Samsonite Proxis Global Carry-On Spinner Review

What do you prioritize when choosing rolling carry on luggage? Lightweight materials, wheels that work well, a good amount of packing space? Those are just a few of the things we look for when testing hardside luggage of any size, and we were happy to check out the Samsonite Proxis Global Carry-On Spinner to see how it stacks up.

We dig the bright colorway, even if it is called Petrol Blue, and the fun design on the outside of the bag, but looks alone won’t make it our new favorite. So, does it measure up to its hefty price tag? We rolled it through the streets of Detroit, shoved it into car trunks and truck back seats, and lugged it up and down stairs to find out.

External Components

That ocean-y blue color is made of polypropylene, though Samsonite calls the material on the outer shell Roxkin™. You can get it in a few other colors, too, from Lime green to Honey Gold, along with Silver and Black, to let it stand out from the crowd or fly under the radar, whichever you prefer.

It’s multilayered for durability yet lightweight, which we appreciate in a bag we need to lift over our heads to fit into the airplane bin. And, while we’re on the topic of airplanes, it is nice to have a carry-on that you can actually carry on to most major U.S. airlines, as well as plenty of international flyers. The hardside holds up to scrapes, and the geometric design helps mask any scuffs or marks you might pick up along the way. The material also flexes and bounces back, which may be good for long-term durability but ends up feeling cheaper than the price point would have you assume. Thankfully, the Samsonite logo is tastefully located at the top, boosting the bag’s aesthetics.

There are a few zippers running around the bag. They’re from YKK and work well. The primary zipper has two heads with angled zipper pulls that click into a TSA-approved combination lock on the side. Unfortunately, their shape is not much different than the second zipper, which opens the spinner’s expansion, so it’s easy to confuse which metal pull to grab if they’re next to each other on the track. This doesn’t happen often, as the expansion starts and ends on the opposite side as the zipper lock, but you can run into issues if you don’t always click them into the lock (we don’t).

On the same piece of plastic as the lock is a rubbery piece stamped with a lightning bolt. When you pull it up, you’ll see an angled USB-A port for pass-through charging with a battery bank that you stow inside the suitcase. It works well as long as you’re able to carry on the Proxis Global Carry-On Spinner, but be sure to remove the battery bank and stick it in a personal item bag if you have to gate check the bag, as those batteries aren’t supposed to go in the belly of the plane. Just so you know, that will necessitate you unzipping the bag, so you’ll want to ensure everything is packed under the two zippered panels so nothing falls out if you have to.

The top and right sides of the bag have handles that expand slightly when you grab them to give your hand more room to fit inside. While they’re ostensibly made of plastic, the material is soft, flexible, and comfortable to hold, whether you’re carrying the bag up flights of stairs, putting it into the back of a vehicle, or pulling it out of the overhead compartment on the plane.

The telescopic handle on the top is also made of plastic, with metal arms that extend easily out from the back of the bag. There’s a button on top to push for adjustability, and the handle stops at three points along the way to the top, so you should be able to find a height that works for you as you roll the spinner alongside you or drag it behind you. You can see the handle against the back of the bag, where it sits flush with the polypropylene.

Now, onto perhaps the most essential element of a spinner—the wheels. Four sets of double wheels with a rubber coating sit slightly recessed into the bag. They roll well over different surfaces, from cement and gravel to cobblestone and tile, and it’s easy to switch from pushing to pulling when you need to over rougher terrain. We were able to push it through gravel and, with a little effort, over cobblestones, though, so you may not have to resort to pulling the Samsonite Proxis Global Carry-On Spinner very often. The only hiccup with the wheels is not something you’ll encounter unless you let a child or a traveler with a child-like heart take the wheel; if you push the bag ahead of you, it will roll straight for a little bit and then spin around suddenly as it hooks to the left. Maybe it’s just an issue with our brand sample, but even so, you really shouldn’t be pushing your bag off into the abyss enough to notice, and it’s not like a broken shopping cart—it doesn’t pull in one direction or the other when you keep your hands on the handle.

Fit Notes

With its design and color, the Samsonite Proxis Global Carry-On Spinner stands out from the crowd of smooth hardside luggage. We like the look, but it’s definitely a vibe, and you’ll have to decide whether or not it’s for you. It’s well-balanced enough to stand nicely on its own, so you don’t have to worry about it toppling over as you charge your phone while waiting at the gate, even if you have heavier gear packed on one side than the other.

However you feel about the exterior, it is easy to roll along beside you, and our average-height-for-an-American-woman tester had no issue finding a good level for the handle. We think most users will find a height that works for them, and you can always pull it along behind you if you prefer.

Inside The Carry On Luggage

As with many pieces of hardside luggage, there aren’t any exterior pockets or compartments in the Samsonite Proxis Global Carry-On Spinner, so let’s head into the main compartment. To do so, slide the round toggle on the combination lock to pop open the zippers, then open it clamshell.

The sides are equal unless you engage the expansion zipper, which gives you more room on the back side of the suitcase. And you might need it because this is the side that contains the telescopic handle. To access the compartment, unzip the panel covering it to reveal a big open space—or at least an open space. The handle channels and indentations from the wheels eat up a lot of capacity, though, so we find it harder to pack on this side than other luggage. We recommend that you try your best to use the available space, which might mean using packing cubes on the front side instead of the back. However, this side also has stretchy compression straps that hook together to hold gear in place, so that can make it easier to place clothing here if you prefer.

We also want to point out that if you engage the expansion zipper, the extra space is above the zippered panel, so you might want to use packing cubes here to keep your clothing together when you unzip the bag if you use the expansion.

The front side of the bag also has a zippered panel holding your gear in place, but this one includes a large zippered mesh pocket for thin items like hats and gloves. It has a built-in gusset to hold bulkier gear, which could also protrude into the expanded section on the other side when you zip it up instead of extra packing cubes.

However, before we dig beneath this panel, we want to point out a short zipper on its left. It has a lightning bolt above it to let you know that this is where you should put a battery bank if you want to use the USB-A port on the outside of the bag. Just connect your charger to the built-in cord, and you’re in business—as long as your battery bank also has a USB-A output. Both sides of the cord use that connection, which some might find outdated, and you’ll have to grab a few dongles if your phone and charger use USB-C and/or Lightning instead.

Underneath the large zippered panel, you’ll find a larger open space. It’s mostly larger because it doesn’t have the handle encroaching into the space, so we put packing cubes and pouches on this side and try to wedge travel shoes and other awkwardly-shaped gear on the other side.

While the Proxis Global Carry-On is more compliant than some other carry on luggage we’ve tested, it feels much smaller than its size suggests. The handle takes up a lot of usable capacity, and having a zippered panel on the same side holds gear in place but gives you less wiggle room to squeeze in extra clothing or cubes. We’re also perplexed by the expansion zipper’s location above the panel. While you can use the space by packing more in the mesh pocket, that still leaves capacity around the edges for items, but they will easily spill out when you open the bag if you use it. Overall, this ends up feeling like a budget bag with a premium price tag, and we’ve tested other options that we like a lot more yet cost hundreds of dollars less.