MobileTechTalk I’ve never owned a trolley before, so it was great having the possibility to test the Dicota roller backpack, which may bring up the question: Backpack?! Which backpack?! I’ll be coming back to that later on in my review, but let’s just say that this is the first trolley I have ever seen with this functionality. Let’s dive into all that this trolley has to offer, and that one weakness.
Disclaimer: Although Dicota did provide me (Jeffrey) with the trolley, they have had no influence on the editorial outcome of the review. The trolley has been tested for a period of two weeks carrying all the things I’d need to take with me on a holiday including clothes.
Dimensions: 36,5 x 50 x 23cm
Weight (empty): 3.3KG
Volume (liters): 40
IATA Cabin Approved: Yes
Water resistant/repellent: Yes
Let’s get that one weakness out-of-the-way – and it was something I was quite surprised by; the two-stage telescopic handle. At the time I received the trolley, I immediately saw that the handle wasn’t really sitting straight, though that doesn’t really have much to do with the real issue. The handle simply has way too much wiggle room once fully opened. While you don’t immediately notice it while riding it behind you, it feels a little cheap and I don’t know if this in the end can have an effect on the durability of the trolley.
With that out-of-the-way, I can only be positive about all other parts of the trolley. Starting off with the zippers, they feel extremely solid and are made to last. It’s a good thing, especially if you regularly use this as your carry-on luggage. The fabric used by Dicota feels really solid, and after a holiday of travelling and everything, that’s a positive thing. The wheels also seem to be holding up really well, even on the harsh streets of Spain and in the airports.
Even with a little weakness like the handle, this is a solid feeling trolley. And, adding to that, while the handle does have some wiggle room, lifting the trolley (it was about 12KG at that time) with the handle doesn’t seem to be causing any issues.
I’m not going to say a whole lot here, because there just isn’t a whole lot to say about a black business-oriented trolley. The entire trolley uses the same black finish, and that’s exactly how such a trolley should look like. Nothing too fancy, but made with functionality in mind.
And, while to handle may be a little weakness, it does look gorgeous when fully opened. The grey finish with the white Dicota logo on the long metal tube just looks different. Different from all other trolleys I can order online, which usually are a tad bit plain.
I’ve become a fan of this type of finish, and that’s something you’ll read all over the place in my reviews. Whether this is something you’d like having? It’s a tough question for me, but I guess the black finish at least doesn’t scare anyone away from buying the trolley.
Let’s start off with the smallest pocket at the front on the bottom, and I could just say that this isn’t the most functional pocket out of all of them. I’ve only used it once, and that’s mostly caused by the fact that if the trolley if stuffed, it’s really hard to reach, and it doesn’t offer a lot of space either. The pocket above it does offer a lot more space, and it does have some separate storage compartments in it so your stuff won’t be moving all over the place. I’ve used this pocket for most of my technology related stuff like my cables, chargers, sunglasses, and a few other small things.
Moving up a spot to the back is the laptop pocket which offers a lot, LOT of protection for your laptop. Besides that, it easily fitted my 2.4cm thick laptop, it also gives you plenty of space for some documents and the charger of your laptop. Even if your trolley would go into the hold of an aircraft, this trolley will protect your laptop from all the bumps occurring.
At last we have the big pocket, which offers a lot of space for clothes. I could easily fit in my clothing for a two-week holiday to Spain (you may by now have noticed where I’ve been tested the trolley). Inside the big pocket you’ll also find the fixation straps if you want to make sure nothing is going to move around in there. The big pocket also comes with a separate pocket for all the wet clothes so all other things will stay dry during your travels.
In the first paragraph, I mentioned the word backpack, and that’s something really interesting about this trolley. Can’t ride the trolley on the ground? No problem, just open the last zipper to convert it to your backpack. Yeah, it will be pretty hefty on your back, and don’t expect it to be the most comfortable either, but it can be really useful and I can really see myself using it as a backpack.
Is this trolley for everyone? I’d say that the trolley offers what most people would find useful. It won’t attract everyone, and it isn’t made to do that. Dicota markets the trolley as the business trolley, and that’s what I’d say the best way to describe the backpack.
While it isn’t fancy all over the place, it does offer a lot of space for your clothes, technology and all other things you may want to take with you. This all in a functional-looking package with a great build quality, although Dicota may want to work on the handle for their next-gen trolley (people at Dicota, if you read this, I’d love to test a next-gen trolley made by you guys!)
Dicota is currently selling the trolley for £146.31 on Amazon UK, which may sound like a lot of money, but for the features you get and the business-oriented part of the trolley, it’s more than worth it. This trolley isn’t made for everyone, but those who it is made for will love it.
Dicota Backpack Roller PRO
£145.35
Pros
- Durable outer material
- Extremely durable wheels
- Laptop is very well protected
- Lot's of different pockets to store your stuff
Cons
- Certainly not for everyone
- May look boring for some
- No possibility to lock front pocket
