Gate 8 Luggage Should Be Your New Travel Buddy

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Beginning in mid-December, I spent four weeks traveling non-stop. It began with a trip to Israel and ended with two days in Detroit. I wish I had the Gate 8 Trifold Cabin Bag at the time. The $200 garment bag keeps clothes and toiletries organized and your laptop and tablet safe; it will make your next trip far less stressful.

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When you first look at the Gate 8 Trifold Cabin Bag, you pretty much see a nice-quality garment bag. Perfect for a two or three-day trip, clothes lay flat inside, and the bag folds over twice to make it convenient to carry and appropriate for most airplane carry-on bins.

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You will notice the quality build, the impressive but light fabric, and the numerous (and I mean numerous) bright zipper pulls. Open up one of the exterior pockets, and you’ll begin to get a sense of the thought that went into designing this bag. For example, this zippered pocket has another zippered pocket inside as well as a good organizer for pens, paper and other travel essentials.

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If you are taking a cursory look you might overlook the wheels

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And you will definitely overlook the retractable handle that sits beneath its own zippered area.

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It extends so you won’t have to carry the bag as you race to make your flight. No, it isn’t the heaviest-duty handle we’ve seen, but there was clearly a tradeoff to be made as the designers worked to keep the bag as light as possible.

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There will, of course, be times you will need to pick up the bag. The wrapped handles are lightweight but don’t feel cheap. They certainly get the job done.

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Lift up the side flaps that make this look more like a simple bag than a garment bag — at least in my opinion — and unzip the strategically placed zipper (and more bright pulls!) to begin opening the bag. It is, after all, called the Trifold Cabin Bag.

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As you unfold the bag more organizational space becomes clear, and it is more apparent than ever that a lot of thought went into designing this travel accessory.

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The next fold in this Trifold Cabin Bag is released thanks to the dual buckles and straps. Release them, and you have yourself a garment bag.

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From the outside it looks like a standard garment bag.

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From the inside it looks like a standard garment bag as well.

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It has the requisite strap for securing suits, pants and shirts inside prior to folding the bag up.

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It has decent interior storage for other clothing items.

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And it has pockets within pockets within pockets. And each has its own bright pull!

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Every inch of potential space is used in this bag.

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That includes the corners next to the top of the hangers. What might otherwise be wasted space is instead made useful.

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And the corner storage comes out for easy packing and for keeping items organized at your hotel. (Each even has its own brightly colored zipper pull!)

All of that is good and well, but honestly wouldn’t have made me want to review this bag or give it the Thumbs Up I will be giving it at the end. No, what makes this bag stand out is the exterior storage on the side opposite the wheels.

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This may look like additional packing storage but is, instead, a removable laptop/tablet bag. Brilliant!

Here’s a look on video:

As Gate 8 explains:

GATE 8 Luggage – Take Control of your Journey

Be prepared and relaxed ready to do business when you arrive at your destination with the British designed GATE8 luggage.

The most thoroughly thought through carry-on luggage on the market. Your garments will arrive crease free, you will travel at pace through the airport (be the first in the TAXI queue!) and you will avoid ALL baggage check-in fees with GATE8 cabin size luggage.

Your gadgets & accessories always available with our clever zip-off Laptop Bag, you do not waste time and effort, unzip and continue to work (in-flight) or at the office or conference – ingenious! (+ Patent Protected).

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The laptop bag has decent organizational space. The laptop compartment is padded and even offers a separate slot for a tablet.

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It even comes with a bag for cables or, I assume, toiletries.

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Zip the laptop portion free from the main bag using (even more) bright zipper pulls and you get two pieces of luggage in one.

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When you do pull the laptop bag away from the main bag you can see where it sits. What once appeared to be one bag is, in fact, two.

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And while I wouldn’t see myself reaching for the laptop bag as a laptop bag under normal circumstances, I definitely see the utility of having a garment bag with a dedicated laptop space that can stand on its own when needed. It reduces the need to bring two bags along for an overnight trip, lets you keep your electronics with you in the event that the flight is packed and you are required to gate-check your carry-on, and helps keep you as organized as possible.

I liked the idea of the Gate 8 Trifold Cabin Bag when it was initially pitched to us, and I can honestly say the bag has not disappointed. It appears to be well made, was clearly designed with the needs of overnight travelers in mind, and it doesn’t call attention to the electronics that will likely be kept in the bag along with clothes. I honestly like everything about this bag except for the overabundance of zippers and pulls. I hope that it is as useful and tough as it appears; I’ll find out when I use it in a few weeks.

MSRP: $200

What I Like: Well made; Makes great use of space; Laptop/Tablet bag can be removed from the main bag;

What Needs Improvement: WAY too many zippers and pulls; Retractable handle may be the most delicate part of the bag but time will tell

Source: Manufacturer supplied review sample

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About the Author

Dan Cohen
Having a father who was heavily involved in early laser and fiber-optical research, Dan grew up surrounded by technology and gadgets. Dan’s father brought home one of the very first video games when he was young and Dan remembers seeing a “pre-release” touchtone phone. (When he asked his father what the “#” and “*” buttons were his dad said, “Some day, far in the future, we’ll have some use for them.”) Technology seemed to be in Dan’s blood but at some point he took a different path and ended up in the clergy. His passion for technology and gadgets never left him. Dan is married to Raina Goldberg who is also an avid user of Apple products. They live in New Jersey with their golden doodle Nava.