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Olivia Greenway, travel journalist and copywriter

Carlton Dune 4-Wheel Spinner Suitcase

September 20, 2012
By olivia

Carlton Dune 4-wheel Spinner Suitcase

 

UK Price:  £149

 

Pros:  Tough, very lightweight, easy to move, nice colour options

 

Cons:  Clam shell design makes lid awkward to open against a wall on a luggage rest

 

Verdict:  A sturdy workhorse

 

Rating:  4 stars

 

Available:  John Lewis stores

 

Product review:

Hard suitcases usually have the disadvantage of being heavy even before you  fill them with too many pairs of shoes, but the Carlton range caught my eye as the case can be lifted by one finger when empty, maximising stingy airline luggage allowances.  It’s also a piece of cake to put it in the loft when it’s not in use.  The polycarbonate-ridged case is designed not to crack, a common disadvantage of hard cases.

 

It’s also easy to manoeuvre. You can pull it along behind you– useful on uneven surfaces; or better still, on smooth surfaces, such as at airports and train stations; it glides along next to you in an upright position.  It can also spin around on the spot, hence its name.

 

I’ve been on four trips now (two long haul) testing this case and it’s survived very well, with just minor scratches.  It was also left out in a monsoon downpour and all the contents stayed dry – my previous soft tops let in water.

 

Apart from attracting envious glances, the bright glossy magenta colour is easy to spot on the luggage carousel. (Other colours are available)

 

The case has a neat integral combination lock, which is simple to operate and it’s compliant with US customs; they can open the case without destroying the lock.

 

The plastic covers around the zip sometimes bend; but this is part of the clever design and soon right themselves.

 

The clam style opening does mean it is difficult to open against a flat wall on a luggage rack and if you put it on a bed, it takes up a lot of room.  I’d also have liked the internal zipped net in the lid to be accessed from the top, instead of the bottom and sides, to make storing dirty clothes easier.

 

These minor gripes aside, I’m very pleased with the case and know it will be accompanying me on many more trips

Categories : Reviews, Travel Gear Reviews
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Trips 2018/2019

2019

January: Zanzibar

March: Cape Town & Pretoria

May: Slovenia

October: South Africa (tbc)

November: Kenya (tbc)

 

Trips 2018

March:  New York, including Frick Gallery

May:  Vietnam including Halong Bay

June:  Giverny and Monet’s garden

June:  Majorca

December: Hyderabad and Chandigarh, India

Trips 2017

January: Johannesburg, Pretoria, Swaziland, Mozambique, Zimbabwe
February: Bangalore
April: Lake District
May: Malaga
September: Mexico, Cancun
November: Delhi, Agra, Shimla
December: Berlin, Prague, Budapest, Venice

Trips 2016 (not clickable)

January: Oxford, Tenerife
February: Hampshire
March: Manchester
April: Sicily, Germany
October: Bangalore, New Delhi
November: Bangalore, New Delhi
December: Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

List of trips 2015 (not clickable)

January: European ski resorts; Milan
February: Germany, Austria, Switzerland
March: Istanbul, Jersey, Vienna, Prague, Budapest
April: Road trip Ireland
May: Road trip France, Germany, Benelux and Copenhagen
June: UK luxury hotels
December: Cannes

List of trips 2014 (not clickable)

January Weimar, Vienna
February - Berlin, London
April - Chicago, Toronto, Montreal
May/June - Driving trip, Spain
July – Majorca
July - Paris
August - Southern UK
September – Northern Italy including Venice
October - South of France
October/November - Germany, Austria and Switzerland
December - Cape Town, Durban, driving along Garden Route South Africa, Kenya, Rwanda

List of trips 2013 (not clickable)

  • January - Tenerife
  • March - Istanbul
  • April - Italy luxury hotels - mid and southern Italy including Sicily
  • June - Las Vegas
  • June - Massive west coast road trip - Vancouver, BC
  • June - Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Napa Valley, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, Santa Monica, San Diego
  • September - Washington DC, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia
  • September - Carolinas, Georgia, northern Florida (Talahassee area)
  • September - New Orleans, Orlando, Miami; Vancouver
  • October - Puglia, Italy and Milan

List of trips 2012

  • January - Hawaii, USA
  • February - France - Le Touquet, Lens, Lille
  • March - Nelamangala, India
  • July - Milan, Italy
  • August - Buenos Aires, Argentina
  • August - Iguazu Falls, Brazil
  • August - Montevideo, Uruguay
  • September - Delhi, India
  • November - Dubai, UAE

List of trips 2011

  • January - Madeira, Portugal
  • February - Bangalore, India
  • April - British Virgin Islands, Caribbean
  • May - Sicily, Italy
  • May - San Francisco, USA
  • June - Bangalore and New Delhi, India
  • July - Prague, Czech Republic
  • July - Munich, Germany
  • July - Washington DC, USA
  • August - Lake District, UK
  • September - La Grande-Motte, France
  • Annapolis, USA
  • October - Buenos Aires, Argentina
  • December - Helsinki, Finland
  • December - St Petersburg, Russia

List of trips 2010

  • February - India - Kerala & Chennai
  • March - Manchester & the North West
  • March - Austria
  • April - Czech Republic
  • May - Lake District
  • June - Cologne
  • July - India - Bangalore and Delhi
  • August - Eastern Cape & KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
  • September - Grasse, south of France
  • September - Wick, Scotland
  • October - Utah, USA
  • December - Montreal, Canada
  • December - Madeira, Portugal
Olivia Greenway, travel journalist and copywriter
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