Summary: Travellers for whom quality is king swear by Tumi and when you see
the elegant, versatile Alpha 2 56cm hand luggage, you’ll quickly see why. This
is stylish without being fancy or over the top. Its pockets, mesh and frame
expansion capabilities make it useful for business or leisure. This is approved
for EasyJet / BA and other major airlines as hand luggage. It has 4 wheels for
360-degree movement.
This is one impressive hand luggage – if you thought that the ‘high street’
brands like Samsonite were the pinnacle, then it is time to think again!
Detailed Review of the Tumi Alpha 2 56cm / 33 Litre hand luggage
Let’s start with the practical parts – the size and capacity. This carry-on is
35cms by 23cms (28cm exp) by 56 cms
That is small enough for the major airlines, though too big for a carry on
with Jet 2, Ryanair and the other super low-cost carriers. The unpacked weight
is 4.67kgs. Capacity-wise, you can fit 30 litres into the Alpha 2. This is
balanced by the innovative packing system, which makes it possible to fit 2
suits / garments into this bag.
I love the front lid… in fact this is such a great idea, that I’m shocked no
other luggage brand has it as standard. This has the potential to solve a lot
of fiddling around, as long as you pack your essentials here. This lid gets you
to the same main compartment as if you had opened the case length ways.
There is also the ‘Level Lock’ system, which allows you to separate the main
compartments to your needs. This is ideal for getting your garments to that
business meeting in good condition. In addition to the two regular zip pockets,
there is a mesh zip pocket.
Black comes as standard, and is the top choice of most travellers. Tumi will
personalise your case (for extra money) with their ‘trim options’. This is made
of hard wearing nylon, you will feel the difference in quality and build
compared to regular cases. There are 4 double-wheels, one at each corner. This
gives the Alpha 2 hand luggage all-direction movement – putting it into the
spinner’ category.