American Tourister Rollio Spinner Review: Is the Red Dot Design Award Winner worth it?

Travelling is wonderful, waiting for the luggage to surface on the conveyor belt? Not so much. Imagine yourself at the end of your trip, fulfilled but tired. Yet you still have to jostle with fellow tired travellers who are equally eager to grab their luggage and head home. Luggage after luggage came and went, but yours is nowhere to be seen, worse still if your luggage is black! That’s why for my recent 14-day road trip to Japan, I brought along the cylindrical-shaped American Tourister Rollio Large Spinner in the most striking colour available — Coral with blue-coloured zips, handles and wheels.

Launched in mid-September, American Tourister’s new Rollio capsule collection is available in five sizes which include the Large Spinner, Cabin Spinner, Duffel Bag, Carry Bag, Crossbody Bag; and three colourways Coral/Blue, Black/Red and Light Grey/Lime — now available in limited quantities in Singapore. Samsonite, known for its sturdy and durable hardcase luggage, is the parent company of American Tourister.

Award-winning design and look

Everything about the Rollio Large Spinner screams look at me – from its unique unconventional cylindrical shape to its coral/blue color – and that is what I love about it. As someone who values aesthetics in life, colours play a big part in making me happy. The Rollio collection was love at first sight for me. Having won the prestigious Red Dot Design Award, the cylindrical luggage breaks all conventions and boundaries of traditional luggage designs. Capturing the essence of urban vibrancy perfectly, the Rollio’s cutting-edge design, sleek exterior, and bold accents are a reflection of the hottest trends of the moment. It also gives off a daring, futuristic energy, and fashion-forward flair.

In an exclusive interview with Senior 3D Designer, Evelyn Hayashi from Samsonite Southeast Asia who spearheaded the Rollio capsule, shared that the objective in designing the Rollio was to appeal to the fashion-forward Gen Zs and “create a practical but trendsetting line of products that would seamlessly blend into both travel and daily life.”

Functionality backed by aesthetics

There's good reasons as to why American Tourister's Rollio capsule collection garnered the prestigious award. Rollio designer Evelyn shared how its innovative design is backed with functional elements without sacrificing the aesthetics, “For one, the Rollio collection features a unique cylindrical design that’s immediately recognisable… even though the Rollio spinners are cylindrical in shape, they don’t roll about thanks to a combination of clever design elements, like well-placed grip studs and a sleek flat back surface.” Indeed, these features have been put to the test during the trip which I can personally attest to.

Is The American Tourister Rollio Large Spinner as good as it looks?

Looks-wise, it gets an 11/10. But does it pass the functional test beyond its striking exterior? The use of polycarbonate shell material makes it more durable and less prone to scratches – an inevitable result of having been on the road. During my 14-day trip, in which I typically changed ryokans and hotels every 2-3 days, the Rollio’s double spinner wheels passed its test for manoeuvrability. I dragged the Rollio along rough, cemented car parks, over grounds made up of small rocks, as well as up and down slopes toward entrances and lifts. Also, even in ryokans with mats and rough surfaces, the wheels were a cinch to move around.

Its "sleek flat back surface" made my trip easier. How so? First up, the Rollio proved to be a godsend, especially for accommodations in Japan, which are notorious for their tiny size. The flat back design allowed me to line up the luggage at a corner of the room without taking up much floor space, leaving me more space to walk around. The compact size also meant that it was easier for me to haul the luggage on my own, up flights of stairs (traditional ryokans = no modern comfort such as lifts), and even lift it on and off the back of the rental car every few days. Being able to grab hold of the luggage on my own was very important since my travel partner recently had surgery on the shoulder and was unable to help me lift my luggage. The Rollio came just in time to my rescue!

Cost-savings-wise, the special size and shape of the luggage also allowed us to rent a smaller K-class car which could adequately hold two large pieces of luggage and two day packs, plus other knickknacks.

Functional inside and out

Another big plus about the Rollio is that its 4-way expander increases packing capacity by a generous 20 per cent — perfect for those who love vacation OOTDs and outfit variety. I was initially concerned about its capacity, as I thought the special shape of the luggage may compromise how much I could bring along my travels. Packing was a little tricky for me as my road trip included cooler climates in the mountains but hot and rainy days elsewhere. This meant I could forego bulky thermal wear, warm stockings, and thick scarves but will need to bring along a lightweight jacket, as well as another warmer outerwear and possibly waterproof gear.

As someone who typically struggles with packing, I was surprised that the Rollio Large Spinner, which is the equivalent of a 28-inch luggage, could hold all the things I brought to the trip which included items such as one pair of knee-length boots (for the forecasted rainy weather), one bag of skincare plus one bag of makeup, two sunglasses, three hats and several other random stuff such as my mini watercolour palette, notebook, pens, and water brushes. Of course, various chargers took up a sizeable amount of space as well. Admittedly, there was very little space left for overseas shopping buys, but hey, there’s always the expandable, zippable compartment to rely on, right?

Well-thought-out interior design

Inside, a magnetic buckle is installed to safely secure all belongings, while the uniquely-shaped packing cubes allow for the separation of fresh clothes from used ones. The two packing cubes proved extremely handy when segregating my OOTDs. As the days went by during my trip, I emptied one of the packing cubes to store my worn clothes. I was proud that I managed to keep my luggage neat, a huge contrast to previous trips using other luggage. Finding specific items was easier as well thanks to the open-face suitcase design.

For smaller necessities, a divider with mesh pockets is also attached and ready to be rolled and secured to one side when not in use. Sustainable and functional, the interior lining fabric is made from Recyclex fabric technology, a textile engineered from 100% post-consumer recycled PET plastic bottles and treated with Microban Antimicrobial Technology to inhibit the growth of microbes, ensuring that all belongings are kept clean and fresh during the travel – a necessary feature what with the current threat of travelling bedbugs.

Rollio Spinner’s specifications at a glance

Exterior

• Available in 2 versions – Large spinner and Cabin spinner

• Made of Polycarbonate shell material

• Double spinner wheels for effortless maneuvering

• 4-way expander that increases packing capacity by a generous 20%

Interior

• Magnetic buckle is installed to safely secure all belongings

• Packing cubes allow travellers to separate fresh clothes from used ones

• Divider with mesh pockets that can be rolled and secured to one side when not in use

• Interior lining fabric is made from Recylex fabric technology, a textile engineered from 100% post-consumer recycled PET plastic bottles and treated with Microban Antimicrobial Technology to inhibit the growth of microbes, ensuring that all belongings are kept clean and fresh during the travel.

Features of the Rollio Large Spinner

• Material: Polycarbonate

• Volume: 82L

• Dimension: 75 x 40 x 41cm (L x H x W)

• Expandable: 93cm

• Weight: 4.4kg

• Warranty: Limited 3 years international warranty

Is the American Tourister Rollio worth getting?

The Rollio large spinner, measuring 40 x 75 x 41 (cm) is admittedly slightly smaller than the conventional 29-inch rectangular-shaped luggage. However, it is still capacious and can hold odd-shaped items such as my knee-length boots. I am particularly in love with its shape, which allowed me to properly hold onto it as I haul it up and down the car and flights of stairs. The wheels were also easy to move around and I had absolutely no issues while dragging the luggage along rocky and uneven grounds as well as slopes. Its flat back surface also means the luggage takes up space vertically, but not horizontally, which is prime space for moving around tight hotel rooms.

Its dashing looks and striking colour combination meant that my luggage was instantly recognisable, allowing me to quickly and easily identify my luggage at the airport. Not to mention how I won't be mistaking other luggages as my own.

The bonus? While checking in my luggage at Narita Airport, I got several gushes and praises for the uniqueness and cute element of the Rollio. I believe it also helped me get into the good books of the bag handler who blatantly showed her disapproval of how my luggage weighed over the airline limit. She told me firmly, "NO MORE SHOPPING!" but added how "kawaii" my luggage was before allowing me to head inside the terminal where duty-free shopping beckoned.

At S$359 for the Rollio large spinner (before discounts), you are paying not only for its looks, functionality and convenience. If the American Tourister Rollio sparks joy as it does for me, go get it and I guarantee you will be the envy of your fellow travellers.

The Rollio Spinner is available in 2 sizes — a Large Spinner for long-haul vacations, and a Cabin Spinner perfect for carry-on — effortlessly combining practicality and style. The 5-piece ROLLIO collection is available in 3 colourways – Coral/Blue, Black/Red and Light Grey/Lime.

Make it a set and get the American Tourister Rollio Duffle

Get the full Rollio set

The Rollio collection is available in limited quantities at American Tourister Singapore's official website and Zalora.