A Trusted Friend in a Complicated World
Updated Sep. 12, 2024
A two-in-one design, quality construction and waterproof materials make Osprey luggage a must-have for travelers who are anything but gentle with their luggage.
Our editors and experts handpick every product we feature. We may earn a commission from your purchases.Learn more.
Finding the best luggage to accompany you on your travels is no easy feat. For starters, you have to decide between hard and soft luggage, a carry-on or checked luggage,and traditional vs. zipperless luggage. And maybe at the end of the day, you find yourself so overwhelmed by all of the options that you throw your hands up and just reach for your trusty travel backpack instead. Well, we come bearing good news. There’s actually a piece of luggage that functions as a suitcase and a travel backpack. It’s sturdy yet lightweight and is a dream to roll through an airport or throw on your back for a rugged outdoor adventure. All you have to do is decide which size you need, and the Osprey Sojourn Wheeled Travel Pack will be yours.
To see whether this luggage is truly the no-brainer it appears to be, we brought it into our Testing Lab for closer inspection. Then, we sent it on a four-day lake adventure with one of our testers to see how it fares in real-life travels. Once our testing was complete, we compiled all of our findings in this helpful Osprey luggage review.
The Osprey Sojourn Wheeled Travel Pack is a versatile piece of soft-sided luggage that functions as a rolling duffel bag or a travel backpack. The one we tested holds up to 45 liters of storage—though it also comes in 60-, 80-, 100- and 130-liter options—which is within the carry-on dimensions for most U.S. domestic and international airlines. The main compartment is an open design with interior pockets for organization. Once this bag is packed, internal compression straps and external straps keep the bag compressed. The Osprey luggage also features an exterior quick-access area for anything you might want to quickly grab while en route, such as your phone, charger or a snack.
In addition to being highly versatile, this bag is also very well-designed. It has two wheels, which our testers described as big and heavy. And though they’re not 360-degree swivel wheels, they were the top performers of all the soft-sided luggage we tested. This bag also features large, sturdy zippers that don’t snag even when the bag is stuffed to the gills, big fabric handles that make it easy to lift and carry and a telescopic handle for rolling through airports and hotels. It even has a hidden add-a-bag strap for carrying extra bags.
This versatile bag, which weighs 7.70 pounds and measures just under 32 inches high with the telescopic handle fully extended, is suited for every type of traveler. It’s also worth pointing out that this bag is completely waterproof. Made of bluesign-approved, 100% recycled high-tenacity nylon with ripstop, this sustainably made luggage feels similar to a raincoat and water wipes off easily. It’s the ideal bag for travelers who enjoy outdoor adventures!
TAYLOR-MAX TESCH/RD.COM
This soft-sided piece of luggage functions as a rolling duffel bag or a travel backpack that's worthy of your next adventure.
Dylan Fischer, associate product tester, took this two-in-one bag into the Testing Lab with our Product Testing Team for a closer look. He was immediately taken with the Osprey Sojourn Wheeled Travel Pack‘s unique appearance. “It certainly sticks out from the rest because it’s fashioned to be luggage and a backpack,” says our team. “It has a slant to it that almost gives it a turtle shell-like appearance.”
The next thing the team noticed was the fact that this bag only has two wheels. They deduced that the decision to include only two wheels can be explained away by the fact that this is probably going to be worn as a backpack half or more than half of the time. Since the wheels aren’t 360-degree swivel wheels, the team was concerned about the overall maneuverability of the bag and quickly got down to business.
Fischer stuffed this bag with two heavy moving blankets to add weight and bulk before taking it for a spin on various types of terrain, including grass, gravel, wood chips and over uneven sidewalks. As the team suspected, the bag’s turn radius wasn’t as great as some of the other bags they tested, but they were seriously impressed by the overall performance. “These wheels were rolling their way through grass, gravel, wood chips, you name it,” raves the Product Testing Team. “It took all bumps like a pro.”
Next on the agenda was a series of tests to see how well this bag might hold up when tossed around at an airport. This included dropping this suitcase from roughly 4 feet high, tossing it over a barrier and dragging it along the ground for a yard or so. Our testers were amazed by how well this bag held up to their rough testing. “This bag was definitely made with the assumption that it’s gonna get beaten up, and they took proactive measures to mitigate that as much as possible,” explains the Product Testing Team. “The shape of the bag, plus the material, helped it look nearly flawless after being dragged around a bit and dampened up with a cloth.”
Overall, our Product Testing Team found that this bag is a good value. “You’re practically paying for two separate items and it never feels like it cheaps out on one or the other,” says the Product Testing Team. “This bag is ready, almost begging, to be put through the wringer. It’s up to the task.” Our long-term tester, Taylor-Max Tesch, agrees.
“It’s a good value as Osprey is built to last, durable and you’ll get a lot of life from it,” says Tesch, who took this bag on a four-day trip to a lake house in Wisconsin. Though he didn’t fly with this Osprey luggage, Tesch appreciated how it was able to fit nicely sideways or standing up in the trunk of a car without taking up much room. He was also impressed by the wheels, noting that they were some of the best wheels he’s experienced on luggage.
When it came to packing for his trip, Tesch was able to fit four days’ worth of clothing along with an extra pair of shoes, toiletries and other travel essentials and even had room to spare. “It holds more than I expected and is able to neatly organize everything,” he says. He was also impressed by the zippers on this bag, which he claims are some of the smoothest he’s ever come across. That said, Tesch would have liked to see more internal dividers. However, the lack of pockets and dividers is far from a deal breaker. “This will be my go-to luggage from now on,” he says, noting that he’ll just turn to packing cubes.
At Reader’s Digest, we know how important it is to find quality products that make your life easier and won’t leave you with a bad case of buyer’s remorse. This especially applies to luggage, which can be a significant investment. As frequent travelers ourselves, we have years of personal experience with everything from viral luggage brands like Monos and Away, Béis and July to the best luggage on Amazon. And we only recommend a piece of luggage if we believe it’ll enhance your own travel experience as it did ours.
Our product testing experts on the Product Testing Team spent hours in our Testing Lab getting up close and personal with over a dozen soft-sided suitcases. Several of those hours were spent with the Osprey Sojourn Wheeled Travel Pack. We also sent this suitcase on a four-day long trip with a tester to see how it holds up to real-life travel. So, you can feel confident that we put in the work to find how this Osprey luggage holds up during real travel with real people. “Osprey designed this bag for the adventurers in mind. Compact, convenient and ready to take a beating, the Sojourn will make an excellent addition on your backpacking trips,” says Fischer.
TAYLOR-MAX TESCH/RD.COM
With sturdy zippers, big fabric handles and a telescopic handle, this travel pack was made to get beaten up without looking like it did.
Originally Published: September 12, 2024
