Heavy duty rolling case
Smooth Ride
Gregory Pack’s four-wheeled Quadro Pro Hardcase 28″ bag is smoother, faster, and more ergonomic than any of my previous two-wheeled bags. It literally glides through airport terminals with barely any effort from me.
The wheel housings spin 360 degrees, and the wheels are covered with rubber for extra durability. The case is also quite wide, so the wheel base makes the bag feel very stable. It’s only fallen over twice, and that was on cobbled walkways. Otherwise, the wheels have held up well to all sorts of terrain, including: the grass in my backyard that I had to traverse to get to my driveway, cement sidewalks with lots of cracks, bumpy asphalt streets, stone flooring, rubbery tile platforms surrounding train tracks, grooved pavement on train platforms, and dirt paths. I’ve navigated Gregory Pack’s Quadro Pro Hardcase 28” through all of them.
Two months into a three-and-a-half month trip around Sweden, I’m happy that the wheels are still attached and performing well, although the tread has worn down.
Wide Load
I’ve never traveled with such a large suitcase, and I have to admit that I was surprised by the dimensions (28in H x 18in L x 11.5in W) when the bag arrived. I had expected a taller, thinner case, but the Gregory Pack Quadro Pro Hardcase 28” is quite wide. I realized after packing it full that its girth is probably necessary to provide an adequately wide wheel base for stability.
Since I had a lot of gear to test during my travels, as well as several months worth of supplements and prescriptions pills for a medical treatment, I was happy to have such a large bag for my trip. I am a bit amazed by how much this suitcase holds. I limited myself to one pair of packed shoes, then loaded up on two pairs of shorts, three pairs of pants, eight tops, an insulation jacket, a wool hoodie, a wool jacket, socks, lots of underwear, four bras, a swimsuit and Turkish towel, my allergy bed covers, gloves, two hats, and more. Plus, so many pill bottles, which ended up taking up a lot of room and adding a lot of weight.
One side of the Quadro Pro case has a zippered cover with extra, flat mesh pockets for tiny essentials like my laundry sheets, a notebooks, earplugs, bandages, and my mouthguard in its case. The other side of the bag has a sturdy belt closure with mesh wings to keep things in place. The wings also have flat, zippered pockets, so that’s where I tossed more toiletries and other small items like my Fitbit and nail clippers.
The Gregory Pack Quadro Pro Hardcase 28” comes with a stash sleeve that zips into the second side of the bag. It has anti-microbial Polygiene coating so users can stash dirty, smelly items inside. Since I knew I would have access to washing machines for my entire trip, I removed and stored this sack in my closet. Instead, I used plastic bags for dirty shoes and clothes. I put clean items into ultra-thin, lightweight packing cubes.
I’m a terrible packer, so the outgoing trip was a bit chaotic, and I was surprised at many of the items that ended up in the suitcase that I should have left at home. Since then, I’ve become more organized and have repacked the bag several times to have better access to important items when I arrive at a destination so I don’t have to pull out everything the minute I arrive to find my pajamas or warm socks.
Heavy Load
The Gregory Pack Quadro Pro Hardcase 28” expands if necessary—the two hardcase sides are held together with a strong dark fabric with a YKK® brand zipper to open the bag and another zipper to expand that bag —but I wouldn’t recommend it. The case is very heavy when fully packed. This is the only downside to the bag. I struggled to deal with the bag when getting onto trains and buses. I was lucky that some kind strangers helped me. These moments were sort of awful because I had a backpack with my computer and other devices in it, as well as another duffle pack loaded with cold weather swim gear (wetsuit, etc) and more pill bottles. If I had to do it over again, I’d mail myself the medical items and just have the one case on wheels.
Another bummer about having a heavy bag (11 pounds empty): the airlines wanted to charge me $150 because it was overweight. In the end, I checked my second carry-on bag and the airlines balanced out the weight between the two bags to avoid the fee. Whew.
Despite the insane weight, I was able to easily and quickly use the pull-out handle to move the bag as I walked. The handle is very sturdy and comfortable to use. The lightly textured hand grip is just the right size and easy to hold, even when my hand is sweaty. I was sure I’d break the handle during all my close calls jumping onto trains (did I mention I’m always late), but it has held up well. It is also easy to close, and it stays put when I press it into its holder inside the bag. The Gregory Pack Quadro Pro Hardcase 28” also has three tough handles, one on top and one on each side, making it easier to grab and pull onto buses and off of storage racks.
Durable
The Gregory Pack Quadro Pro Hardcase 28” still looks good to me. I haven’t cleaned it or really paid any attention to it as I’ve moved around Sweden. I’m so happy that the wheels and handle are still intact, especially considering how heavy the bag is. Also, Gregory Pack claims that the zipper is designed to withstand five times the normal about of abuse as a regular zipper. That’s essential because if the bag is going to fail, it’s going to be the zipper or the fabric surrounding it. At this stage I haven’t seen any sign of stress on these parts of the case.
The polycarbonate shell is quite tough. It has gained several dirty scuffs, but nothing has punctured or scratched the shell. I like that I have the option of washing off the case with a warm, soapy rag if I want to. I can’t even imagine all the germs that have gathered on it.
The lining of the bag still looks brand new, so I’m happy about that. It’s made out of “40% Post-Consumer Recycled 135D Polyester.”
Extras
The Gregory Pack Quadro Pro Hardcase 28” has a TSA-approved combination lock that I have not used, but it looks sturdy. I’m not a fan of locking my bag because I think that if someone wants to get into my bag they are going to do it whether I put a lock on it or not.
Bottom Line
I have really enjoyed using this suitcase because the key elements – the wheels, the handle, and the zipper – have held up very well over two months of travel. It gives me peace of mind to know that I’m not going to end up at the airport carousel with my clothes spilling out onto the conveyor belt (that has happened to me before). I also feel confident that I won’t lose a wheel when I’m in the middle of nowhere. I feel like the Gregory Pack Quadro Pro Hardcase 28” has my back.
I will say that it is not the bag to use if you will need to carry it for any length of time or your travel involves lots of stairs. It’s darn heavy when full. But that’s the price I pay for hauling so much with me. Next time I will bring less stuff.
Manufacturer: gregory.com
$319.95 available on Amazon and on Gregory site
images from Gregory Pack site, except for wheel close-up