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Thule Subterra Review: The Best Travel Luggage for Active Families

Thule Subterra Review: The Best Travel Luggage for Active Families
Category_Travel Spotlight>Product Spotlight Category_Travel Tips>Travel Gear
Win the Thule Subterra Luggage and Travel Backpack

Thule Subterra: best travel luggage for families

Do you own a great suitcase? Luggage is obviously a travel essential, and to have the best travel luggage for your family can make or break a nice family vacation.

I’ve never even owned a decent suitcase, until recently when I discovered the Thule Subterra collection. I’ve known the brand for a long time, but in the midst of all the luggage that’s on the market, the Subterra collection finally stood out to meet my family’s needs.

I only needed to travel a little bit with the 30” 2 in 1 luggage and the 34L travel backpack to know they are winners. Here’s what I like the most about this Thule Subterra travel set.

The best travel luggage for families: Thule

Best Travel Luggage: Thule Subterra Luggage 75cm/30″

Best travel luggage for families

Traveling with the family usually means bringing more than one suitcase, which can be hazardous to carry around. The Thule Subterra Luggage is great for that: the luggage is actually 1 suitcase and 1 duffel bag that can be zipped together.

How is that great? For numerous reasons.

First, you only have to carry 1 luggage around when they are zipped together. So the other members of the family have free hands, perfect to hold the baby in your arms or carry food.

Second, if the suitcase and duffel bag together are heavier than the maximum allowance, then you split them and check them separately so you’ll avoid overweight fees.

Thule Subterra 2 in 1 Luggage

Third, if you don’t completely fill both pieces of luggage, then you have a whole suitcase to bring your shopping purchases back home.

Fourth, you can also bring humanitarian help, like books, clothes or else, with you in the suitcase or duffel bag, and leave its content at the destination. (I think the best thing to do is to bring humanitarian gifts to offer at the beginning of your trip, then buy for yourself local products to encourage their economy, and bring your shopping back home in the 2nd luggage bag).

Fifth, it makes it so much easier to deal with dirty clothes. During a trip, you always end up with a batch of dirty clothes and another of clean clothes. Separating the clothes by placing them in different bags means less laundry when you get home. Hallelujah!

The 2 in 1 Thule Subterra Luggage

Sixth, everyone has a different packing style (folding, rolling, throwing in) and storing all the family’s clothes in 1 suitcase means it will eventually become a huge mess. With 2 separate bags, my husband and I can each have our own bag, so he won’t mess up my clothes. And he can carry both bags zipped together by himself, so I can do something else.

Best travel luggage for ease

As I said before, carrying one bag is always easier than multiple ones. The Thule Subterra luggage allows you to zip the suitcase and the duffel bag together, or leave them separated if needed. That means it is easier to carry around, easier to put in the trunk of a car, to check in and carry upstairs.

The suitcase also has tough oversized wheels and V-tubing telescoping handles to roll it easily everywhere.

The luggage set has 3 more handles: one on top, one on the side and one in front, so you can grab it in any way you want.

Moreover, there is a built-in ID card slot to make it easier to identify your bag among others. There is also another big zipped pocket on top of the suitcase to access your keys, passports or any other small items. The luggage content stays in place with the help of external compression straps. Finally, you can secure a laptop bag on top of the suitcase with a piggyback strap attachment loop that you can hook to the telescopic handle.

Best travel luggage for durability

When you own great luggage, you want it to last a very long time. The Thule Subterra suitcase is durable thanks to its exoskeleton and molded polycarbonate back panel.

On top of that, it is made of durable water-resistant materials, so you don’t have to fear heavy rain.

The Negatives

No luggage is perfect. Nonetheless, the Thule Subterra Luggage is perfect for my family, but maybe some people will notice that there is no small pocket inside the suitcase, nor compression straps inside the bag (they are located outside). I’ve never seen the usefulness of the first one, and the latter is simply located at a different place.

With all that being said, in my expert opinion, the Thule Subterra Luggage is one of the best travel luggage in the world for families.

Click here to get the Thule Subterra 30” Luggage 2in1 Bag

Size: 40 x 41 x 75 cm
Weight: 4.4 kg
Volume: 90 L
Colors: Dark shadow, Mineral
Price: $349.95US/399.95$CAD

Best travel luggage: Thule Subterra

Now let’s take a look at the large travel backpack!

Thule Subterra Travel Backpack 34L

When we travel, we are the kind of family that brings along with them quite a lot of “essentials”, and Clinton carries them in a handy backpack.

I thought I knew what “handy” meant before I met the 34L Thule Subterra travel backpack. Here’s why.

Best travel backpack: Thule Subterra

Best travel backpack for families

The first thing you want as a travel backpack for your family is a big one. This Thule Subterra backpack has room for almost anything. It even comes with a removable packing cube, so it is easy to find your change of clothes within the bag.

One simple word can describe the Thule Subterra backpack: organized. Everything has a place, so easy to reach.

There’s a padded laptop sleeve that is built with SafeEdge and a secure flap closure. The best thing is you can access your laptop from the top-loading compartment of the backpack and from the side zipper.

Thule Subterra Travel Backpack 34L

Now with all the electronics that we bring along, the front panel is perfect to keep all devices and cords organized. Your tablet is protected when stored in the dedicated pocket with soft lining. Moreover, you can easily and neatly charge your devices with your mobile charger being in the internal PowerPocket.

Best Backpack: Thule Subterra Travel Backpack 34L

What makes it easy for kids to open the main compartment is the wide roll-top opening that has a magnetic closure. Besides, it allows you to store even more things in the main compartment.

But my favorite thing about this backpack is you can quickly access the content of the main compartment from a zippered side panel. So when we are walking on the street, and let’s say my little girl wants her teddy bear that’s deep inside the backpack, then there’s no need for all of us to stop walking, take off the backpack from my husband’s shoulders, put it on the dirty ground and go through the entire content. Instead, I only unzip the side panel, reach and get the desired item. I can do that even while walking and talking (hello multitasking!). It is seriously smart. I love it!

Stay organized with the Thule Subterra Travel Backpack

Best travel backpack: Thule

I have to add that I like the side access more than the bottom access that other backpacks offer. With the side access, you can get anything that’s anywhere in the backpack, and not only at the bottom.

Best travel backpack for ease

Like I said before, everything stored in the backpack can be very easily reached through the multiple openings.

Another cool feature is the expandable zippered side pocket, where it is convenient to store and access small items and even a water bottle.

Best travel luggage and backpack

Furthermore, the Thule Subterra travel backpack is comfortable to carry thanks to its breathable perforated EVA shoulder straps with mesh covering and padded back panel.

Comfortable to wear Thule Backpack

Finally, as if things weren’t so easy already, you can attach this backpack to a rolling luggage by using the pass-through panel. Thereby, you don’t even have to carry it anymore: it lays on top of your rolling suitcase. Now don’t come to me complaining you have a backache!

Easy to carry, best travel luggage

The Negatives

I see absolutely no negatives to this backpack unless you would like it to pour you an espresso!

Click here to get the Thule Subterra Travel Backpack 34L

Size: 23 x 31 x 52 cm
Weight: 1.25 kg
Volume: 34L
Colors: Dark shadow, Mineral, Ember
Price: $159.95US/189.95$CAD

Do you own a Thule Subterra luggage or backpack too? Do you like yours as much as I like mine?

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