The reviews are in, and the Latitude 40° N® luggage collections are racking up 5-star reviews for good reason.
A good suitcase is a lot like air: it’s just there, sustaining life, requiring no thought or effort on the part of the user. So the rave reviews racking up on the Latitude 40° N® collections got our attention. What is it about this luggage that has folks handing out five stars and shouting things like “Absolutely fantastic!” and “BB&B–do not drop this luggage line!”? We checked out the reviews, and this is what we found.
The Underseat Bags
Overhead bins are getting increasingly crowded, so a well-designed underseat bag is invaluable. Both the hard and soft versions of these spinners are loved by customers for their capacity, light weight, maneuverability, and durability. The bags’ interior pockets draw a lot of praise for the way they help travelers organize technology and travel documents. And many packers find them roomy enough to hold a whole weekend’s worth of necessities.
“I searched for a small carry-on for a long time, then found this one,” writes Bleedgold of Buford, Georgia, who got the hardside model. “The lightweight spinner makes maneuvering easy. I really like this product!”
“This has turned out to be the best luggage purchase I have made in years,” Lisa of Pittsburgh says in her 5-star write-up of the same bag. “It holds so many items with separate compartments… and can be taken on even the smallest planes without having to be checked.”
Medikate of Princeton, New Jersey, really appreciates how this “sturdy, well-designed product” slides under the seat with ease. She adds, “I’m short, so I don’t like putting my bag in the overhead bin.”
The Carry-ons
Both the hard and soft versions of this bag are sized to meet most US and International airline regulations for carry-ons. Our customers are delighted by how practical, well-designed, and roomy these little workhorses are. They single out the zippers and internal pockets again and again in 5-star reviews. Also noteworthy: the easy-glide wheels and the capability to expand 2 inches to accommodate souvenirs.
One 5-star enthusiast, Jacky82 of Woodbridge, VA, loves the softside version so much she says she has already bought four of them. Also buying in multiples is Nana of Ogio: “Perfect for air travel,” Nana writes. “I bought two of these for a trip to Universal Theme Park in Florida—one was for my grandson and one for myself. They were perfect for our six day trip. They glide easily and fit perfectly in the overhead plane storage, which was exactly what I wanted. The locks are secure and approved by the airlines. These were a great purchase. Highly recommend.” Quite a few reviewers shared plans to give these bags as wedding and graduation gifts, by the way.
From Kris688, of Austin: “Great for the price! I was able to fit five days worth of clothes and a couple of pairs of shoes without using the expandable part. It’s lightweight, which made it easy to lift into the overhead bin. So happy with my purchase.”
The Checked Bags
Offered in 24- and 28-inch for the softside and 25- and 29-inch hardside models, these big boys got big love from our customers–mostly for being lightweight, easy to pack and pull, and loaded with great features like zippered compartments, a wet bag, and the option to expand to pack even more stuff. Our customers tend to do their research, and many wrote to say that after checking out competitive brands with big names and hefty price tags, they purchased Ascent.
While softside luggage tends to be popular because of its relatively light weight, hardside luggage has the considerable advantage of offering more protection for its contents. Made of durable ABS plastic with polycarbonate coating for extra strength, the Ascent’s hardside gets high marks for maintaining appearances. The softside models, in rugged 840 denier plush twill polyester, also get high marks for their light weight and durability. So the choice is really a matter of personal preference.
Angeleno AJ200, who purchased the hardside case, agrees: “This large spinner bag fits a ton of stuff inside and has very useful dividers for accessibility. There are even small zippered pockets on the X-strap that secures one side, which are perfect for small items like kids’ socks or chargers. I was comfortable putting some delicate items like cameras inside, thanks to the hard shell.”
Atlanta’s Spirit called out the wet bag in her 5-star review: “You can use it for a wet bathing suit, but I used mine for mouthwash and body lotion. You sure can't lose with this one!”
From Tushgem of Monterey Park, California, comes this envy-inspiring 5-star review: “Love my new luggage set!! One for cruising (29"), one for European train travel (25") and one for weekend trips (20"). And I'm off and running!!!
BooZee, of Seattle sums it all up: “I have been through many different luggage lines. These are very affordable, so don’t waste your money on expensive luggage.”
Happy trails!