Airback FLEX Bundle

£321 (Currently on sale for £234!)

Packing for a trip is one of my least favourite things, as I’m a chronic over-packer, and no matter how many times I try to streamline the things I bring, I never can seem to get the zip of my suitcase closed without sitting on it! Thus, whether I’m packing for a weekend trip or a short few days away, I’m always the one with a comically too-large bag for the length of the trip. Therefore, when I saw the Airback Flex, which features a compression section to flatten your items and provide you with more space, I was super excited and couldn’t wait to see if I could manage to fit everything I’d need for a weekend trip away in the backpack!

The Airback FLEX is the newest innovation by Airback, and features a combined backpack and suitcase style case that you can throw over your shoulder and carry with ease, or even pull up the suitcase handle and pull your bag behind you. Thus, the bag is designed to be multi-functional, whilst still being compact enough to be your personal carry-on item when on a plane. The rucksack feels super premium, with the exterior made from a durable 100% recycled nylon with 900D face wax coating and PU coating, which offers a water-resistant exterior. The thick material adds a lovely feeling to the bag, with the backpack arms and back also featuring a similar style, but with mesh and fabric panels. The front of the rucksack features a convenient secret pocket, with a doubled-over flap for added security. This is great for storing your phone or passport for quick and convenient access.

At the top, there are zips to open the bag, which reveal a large section to put your things. The inside of the Airback FLEX is split into three convenient sections; the first is a zipped-up plastic-lined section, ideal for things like shoes to stop any dirt from getting on the rest of your things. In this section, there is also a smaller zipped pocket for small items too, ideal for keeping smaller items safe and separated, which would be handy for storing things like jewellery or a watch. In the middle of the bag, there is a zipped compartment ideal for tech gadgets such as your laptop or a tablet. This section has a little bit of padding to protect your devices, but I’d maybe have liked a little more just for extra protection. However, being in the middle of your bag is probably the safest place for such items.

The final large section, and one of the main draws of the Airback Flex for me, is the compression section. The section has a removable compression bag. The bag is zipped into the backpack and allows you to fill the base of the bag with your clothes. Then, once you’ve put everything you need in, you zip up the compression bag section and then utilise an air pump to suck out all the air from the compression bag section. This tightly compacts your clothes, vastly reducing their size. Once compressed, you will be left with space on top to add in toiletries and extra items such as hair tools, hats or sunglasses, as well as the air pump so you can decompress your clothes on your trip home!

I will note that when testing the bag, we used the Air Pump Pro, which came as part of a bundle with a toiletry bag. The pump was super-efficient and quickly removed the air from the compressed compartment. However, I do not think that the Airback FLEX comes with the Air Pump Pro as standard. Instead, the pump is available as an additional purchase or as part of the bundle deal. Thus, you can either use an existing air deflation/inflation device you have, or you will need to purchase an air pump at an additional cost.

The compression design of the Airback FLEX is great because it means you can fit way more clothes in the backpack than expected. Previously, I’ve barely been able to fit a pair of jeans, a few tops, and some toiletries in a backpack without a struggle to close it. However, the Airback FLEX means you can fit multiple t-shirts, a jumper, a jacket and jeans all in the bag, and then have space to put your toiletries, accessories and hair tools on top of the compressed compartment with ease. Whilst no, you can’t fit your entire wardrobe in because it's still meant as a carry-on-sized backpack option, the compression section is still super useful to squeeze extra clothing items into the bag for your trip. If you take a lot of trips and like to keep your luggage small, then the Airback FLEX is an excellent choice. Not only is it perfect for carry-on luggage trips, but even on larger trips, you can fit so much in your backpack and have it as additional space.

I love that the backpack is designed to be carry-on friendly, with its dimensions suited to a lot of airline requirements, but please check before each flight as some has different dimension requirements that may not fit. However, generally, the Airback FLEX is designed to go under the seat in front of you, or in the overhead bins on a plane, thanks to its compact size. However, even if you’re not worried about the size of the bag and are just using it for a weekend or a few days, the bag can even be expanded further to add another 10L of space to the bag. To expand the Airback FLEX, you just need to unzip the front expanding section and expand the size straps of the bag. This then allows you to get even more space, perfect for slightly longer trips too! 

It’s clear to me that every aspect of the Airback FLEX has been carefully designed to be super functional. A key example of this is the magnetic back panel, which, when the backpack is being used as a rolling case, can cover the backpack straps to keep them safe and not get in the way. Then, when you want to carry the bag as a backpack, you just fold down this panel, and it can Velcro in place over the wheels of the Airback FLEX.  This is such a small but so well-thought-out aspect of the design that makes the use of the bag even easier to avoid any dirt from the wheels getting on you, and to protect and hold the straps when rolling the backpack.

Overall, the Airback FLEX is an excellent travel luggage choice, whether you’re on an overnight trip or a long weekend. The backpack is the perfect companion for travel, which will help you pack more things, whilst remaining the perfect size for still being your personal carry-on item.

Pros:

• Compression design that allows you to fit more clothes in
• Multiple compartments to easily hold all your things
• Waterresistant design to survive rain showers
• Secure TSAapproved lock
• Expandable section for adding 10L of space
• Wheels and arm strap so you can roll or carry the backpack for easy carrying/wheeling

Cons:

• The backpack is on the more expensive side for a suitcase/backpack hybrid. Whilst the design features do seem to justify the more premium price point, especially if you travel a lot, it is still at a more premium price point.
• The bag does not automatically come with the Air Pump Pro to compress the compression part of the case; instead, it is avaliable as an additional purchase or as part of a bundle deal. I’d have liked for the pump to be included in the purchase of the Airback FLEX.