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Travelpro Platinum Magna 2 26" Review

Tackle the business world in this Cadillac of suitcases
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Travelpro Platinum Magna 2 26" Review (Travelpro Platinum Magna 2 - 26" Expandable Rollaboard Suiter)
Travelpro Platinum Magna 2 - 26" Expandable Rollaboard Suiter
Credit: Travelpro
Price:  $360 List
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Manufacturer:   Travelpro
By Amber King ⋅ Review Editor  ⋅  Jan 21, 2020
77
OVERALL
SCORE
  • Reliability - 25% 7.0
  • Storage & Organization - 25% 9.0
  • Ease of Transport - 25% 7.0
  • Weight - 15% 7.0
  • Style - 10% 9.0

Our Verdict

This two-wheel roller suitcase comes with features that any business traveler will appreciate — a suit or dress holder, smooth handling, and a super sturdy build. Its style is simple and sleek with a rigid construction that doesn't lose its shape like other soft-sided luggage cases. The materials are reliable and offer great storage capacity. It is perfectly balanced and turns on a dime, without flipping or catching, even when fully loaded. While it's functional for business travel, it certainly isn't limited to just that function. Take it on your next vacation or weekend adventure, looking clean, polished, and chic.
REASONS TO BUY
Well-built
Great organizational features
Suit & dress holder
Great travel ability
REASONS TO AVOID
Potential zipper and handle issues
High price

Our Analysis and Test Results

As soon as we pulled this suitcase out of the box, we could smell quality. As a well-built companion, the TravelPro Platinum Magna 2 will have you traveling flawlessly. While its functionality is geared toward the world of business, and it's a favorite of ours for just that reason, you can use this bag for any type of trip where you need a solid suitcase that can roll over a plethora of surfaces. To top it off, it looks good.

Performance Comparison


travelpro platinum magna 2 26" - while this business traveler isn't super formal, he sure does...
While this business traveler isn't super formal, he sure does appreciate the removable suit holder and sleek stylings offered by the TravelPro Platinum Magna 2 for his meeting the next day.
Credit: Amber King

Reliability


The Magna offers admirable reliability. This is due to high-quality craftsmanship and materials. However, while we love most of its features, we do worry a little about the zippers and the handles.

The exterior of this bag is composed of durable ballistic nylon with a water-resistant coating. During our water tests, we were surprised by the excellent results. It took a lot of water before liquid permeated through the zippers and seeped inside.

Corners and high wear zones are reinforced with more durable materials, with the exception being a lack of wear bars at the back of the case. When we dragged this bag against stairs, we put stress directly on the fabric. Luckily, the material by itself is excellent at standing up to this kind of abuse.

travelpro platinum magna 2 26" - this case offers good water resistance! the fabric is durable while...
This case offers good water resistance! The fabric is durable while the outer zipper is actually pretty solid. After ten minutes of spraying, water finally permeated through the teeth.
Credit: Amber King

The zippers and handles are decently durable. The zippers move effortlessly over corners and pinch points. The teeth are large, and the two zipper heads on the main compartment articulate to provide additional weather resistance from light rain. The zipper on the front pocket, however, catches a lot more than the main zipper, which concerned us a bit. When reading reviews online, we learned that there have been many issues with it breaking after heavy use. If you purchase this bag, know that this has been the experience of a few users, though it didn't happen to us.

travelpro platinum magna 2 26" - the zippers, as we have assessed, are burly and offer great...
The zippers, as we have assessed, are burly and offer great durability through many kinds of adventures.
Credit: Amber King

The handles are composed of durable leather and look pretty burly at first glance. However, when picking up the bag, we noticed that the main handle is attached to an anchor point with just two pieces of flexible metal. While we didn't have any issues with this during our lift and use tests, we do wonder about longterm durability. Again, when looking online, there have been several reports of the handles breaking with heavy use.

travelpro platinum magna 2 26" - the handle is simple to hold, easy to press, and quite durable. it...
The handle is simple to hold, easy to press, and quite durable. It offers three levels of carrying height.
Credit: Amber King

The wheels, on the other hand, are quite reliable. They are large and oversized, moving up and down stairs and obstacles with ease. After three months of use, the axels were not gummed up, and the construction showed no annoying cracks or creases where dirt or sand can get trapped. That said, note that if the wheels do fail, it doesn't appear to be an easy replacement.

travelpro platinum magna 2 26" - wheel housing is super durable without little to no wiggle.
Wheel housing is super durable without little to no wiggle.
Credit: Amber King

Overall, we think that this suitcase is built to last. It does have reviews and reports of zippers and handles breaking under heavy use, but we didn't experience any of these issues while rolling it around town, at the airport, and traveling with it in a car — fully loaded.

travelpro platinum magna 2 26" - heavy-duty yet stylish branded zipper pulls all around.
Heavy-duty yet stylish branded zipper pulls all around.
Credit: Dave Eyvazzadeh

Storage & Organization


Designed as a classical suitcase, this checked baggage offers amazing versatility in regards to organization and storage — a big reason we awarded it a Top Pick Award. If you're a fan of pockets and features and need to have a wrinkle-free suit or dress for your next business meeting, this is our favorite.

The outside of this bag is pretty simple. It features two pockets. One large pocket can be used to stash away folders, files, and a laptop in a protective sleeve. The other is smaller and ideal for items that you'd want quick access to like a cell phone, wallet, or passport.

travelpro platinum magna 2 26" - the storage opportunities are incredible!
The storage opportunities are incredible!
Credit: Jenna Ammerman

The interior of the Magna gets a little more complicated. Inside, you will be blessed with the sight of many organizational pockets. If you love pockets and organization, you will adore this suitcase. In the main compartment, there is a compression system that features two zippered mesh pockets where you can stash items you'll need quick access to. On the sides of this main compartment are two long pockets. The one on the right is completely waterproof, making it ideal for storing gel or liquid products that might leak. On the other side is another mesh zippered pocket to put whatever you'd like.

travelpro platinum magna 2 26" - the platinum magna 2 offers additional organization and is a step...
The Platinum Magna 2 offers additional organization and is a step above the rest.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman

On the front side of the suitcase is another storage compartment. When you unzip and fold it out, you'll see an extended pocket with a roller bar system, ideal for placing and storing a suit or dress that you need to keep wrinkle-free. If you don't need this feature, you can simply use this area as another organizational location with a compression strap or remove it completely.

travelpro platinum magna 2 26" - the travelpro platinum magna offers some of the best features. with...
The Travelpro Platinum Magna offers some of the best features. With many storage options, such as a zip-out suit or dress holder, this case is far from basic in its design.
Credit: Dave Eyvazzadeh

In total, this case is advertised to hold about 85 liters. That said, when we packed it up, it easily held our 90-some liters of gear. The space inside is wide and deep enough to fit a few bulkier items like a camera or tripod, along with more than a week's worth of clothing and anything else you'd need for travel. Of all the cases we've tested, this offers the best features for the business traveler. That said, it's not reserved solely for that purpose. It's a great all-around use suitcase with a plethora of features.

Ease of Transport


Roll this two-wheeled luggage from the airport to your next destination with ease. The wheels offer a super smooth and stable ride when completely weighed down. They are extra-large to navigate cobbles and cracked sidewalks with little to no vibration. We also love the three-stop handle that allows you to find the perfect setting for your height.

When testing on a variety of surfaces, this bag was able to go upstairs, over grass and gravel, around rocks, and more. The distance between the bottom of the bag to the floor isn't much, so it still had trouble going over larger rocks, but it made it nonetheless!

travelpro platinum magna 2 26" - this luggage wheels effortlessly over flat surfaces.
This luggage wheels effortlessly over flat surfaces.
Credit: Amber King

The handles of the Magna also impressed us. They are super comfortable, easy to grab, and composed of leather. We also appreciate that there is a handle at the bottom so you can grab the suitcase, even when it's completely loaded, with ease.

travelpro platinum magna 2 26" - the big leather handle is quite comfortable, as well as stylish.
The big leather handle is quite comfortable, as well as stylish.
Credit: Amber King

Overall, this case is easy to handle and can get through most surfaces. In general, we'd recommend to use it over hard surfaces, like all roller luggage, but it can take the brunt when your next work destination doesn't have paved roads.


Weight


According to our scales, the Magna weighs in at about 10 lbs. This means you can pack 40 lbs of gear into it before hitting weight maximums at the airport. In general, we feel the weight of this case is admirable, considering all the features it offers. While it's not the lightest option out there, its profile and weight make it easy to maneuver all day long.

travelpro platinum magna 2 26" - this case expertly balances weight, durability, and performance.
This case expertly balances weight, durability, and performance.
Credit: Amber King

Style


We love the style of the Magna and give it top points for its clean lines and thoughtful embellishments. It stands out as a great looking suitcase, perfected for the formal traveler. This great look further qualifies it as our Top Pick for Business Travel.

travelpro platinum magna 2 26" - simple and sleek...perfect for the business traveler.
Simple and sleek...perfect for the business traveler.
Credit: Amber King

Value


If you need a high-quality suitcase that will offer you features like a suit or dress holder, you might find the high cost of the Magna worth it. While there are some documented issues with reliability, we have assessed these features to be quite durable and feel that this piece of luggage will last a long time. However, if you do not need your suitcase to have extra bells and whistles, the steep price tag on this one may not make sense.

This case comes with a Worry-Free Warranty. That means that if it is defective, you might qualify to get a whole new bag or have TravelPro replace the parts at no cost. However, this is at the discretion of the manufacturer. Be sure to know the warranty information in case you get a lemon!

Conclusion


The Travelpro Platinum Magna 2 is a top candidate for business travel and pleasure. The BMW of our tested suitcases, it comes fully loaded with features that will have you performing best at your next board meeting away from home.

travelpro platinum magna 2 26" - easy to load and good looking, this suitcase has a plethora of uses...
Easy to load and good looking, this suitcase has a plethora of uses, offering functionality for the casual or business traveler alike.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman

Amber King