Luggage Review: Lojel Cubo

Grab your passports and strap yourselves in, kids, cos there’s a new suitcase in town! It seems pretty impossible to make many changes to a hollow rectangle on wheels but the team at Lojel have done it with their latest creation – the Cubo. It’s totally different to anything I’ve seen and, I gotta say, I’m really feelin’ it. At first glance, its necessity seems a little uncertain but after digging a little deeper I’ve seen the appeal of this functional, luggage game-changer.

WTF is the Lojel Cubo?

It’s a suitcase, yo! Specifically, it’s a new style of suitcase poised to change up my packing game forever. Instead of opening in the middle, like usual, this suitcase opens at the top. Think of it as the fridge equivalent of suitcases, rather than the usual book style luggage we’re used to. At a glance, the Cubo is, visually, a solid structure. Right away you notice the distinct shape with its sturdy, industrial feel and defined edges. A totally different vibe from the streamlined, smooth-edged Lumo that sort of reminds me of an odd-shaped egg.

Why the heck would I want one?

An excellent question, my astute, blog-reading friend. I used to be an Antler addict, loyally purchasing their suitcases and getting around like a real travel G without a care in the world. Then I got my hands on the Lojel Lumo and went nuts for how damn classy these suitcases are! I absolutely freaking trash mine, its shocking how little regard I have for their survival or well-being, and yet, they continue to roll on! The whole Lojel range is built really tough, they’re ergonomic, reliable, look nice and never, ever bust out on you. If you’re looking to invest in good-quality luggage, you should consider Lojel.

What makes it worthy of my time and money?

The Cubo is a great choice because it offers something different. Let’s talk about the large-size bag first. It has no external pockets, so right away you’re maximising the amount of space inside it. By opening from the front, not in the middle, it means you never need a space big enough to open the whole thing flat. While it looks like a big beast on wheels, it’s curiously more compact. You’ll also find a few separate zippy bits to put things like underwear, jewellery etc. It is SO spacious in there!

The cabin-size bag is adorable, like a little lego brick on wheels. Just as the large-size does, this one opens at the front too. In addition, it has a front pocket protected by the super hard shell. You unzip it and can easily and securely store your laptop and other essentials (pizza!?). My 15″ laptop fits inside the laptop sleeve and can be zipped up securely, it just can’t be secured by the safety strap. If you have a 13″ laptop it’ll fit perfectly. If, like me, the safety strap don’t mean a thang, you’re all set.

Let’s talk tech…

Instead of boring you with a huge spiel about the specs of these things I’ll just dot point the need-to-know features:

• It comes with a 10-year warranty (Yes! Trash it!)
• The wheels on this thing are SO good, it glides like a greased-up body on a slip and slide
• The handles are padded which, trust me, really matters when you’re lugging a heavy bag off an airport conveyor belt
• Flat top opening with a 90-degree angle on that sweet front door flap (yes, I said flap)
• The expansion system means you can make it bigger if needed
• It’s equipped with a double-coil zip, which beefs up your bag’s security to the max!
• The case has an Advance Polycarbonate shell so it’s really tough
• The zipper on this thing is top-notch, it slides like a dream
• It has an anti-scratch texture with a matte finish so it won’t get all ratchet like the shiny ones do
• It’s also titanium, so it can absolutely take a knock

What are the sizing and colour options though?

Lojel’s Cubo comes in red, yellow, black, white and blue. I’ve opted for the cabin-size in blue and the large size in red. I’d say the colours are slightly less bright in real life than they are in this image. The matte finish gives them a nice chill look, not a super-glossy bold colour look.

There are three different sizes – the cabin-size, perfect for carry-on or a weekend getaway. Medium is ideal for a week or so away and the large is well-suited to those longer trips where you need to pack everything you own… just in case.  Let’s take a look at the different colours and sizes, courtesy of this image from the Lojel website:

The verdict

I really like the fact they’re different. I spent half my life living out of a suitcase and sometimes I just get sick of the same thing over and over again, it’s really nice to experience something totally different. I’m also a fan of how damn solid this thing feels. It’s the Hummer equivalent of suitcases!

Of course, the big draw point has to be the convenience of that front door. Who has a suitcase with a front door?! Ahhh me (and maybe you!) I just really like that I won’t have to go through that annoying thing where I gotta open up my suitcase in the middle and worry about which side is the non-secured side and find enough space to open the thing up flat. Instead, I can just throw it down, open it up and start digging.

As with all Lojel suitcases, I found this one to be super classy and really well made and thought out. They just instil confidence in you that they won’t break on you (trust me, I rode one and unsurprisingly the corner of it inverted, so I just popped it back out and it was good as new!! They can take a knock, man). I love the fresh design of the Cubo and the reliability of it being Lojel-made. If you’re in the market for new luggage you should check it out!

Find the Lojel Cubo here.

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