Monos Aluminum Carry-On

The redesigned Monos Aluminum Carry-On holds 34 litres, down from just under 40. It weighs 11 lb, measures 22.2 by 14.2 by 9.3 inches, and it costs $695.

Losing six litres is a deliberate act. Carry-on allowances are not one number. North American carriers are generous, most of Europe is tighter, and a regional turboprop will take your bag off you at the gate regardless of what the website said. A 40 litre aluminium case is a bag that fits until the one flight where it does not, at which point you are watching $695 of anodised metal disappear down a conveyor into a hold it was never designed for. Shrinking to 34 litres buys compliance across more of the world, and the trade is that you pack less.

The shell is a custom 5ZCT3 alloy at 0.9 mm, anodised and electroplated with a brushed finish. Aluminium luggage is a particular taste. It weighs more than polycarbonate, costs more, does not crack, and dents on the first trip and every trip after that. People who love it love it for the dents. People who do not should buy something moulded and stop reading.

Eleven pounds empty is the real cost. On a 7 kg cabin allowance, which several airlines in Asia enforce with scales, you have spent 5 kg before packing a sock.