Delsey’s Helium Shadow: Ultralight Spinner
We've been doing some travel recently, for conventions and work events- and there is plenty more on the horizon. And when we run off to some exotic locale, we try to test out new gear- jackets and outerwear, certainly, but also luggage. Airports and airplanes, taxis and subways make for some great testbeds, but little is more harsh than city sidewalks and stairs. You need something tough, and there are some great bags now available that manage to balance durability, style, and the always-important weight factor.
The Delsey Helium Shadow Carry-On Trolley Spinner is a hardside polycarbonate bag, and makes an immediately positive impression. It's super light, one of the lightest we've seen in this size, and features four of those multi-direction spinning wheels for maximum maneuverability. It also has a great texture, and a metallic sheen, that grabs attention and certainly stood out. The zippers are great- recessed, self-healing, and though the pulls are great, they are not quite fantastic (we were more impressed by those on another piece of luggage with a review to come shortly). The same is true of the wheels- these are pretty good, incredibly speedy at first, but do wear down fairly quickly.
The handle pulls up with a single button click, but wasn't particularly comfortable. Weight distribution on this does take some work, you may find your first packing attempt tipping it over. The built-in TSA-approved lock is nice, and worked well. And it glides smoothly, handling amazingly well down aisles. But there are two major downsides that left us frustrated: the interior of the bag looks and feels cheap. There is a liner, and a pretty poor compression strap, as well as a sort of mesh compartment. But it doesn't feel well-fitted, and looks like an afterthought. That said, if you don't want much in the way of compartments or pockets, and just want a solid bag that looks great and it super-light, this one is a good value.
The Delsey Helium Shadow collection is available in several colors, including blue, purple, and platinum. And there are three sizes as well- we recommend stepping up to the 26-inch, which has side handles, versus the 21″ models that do not- the lack of a side handle definitely made lifting it to overhead bins a bit tricky. Expect to spend between $100 and $250 or so, depending on options.
About the Author
Greg Greg dreamed up the idea for the Truly Network while living in Hawaii, which began with a single site called TrulyObscure. In 2010, when advertisers and readers were requesting coverage beyond the scope of that site, TrulyNet was launched, reaching a broader audience over a variety of niche sites. Formerly the head technology correspondent for the Des Moines Register at age 16, he has since lived and worked in five states and two countries, helping a list of organizations and companies that includes the United States Census Bureau, TripAdvisor, Events Photo Group, Berlitz, and Computer Geeks. He also served as the Content Strategy Manager for HearPlanet, a multi-platform app that has reached over a million users and has been featured in the New York Times, Hemispheres Magazine, National Geographic Adventure, Fox Business News, PC Magazine, and even Apple’s own iPhone ads. Greg has written as a restaurant critic and feature journalist for a number of national and international publications, including City Weekend Magazine, Red Egg Magazine, the Newton Daily News, Capital Change Magazine, and an arm of China Daily, Beijing Weekend. In addition, he has served as a consulting editor for the Foreign Language Press of Beijing, as well as a writer and editor for the George Washington University Hatchet, the school newspaper of his alma mater. Originally from Iowa, Greg is currently living in the West Village of Manhattan.
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