Red Oxx Sky Train Bag Review

Last week I started traveling for work with my new bag. I wasn't sure at first when it arrived and I did a trial packing of all of the essentials. Now that I have lived out of it for a week I can form a better opinion. I have figured out all the little quirks and tricks to make it work better.

The result: The bag was worth every penny!

It is smaller and more light weight than my older backpack (which was meant as a laptop bag!). I can get all the clothes, electronics, work stuff, and everything else I need into it with room to spare. I use the large section for clothes and toiletries. The middle section I put electronics, notebook, and other odds and ends. The outer pocket happens to fit my macbook pro by itself.

I had to change the way I organize my stuff since it has essentially no internal pockets. I am using small bags and ziploc bags to keep things organized. I have ordered ditty bags from Amazon to save weight and space in the long run. I highly recommend them!

It construction is solid. I can tell they used very high quality materials and workmanship when building the bag. It does everything I need it too and more. I can certainly see using it for longer trips too and fully intend to do so. My main gripe is that it is not great for laptops. They are not really protected at all in the bag. I also have to note that it wasn't built for that purpose.

I will probably end up getting a small separate laptop bag as a solution. While I don't like to carry 2 bags I can see where it will be useful. Firstly I will have proper protection for the laptop. Second it transfers a lot of electronic stuff out of the main bag. That leaves room for more clothes needed for longer trips and better weight distribution. I also like having the big bag in the overhead and my smaller bag with everything I need under the seat.

Overall I am very happy I bought the bag. It will give me a lifetime of good service and easy traveling in the air. I have a lifetime warranty, no questions asked, and can get a new one if I have any issues. They are USA based and manufactured so I don't have to worry about getting stiffed on some sort of warranty exclusion.

Investing in quality -- frugal does not mean cheap!

Today I decided to pull the trigger on a $255 piece of luggage. On the surface that sounds expensive. When you get into the details you can see the real value of the transaction. I have looked high and low for the best piece of luggage for my needs and I believe I have found it. We will know soon if I made the right decision!

I admit it was a leap to drop $255 + shipping on a single piece of luggage. I did a LOT of research before buying the bag and found lots of great reviews. I am still not 100% sure it was the right choice. I checked and I can get a refund if I am not happy with it as long as it is new with all the tags on it. I plan on doing a test packing of the bag first.

I travel a lot for work and have long been unhappy with my carry on bag. I started of with a rolling bag which made me quite unhappy. It now collects dust in my closet. I currently use my Targus 17" laptop backpack for work travel. It is heavy when I fully pack it but I prefer it over my rolling bag. I have also used it on a couple of personal trips and it got the job done. The problem is I am still left with sore shoulders and generally unhappy with it.

Now I have discovered the Red Oxx Sky Train. I can carry it with a handle, shoulder strap, or backpack-style straps. It comes with a lifetime warranty for any damage from any source. It also weighs 4 pounds empty which is very light for a carry-on bag of any kind. From the reviews, pictures, and videos I have seen it looks like what I have been searching for all these years traveling.

Even still $255 seems like a lot of money--because it is! Between the ability to return the bag, the no questions asked lifetime warranty, and raving reviews I felt it was worth a try. My risk is $9.44 in shipping to try it out. I can get a full refund if I don't like it for any reason.

Thinking long term I will probably be better off with the new bag. My current Targus bag cost me $60 and has lasted me roughly 4 years. The seams are starting to show wear and could break soon. This sparked my search for a new bag. After reading about many different bags I discovered I hate wheeled bags due to their wasted space and needless added weight. Backpacks are my thing.

If I decide to keep the bag I will be making a big investment. The good news is that it is an investment for life since I can get it replaced any time for any damage what-so-ever. As long as it holds what I usually carry comfortably on my back I am sold. It is legal carry on size so I will never have to check it even if I over pack the bag. I am all but certain I made the right decision.

The moral of the story is that cheap does not equal frugal. A frugal person invests in what will last the longest and end up being the cheapest over the long haul. I can buy several $50 bags as I go and deal with frustrations of damage every few years or I can buy this once and not have to worry about it. Don't be afraid to invest in quality. It always pays off in the end.