Thule Subterra PowerShuttle Review

When it comes to gear, we tell it like it is here at Pack Hacker—what’s good, bad, what works and what doesn’t. And when it comes to the Thule Subterra PowerShuttle, we have mostly positive things to say.

This pouch has a great built-in structure that keeps it sturdy, along with a helpful organizational layout inside for all our everyday tech accessories.

The Subterra PowerShuttle is the middle size among the cases in Thule’s Subterra Collection. There’s also a larger version, the Subterra Powershuttle Plus, as well as a mini version—but we’ll be focusing on the Medium size in this review.

If you want to know what we think after testing, check out our review below!

Materials & Aesthetic

This pouch is pretty simple externally-speaking, opting for a cleaner, more minimal aesthetic while still offering a stiff structure and dense padding to protect your gear. It’s only available in Black at the time of this review, so it’s not going to add any splashes of color to your everyday lineup if that’s what you’re looking for.

It will help retain that minimal look that works in most environments, so you can feel comfortable pulling this out in multiple settings—the office, getting some work done outside, or even working remotely.

Branding-wise, Thule makes themselves known by stamping their wordmark in bright white letters on the front of the case. This logo might be obnoxious if you prefer a subtler approach, but we’re not bothered by it—it shows that this case means business.

The Subterra PowerShuttle is reinforced with a durable 800D nylon material, making it more than capable of protecting your tech essentials. We’re happy to report that this fabric hasn’t sustained any damage during testing, and has kept all our gear safe and sound so far.

However, this material is by no means completely waterproof. Your gear will be okay from an accidental spill or a sudden sprinkling, but you’ll want to keep it inside your pack when not in use where it’s safer from any moisture.

If you’re wondering about the zippers, those come to us from YKK, a brand we’ve gained tons of excellent experience with over the years—this case included. All the zippers have been working nicely, and we especially appreciate the easy-to-grab pull on the main zipper that makes for even smoother zips.

We would’ve liked to see some more weather-resistant zippers, specifically on the main opening, since we’re mostly keeping our tech in here. Still, we haven’t had any issues with water getting inside as is—so it hasn’t been a serious issue as of yet.

Features & Usage

The handle on this case is on the side instead of on top like it is on the Plus version. We’ve found it to be more convenient for when you want to carry this thing on its own purse-style, or for when you have it inside your pack—you can reach in, grab this handle, and out it comes. It’s not a very thick or padded handle, but it’s comfortable enough in hand for grabbing, sliding, and carrying this thing around.

On the back of this case, there’s a small mesh pocket you can slip your phone into when not in use, so it’s always easy to grab when you need to take a quick call or shoot a text off. Plus, there’s a wire passthrough you can feed a charger through to charge your device without having to go in and out of the case itself.

That said, this mesh isn’t providing much padding or protection from the elements for your phone, so you might feel more comfortable keeping it inside the case or just in your pocket. If so, you can also use this spot for other items, whether it’s a small notebook, some personal care items like chapstick, or some folded documents.

Opening it up, you’ll notice right away that the Subterra PowerShuttle has all the space and organization you need for all your tech accessories. If you’re still looking for something bigger, remember, there’s also the Subterra Powershuttle Plus you can check out as well.

Starting on one side, you have a sleeve that works well for storing a power bank, especially if you’re looking to take advantage of the wire passthrough to charge your phone on the outside of the case.

You also have a small mesh zippered pocket in front of this sleeve, which is where you’ll want to keep your most miniature accessories—you don’t want them getting all mixed up and lost in the pouch. We’ve been stashing a pair of Apple AirPods along with some other gadgets and gizmos inside, and it’s worked out well for us. This side of the case has a fair amount of depth to it as well, so you can even pack some bulkier items on top of this pocket and sleeve—charging blocks, adaptors, and the like.

On the opposite side, you’ve got two sets of elastic bands that are great for managing cords. They’ll have to be somewhat sizable to stay secure, but a standard Apple Lightning charger fits just fine for reference. Thule even utilizes the space left in the case’s binding by including another band you can slip a pen into, so it’s always handy when you need it.

Then behind all these bands is another, larger zippered pocket with more depth than the previous one, making it another great spot for more oversized items. For our purposes, we’ve just been slipping in a larger adaptor to aid in charging our laptops while we’re working.

This case can be used in conjunction with the Subterra 34L, a travel pack that we’ve had pretty positive experiences testing. If either spark an interest in Thule gear, we also have video reviews of the Subterra Wheeled Duffel 55cm/22″ and Subterra Duffel 45L from the same line you can check out too.