Dakine Luggage Split Roller Review

The Dakine brand is mainly known for its luggage lines focused around adventure traveling – durable duffels, roomy backpacks, ski bags, and even surfboard bags. Mainly they’re the luggage company to go to for winter sports gear packing needs. With this split roller, however, they not only live up to their brand design of large and heavy storage bags, but they also make this suitcase great for any heavy-packing traveler and not just adventurers. A split-roller bag means that the design here features two levels (like a house) which offer separated storage from each other with durable mesh dividers. The reason you’d want a design like this is that it creates easier access, better organization between clothing and other travel accessories, with even more compartments for dirty clothes or wet ski boots or cosmetic bathroom supplies. Also, unlike many bulky bags this one is actually still very stylish; it’s made from high grade materials, professionally assembled, fitted with straps and strong zippers, and even backed with a lifetime warranty.

Heavy duty storage, that is what the Dakine Duffel Split Roller was intended to provide. Its design features a split-level design which allows easy access to three separate interior storage compartments. The first two compartments are incorporated into the opening side of the suitcase body with an interior divider between them. For easy storage these upper compartments have removable tabs – which keep them rigid during packing and travel – that once removed allow the suitcase to be folded down into the bottom compartment so the entire suitcase can easily be stored. The left half of this compartment features a water-proof divider (non-see-through) so that ski boots and other wet or messy items can be stored near (but separate) from your other clothes and packed gear; the right compartment features a durable mesh divider and can fit anything from lightweight clothes up too football gear. Next, the bottom of the suitcase body features a full-length compartment which can easily fit a suit, multiple folded outfits, hiking poles, shoes, etcetera, which can be protected from the top half of your suitcase with another high-strength zippered mesh divider. As you can clearly tell there is a ton of packing room in this luggage piece – 110 liters worth. For easier handling of the weight this bag is fitted with a firm hauling handle, wheels, and a telescopic pull handle. All elements inside and out are designed for durability as well as storage space.

Unzipped, folded down, and stored it would appear that this dakine luggage only has a bottom compartment 7.5 inches tall; this is because the top compartment has rigid pull tabs (patent pending) which inserted create the top of the suitcase for even more storage. Fully assembled –and doing so is easy – this suitcase provides three separate storage compartments (one of them waterproofed). Altogether that’s around 110 liters of available packing space – easily enough room to pack clothing for 3 to 4 weeks of travel. Ski boots fit comfortable in this suitcase and even have their own compartment with a waterproofed roof divider; or this compartment could be used for wet and messy products such as makeups, nail polishes, contact solutions, etcetera. The long bottom compartment is double the length of the top two and can even comfortably fit an unwrinkled suit; all compartments come with their own dividers to help with easy access and organization. Additionally, on the outside of this split roller there are two zippered quick-access pockets which can easily hold travel papers, devices, or even a sweater or two for when your suddenly outside and its cold.

This bag features the previously mentioned three compartments with two interior see-through mesh dividers and one concealing waterproofed divider. There are no inner organizational pockets, but the bags outside has two deep zippered pockets and one sleeve which can hold a tag listing your name, address, and phone number (in case of lost luggage). Buckling straps are secured around the outside of the bag to give it more durability and help you to better contain rolling objects or to tighten an over-stuffed bag. All lockable YKK zippers offer extra durability and security on your travels. Rolling wheels have a recessed in-line skate design, meaning they’re stronger than spinner wheels but only roll forward or backward as you push or pull; these wheels are also easily replaceable and much better at handling difficult terrains and even thick carpets. In the top of the bag, patent pending removable tabs allow you to roll up the roof and store it in the bottom shell for easier luggage storage when you’re not traveling.

Unfortunately, this already comes as a heftier bag; unpacked it weighs 11 pounds. Where most national and international imposed weight limits are 50 pounds (for a checked bag) you’ll want to be careful to keep within that limit or risk the extra handling fees. Most likely, however, you’ll already be planning on overpacking a bag like this because its main purpose is for heavy packing on long trips and adventures. Just make sure you check this bag with your airline before security! Fully packed you could easily fit up to 90 or even 100 pounds in this bag (though of course this depends on what you’re packing). You will need to use the wheels and handle or else you might risk hurting yourself if trying to lift or carry this bag. When getting it off of the carousel after your flight, grab this bag by its secure haul handles or straps.

The manufacturers of this dakine luggage bag swear on its durable materials and innovative design, even though it is predominately a soft-shell rolling bag. Interestingly it is made from 600D polyester materials, and although this is one of the strongest polyester materials seen in luggage designs, it’s still polyester. With soft shell bags you often want all materials to be made from cotton canvas or nylon, although 600D polyester is only slightly less durable than some cotton canvas designs. Therefore, this bag should withstand most harassment from being loaded onto a trolley, taken out to the plane, and then thrown inside. It will repel most scratches, cuts, and rips, but make sure that any rips which do occur are repaired immediately so that they don’t widen. Besides the material, this bag features durable in-line skate wheels made from urethane that can withstand any hard surface (like an unpaved street or mountain incline). The handle is aluminum reinforced and easily retractable, and it doesn’t even take up much packing room inside the suitcase. Finally, all zipper pockets and zipper compartments have #10 lockable YKK zippers which are durable and will keep everything safe inside your bag.

Split roller bags typically feature a more oblong style that seems very tall and awkward, this is because storage volume has more to do with the suitcase length than the suitcase width (though both matter). Because it’s longer, this bag features longer zippered enclosures and deeper outside pockets along with buckle straps for tightening your suitcase together and keeping what you’ve packed from shifting, breaking, or rolling. Dakine’s Split Roller suitcase comes in 17 different colors, some very bright and fun while other are more business appropriate. One of our favorite and suggested colors is baja sunset which is not only a very good color for a seaside trip, but also one of those color designs which will ensure you never lose your suitcase or get it mixed up with someone else’s.

This dakine luggage’ final dimensions are 32 x 17 x 13 inches for 110 liters of space (or 6,000 cubic inches). Not only at the height of 32 inches, but also at an unpacked weight of 11 pounds, this suitcase will not meet any national or international limits for carry-on luggage. Limits for checked luggage are typically any bags at or under 50 pounds, so if you want to avoid any extra airline fees (for an overweight bag) try to keep your bag close to 50 pounds. But one of the greatest perks with this bag is that you typically buy it because you know all your sport and adventure gear is going to weigh more than 50 pounds anyway, so just make sure you check in advance and are prepared to pay the additional charges.

All Dakine split roller travel bags come with an impressive lifetime warranty that will cover repairs and replacements so long as they are the fault of a manufacturing error or airline and not the fault of the owner. Please note that Dakine offers different limited warranties for US customers than it does for international customers, and depending on where you live you might have to pay shipping costs if you want your bag repaired.

This item was ranked #7 in the list: