BlackVoyage AirCabin Pro Review: Is a Vacuum Carry-On Worth It?

BlackVoyage says its built-in compression lets you squeeze in up to 50% more clothes. I wasn’t convinced, so I tested the AirCabin Pro carry-on and the Zephyr backpack on real trips, including a week of bulky winter clothes.

BlackVoyage sent me this set to review. They didn’t see this before it went up.

Build

The unboxing is great. If you get the bundle, the backpack ships packed inside the luggage, along with a small vacuum pump. The sandy black finish looks good and the logos are subtle.

It has aluminum-reinforced corners and two grab bars on the side. The top and side handles are stiff and tight, so the bars are really useful when it’s packed heavy or you’re lifting it off a carousel. The telescopic handle has three heights. There’s a TSA lock and USB-A and USB-C ports with a built-in cable. I don’t use the ports much.

The wheel lock is the feature I’d want on every suitcase. On a subway or a slope, it clicks in and the case stays put.

Inside

The interior is light beige with small nice details like a leather logo patch. The interior sleeve fits an iPad Pro but not my 16-inch MacBook, and it has little padding, so I wouldn’t put a laptop there anyway.

Both vacuum bags are removable, which is great. The zippers are thick and feel like they’ll last. The clear stripe on each bag looks nice, but you can’t really see what’s inside, so you need to remember where you packed things. Thin, see-through packing cubes inside the bags help a lot.

The compression upgrade

Getting both bags built in is about a $60 upcharge. Bought separately they’re about $65, so I’d have liked a bigger bundle discount. Still, if you’re buying the carry-on, I’d add them.

The thing to watch is weight. Compression lets you fit more, but more clothes still weigh more. If the airlines you fly have carry-on weight limits, a packed AirCabin can go over. And if you’re on a budget, a normal suitcase plus some compression bags from Amazon gets you most of the benefit for less than half the price.

The Zephyr backpack

The backpack is really nice. All black outside, bright orange inside, a soft matte front, fully waterproof, and it has its own TSA lock. The laptop compartment fits my 16-inch MacBook, a 13-inch tablet and headphones, with plenty of cable pockets. There’s a rear pocket for a passport and the main compartment opens flat like a suitcase, with a shoe compartment at the bottom.

I fit about three days of winter clothes plus a camera, toiletries and a sling bag. The straps are fine for travel days but not thick enough to carry it all day, and the bag itself is heavy. Its compression bag is not removable, which makes it less flexible.

Verdict

Short weekend trips: the backpack is perfect. One-week trips: the carry-on is perfect. Two weeks and you pack light: take both. The best deal is buying them together and adding the built-in compression bags. Compare it with the other styles in my carry-on comparison.

Specs that matter

Size	20" carry-on
Compression	2 removable vacuum bags, mini pump included
Handle	3-height telescopic
Extras	TSA lock, wheel lock, USB-A/C pass-through