Paravel sustainable luggage: a review of the Carry-On Plus

As mindful travelers, it’s a great feeling to cross paths with like-minded brands that align with our values and ethos! It’s no surprise that we’ve had our eye on Paravel —  the world’s first carbon-neutral, luxury luggage brand — for quite some time.

A travel inspired brand with sustainability at the core of everything they do, Paravel believes travel can be transformative. Embracing the intersection of travel and sustainability, Paravel exists to celebrate travel, to better serve the environment, and to inspire and enable all to experience the world and leave the earth a better place worth exploring. With that in mind, they create impeccably designed, multi-functional bags, luggage and accessories for your journeys.

Paravel’s Aviator Carry-On Plus and Weekender Duffle came with us on our latest trip to Miami, and we’re excited to take a deep dive into our experience to help responsible explorers decide which travel products would be the best fit for your needs!

AVIATOR CARRY-ON PLUS

Which paravel carry-on size should I get?

Paravel’s Aviator their flagship collection, and comes in three main sizes: “Carry On”, Carry-On Plus” and “Checked Luggage”.

We’re minimalist packers, so a carry-on was a requirement, but we still wanted a suitcase that could hold more than just 2-4 days worth of clothes. In the end, the Carry-On Plus is what we decided on, and we’re happy with the size!

How much clothing does Paravel’s Aviator Carry-On Plus fit?

Paravel’s Aviator Carry-On Plus fits a about a week’s worth of adventures, or 4-7 days worth of clothes. We never pack for more than a week, regardless of how long our trip is and find this to be more than sufficient.

Is Paravel luggage sustainable? What is the Aviator made out of?

Sustainability informs every decision Paravel makes, and 100% of their products use premium upcycled and recycled materials.

A Climate Neutral certified brand, every suitcase is made carbon-neutral from design to delivery by offsetting material sourcing, assembly, shipping, and it’s first trip with you!

Paravel gives post-consumer plastic water bottles a second life by recycling them into longer-lasting products. The Aviator luggage line is made of 100% post-consumer recycled polycarbonate, predominantly sourced from discarded water cooler tanks and CD jewel cases. The lining is made from 15 upcycled plastic bottles, while other parts include recycled aluminum handle, recycled vegan leather trim and recycled zippers. At the time of writing this, over 7 million plastic bottles have been recycled and transformed into strong, durable travel products!

Paravel luggage airline compatibility

If you’re wondering whether the Paravel Carry-On Plus fits in airline overhead compartments, we’re glad to tell you it does — it most cases!

For smaller planes, or if you want to be sure of compatibility for your preferred airline, the measurements are:

Length x Height x Width: 14.7" x 22.7" x 9.6" (37.3cm x 56.7cm x 24.4cm) 
Weight: 8.5lb 

Exterior of the Paravel Aviator Carry-On Plus

Paravel’s Aviator line of luggage — hard-shell, rolling suitcases — have a retro aesthetic that we love. We were immediately drawn to Scout Tan for the calming, classic color combination. The recycled vegan leather trip looks so luxe, while best in class recycled zippers, a recycled aircraft-grade aluminum handle, and reinforced metal corners make it feel durable for the long-haul. The lightweight exterior shell is made of recycled polycarbonate. 360* frictionless carbon steel bearing wheels make strolling with your wheeled luggage a breeze, but if you prefer to carry it, there are durable handles on both the top and side, especially helpful when going up stairs.

Using the suitcase, we felt the hard-shell exterior was durable and appreciated how easy it was to clean. We were really impressed by the aluminum handle, which felt sturdy, and adjusts to multiple heights. It also didn’t get stuck the way many lower quality brands do, even when our luggage was fully packed! The spinner wheels maneuver across various terrain, even on the cobblestone streets of Charleston, and we love that they allow the luggage to glide upright in any direction — a huge upgrade from two-wheeled luggage you have to tilt behind you as you walk!

Interior of the Paravel Aviator Carry-On Plus

The interior of Paravel’s Aviator luggage has an OEKO-TEX and Global Recycled Standard certified navy blue lining (made from recycled plastic bottles) that can easily be cleaned or wiped down after every trip. An interior compression board lets you pack more efficiently, and it comes with a matching laundry bag to separate your dirty clothes during your trip. Or, opt to use it to separate your shoes from your clean clothes!

How do I set the TSA approved combination lock on Paravel luggage?

Paravel’s Aviator luggage line comes with TSA-approved locks, which allow your luggage to be unlocked and inspected by TSA agents without damage. The default combination for the luggage is 0-0-0, and can be easily personalized. Find the instructions on Paravel’s website under their FAQ section, or refer to the hang tag attached to the laundry bag inside your new suitcase.

HOW DO PARAVEL SUITCASES HOLD UP OVER TIME?

One of the reasons we upgraded our luggage was because we were frustrated by how tired and worn our barely-used, soft-shell rolling suitcases were. We needed something that would stand up to frequent travel — everything from quick weekend getaways, to lengthy roadtrips, to international flights, and (even though we always try to carry-on) the occasional check.

While we’re really happy with how it’s holding up so far, we haven’t had our Paravel luggage long enough to give you an honest opinion about how they hold up long term. We’ve heard the casing is prone to scuffing, which is normal with any light-toned, hard-shell suitcase (including our Monos) and comes off with a Magic Eraser. We’ve also read a review or two that mentioned the reinforced metal corners seemed to scratch or peel, but that’s not something we’ve experienced. We’ll update this with our thoughts as time goes on!

Price of Paravel travel products

Paravel’s Aviator collection ranges from $296-$356 for the three main sizes of rolling luggage. This is prior to any discount, which they do run on occasion. As a luxury luggage brand, it’s certainly an investment, but if you travel with any regularity, one that we feel is absolutely worth it.

WEEKENDER DUFFLE

Does the Paravel Weekender Duffle fit in overhead compartments?

The weekender duffle meets TSA carry-on requirements. Not only does it fit in airline overhead compartments, but it also fits beneath the seat! Working as a personal item, it makes the idea set when paired with the Aviator Carry-On or Carry-On Plus (or, the Checked Luggage, if that’s your thing).

If you want to be sure of compatibility for your preferred airline, the measurements are:

Length x Height x Width: 15" x 15" x 8" (38.1cm x 38.1cm x 20.3cm) 
Weight: 2.4lbs 

How much clothing can fit in Paravel duffle bags?

Small but mighty!

Though this duffle is on more compact than others, it holds a surprising amount of clothing, and certainly enough for us. In fact, we dubbed it the Mary Poppins bag, for its seemingly endless space. It perfectly holds a weekend’s worth of clothing (at least in a warm climate) for one1-2 people, depending on your packing habits. Officially, it fits 1-2 days worth of clothes, a wash-kit, and a 15 inch laptop.

If it’s not quite big enough for everything you need to pack, this is the way we use it when we fly:

Pack one day/night’s worth of clothes each in the weekender, just in case your Carry-On/Checked Luggage takes a short ‘detour’. This way, you aren’t without clothing and won’t need to go shopping at your destination. Fill the rest off the space with essentials like snacks, travel accessories, a laptop/headphones, a dopp kit or hygienic products, etc. It makes the perfect catch-all and holds all that you might need — easily accessible at your fingertips. The rest of your clothes can, of course, go in your main luggage.

What is the Paravel Weekender Duffle made out of?

Paravel’s Weekender Duffle is made out of durable, spill-proof and stain-repellent eco-craft canvas®, which is natural cotton fiber combined with a thread from recycled post-consumer plastic bottles, finished with a silicone coating (which has a lower environmental impact, contains fewer chemicals, and has a longer lifespan than other plastic-based coatings). This makes the bag stain resistant! Oh, and it’s Oeko-Tex Standard 100 and the Global Recycled Standard certified.

NOTABLE DETAILS OF THE PARAVEL WEEKENDER BAG

Paravel’s weekender duffle is the perfect match to the Aviator. It’s a set that’s gotten compliments everywhere we’ve gone. Gold hardware attaches the removable and adjustable strap, which measures between 22” and 40”. Horizontal smart strips on the back of the bag slip over the handle of your rolling suitcase, to keep it secure on the move! Inside, you’ll find two interior zip pockets, and of course, there’s an exterior zip closure. In addition, the weekender can be personalized with hand-painted or embroidered letters to make it your own!

PACKING CUBE Quad

Paravel Packing Cubes

One of our preferred ways to pack is with packing cubes. It just makes things so much more organized, and helps you fit more clothing in your luggage!

Paravel’s packing cubes are made with lightweight (it’s like holding nothing!), water-resistant Negative Nylon®, which is made from 16 recycled plastic bottles. Matching the navy blue of the Aviator interior, the set of four cubes are perfectly designed to fit in the Carry-On or Carry-On Plus, and come in three different sizes: one large, one medium, and two small. They have a view window to easily see what’s inside, and easily fit: undergarments, 3-6 pairs of shirts or pants, and even larger items like light jackets and towels. I even found it to fit my chunkiest wool cardigan, with room to spare!

Packing Cube Functionality and Durability

One thing we wished Paravel’s packing cube quad had was an extra zipper, similar to the Monos Compressible Packing Cubes, which would allow it to hold even more, and take up less space. We later learned they do in fact have a set of two Compression Cubes, which saves up to 3 vertical inches of suitcase space when compressed. This is a style we prefer (and more highly recommend), but it’s great to know that they offer both, so you can choose what works best for you.

We really appreciate how light the material of these packing cubes are. After all, when you’re flying, every ounce matters! But with them being so thin, we wonder how they’ll hold up over time. Again, we’ll be sure to update this post with notable details as our luggages and travel accessories gain more miles.

Overall, we’re highly impressed by Paravel’s sustainable luggage, both in terms of aesthetic and function. We’re excited to continue using this set on our upcoming trips, and know the high quality will exceed the expectations of even the most discerning travelers!

This post was sponsored by Paravel. Honest opinions are always our own, and we promise to never promote products we don’t fully stand behind.