A Surprising Brand Unveils the Ultimate Travel Bag

A Game-Changing Travel Solution

When it comes to packing for the holidays, there's no smoother and more efficient way than with this hyper-capable, high-capacity hybrid.

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Not sure about you, but when I think of Deuter, the first thing I picture are top-notch backpacks for hiking, biking and snow sports. What doesn’t jump to mind are high-quality duffel bags and rolling luggage, but the brand certainly makes those as well.

I’m reminded of this by the 127-year-old Gersthofen, Germany-based brand’s latest release, a supersized travel product that fuses their diversity of expertise into one multifaceted masterpiece. Meet the new Duffel Pro Roller 90, which is neither backpack nor duffel nor roller but, somehow, the best of all three.

Killer Combo?

The outdoor and travel world is littered with the carcasses of bags that tried to do it all, only to fail to do any one thing well. The Duffel Pro Roller 90 obviously runs that risk, but appears to sidestep its gnarliest pitfalls. The most notable element here is of course the diversity of carry options, which sort of nukes the ongoing debate between backpacks and rollers.

To be honest, the fact that such a vociferous advocate of the former is even looking at this wheeled contraption says a lot about its potential to win over the haters. The most obvious transport option is tugging it along behind you using the replaceable silent-glide wheels and an adjustable grab handle. A couple of sacrifices are made here in that the best rollers feature a quad of 360-degree wheels and telescoping handle.

However, if this 90L beast is fully loaded with dense contents, even this backpack die-hard appreciates the option to give the spine a rest strolling through the airport. Speaking of backpacks, the straps themselves emerge from a discreet slot on the top of the pack when you need them. Though I would love to see a sternum strap for additional support, these straps are sturdy and adjustable and nicely padded for a comfortable carry.

My favorite touch here is how they transform into a duffel mode via a sneaky, padded Velcro strap. One essentially envelops part of the other for a unified, adjustable, luggable handle you can also throw over your shoulder to switch things up.

Pack Animal

Beyond the versatility of carry options, let’s not lose sight of the fact that the Duffel Pro Roller 90 is true to its name. That means a massive 90 liters of storage space, complemented by a recommended payload max of 44 pounds — and easily packable via the big zippered, U-shaped front opening.

Those are some pretty bonkers numbers for a bag that itself weighs less than five pounds and strategically packs down for storage into a neat little unit about the size of a rugby ball. The bag has a few travel-friendly additional wrinkles as well, including a zippered side pocket, zippered mesh inner compartment, compression straps, a padlock anchor point and key clip.

Perhaps most importantly, your gear stays safe inside thanks to recycled 600-denier TPU-coated polyester body fabric that’s durable, abrasion-resistant and water-repellent. In other words, the Deuter name association game might just be about to change.

Availability and Pricing

The Deuter Duffel Pro Roller 90 is available now in green, blue and black for $200.

Deuter Duffel Pro Roller 90
$200 at Deuter

About the Author

Now managing editor, Steve has served in a variety of roles with GP since 2019. Having previously written and edited for such publications as Men’s Health, Men’s Journal, Esquire and ESPN, he enjoys covering a range of topics — but mostly those pertaining to cycling, snow sports, pocket knives and motos — and dreams of a utopian world in which everyone’s bike seat is at the proper height.

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