Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsHigh Quality Small Carry On! Very happy with this purchase.
Reviewed in the United States on November 9, 2018
I purchased the Delsey Helium Aero carry on, the version with the front pocket. Color is Cobalt Blue. I paid $85 (Used - Like New item from Amazon). In addition to the compact size, the other deciding factor for me to purchase this specific case was that it has an exterior handle on both the top and side. I am very happy with the purchase!
I wanted to downsize from my older "full size" soft sided carry-on, and this worked perfect for me. I recently used this newly purchased Delsey for a 3 week trip to 3 countries. 7 different airports. 8 different flights. Carried-on for every flight, never checked it. It worked perfect, held up great, no issues at all. Here is my feedback:
SIZE: I rate the size as PERFECT!
Right off the bat when the case arrived from Amazon, I could visually see that it was smaller than my old Atlantic soft side carry-on. There are no extra pouches or fabric protruding out from the sides of the Delsey. The 2 handles for loading slide back tight against the case, and the main handle fully retracts. The wheels are not recessed. The hard cover on the Delsey makes it more sleek, clean and compact than my old Atlantic soft side carry on.
After I laid out my clothes and started packing, I quickly realized that I could fit everything I actually needed without having to open the expanding zipper. (I also realized how much "extra" stuff I used to pack.) For this trip I packed: 1 pair shoes, 3 pants, 2 shorts, 12 t-shirt/long sleeve/hoodie, 1 button down shirt, 2 ties, 1 lightweight dinner jacket, 1 rain jacket, 1 belt, underwear & a few pair of socks. It all fit without having to cram the case shut to close the zipper. I was going to 3 warm weather countries, so clothing choices weren't too bulky. I also knew I could have my clothes laundered at some point during this trip, which always helps. I was able to fully pack both sides of the case because I did not bring a laptop. I accumulated a few pieces of art and some books on this trip, and these all fit in for the flight home. I never had to use the expandable zipper feature. Overall, this holds way more than I initially thought it would. Very impressed!
Walking through the airports, getting in/out of cabs, arriving at hotels, going up/down stairs.... it just feels like the perfect size. Not bulky at all, and lightweight because I didn't pack a bunch of extra clothes like I typically would. The reduced weight due to packing less is very noticeable when travelling to multiple places on the same trip. This weight benefit was not something I hadn't specifically thought about prior to downsizing, but it makes a world of difference.
8 different flights. The Delsey fit in the overhead bin on every plane. All my flights were on smaller jets, the CRJ, 737, ERJ are the ones I can recall. Simply amazed that it fit in the overhead bin on those regional jets. (In the past, I'd always have to gate-check my old soft side carry on) While waiting in 1 of the airports, I put the Delsey in United's "Does it Fit" carry on sizer display near the gate. It fit in United's (9"x14"x22") without any problems.
INTERIOR: I feel it is High Quality.
The interior compartments are completely lined with a gray fabric with logo/design printed on the fabric. The design on the interior fabric gives the appearance of high quality (instead of just plain gray lining which is a typical signal of "the cheapest"). The interior clasps are durable/high quality, and the interior zippers are average quality, I did not had any issues with them. There are not 100 different pockets which is nice. (My Atlantic carry on had 8 different storage pockets! ....too many pockets means too many places I have to dig through when looking for something small that I tucked away)
The 1/2 with the laptop pocket: has an adjustable clasp to pull everything together after placing clothing items in. I didn't need/use the exterior laptop pocket, so I was able to fully pack this 1/2. (wait... I did put my 2 ties in the laptop pocket to keep them flat) The extra internal material required for the laptop pocket on this 1/2 doesn't seem to take up too much space. I also use packing cubes, to keep everything tidy.
The 1/2 with the handle: also has an adjustable clasp, and then a zippered cover for this 1/2 of the case. So you need to keep everything tight on this side if you want to zipper this cover shut. The zippered cover also has a zippered pocket that is convenient for small items (coins, receipts, etc). The handle for the Delsey is recessed into this 1/2 of the case, however I don't feel that it takes up too much space at all.
There is also a zippered pouch that runs along the center spine. Good place to stash any small personal items that you need access to without digging through everything.
EXTERIOR: Clean and Sleek. maybe too many zippers.
Color: Exterior color I purchased is Cobalt Blue. Looks great, didn't scuff up on this trip but I'm sure it will eventually after seeing a few years of action.
Handles: The main retractable handle is sturdy, slides up and down without any issues. The locking mechanism on the handle never gave me any issues on this trip. The Delsey retractable handle has 2 arms (vs the single arm T-handle type) and I feel this 2 arm handle makes it easier to maneuver when walking through an airport, and is well worth the minute amount of extra space it occupies.
This case also has 2 exterior handles for loading, 1 on top and 1 on the side. These 2 handles are sturdy, and they slide back tight against the case (they aren't flapping around getting caught on anything). The side handle is a great feature, and my travelling companions all commented that their carry on was lacking a side handle. The side handle just makes life a bit easier... when you need to quickly grab the case to walk up a few stairs without retracting the handle, or when loading/unloading into a cab, or when hoisting the case up into the overhead bin.
Wheels: This Delsey rolls smoothly. The double wheels do make a difference. It actually rolls too good, so keep your hand on it when the sidewalk isn't level. I didn't have any issues at all with the case being unbalanced or tipping over.
Zippers: It feels like there are alot of zippers on the exterior of this case. But, they are necessary for the laptop pocket and the expansion feature. I don't really ever envision using the laptop pocket, so I guess I'd love to eventually see this exact case without the laptop pocket and the extra zippers required for it. I didn't use the built in lock feature. The exterior zippers all worked fine on this trip, no issues at all. They feel medium to high quality.
Expansion Feature: The zipper and material for the expansion feature doesn't add too much thickness to the case. I never actually opened it, so I can't report on how much extra thickness / packing space it provides. Photos of the dimensions have already been posted by other reviewers.
Somehow I kept reaching for and/or unzipping the wrong zipper when I needed to open the case (a good idea is to pull the zippers for the laptop pocket all the way to the bottom of the right side so that they aren't in your line of sight). Additionally, the Delsey case opens opposite of my previous Atlantic carry on (when you lay the Delsey case on the floor, unzip the case and the top 1/2 needs to flip over to your right-hand side). I had the Atlantic for over 10 years, so my brain just needs to deprogram and I'll quickly get acclimated.
There is no card/ID slot on the exterior of the case, which would be a nice feature.
OVERALL: This is a great carry on!
The size is right, the side handle adds extra convenience, and the handle/wheels/zipper are all sturdy. I dragged it around 3 countries on 8 separate flights, and it never gave me a problem. I am glad I decided to downsize to a smaller carry on. I am glad I bought this specific Delsey model. I will be using it for a 3 week trip to Europe this winter which will involve more sidewalks, stairs, and trains, and I envision it holding up to those demands also.
