The Highs: Astonishingly light, solid construction, 10 yr. warranty
The Lows: Losing the pounds means frills & features go away as well
The Verdict: Funky minimalism & solid capacity in a super lightweight wheelie
A few days ago we looked at the eBags Mother Lode TLS Mini 21 – a rollaboard that’s loaded with neat features and sports a modular design which makes it extremely adaptable and versatile. The Landor & Hawa Sub-0-G is at the opposite end of the spectrum. There are no compression straps, expansion gussets, zip away panels, locatable divider panels, or even a telescoping handle.
Moreover, there are no sloping sides or curved surfaces. This is a simple box frame composed of fiberglass rods and a couple of aluminum tubes; wheels are mounted to two of its corners. This featherweight frame supports a light but tough synthetic fabric bag with a couple of external pockets.
What it lacks in gee whiz features, it makes up for in an incredibly low weight – a mere 4.8 pounds.
Upon lifting it, my wife was an immediate convert.
“I’d love one of these!” she exclaimed.
“Er, it doesn’t have a lot of pockets, and uh, if you push it in front of you, the handle doesn’t stay up ’cause it doesn’t lock in place,” I offered, imagining yet another bag showing up at the house (the sample used for this quick review was a loaner from a Practical Hacks stalwart).
“I don’t care about that, I just like how light it is! I could lift this into the overhead easily, even with all my stuff in it,” she added.
And so it goes. We’ll no doubt have a Sub-0-G in the arsenal shortly, and having taken a quick look at the bag, – and in light of its sub $100 price – I’m ok with that. The Landor & Hawa Sub-0-G doesn’t have a lot of flash, but it’s capacity is impressive, it seems reasonably tough (plus it’s backed by a 10 Year Warranty), and lifting the bag for the first time is simply a jaw dropping experience.
Specifications
| Size: | 23″ x 14-7/8″ x 9-1/8″ |
| Material: | Aircraft Grade Fiberglass Elements |
| Linear Inches: | 42.5″ |
| Weight: | 4.8 lbs. |
| Warranty: | 10 Year |
- Constructed from lightweight aircraft grade fiberglass elements connected directly to the wheel and trolley system giving incredible strength, stability and rigidity
- Tested to destruction. Verified in loaded drop tests and independent tests
- 2 Outside pockets
- Inside mesh pocket
- Made in the UK
From the Landor & Hawa website:
Ultra Strong
In independent laboratories Sub-Ø-G© exceeded the standards for loaded drop tests, handle strength tests and material tear resistance
.
Glass structure
Inter-connecting fibre glass poles for incredible protection
.
Award Winning
2009 product innovation winner at the US Travel Goods Association
.
Patent Protected
This item has innovative product features protected by Patent No. WO/2008/009905 and UK Patent No. GB2440206
.
Flat Packing
Our interior allows you to pack clothes flat with no annoying obstructions to wrinkle your clothes
.
Corner Wheels
Smooth rolling corner wheels for stability
.
Fully Lined
Fully lined interior
.
Front Zip Storage Pockets
Multiple zips storage pockets.
A photo tour…
The bag is simplicity itself. There are two zippered pockets on the outside front panel; the top pocket measures ~13″ x 6″, and the lower pocket is about 9″ deep. The zippers are coil type and the metal pulls are meaty and easily grasped:
Atop the bag is a curved aluminum handle that is reasonably comfortable; behind it is the trolley handle. When fully extended, it measures 37¼” from the top of the trolley handle to the bottom of the wheels. That certainly isn’t excessive, but because the foam grip extends across the entire handle, you can easily grip it to the side to avoid having the bag hit your heels when walking. I do not know how comfortable it would be for someone over 6 feet tall, however.
A close-up of the locking zippers on the main compartment, below. Fit and finish on the bag was fine.
The wheels appeared to be ball bearing types, and were quiet in operation. In addition to the two front corner “feet,” one of which you can see in the photo below, there’s another molded foot which supports the center of the bottom of the bag.
Another shot of the two front pockets. The horizontal trim on the top of each pocket is a heavy rubber material which protects the zipper itself and seems very durable:
The lining of the bag has been zipped open, below. The same type of fiberglas rods used on tents are employed here; the aluminum tube at the bottom right supports the trolley handle:
How durable is this framework? Check out this quick 1 minute video in which I try to break someone else’s Sub-0-G:
Packing the Sub-0-G
Below, a shot of the Pack-It 18 in the compartment of the Sub-0-G; note the two elastic compression straps, and also note there are 4 mesh pockets on the inside of the lid (you can see two of them in this shot). The main compartment measures 19½” x 13½” x 7¾”, providing about 2040 cu. in. of capacity. One other important point: the structure for the trolley handle is at the sides of the compartment; as a result, the floor of the bag is flat, simplifying packing.
Again, a Tom Bihn packing cube/daypack loaded with several bulky items on top; to the right, a Steves packing cube with socks and underwear.
I wouldn’t necessarily pack in this manner, but for the purposes of illustrating the bag’s capacity, my Asus netbook in its neoprene sleeve is on the left, and a ziploc bag with power bricks to the right. There’s still a lot of room left for small or compressible items.
Finally, my 3-1-1 bag peeking out of the top pocket, and a Bihn packing cube with my onboard essentials (iPod, headphones, etc.) in the lower pocket. Plenty of room left in both.
Wrapping Up
This cursory look at the Landor & Hawa Sub-0-G has me intrigued. Bagaholic that I am, I’ll order one and have Pat experiment with it over the next several months – who knows, perhaps she’ll use it for the Italy trip we’re planning for late spring.
The bag does have a couple of obvious shortcomings – one is the lack of grab handles: the curved aluminum piece on the top is the only one. And as mentioned earlier, if you happen to try to push the bag in front of you, there is no locking mechanism on the trolley handle and it will definitely push into its retracted position as you do so.
As for style? It lacks the polish and curvy goodness of a bag like the eBags TLS Mini, but its capacity is substantial, and then there’s the matter of its weight… or lack thereof. Finally, my initial impression of its durability is positive. No one will mistake this for a Tumi or BR for sure, but as a carry-on to be used a few times a year, my hunch is that it’s a terrific value. Which brings us to the matter of price.
Several online luggage merchants sell the Sub-0-G; DiscountLuggage.com is currently selling it for $79.95 with free shipping. See their listing by clicking here: Landor & Hawa Sub-0-G @ DiscountLuggage.com
The Fine Print: I have no connection to any of the companies mentioned in this post. Thanks to Michael W. for loaning me the Sub-0-G, and special thanks to Watsana, honorary dolly grip and special counsel.
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
January 14th, 2010 at 8:06 am
Is the 20.5 measurement just the bag itself or does that include the wheels and handles? I find most wheeled bags advertised dimensions don’t include wheels and handles.
[Reply]
Kevin Reply:
January 14th, 2010 at 12:01 pm
Buzz – I’ll correct the dimensions above, which were from the DisountLuggage.com site. The outside dimensions of the bag are 23″ (inclusive of wheels and handle) x 14-7/8″ x 9-1/8″.
The dimensions in the review of the interior size of the main compartment are actual measurements, and they’re accurate. Thanks for the question.
[Reply]
Buzz Reply:
January 14th, 2010 at 12:49 pm
Thanks Kevin…..unfortunately, the bag went from advertised dimensions of fitting most European airline carry-on restrictions to practically none.
They used to have an “advertised” 19″ bag which would have fit but stopped making it due to lack of interest.
[Reply]
Kevin Reply:
January 14th, 2010 at 5:12 pm
The L&H UK site still lists a bag with the following dimensions: 19″ x 13.4″ x 7.1″
For the sake of comparison, they have the dimensions of the bag covered here as: 23″ x 15.4″ x 8.1″
January 14th, 2010 at 12:39 pm
My jaw dropped when I watched that video.
I guess my concerns about the bag self-destructing if I were forced to check it are ill-founded.
The honorary “dolly grip” will be taking it on her trip to Thailand.
One question:
Which bag looks – classier – on first glance, the Landor or the eBags? (Let’s forget we know that eBags is renowned for price cutting.)
[Reply]
Kevin Reply:
January 14th, 2010 at 7:28 pm
Did your jaw drop because you were impressed at how tough the framework is, or because someone you’d loaned the bag to was feverishly trying to break it?? ;-)
[Reply]
January 14th, 2010 at 3:52 pm
On first glance the Sub0 looks classier.
I am not surprised about the durability of the fiberglass rods. I fly sports kites as a hobby (can you call something you do twice a year but have done for 20 years or more a hobby?). Those rods are amazingly durable. I only once broke a rod and that was after flying a cheap Chinese kite in 55mph wind in Santa Fe. It was one of the best kiting hours I’ve ever had. I bought the kite for that occasion. Used it to the point of total wreckage for about 90 minutes. Yeah! RIP and thanks to the cheap Chinese kite! I digress, though.
I’d be slightly more concerned about the main nylon ripping or the seams ripping and the very soft sided nature not offering enough protection for check-in duties.
The dimensions are in line with other mfrs who don’t advertise the real dimensions, either.
There seems to be also a newcomer to the light bag game called the “Walking bag”. Check out the Lightest Bag thread here:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum.....y-bag.html
I have not seen a review of said walking bag (from Japan, I believe) and it would be nice to have one here especially as a complement to Kevin’s great review of the Sub0.
[Reply]
Kevin Reply:
January 14th, 2010 at 5:38 pm
Thanks, Till. The Walkin’ Bag is a variant of the spinner and weighs 3.8lbs. The main compartment is a top loading tote… there’s not too much to it. I’d be tempted to get one, but top loading a bag is inefficient and inconvenient. I’d rather get my hands on a 19″ Sub-0.
Here’s a link for the Walkin’ Bag: http://is.gd/6hsrf
[Reply]
Michael W. Reply:
January 14th, 2010 at 6:37 pm
The Walkin’ Bag looks awesome – hard to load or not. But can this be true -
“1,151 cu. in.”
from their website. That’s awfully small capacity! Have we been living in a fool’s world about our bags? I thought convertible suitcases could hold more like 2,300-2,500 c.i.
But the weight is amazing!
[Reply]
Kevin Reply:
January 14th, 2010 at 7:29 pm
Oh, it be. It’s not very large. I think the 19″ Sub-0-G would be killer!
January 14th, 2010 at 5:55 pm
Kevin, thanks for the info about the 19″ Sub-0-G. Now, if you can find a way to get it in the States, let me know. While I normally travel without wheels, there are a couple of occasions wheels would come in handy. And I don’t feel like lugging something weighing more than 8 lbs.
[Reply]
Kevin Reply:
January 14th, 2010 at 6:00 pm
Buzz,
I’ve contacted Landor & Hawa’s US sales office, and will see what I can do. Thanks for your comments!
kc
[Reply]
Kevin Reply:
January 17th, 2010 at 7:33 am
The 19 has definitely been discontinued in the U.S.; it still appears on the UK website, however. Perhaps a UK reseller would ship across the pond?
[Reply]
Kevin Reply:
January 20th, 2010 at 8:27 pm
From a Landor & Hawa U.S. rep:
Laurie Reply:
February 26th, 2010 at 9:48 am
(From another L&H rep)…AND, the new set will come in Brown and Purple Circles, as well as the classic basic Black! We will be introducing it at the Luggage Show in Las Vegas next week.
March 11th, 2010 at 2:53 pm
I’ve used an Airboss or MEI bag for many years, but recently had to switch over to a wheeled bag (I am recovering from brain cancer and have had some neuro-muscular damage in my right leg). So, anyhow I bought this bag a few weeks ago and took it on three trips.
I like it a great deal. Not simply because it is light, but also because there is more internal space than in other wheeled bags I have seen. It is a shame that there is no locking mechanism on the extender and that there is no side grab handle. But these are small problems and the utility of the bag far overshadows the faults.
I had no problem getting this on board six different flights. I used a smaller bundle for 1/2 of the luggage and added other pieces into the top 1/2. I was able to carry a 12 inch Lenovo Netbook and enough clothing for a one week trip.
I paid only $80.00 (shipped) for this and heartily recommend the bag.
[Reply]
Kevin Reply:
March 11th, 2010 at 5:26 pm
Joe – Welcome to Practical Hacks and thanks for a great comment. I’m glad you’re happy with the Sub-0-G.
Kevin
[Reply]
April 29th, 2010 at 3:06 pm
I have used the larger lightweight luggage on two trips. I purchased the item in December 2009. One was a cruise and the other on a trip to Turkey. Just returned from the Turkey trip and observed that the aluminum rod that hold the telescoping handles broke during the tossing around of the luggage by airport and luggage handlers.
Now Landor-Hawa wants me to file a claim with the airlines before they will take any action. How do I prove who damaged my luggage? Out of good will, Landor-Hawa should pay for this aluminum rod.
[Reply]