This Under-the-Radar Suitcase Raises the Bar for Aluminum Luggage

Sterling Pacific’s newly introduced Cabin Travel Case is essentially the G-Wagen of hard-sided suitcases.

Published July 25, 2024

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Updated July 25, 2024

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Travelers interested in aluminum suitcases seemingly have more options than ever now. Most luggage advertised as aluminum at least looks the part. The bags are shiny and sold in colors like classic silver. What they’re made of is where things get murky.

Many options swap aluminum for plastic in crucial areas like handles and wheel housings. Some companies even sell so-called hybrid suitcases, which combine aluminum details like frames and corner protections with mostly plastic body panels colored to look like metal.

Don’t get me wrong: polycarbonate (a.k.a. plastic) is a very sensible material for luggage. In many ways, it’s superior to aluminum despite being significantly cheaper. So, there’s nothing inherently inferior about suitcase designs that combine aluminum and plastic elements, especially if choices were made to pursue a lower price point. However, for travelers who prefer the tradeoff of metal luggage and want a suitcase made purely from it, the pickings are remarkably slim.

Sterling Pacific is a relatively new luggage company with a crystal clear sales pitch. Every part of company’s suitcases – outside of the wheels, Italian leather handle grip covers and interior lining and pockets – is made from aluminum or steel.

The appeal is evident for anyone interested in a premium piece of luggage and willing to pay for the privilege. The biggest catch until recently was that buyers also had to be ok with a two-wheeled form factor.

Sterling Pacific addressed this major downside this summer by launching four-wheeled Cabin Travel Cases in 40L carry-on, and 90L checked luggage sizes. The brand also seized the opportunity to introduce a more modern all-black color option.

I recently took an extended weekend trip with the new 40L Cabin Travel Case in all-black to see how it performed.

AN UNRIVALED PREMIUM FEEL

Sterling Pacific 40L Cabin Travel Case in black sitting on an escalator with the handles up. Photo is taken from above looking down at the suitcase. — Details like the all-metal retractable trolley and thick Italian leather grips help distinguish the Cabin Travel Case as a premium suitcase.

I’ve traveled with various aluminum suitcases over the years, including more affordable options from Away and established luxury options from Rimowa.

The Sterling Pacific 40L Cabin Travel Case immediately felt far more premium right out of the box. There’s just a heft and tank-like rigidity to it that exudes toughness and luxury.

It’s akin to picking up a platinum watch for the first time after being used to stainless steel. You immediately notice the difference when lifting the rollaboard by the handle for the first time. But it’s the smaller details that really hammer the feeling home. The bag’s internal all-metal quick-release buckles click with a satisfying snap. The Italian leather handle covers are thick and grippy, with some natural give.

Beyond adding a tactile sense of luxury, the weight and rigidity make the luggage roll smoothly, even when packed lightly. Few, if any, vibrations reached the nerves of my sweating palms while hustling through the crowded halls of O’Hare, although the telescoping handle can wobble a bit. The suitcase also never drifted lightly away after an abrupt stop, as some luggage does.

“It’s akin to picking up a platinum watch for the first time after being used to stainless steel.”

Since it’s an aluminum suitcase, I was immediately concerned about how easily it might scratch. I cringed the first time I smashed it back into an overhead bin and tossed it into the chaotic trunk of an Uber. The Cabin Travel Case survived unscathed in each instance, but dust particles were very easy to spot.

Sterling Pacific 40L Cabin Travel Case in black pushed into airline overhead bin with the wheels out. — The suitcase didn’t scratch as easily as I feared, though dust was very apparent against the deep black aluminum. Sterling Pacific’s 40L Cabin Travel Case lacks a lower handle like every other aluminum suitcase I’ve used. So if you follow flight attendant instructions of facing wheels out, pulling the bag out after landing requires grabbing the side panels or wheels of the suitcase.

I plan to report back with more details about how the cabin travel case holds up aesthetically after extended use.

Anyone buying from Sterling Pacific should find some reassurance in the brand’s Lifetime Warranty and Service Promise. It includes complimentary parts that can be mailed directly to customers for simple repairs – think replacing a leather handle cover. More extensive fixes are addressed via mailing luggage to the company’s Reno-based service center or authorized local repair shop.

A MORE TRADITIONAL LAYOUT

Sterling Pacific Cabin Travel Case 40L in black opened to reveal the suitcases zippered internal storage compartment on one side and x shaped strap system on the other.

A zipper compression panel with a smaller mesh outer pocket encloses one-half of the Sterling Pacific 40L Cabin Travel Case. The other half is open but includes a pair of metal buckle straps to secure items. It’s a layout many who’ve used soft-side luggage will be familiar with.

Interestingly, Rimowa and Away’s aluminum luggage features cinching compression panels on each side instead, presumably to help packers quickly squeeze down items in the event of minor overpacking. However, this internal organization setup has often given me headaches.

Luggage with this setup won’t seal shut if either side isn’t cinched closely to perfect flat. And even if one side is slightly bulging, but the other is under-packed, the suitcase can be difficult to close. The flat compression panel of the under-packed side blocks any give for the overstuffed side to push into.

“Since the zippered side fully seals off, I also like that there’s no chance of dirt from things like shoes mingling with clean items on the other side.”

Sterling Pacific’s Cabin Travel Case loses some packing flexibility and perhaps a tiny bit of space by including a more traditional zipper panel on one side. But it’s also easier to tell when that side has too much stuff. Since the zippered side fully seals off, I also like that there’s no chance of dirt from things like shoes mingling with clean items on the other side.

As I noted earlier, the feel of all-metal buckles on the luggage’s other side is also excellent. The elastic stretch of the straps also feels satisfying. That said, stretching both straps in an X-shaped pattern over your clothes doesn’t cinch down clothes as evenly as a flat panel.

My takeaway is that the Cabin Travel Case feels less forgiving of overpacking than competing suitcases. It’s also less of a blank canvas for various packing styles. If you’re the type who prefers packing everything in packing cubes, sealing those items away in another zipped-off compartment will feel like a waste of space. For others who drop in at least some portion of their clothes directly, the Cabin Travel Case layout bakes in a bit of organization that you’ll appreciate.

OTHER SMALL PERKS

A line up of the accessories that come with a Sterling Pacific Cabin Travel Case including leather polish, a small electronics pouch, a microfiber cloth and a metal pen.

As frivolous as it sounds, the small collection of accessories Sterling Pacific provides with each Cabin Travel Case is worth mentioning. The slipcover each bag ships with can help protect the luggage from inadvertent scratches in a storage closet. The aluminum pen feels equally weighty and premium like the bag.

The medium-sized zipper pouch is slightly larger than most I’ve encountered and an excellent size for consolidating a range of tech accessories into one bag, including a large power brick and a camera battery charger. Sterling Pacific also tosses in some leather care product for the handles, although I can’t honestly say I’d ever bother to treat them with it.

No one, of course, should buy the Cabin Travel Case based on this minor collection of swag and accessories. But like the surprise take-home treats offered by some five-star restaurants at the end of an outrageous meal, it’s a tiny gesture that does add to the luggage’s overall sense of value.

QUIRKS AND DOWNSIDES

Top down image of Sterling Pacific’s Cabin Travel Case 40L aluminum hard sided luggage showing visible finger prints on the shiny black exterior. — The black aluminum color clearly shows fingerprint marks in certain lighting conditions.

The most significant practical tradeoff of Sterling Pacific’s 40L Cabin Travel Case’s premium construction is weight. At 12 lbs empty, the suitcase weighs 2.9 lbs more than Away’s similarly sized aluminum carry-on (without the optional battery pack) and 2.5 lbs more than Rimowa’s Original Cabin.

Besides being slightly heavier to lift and maneuver, this technically limits the amount you can pack into the Cabin Travel Case if you ever need to check it.

I also found that the blacked-out color showed fingerprints clearly in a way that surprised me, at least in certain lights. But I haven’t used other black aluminum luggage to know whether this is a problem exclusive to Sterling Pacific.

CONCLUSIONS

Sterling Pacific 40L Cabin Travel Case aluminum suitcase in black standing in front of an airline check in counter with the handles raised. — The 40L Cabin Travel Case’s all-metal construction makes the suitcase feel incredibly solid and easy to roll. It also makes the suitcase heavier than other aluminum suitcases on the market.

The Sterling Pacific’s 40L Cabin Travel Case is a luxury suitcase, full stop.

At an MSRP of $2,150, Sterling Pacific’s 40L Cabin Travel Case is still significantly cheaper than similarly sized suitcases from iconic luxury travel brands like Louis Vuitton and Globetrotter. Yet it also costs $740 more than Rimowa’s iconic and still decidedly lux Original Cabin aluminum suitcase. That price gap is even more extreme with other aluminum offerings from brands like Tumi, Zero Halliburton, Arlo Skye, and Away.

“I won’t be surprised if Sterling Pacific’s Cabin Travel Case qualifies as one of those rare buy it for life purchases one day.”

But the fact is, for someone who must have a classic all-metal hard-sided suitcase and is willing to pay for the privilege, Sterling Pacific’s Cabin Travel Case sits in a class by itself. And unlike many other luxury goods, the hefty price premium at least unlocks a substantial difference in initial quality instead of just a buzz-worthy name on a label.

I also won’t be surprised if the luggage qualifies as one of those rare buy-it-for-life purchases one day. But there’s no way to possibly vet a claim like that after a single trip or even a year’s worth of travel. That’s why I plan on revisiting my takeaways after extended periods of use and will also keep an eye on the experiences of the greater online travel community.

For now, though, my product-addled brain can’t stop thinking that the Cabin Travel Case is the Mercedes G-Wagen of Aluminum luggage, and that’s not just because the products share a boxy, metallic look.

Plenty of other aluminum options offer similar capabilities at more obtainable prices. But none of them pack quite the same mix of premium materials, attention to detail, over-the-top engineering and exclusivity into a form factor that should look great for decades.