Eagle Creek Tarmac AWD Carry-On Review
Cons: Loud wheels, extremely challenging zippers, "techy" look
Manufacturer: Eagle Creek
Our Verdict
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Eagle Creek Tarmac AWD Carry-On | |||||
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Awards | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | |
Price | $234.50 at Amazon | $218.00 at Amazon | $399.90 at Amazon | $230 List | $58.99 at Amazon |
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Star Rating | |||||
Pros | Tons of organizational features, excellent bag add-on straps, durably built | Magnetically aligned wheels, great organization, excellent capacity, professional style | Exceptional compression, deceptively large capacity, professional design, smooth and simple | Wheels magnetically aligned, solid design and organization, fair price | Many colors, easy to use, comes with lock, four double wheels, inexpensive |
Cons | Loud wheels, extremely challenging zippers, "techy" look | Easy to over pack, few color options | Minimal features, only two wheels, expensive | Easy to over pack, uneven tapered shape | Not very durable, lacks organizational features, patterned interior isn't our favorite look |
Bottom Line | This unique, feature-laced model is marred by tough-to-use zippers | For the frequent traveler, this is an extremely durable bag made to withstand thousands of miles flown | An extremely durable option that fits an impressive amount of stuff | This carry-on is ready for round the world action at a price that leaves room for a few in-flight beverages | An inexpensive option that works well enough for infrequent travelers and kids |
Rating Categories | Tarmac AWD Carry-On | Platinum Elite 21" Expandabl... | Briggs and Riley Baseline Do... | Crew 11 21" Expandable Spinn... | Rockland Melbourne 20 |
Ease Of Use (35%) | |||||
Storage & Features (30%) | |||||
Versatility (20%) | |||||
Durability (15%) | |||||
Specs | Tarmac AWD Carry-On | Platinum Elite 21"... | Briggs and Riley... | Crew 11 21"... | Rockland Melbourne... |
External Dimensions (in) H x W x D | 22" x 14" x 9" | 23" x 14" x 10" | 22" x 14" x 9" | 23" x 14" x 10" | 22" x 13" x 9" |
Handle Height Options (in) | 37", 39", and 41" | 36”, 38”, 40” and 42.5” | 36", 39", 41" and 43" | 36", 38”, 40” and 42.5” | 34" and 39" |
Number of Wheels | 4 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 4 |
Number of Interior Pockets | 4 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
Number of Exterior Pockets | 2 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 0 |
Main Compartment Opening Style | clamshell - half split | top flip-open | top flip-open | top flip-open | clamshell - half split |
Measured Weight (lb) | 8.2 lb | 8.5 lb | 9.0 lb | 7.8 lb | 6.9 lb |
Compression System | Compression X straps | Compression cross straps with full-coverage mesh panels and accessory pockets | Compression cross straps with full-coverage mesh panels and full-bag compression system | Compression cross straps | Elastic X bands |
Expandable | Yes - zipper | Yes - zipper | Yes - internal | Yes - zipper | Yes - zipper |
Lock | No - lockable | No - lockable | Yes | No - lockable | Yes |
Main Material | 1000D Helix Poly Twill and Polycarbonate shell | High-density nylon fabric with DuraGuard coating | 95% Nylon | High-quality ballistic nylon fabric with DuraGuard coating | 100% ABS |
Unique Features | Hybrid hard/soft-sided design, coat keeper strap, expandable zipper, add-a-bag strap, internal laptop sleeve | Removable toiletry pouch, dedicated power bank pocket, removable hanger bag, magnets to keep wheels straight, included hidden name tag | Built-in suiter, unique internal expansion-compression system, external handle stays for maximum internal storage, add-a-bag strap, included hidden name tag | Dedicated power bank pocket, removable hanger bag, magnets to keep wheels straight, included hidden name tag | Expands 1.5", included lock, hard shell design |
Warranty | Lifetime | Lifetime | Lifetime | Lifetime | 3 year limited |
Our Analysis and Test Results
The Tarmac AWD is a unique hybrid hard-sided/soft-sided bag. It has a polycarbonate shell on the back to protect the handle and add durability and structure, while the front coated polyester gives you more options for storage and packing.
Performance Comparison
Ease of Use
Large wheels thickly studded with tread and a high clearance make it a breeze to roll the Tarmac over surfaces much rougher than an actual tarmac. They hop doorways and even curbs with relative ease. The bag does require a bit more hands-on steering than some other models that practically roll themselves, and our only real complaint about how it rolls is that it's incredibly noisy on smooth surfaces.
A plethora of exterior pockets that are well-organized make it easy to find those small items when you need them. We don't love that the laptop sleeve is on the inside of the bag, but our real struggle is with getting there in the first place. The zippers are large and sturdy - and difficult to get to move. They're imbalanced, so every time you tug the pull strap, they tilt down into the zipper itself and practically refuse to move. There's a small amount of finagling that eases this slightly, but once you get to the corners, you've got a whole new set of problems as they stick easily trying to round the bends. The challenges we had with these zippers nearly ruined the altogether appeal of the bag for us - they're that difficult.
Storage & Features
Any half-shell designed luggage is slightly less versatile to various packing styles and sizes/shapes of belongings, and that's what you get with the Tarmac. If you like that style though, this one isn't too bad. It has several interior pockets that help you stay more organized - though the telescoping handle takes up an exceptional amount of space inside. There's on small zippered pocket right in the middle of that handle in the interior of the bag that seems to us to be mostly useless, as to access it, you have to remove everything from that half of the luggage. Odd.
The suitcase does have a moderate amount of space and can be expanded with a zipper - though it's quick to exceed airline regulation size when truly packed full. The compression strap across the back half of the bag crisscrosses the contents. Though you can really cinch it down tight, the X design leaves a lot of contents not compressed or even contained at all. While we were able to fit all the necessities for a week of warm-weather travel, it was a near thing. Its size is much better suited for a long weekend or minimalist packer.
Versatility
Though style is subjective, we don't think this suitcase is quite up to par for a professional bag. For personal travel though, it works just fine. We do caution you to consider the size of items you plan to pack before purchasing though, as bulky winter clothes are a squeeze, as are fitting a couple of pairs of size 12 men's shoes.
However, we love the add-on bag attachments that the Tarmac AWD offers. The stretch bungee cord can be easily pulled over just about any sized/shape personal item, from tote bags to backpacks, and simply hooks onto the telescoping handle. This keeps the weight centered over the bag, making it easy to roll and easy to take your hands off of without it falling over. An additional front clip can also be used to attach a small bag or purse, or even that bulky coat you couldn't quite fit inside. No other bag we tested has such an excellent, versatile extra bag attachment system.
Durability
This suitcase is above average when it comes to durability, but isn't amazing. The hardened backside helps protect against bumps and scrapes. However, when those scuffs do occur, they stand out rather obviously both on the hard side and the soft front. The front material is pretty solid, but less so than some of the higher-scoring models we tested. And while the zippers are rather robust, the level of difficulty they are to actually use means you spend more muscle power yanking them across the teeth - and we're not sure that level of stress is sustainable.
Value
The Tarmac isn't cheap and is significantly more expensive than several other options we tested that we like a lot more. If you love lots of little pocket features and can pack light - and can deal with some rather frustrating, temperamental zippers - perhaps this bag is right for you. However, for our money, we think there are much better, easier to use, more versatile bags out there.
Conclusion
The Eagle Creek Tarmac is a pretty tough, moderately-sized rollaboard with loads of features and organization. It has rugged wheels that handle "off-roading" well, albeit a bit noisily. The monstrous zippers, however, are absurdly difficult and frustrating to use. While we love a lot of little things about this bag, those zippers really detract from its overall performance.
— Cam McKenzie Ring