers who like to carry on while traveling to a destination (in case their luggage gets misplaced when checked), but check it on the way home after buying a bunch of souvenirs.
If business or other frequent travel is the name of your game, then either the Magna (left) or Baseline (right) are great options.
Credit: Cam McKenzie Ring
Value
The Platinum Magna does have some price confusion associated with it. Travelpro does not list retail prices on its website. Major online retailers like Macy's and Amazon list this bag for $580 retail but then have it “on sale” for $300 or less. Even at $300, it's one of the most expensive pieces in this review. If you want to “invest” in a piece of durable luggage, then we'd recommend the $499 Briggs and Riley Baseline Domestic, our Top Pick for Business Travel. That bag has even more features than the Magna and should last a lifetime.
Conclusion
While we did like the Platinum Magna expandable carry on bag, it fell a little short compared to the competition. It does have some great features for business or casual travel, but ultimately we preferred the Eagle Creek Tarmac AWD Carry On and Briggs and Riley Baseline Domestic over this model.
Other Versions
This collection also features 20", 24", 26" and 28" expandable bags, as well as 21", 25" and 29" expandable spinner bags.
—
Cam McKenzie Ring
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