This Carry-On Suitcase Saved My Laptop From Disaster

Largely thanks to press trips, I’ve travelled more in the past three years than most of the rest of my life. This has forced me to re-assess how I pack my carry-on luggage.

Whether you check a bag or not, a well-packed carry-on can significantly upgrade your travel experience, and my expandable hard-shell suitcase from Monos—a Canadian brand that is a Team Chatelaine favourite—won me over on first use. It comes with a few handy accessories to separate clothes from toiletries and a garment bag that doubles as a compression pad to really pack down those clothes. But moreover: it’s durable. The first time I used it, it quite literally saved my laptop. 

On a short-haul flight back home to Toronto last September, I accidentally left my laptop in the front pocket of the suitcase. Usually, I’ll avoid carrying laptops on my shoulder when travelling unless I’m checking the bag, and the zippered compartment in the Monos carry-on is perfectly designed for this. What it can’t do is remind you to take the laptop out of your suitcase if your plans change. I’d bought a few jars of condiments on my trip and wanted to make sure they made it home without getting confiscated, so I checked the bag. And, inadvertently, my laptop went along for the ride. 

I only realized my mistake as I watched our flight’s luggage get loaded from my window seat on the plane. I was convinced it was game over for my computer, especially after we landed, and I watched the suitcases violently tumble onto the luggage carousel while being unloaded. But lo and behold: my suitcase was scratch-free—and so was my laptop!

I like to bring home treats from my travels, so I don’t subscribe to the belief of never checking luggage. Thanks to this sweet lil suitcase, I still don’t have to.