Nomatic Carry On Classic Luggage Review (Updated 2023)
Nomatic Carry On
Classic Luggage review
(Updated 2023)
The Nomatic Carry On Classic Luggage is ideal for 1 to 5-day out-of-town or out-of-country trips.
This is a small carry-on luggage with a capacity of 30 liters. This is perfect for you if you have frequent business trips as it looks really sleek and premium for a luggage. Note that it’s on the expensive side and could be a bummer if you constantly need laptop access.
Watch our epic Nomatic Carry On Classic Luggage review below!
- Volume: 30 liters
- Weight: 7.46 lbs
- Outer Dimensions: 22" x 14" x 9"
- Style: Sleek and premium business luggage
Get the Nomatic Carry On
Due to a trademark issue, Nomatic had to rebrand to ‘Gomatic’ in Europe and the UK. Although the brand name is technically different, both versions sell the exact same high-quality gear 🙂
Nomatic Carry On Classic Luggage Overall Score
Nomatic Carry On Classic Luggage Pros
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Has sleek and premium look
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Has amazing hardware (YKK zips, Fidlock compression straps, etc.)
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Great rolling experience (Hiromoto wheels)
Nomatic Carry On Classic Luggage Cons
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Expensive
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The polycarbonate shell is tough, but is not scratch-free.
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Has no laptop compartment
Nomatic Carry On Classic Luggage Alternatives
Just in case you aren’t sold on the Nomatic Carry On Classic, we’ve added some alternative recommendations below.
These recommendations are very similar to the Nomatic Carry On Classic, but have some important differences that might work better for you! 👇🏼
Alternative #1
Nomatic Check-in Luggage
Perfect for longer trips
Due to a trademark issue, Nomatic had to rebrand to ‘Gomatic’ in Europe and the UK. Although the brand name is technically different, both versions sell the exact same high-quality gear 🙂
Alternative #2
Nomatic Carry-on Pro
For business travel that
requires laptop access
Due to a trademark issue, Nomatic had to rebrand to ‘Gomatic’ in Europe and the UK. Although the brand name is technically different, both versions sell the exact same high-quality gear 🙂
Nomatic Carry-on Classic Luggage
Gist of the Pack
In 2019, Nomatic ran a Kickstarter campaign with their new line of luggage that raised over 2 million US dollars. In their promotional videos for that campaign, they showed themselves slamming their luggage with a sledge hammer to show how durable it actually is. Watch our full video above to see what happened after testing its durability!
Today we’re breaking the mold a little bit and we’re reviewing this beautiful spaceship of a luggage right here. This thing is sexy.
Some quick specs about the Nomatic Carry-On Classic. It’s 30 liters which is ideal for one-to-three-day trips. It weighs 7.46 pounds. Like all Nomatic products, it only comes in the color black and the price comes in at 400 US dollars. 400 US dollars seems like a lot, but you got to think about what you’re getting here. You’re getting a premium suitcase and Nomatic’s lifetime guarantee.
The first spec is this exterior material, this sleek spaceship, rocket ship, exterior material. This is a polycarbonate shell and it’s made from a company called Makrolon. Not only does it have that nice chic sort of look that gets that really nice shine, look at the light on both sides, oh, it’s nice, but it’s also incredibly durable.
Some of the other materials, like the internal materials are more in line what Nomaticic has used in their previous backpacks and messenger bags. We’ve got pretty premium feeling materials. Love this mesh right here, although it’s not as silky as I like my mesh to be. Some other materials are these wheels. Now, obviously, wheels in luggage are super important. These wheels are made from a company called Hinomoto, and I say it like that because I assume they’re Japanese, and Hinomtoto also makes the strong handle on the top. Also, for some materials, moving back to the inside, we have these Fidlock compression straps right here which are just a complete joy to use, and then all the zips, see that right there, YKK, the best zips in the game.
Nomatic Carry On Classic Luggage
Front of the Pack
Important points: Simple, sleek, aesthetic, and has subtle branding.
For the front of this piece of luggage, there’s not much to talk about, just kind of the sleek aesthetic. We’ve got Nomatic’s branding right here which I think is nice and subtle. It’s not too loud.
And something to be aware of is there’s also the Nomatic Carry-On Pro. This is the Carry-On. There’s also the Carry-On Pro. The Carry-On Pro has a laptop compartment right here and is definitely an upgraded version of the Carry-On. We’ll be doing a Carry-On Pro review next week so keep an eye out for that.
So, let’s do a bit of a damage assessment. First of all, sorry. I wanted to see how this material would react to scratches. It’s not as bad as I thought it was going to be. Don’t get me wrong, this thing got scuffed up as you would expect.
If you get in real close, you can see that the concrete obviously did some pretty significant damage to the exterior materials. This little rubberized handle cutout area got pretty damaged. We can say with reasonable confidence that this external material is very, very durable, and what’s great too, is that the other parts of this luggage were not affected.
The handle still is nice and smooth. The zippers seem fine. I was really worried about the wheels, but we actually wheeled this guy back and everything is smooth like it didn’t just fall down two flights of stairs.
So, now let’s try and bring it back to normality. I’m going to try and buff this out and see if it helps at all. Got to put a little bit of elbow grease into it. Brings me back to my bussing days when I was bussing tables. So, now that we’ve taken off some of the dirt, we got some damage right here. But when you take the dirt off of it, it actually doesn’t look too shabby. So, now that it’s been cleaned off, it kind of just looks like a piece of luggage that got wear and tear for like 10 years. So, if in 10 years it looks like this, pretty impressive.
Next up, let’s talk about the style of the Nomatic Carry-On. This is their first sort of exposure into the luggage world, and aesthetically and functionality, but aesthetically, I just think they nailed it. So, if you want to look sleek while you travel and you’re looking for luggage, especially if you are a business professional, the look of this is going to be really, really hard to beat. Now, next step, let’s chat about the comfort of the Nomatic Carry-On.
Now, disclaimer, we’re in the middle of COVID-19 so I haven’t had the opportunity to travel internationally with this piece of luggage yet, but I’ve taken it around me for the past week just to get an idea of how it feels when I’m using it, how comfortable it is to actually use, the most important part of comfort I think with any luggage is going to be the wheels, and this 360 sort of wheel thing that they got going on right there is fantastic.
So, we’re based in Hong Kong which is mostly just brick sidewalks, and I’ve been taking it all around these brick sidewalks and rocky sidewalks and cobble and all this different sorts of terrain, and I have been effing astonished of how well it handles it. Obviously the smoother the surface, the smoother the ride. But the good news is that if you are on uneven surfaces, the Nomatic Carry-On Pro can definitely handle it in a way that feels very seamless and very comfortable. And then the other point for the comfort too are these handles.
The whole point about luggage is that you don’t really have to carry it too much, but in the case that you do, you’re on a cobbled street in the middle of Paris, and then you also have this three stage aluminum handle as well which is super comfortable and just really fun to use.
Nomatic Carry On Classic Luggage
Middle of the Pack
Important points: In the middle of this Luggage, we’ve got an Aluminum handle, nifty lock mechanism, YKK zippers, and Fidlock compression straps.
Let’s talk about the middle of this luggage. Let’s start on the top. We’ve got the handle that we talked about, and let’s talk a little bit more about this aluminum handle. It’s a three stager. Okay? So you got 1, 2, 3, and it really extends. A lot of other luggage alternatives will have aluminum for this, but it won’t be as thick. You can hear that quality. Okay? It’s not thin. It’s not light. It’s not bad materials. This effort is premium moving.
Right here, we have one of my favorite parts about the Nomatic Carry-On which is this zipper locking system. Simply take the zippers, and you can go ahead and lock them in this nifty little spot right there. This nifty sort of locking mechanism allows you to have peace of mind to make sure that nobody can get into your bag unless you want them to, and the only person who can get into your bag is the TSA because there’s a little TSA lock right there. So, all of this makes sure that you have the peace of mind to know that your gear is safe while also being TSA compliant. Whoa, that’s too much fun.
Some quick specs about the Nomatic Carry-On Classic. It’s 30 liters which is ideal for one-to-three-day trips. It weighs 7.46 pounds. Like all Nomatic products, it only comes in the color black and the price comes in at 400 US dollars. 400 US dollars seems like a lot, but you got to think about what you’re getting here. You’re getting a premium suitcase and Nomatic’s lifetime guarantee.
The first spec is this exterior material, this sleek spaceship, rocket ship, exterior material. This is a polycarbonate shell and it’s made from a company called Makrolon. Not only does it have that nice chic sort of look that gets that really nice shine, look at the light on both sides, oh, it’s nice, but it’s also incredibly durable.
Some of the other materials, like the internal materials are more in line what Nomaticic has used in their previous backpacks and messenger bags. We’ve got pretty premium feeling materials. Love this mesh right here, although it’s not as silky as I like my mesh to be. Some other materials are these wheels. Now, obviously, wheels in luggage are super important. These wheels are made from a company called Hinomoto, and I say it like that because I assume they’re Japanese, and Hinomtoto also makes the strong handle on the top. Also, for some materials, moving back to the inside, we have these Fidlock compression straps right here which are just a complete joy to use, and then all the zips, see that right there, YKK, the best zips in the game.
These YKK zippers are super chunky, super easy to use, just take it around the whole width of the bag. Let’s start with this side over here. We have this Fidlock compression straps, really awesome experience, easy to use. Fidlock makes some of the best magnetic gear in the game. So, as you can see right here, we actually just loaded up the bag so you can see it in action. We’ll go ahead and tighten these, find the perfect spot. Ah, clips so satisfyingly, I don’t know if that’s a word, but it is now, into place. Go ahead and clip that, and then boom, all the clothes are there. We’re going to tighten this up a little bit, mm-hmm, and that’s it. This is really secure. This is not going anywhere. Your stuff’s not going to fall out. Really nice.
Moving onto this side, we just kind of got like a big canyon right here. This is yet again great for more clothes, more of your gear. Couple pockets on the side, really nice, silky, elastic-y material. This is great for more fragile items that you want to keep organized, but also protected. But when we close it, we actually have one of the cooler parts of the suitcase as a whole which is this section right here.
So, we have see through mesh, but the cool part is that it’s actually more like a quick access pocket. So, you can go ahead and throw some gear right here. This would be a good tech area, things like maybe a tablet, and if you do use this for your tech, you’re probably going to have clothes on the bottom and clothes on top which means that your tech stuff is going to be really nice and protected.
Note though, there is no laptop compartment. You might be able to fit a smaller tablet or something into this area, but if you travel with a laptop and that sort of tech gear, you’re definitely going to want to check out our review of the Nomatic Carry-On Pro.
One more awesome thing about this style of luggage is the way that you can open it and it stays standing upright. So, this means that you’re at the airport, you’re at JFK, you’re waiting for your flight, unzip the Carry-On, you can get inside your stuff in a way that the bag is standing upright, and you can quickly access the things that you need in these two pockets.
Nomatic Carry On Classic Luggage
Back of the Pack
Important points: It has a side handle, rounded edge, polycarbonate shell, and Hinomoto wheels.
All right, let’s close it up and talk about the back. Here you can see there’s another side handle. It’s the exact same handle that they use in the top, and one interesting thing that I forgot to mention about the side handles which applies to the top handle as well is that there’s a little round spot right there at the top of the actual handle.
This little rounded sort of an edge, actually, although it doesn’t look very comfortable, it kind of makes the carrying experience definitely more comfortable, and they expand out which is nice. It allows you to have a really great grip, but then they sort of go back when you’re not using them which helps, A, keep a very sleek profile, and B, when you’re carrying around the airport and you’re trying to put it overhead and stuff, it’s just less likely to get caught on things which means that you are having a more seamless travel experience.
And then to sort of round off the back part, we got the handle which I’ve said I think enough about, but more the less, it just looks really nice. It’s really well designed, amazing functionality to it, and it’s just kind of fun. Aside from that in the back, there’s nothing else to really talk about. It’s just kind of sleek. It’s got that sleek polycarbonate shell. That’s about it.
Nomatic Carry On Classic Luggage
Pros and Cons (Detailed)
Some quick overall pros and overall cons of the Nomatic Carry-On. Pro number one is going to be that sleek look. Ah. Pro number two is going to be the amazing hardware, in particular, these YKK zippers and these wheels made by Hinomoto, and that actually leads into my third pro which I do think the most important part of the experience of this luggage is these wheels, are these wheels. Lugging this thing around the brick streets of Hong Kong was a piece of cake. I could go four wheel, or I could lean on its side and go two wheels. No matter what the terrain was, the Nomatic Carry-On could handle.
But, but, but, but, but let’s talk about some cons! Con number one, pretty obvious, it’s expensive. It’s $400. I do think that the lifetime value of this is definitely worth it, but if you’re not trying to drop $400 on a carry-on piece of luggage, I’m not going to argue with you. And con number two is going to be sort of a consistent con that I see across all Nomatic products, especially their backpacks. This polycarbonate shell, and the semi matte sort of a finish that they have going on, it’s tough. That is tough, but if you scratch, it’s going to be difficult to buff out. It’s just going to kind of collect some travel wear.
Nomatic Carry On Classic Luggage
Is This for You? (Detailed)
Let’s talk about who the Nomatic Carry-On is for and who it’s not for.
I’m going to keep this one simple. I think this carry-on luggage is for you if you are looking for a premium carry-on piece of luggage and you don’t need it to carry a laptop. This piece of luggage is also for you if you’re specifically a business traveler and a frequent business traveler. Do you commonly make two to five day business trips? This is the perfect companion. It’s large enough at 30 liters to carry enough stuff, no matter the length of your trip.
This is also a perfect piece of luggage for you if you work on an airplane. All my pilots out there, my stewards and stewardesses, thank you for your hard work, and very specifically, if you work in the industry, you probably don’t need access to your laptop right away, so you don’t really need a laptop compartment which means this guy, perfect for you.
Now, let’s talk about who this piece of luggage is not for though. Pretty easy one.
This is not for you if you’re on a budget. 400 bucks, not cheap. This is also not the piece of luggage for you if you like to pack really heavy and you need a check-in piece of luggage. This is only 30 liters. Some people just need more than 30 liters space. They’re not quite carry-on material. Check the Nomatic Check-in luggage here.
This is also not the piece of luggage for you if you need quick access to your laptop and tech gear. There’s no quick access on this. You got to unzip it to get in, and although it’s functional, it just not quite that easy. If you need to be on and off and store and unstore your laptop, I literally have a piece of luggage for you sent from the gods. Check the Nomatic Carry-on Pro here.
Nomatic Carry On Classic Luggage
Conclusion
What are your thoughts about the Nomatic Carry On Classic Luggage? Is this luggage too expensive for a short trip? Do you wish that it has a secure and easy access laptop compartment? Or if you own this luggage, please let us know what your experience has been like so far. We would love to hear from you, and your comments help make the internet and this channel just a better place, more educated, which means that people can find the luggage that is perfect for them.
Thanks, guys, and we’ll see you next time!
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