I’ve had a lot of luggage over the years from a lot of different brands, and only two have really stood the test of time. With the “fancy” set we bought for our honeymoon in 2007 showing its age during our Vancouver to Whistler road trip, we knew it was finally time to say goodbye. Monos Luggage has been high on my must-try travel-gear list since it infiltrated my Instagram feed a few years ago, so I’m pretty stoked to have an opportunity to review several pieces.
My Monos Luggage review has been several months in the making. If you know me, you know I don’t just try something once or twice before forming an opinion that I feel is worthy of a feature review like this one. The Monos Luggage pieces I’m going to focus on here have been on all manner of planes, trains and automobiles. Plus a couple of airport buses, too. Some of these pieces have flown internationally while others have been part of one of our many family road trips. To say they’ve been used well at time of writing is an understatement.
A bit about Monos Luggage
Let’s start with a topline look at the brand itself. It’s Canadian — YAY! For those Canucks who pride themselves on buying homegrown goods, you’ll be glad to know you now have a quality luggage brand option that’s been conceived in Canada.
The brand is centred around mindful travel, with a philosophy inspired by travelling and living well, and the Monos Luggage minimalist aesthetic is all about sustainability. Its classic design is intended to ignore the mass consumerism that’s consumed so many of us and inspire timelessness.
The Monos Luggage people-before-profits ethos is built on accessibility and a “buy fewer but better” things mindset. It uses or creates best-in-class components and the same materials as luxury luggage brands, but its sales model — selling directly to the public online — means reduced overhead costs and those savings are passed onto customers.
Monos Luggage: let’s review
In this post, I’m reviewing some Monos Luggage pieces that the brand gifted me alongside some pieces that I purchased myself:
- The Check-in Medium bag
- The Carry-on Pro bag
- The Metro Duffle
- The Metro Toiletry Case
- The Compressible Packing Cubes
Once you decide which pieces you need for your own travel adventures, wait for a sale. They happen often. If, say, you want three items and only two of them are on sale, just buy those and wait out the third item. Shipping is free across Canada and the USA with no minimum purchase amount required, so the only reason not to wait for a sale is if you’re in a hurry or you live a budget-free life. (In which case, are you looking for a sister-wife?!)
In all cases, my online orders were fulfilled pretty quickly — sometimes delivered within just two days — and I found that every product was packed carefully, which meant that everything arrived in perfect condition.
OK, let’s talk luggage…
Monos suitcase review: Check-in Medium
Regular price: C$417 | More product info here
What it comes with:
- An integrated TSA-approved lock
- An ergonomic aluminum telescopic handle
- High-performance spinner wheels
- Colour co-ordinated YKK reverse coil zippers
- A zipped panel on one side of the interior with ballistic nylon compression straps and a cover panel (with pockets!) on the other
- One anti-microbial laundry bag
- Two shoe bags
- One vegan leather luggage tag
- One Magic Eraser
We’re minimalist packers, so we chose the Check-in Medium suitcase instead of the Large for our first dip into Monos Luggage sets. It’s big enough that I can pack enough clothes — plus a pair of flip flops each — for me and my two kids for a one-week vacation. It’s not big enough that we can also pack my husband’s things for said vacation as well. But, keep in mind that my son wears men’s clothes now and my husband’s clothes are big and take up more room than average-sized men’s clothes. Other families made up of smaller humans may be able to pack even more into this bag.
I purposely chose the Stellar White colour for our Monos Luggage because I wanted to test out the brand’s claim that all marks on the hard shell cases are easily removed with a Magic Eraser. Well, it’s true. We’ve been able to clean away every single scuff mark using the included Magic Eraser without a lick of elbow grease.
Dents and scratches were my biggest concern moving from soft-shell suitcases to the hard-shell, polycarbonate Monos suitcases. Since the suitcase shell isn’t shiny like some other hard-shell cases, you don’t see scratches at all — or at least I haven’t yet. And while we certainly don’t abuse our bags, it’s not like we’re especially delicate either; with what I’d call normal traveller usage during the more than three months we’ve had our Monos Luggage, there are no dents whatsoever.
I’ve also been really impressed with the zippers. Even when I’ve pushed this bag to its contents limit, taking full advantage of the compression straps and all but sitting on the thing to get it to close, the zippers pull through. They haven’t broken apart or split or simply refused to close all the way around.
Monos Carry-on Pro review
Regular price: C$353 | More product info here
What it comes with:
- An integrated TSA-approved lock
- An ergonomic aluminum telescopic handle
- High-performance spinner wheels
- Colour co-ordinated YKK reverse coil zippers
- A zipped panel on one side of the interior with ballistic nylon compression straps and a cover panel (with pockets!) on the other
- One anti-microbial laundry bag
- Two shoe bags
- One vegan leather luggage tag
- One Magic Eraser
Everything I wrote about the Check-in Medium suitcase above in terms of the zipper strength, polycarbonate shell quality and colour maintenance are also true for the Carry-on Pro bag. I’ll also add that the carry-on nests perfectly inside the Check-in Medium bag, which is a must for storage.
I chose the Carry-on Pro suitcase over the Carry-on Pro Plus because, size-wise, you have a way better shot at meeting your air carrier’s carry-on size restrictions without adding the extra “Plus” dimensions. Unfortunately, the Carry-on Pro measurements may also be too big for even some of the biggest airlines, which often factor wheels into the equation. So be sure to check your carrier’s guidelines carefully.
I’ve had no trouble bringing the Carry-on Pro onto planes with me so far, but I also check in online and head straight to the security line as soon as I arrive at the airport. Because the shell is so light, I’ve had no trouble lifting this Monos carry-on suitcase into my overhead cabin, and the whisper-quiet, 360-degree wheels are a dream even on the carpeted areas of airports, planes and hotel hallways.
The built-in front compartment is what sets the Carry-on Pro apart from its lower-end sister in the Monos Luggage lineup. It has three interior pockets and fits up to a 15″ laptop (which is also protected in the same aerospace-grade polycarbonate as the rest of the case), plus extras like magazines or other documents, such as passports. Three more interior zippered pouches within the main compartment could hold smartphones, external batteries, charging cables and other small items.
Perhaps what I love the most about the Monos Carry-on Pro, though, is the built-in compression pad on one side of the suitcase. It means you can jam-pack it full of clothes and then squeeze out all the extra nooks-and-crannies space in order to get the sucker closed. It seems like such a small feature but it’s my favourite one.
Monos Metro Duffle review
Regular price: C$255 | More product info here
What it comes with:
- Adjustable, removable shoulder strap
- Extra zipper pulls
- Removable Metro Classic Kit
The zippers, y’all! They are SO STRONG on this thing. I have winced on several occasions as I’ve tried to close them, praying they won’t split. And they just don’t. They’re miracle zippers.
Spills roll right off the Metro Duffle thanks to its water-resistant nylon twill. If something really gets in there, like poutine gravy did in my case, it takes pretty minimal effort to clean it off. Metro bags use only vegan materials, including a really nice interior felt that’s made from recycled plastic bottles. (In the Metro Duffle, the felt is used for a sleeve that fits up to a 15″ laptop.)
The inner side pockets at either end of the duffle have magnetic snap closures to keep them shut when not in use, and are big enough to hold a water bottle, compact umbrella, paddle brush or even a rolled up set of makeup brushes.
I really love the Metro Duffle’s size — compact enough to slide under the seat in front of you while in-flight but spacious enough to hold everything you need for an entire weekend. I put this theory to the test for you, too, taking ONLY the Metro Duffle with me to New York City for a three-day visit. No suitcase, no nothing. It held everything — including the purchases I made in Manhattan — right down to toiletries and makeup. Do I recommend carting it around for seven hours while you sightsee? No. It ended up being pretty heavy on my shoulder after the first two hours, but I was determined to see if I could make it a whole day. I did, but I wouldn’t do it again unless it was with the Monos backback.
One of my most favourite features about the Monos Metro Duffle is that it comes with the Metro Classic Kit. And, using the QuickSnap™ Modular Kit System unique to Monos bags, this kit can be:
- removed entirely and left at home
- removed and packed into the duffle
- removed during your flight so you can pack the Metro Duffle in your overhead cabin
- interchanged with the Metro Folio Kit (which is an extra $75, and I don’t have it so I can’t tell you much else about it)
But here’s what I wish you could do with the Metro Classic Kit — and I hope Monos is paying attention: I wish it came with a fanny pack-style belt so you could use the pouch around your waist or crossbody as a purse at your destination. The magnetic system on it is so good that I would feel totally secure doing this. For me, it would be a really strong value-add on a $255 bag.
Overall, as a family of four, I can confirm that using the Check-in Medium and Carry-on Pro suitcases together with the Metro Duffle provides enough space to bring everything we need for a week away.
One quick PSA here: there’s a dreamy built-in trolley sleeve designed to fit securely around any Monos suitcase handle. This is gold when you’re rolling around an airport or hopping onto public transportation. But — and this is extremely important — since this also converts into an extra pocket when not in use by zipping it closed, be very (very, very) aware of whether the zipper is, indeed, closed before you trust it as a pocket. I made the huge mistake of tossing my iPhone and wallet into this pocket when I first started testing out this bag, and I lost my phone as a result. Temporarily, because someone ultimately handed it in at the hotel’s front desk, but it was a pretty awful hour-long search while simultaneously beating myself up for being so stupid.
Monos Metro Toiletry Case review
Regular price: C$75 (small) | More product info here
What it comes with:
- Two-way zip closure
- Two internal pockets
Sporting the same miracle zipper as the Metro Duffle, I am continually surprised by how much I can fit into this small toiletry case. I wrestled with whether or not to go for the larger size, but my usual packing motto is: the more space you have, the more you’ll use. So, I went for the small and it holds enough toiletries and makeup for me to make it through a long weekend away. If you’re not committed to carry-on travel, then go for the large — it’s only $20 more.
Monos Packing Cubes review
Regular price: C$110 (4-pack) | More product info here
What it comes with:
- Four or six packing cubes
The four-pack fits all of Monos’s Carry-On sizes, while its six-pack fits all Check-In sizes. For the small price difference between the two, I went with the set of six. I’m not normally pro packing cubes, but since these are compression packing cubes, I took a chance. They save some space for sure and can go nicely head-to-head with my “flat packing” space-saving method. Where they win is organization, which is what all packing cube aficionados love. At least with the compression feature, you’re not taking up more room in your luggage than you need to.
I really like that the cubes have a mesh panel so you can see what’s inside without having to open the whole darn thing. Plus, more magic zippers. What can I say? Monos does zippers well.
Would I buy more? Probably not. Organization aside, I still think my method is more efficient. But having everyone’s bathing suits in one easy-to-find spot? Me likey.
Other things I love about my Monos Luggage
Every piece in the Monos Luggage lineup goes through extensive quality-assurance testing. From UV fading and drop tests to temperature stability and mileage testing. Here are some more things I really like about it:
The 100-day trial
The Monos 100-day trial — 30 days for bags, apparel, and accessories — gives you time to play with your new luggage to see if it’s right for you. Monos suggests packing it with the same sort of things with which you’ll be travelling — just be sure to test it indoors. If you don’t love it, and you haven’t used it outside, you can return it.
Important note: the return shipping cost will be deducted from your total refund amount, so keep that in mind.
The polycarbonate shell
A lightweight, unbreakable, Aerospace-grade luggage shell? YES.
Monos luggage is vacuum-formed with German Makrolon polycarbonate — a resilient material that is nearly impossible to break. It’s also a flexible material, which means it can actually absorb energy from an impact and pop right back into shape.
The waterproof interior
The interior of every Monos bag is lined in 350 denier polyester. This is a super-durable, waterproof, antibacterial fabric, which means it’ll take more than your stinky socks to give it a run for its money.
The Monos Luggage handles
Throw away everything you know about traditional telescopic luggage handles. Monos features high-grade aluminum tubes and fully reimagined the telescopic assembly to reduce both lateral and torsional movement. It also re-engineered the handle-release button to make it more ergonomic. With four height settings, it works for nearly everyone — including my 5’1″ kid and my 6’6″ hubby. The handle is extremely comfortable and feels strong in my hand.
The 360º spinner wheels
Wheels are everything when it comes to a suitcase; I’ve stopped using certain pieces because of crappy wheels. Monos didn’t like anything already available on the market, so it designed and manufactured its own. They’re the best wheels I’ve used on carpet (spoiler: still not my favourite wheeling experience, but they’re the best yet), and they glide like a dream down an airport hallway. And the best part of all? You don’t even have to tilt your bag to roll it — it rolls incredibly smoothly while fully upright.
The Monos Luggage warranty
All Monos luggage purchased directly from Monos and authorized third-party retailers comes with a lifetime warranty — but only for the original owner.
The warranty covers:
- Shell cracks or breaks
- Broken wheels, handles or telescoping handles
- Busted zippers
Metro Collection items have a two-year warranty (also only for the OG owner), covering defective materials and components. Packing cubes have a one-year warranty that covers the repair (or replacement) of defective materials and components.
That’s it, that’s all, folks! Should I acquire more Monos Luggage pieces, I’ll be sure to update this review.
DISCLAIMER: Monos Luggage gifted me some pieces to facilitate this review and I purchased other pieces on my own to add to the overall product and shipping experience. As always, opinions are my own.
Gayle B says
They look & sound amazing. Will keep this in mind when next luggage shopping.
Aneta Anna Alaei says
These look awesome. Love that they can easily be cleaned with a magic eraser. Will be adding them to the list of items needed before our next big trip