SwissGear Sion Softside Expandable Roller 29" Review

A thick polyester shell that is both lightweight and strong is the SwissGear Sion Softside Expandable Roller's most unique feature. This bag is spacious and offers a few features that make packing simple. Its price point directly affects its overall construction quality, but moderate travel is certainly in its wheelhouse.

Capacity

Although not the most spacious bag on the list, the Sion Softside can certainly hold its own when it comes to zipping up a boatload of clothing and accessories. Even at its price point, this bag impressed us with its small extras that made packing easier and faster.

In measuring the Sion Softside's main compartment dimensions, we calculated 87 liters of volume.

This is a smaller packing area when compared to many other bags on our list, but the Sion Softside makes up for it with two large exterior pockets and the ability to expand. All said, when we packed consciously, we found plenty of room for our necessities, even when heading out for a week-long trip.

Weighing in at 11.1 pounds, the Sion Softside lands in the middle of the bunch for weight, which means it can accept nearly 39 pounds of additional weight before it exceeds the standard checked-back weight limit of 50 pounds. In comparison, our weight testing placed the Osprey Daylite Wheeled Duffel 85 at 6.8 pounds and the Patagonia Black Hole Wheeled at an even 8 pounds.

This is one of the better ratios of all the bags we've tested. However, we did worry about the longevity of its zippers and shell if it were packed to the gills and subjected to a frequent, extensive travel agenda.

Ease of Transport

It will get you from point A to point B, but smooth, effortless movement, in all of its forms, is not the Sion Softside's forté. That said, it performs well enough to get the job done.

The single-wheel spinner wheels on the Sion Softside are small and are made from average, hard plastic. They are noisy when they roll and tend to vibrate and rattle at higher speeds. They also don't track perfectly, so the bag tended to veer slightly away from us while we were walking.

We often felt this slight pull while walking and were able to document and record it during our rolling tests. We've seen these types of wheels a lot through the years. Many budget bags have them. However, some of the other bags that use them have tracked better than the Sion. We realize this is anecdotal evidence, but we thought it was important to mention.

Most of the Sion Softside's cruising should be on flat surfaces like concrete and other commercial flooring found in airports and hotels. The wheels are simply too small and tend to bog down in bumpier, uneven surfaces. It performed less than adequately on more unique pathways, like cobblestone or gravel walkways. We loved our Sion Softside's top and side grab handles. They are large, soft, and comfortable to grip, which makes lugging this bag up a flight of stairs more tolerable. We also feel the trolley handle is fairly sturdy and strong enough to lug this bag over curbs and up staircases.

When it came to jumping curbs, hopping into buses or trains, or hiking old-school up a flight of stairs when the escalator was broken, we often just lassoed our Sion Softside by the trolley handle and gave it a yank (not recommended, but you know it happens). This extendable handle was surprisingly sturdy and “handled” the full weight of the bag when we didn't have time to stop and properly lift it into position. Likewise, we also liked the Sion Softside's robust wheel housings. They are made of hard plastic and extend up the back side of the bag to double as effective bumpers.

Construction Quality

Average sums up the Sion Softside's overall quality. At its price point, we didn't expect much more, and in fact, we were somewhat pleased with its overall construction quality. However, we still see potential longevity concerns if used extensively, so we reiterate our stance on using the Sion Softside for moderate travel if you want it to last.

Our drop tests and stairwell tests pushed the Sion Softside to its physical limits, but we were pleased with its performance. This bag lacks extensive added protection in terms of reinforcements or bumper rails. In fact, its thinner polyester shell doesn't compare to softshell bags that are made of ballistic nylon. However, during our tests, the Sion Softside still handled impact like a pro. It does have some small reinforced piping around each of its top corners, and its bottom wheel housings double as protective caps. Despite this relative lack of armor, it suffered only minor scuffs. However, we do feel that repeated mishandling could lead to a popped seam or split zipper.

We were less impressed with our Sion Softside's ability to repel water. Although polyester is known for being more water-resistant than nylon, we saw slightly weatherproofing properties during our water tests. After being soaked with hose water for several minutes, we opened our Sion Softside and found its main compartment quite damp.

Design and Functionality

The Sion has a basic softshell design which is familiar in the suitcase marketplace. However, aside from looks, it doesn't quite live up to the high quality or comprehensive packing systems found in some of our favorite models. Yet, considering the Sion Softside's price tag, we know that it was never meant to compete head-to-head with our higher-end bags.

Smooth zippers, stout interior compression straps, and a built-in toiletry bag are a few of the added features that allowed this bag to compete with many others on our list for design and functionality points. Its layout is simple, effective, and easy to understand and will appeal to travelers who don't like dedicated compartments or segmented packing systems.

Should You Buy the SwissGear Sion Softside Expandable Roller 29"?

If you're watching your budget and need a bag with just a little bit more than the basics, this bag is an excellent choice for cross-country jaunts or even an occasional flight overseas. It isn't made for extensive, routine travel on any level, but it will certainly provide the essentials for one or two annual trips.

What Other Suitcase Should You Consider?

The Amazon Basics 30" Hardside Spinner deserves consideration for sheer affordability with an acceptable performance for infrequent travel. However, if you travel extensively, you'll want a quality bag that can keep up with your demanding flight schedule. In that case, you may want to consider the high-performing Travelpro Platinum Elite 29" or the TravelPro Maxlite 5 25" which cost more but are well worth the investment for the impressive organizational system and long-lasting quality that the frequent traveler requires.