{"title":"Aluminum Carry-On","description":"\u003cp\u003eAn aluminum carry-on is a cabin-sized hard case with a metal shell, built to ride in the overhead bin rather than the hold. It is the bag that gets handled every single trip: lifted into bins, dragged through terminals, pushed into airline sizers, and now and then gate-checked into the cargo hold at the last minute. A rigid metal shell is the most durable answer to that kind of daily use.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat matters when buying aluminum carry on luggage is different from buying a checked case. Sizing against the airlines you actually fly comes first. Then the closure, because a frame with latches behaves differently from a zipper at security and in a crowded bin. Then weight, wheels, and whether the parts that wear can be repaired.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTALO makes one case and it is exactly this: The Cabin, an aluminum carry-on suitcase at $379, built to standard cabin sizing for major US airlines. What follows is what to check on any aluminum carry-on, and how The Cabin measures against that list.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eWhat to look for in an aluminum carry-on\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eSizing against the airlines you fly\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe standard US domestic carry-on limit is 22 x 14 x 9 inches including wheels and handles, used by American, Delta, United, Alaska, JetBlue, and Hawaiian. Southwest and Frontier allow 24 x 16 x 10, Spirit 22 x 18 x 10. A rigid shell has no give, so an aluminum case that is over by half an inch stays over in the sizer, where a soft bag would squash through. Allowances change, and the airline's own page is the final word. Our \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/carry-on-size-guide\"\u003ecarry-on size guide\u003c\/a\u003e keeps the numbers in one place.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eFrame latches instead of a zipper\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is the biggest difference in the category. An aluminum carry-on closes by clamping two rigid halves onto a frame with latches. There are no zipper teeth to split when the bag is overpacked and no coil to open with a pen. The trade is that a latched case cannot be forced closed. It holds what it holds. For most travelers that turns out to be a feature. \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/luggage-without-zippers\"\u003eLuggage without zippers\u003c\/a\u003e goes deeper.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eTSA-recognized locks built into the latches\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTSA locks are not required by law, and they matter most on checked bags. But a carry-on gets gate-checked on full flights, so integrated TSA-recognized latch locks, marked with the Travel Sentry red diamond, let an agent open the case without cutting anything off. Zipper-lock cases rely on a padlock through two pulls, which is easier to lose and easier to defeat.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWeight, and whether your airlines weigh\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAluminum weighs more than polycarbonate. On US domestic flights that is mostly theoretical, because most majors publish no carry-on weight limit. Fly international carriers that cap cabin bags at 7 to 12 kg (15 to 26 lb) and the extra shell weight comes straight out of your packing allowance. Be honest about your routes. \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/carry-on-weight-limits\"\u003eCarry-on weight limits\u003c\/a\u003e lists who weighs and who does not.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWheels and a handle that survive the terminal\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA carry-on rolls farther than any checked bag, across terminals, jet bridges, and hotel lobbies. Four spinner wheels on sealed bearings are quiet and effortless on smooth floors, and they should mount with screws so they can be replaced. The telescoping handle should be metal, lock at more than one height, and have no play when extended. Handle wobble is the first sign of a case that was built to a price.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eService for the parts that wear\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe shell of an aluminum carry-on will outlast its wheels, latches, and trolley. The warranty should cover exactly those parts, and it should say repair rather than replace, because a replacement policy usually ends the moment the model is discontinued.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eAluminum carry-on against the alternatives\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ctable\u003e\n\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eSituation\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eAluminum\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003cth\u003ePolycarbonate\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eSoft-shell\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\u003c\/thead\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eIn the sizer\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eNo give, fits or does not\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eSlight flex\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eSquashes to fit\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eUnder a stacked bin\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHolds shape\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBows, springs back\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eContents take the load\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eClosure\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eFrame latches\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMostly zipper\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eZipper\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eWeight\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHeaviest\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eLight\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eLightest\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eGate-checked\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eDents, keeps working\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eScuffs, may crack\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eTears, soaks through\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003ePrice band\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e$300 to well over $1,000\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e$150 to $600\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e$80 to $500\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe honest summary: polycarbonate wins on weight and price, soft-shell wins on squeezing into a full bin, and aluminum wins on everything that happens after the first year. For the broader shell comparison, read \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/aluminum-vs-polycarbonate-luggage\"\u003ealuminum vs polycarbonate luggage\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eHow the Cabin fits\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Cabin is built to standard cabin sizing for major US airlines, so it is designed for the overhead bin on the carriers most people fly. The shell is ribbed anodized aluminum. It closes on TSA-approved frame latches with no zippers anywhere, which answers both the closure and the lock question above in one piece of hardware. Four silent spinner wheels and a machined aluminum telescoping handle take care of the terminal miles. The only branding is an engraved aluminum plate, 48 x 13 mm, riveted to the shell.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is $379, with free tracked shipping in the contiguous US and 14-day returns. Lifetime service covers wheels, latches, handles, and the telescoping trolley, repaired rather than replaced for the life of the case. Sizing rules change by airline, so check your carrier before flying, and see \u003ca href=\"\/products\/the-cabin\"\u003eThe Cabin\u003c\/a\u003e for the product page.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLooking wider? \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/carry-on-luggage\"\u003eCarry-on luggage\u003c\/a\u003e covers every cabin option, and \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/aluminum-luggage\"\u003ealuminum luggage\u003c\/a\u003e covers the material at every size.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eCommon questions\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eIs aluminum carry on luggage allowed in the cabin?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYes. Airlines regulate size and sometimes weight, not material. An aluminum carry-on that fits the airline's published dimensions goes in the overhead bin like any other bag. Rigid cases cannot be squeezed, so measure against the airlines you fly, including wheels and handles.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWill an aluminum carry-on fit in the sizer?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOnly if its outside dimensions, wheels and handle included, are within the airline's limit. There is no squash factor with metal. Buy a case built to the 22 x 14 x 9 inch standard used by the major US carriers and check the sizer rules of any budget carrier separately.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eIs an aluminum carry-on too heavy?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor US domestic flights, no, since most major carriers do not weigh carry-ons. For international airlines with 7 to 12 kg cabin limits, the shell weight leaves less room for contents, and a lighter polycarbonate case may suit those routes better.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eDo aluminum carry-ons have TSA locks?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGood ones build TSA-recognized locks into the frame latches. That lets an agent open a gate-checked case without cutting anything. TSA locks are not legally required, and they matter most on checked bags, but integrated latch locks are more secure than a padlock through zipper pulls.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat happens when an aluminum carry-on gets gate-checked?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt may pick up a dent or scuff from the hold. The shell stays rigid and the latches keep working, because they mount to the frame rather than the panel. That is a better outcome than a cracked plastic shell or a torn soft bag.\u003c\/p\u003e\n","products":[{"product_id":"the-cabin","title":"The Cabin","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe Cabin. A hard-shell aluminum carry-on, made properly.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe ribbed aluminum shell is both lightweight and strong. The case uses TSA-approved frame latches instead of zippers. The spinner wheels are silent and the handle is machined from aluminum. Each case has an engraved metal plate on it. The size is suitable for most major airlines. The Cabin is designed to be repaired instead of replaced; every case is covered by lifetime service.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e• Ribbed aluminum shell\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e• TSA frame latches (no zippers)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e• Silent spinner wheels\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e• Machined aluminum handle\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e• Engraved metal plate, 48×13mm\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e• Lifetime service\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Talo","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51029810511908,"sku":null,"price":379.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0797\/7661\/2388\/files\/talo-silver-aluminum-carry-on.jpg?v=1787345607"}],"url":"https:\/\/taloluggage.com\/collections\/aluminum-carry-on.oembed","provider":"TALO","version":"1.0","type":"link"}