By: Elena Sikaleski | Last updated: October 10, 2023
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When it comes to luggage, Solgaard is an excellent choice for a variety of travel needs. Their entire luggage line includes ultra-comfortable backpacks, carry-ons, and large suitcases. Additionally, they offer a range of travel-friendly accessories such as compact watches, speakers, and wallets to coordinate with your Solgaard luggage.
The brand is committed to creating products that are both comfortable and sustainable. That means their packaging is made out of recycled material. And because they are also committed to reducing their environmental impact, they have introduced products that will cut plastic pollution in the ocean. Solgaard makes several of their products from Shore-Tex and Shore-Plast, both made from ocean bound plastic. For travelers looking for products that are sustainable, I think Solgaard is an amazing choice!
Image courtesy: Solgaard
Solgaard offers a variety of warranties depending on the product you purchase. Luggage and watches come with a limited ten-year warranty, while their backpacks are covered under a limited two-year warranty. Solgaard’s warranty covers any damage that could limit the functionality of your luggage or tech, so you can rest assured that their great customer service team will be there to help you if something happens to your items.
As Travel Merak likes to remind all our readers, the most important thing to remember is the quality of your luggage. The brand offers high-quality, durable travel gear and eco-friendly materials.
In this review, you'll learn more about the various bags and carry-ons offered by Solgaard.
Image courtesy: Solgaard
If you're looking for a laptop backpack, consider the Solgaard Lifepack. This multi-purpose bag has two main and separate compartments for clothes and electronics. It also has an anti-theft design. The Solgaard Lifepack reviews show that the bag is comfortable and functional, so you can travel light while maintaining your gear. In addition, the bag can fit under your seat and is durable and comfortable to wear all day long.
Some features I have found very useful are the integrated USB port, perfect for charging on the go, and secret passport pockets for added security. The Solgaard Lifepack comes with a lock, which can be attached to a pole or a bench. It also has a patented anti-theft coil lock that fits through two zippers and can wrap around a tree.
The Solarbank is another bag feature that makes it stand out. Combined with a patented anti-theft system, it can keep your electronic devices charged up while you're on the road. The battery pack also doubles as a Bluetooth speaker. This is a bonus because it allows you to play music on the go. This feature alone elevates the Solgaard Lifepack above most backpacks and is great to have if you like to listen to music on your hikes like I do!
The size of this backpack is perfect, with dimensions of 11.6" x 18.5" x 7" and weighing only 4 pounds. This makes it a lightweight, yet durable option. Keep in mind, choosing the option with the Solarbank will add just a little bit more weight to the bag, with the Solarbank weighing 1.75 pounds.
If you're looking for a new backpack, it's worth checking out the Solgaard Lifepack.
Image courtesy: Solgaard
The Solgaard Lifepack Endeavor is designed for travel or work and is surprisingly versatile. It has an integrated solar slot and is comfortable to wear. Made from durable fabric, this bag will take you from work to adventures and back to work again. The Endeavor can also be expanded to hold even more gear, with a carrying capacity of 38L expanded. Its innovative wardrobe system is a big plus, too.
I was impressed with the Lifezone compartment; it is definitely one of the most innovative features of a Solgaard backpack. It comes with Solgaard’s Carry-On Closet , which can store several days worth of clothes. The design of the removable closet makes it easy to hang in your hotel or other accommodations. .
The Solgaard Endeavor has enough space for up to seven days worth of clothes when expanded, making it a great choice to bring along on any trip. It is also a great carry-on for flights, with dimensions of 18.5" x 11" x 11.8" when expanded. And if you remove the hanging closet, this bag weighs only 2.8 pounds, makes for a great day bag for long hikes or a trip to the office!
Overall, I think this is the perfect all-in-one backpack option!
Image courtesy: Solgaard
The Solgaard Carry-On Closet suitcase is the one to beat when it comes to hard-shell spinner suitcases. This hard-shell spinner suitcase has six shelves in its removable Carry-On Closet, an easy-access USB port, and a TSA-approved lock. The suitcase is made of an almost-unbreakable polycarbonate shell, making sure it withstands all the trauma our suitcases go through during travel (airport baggage handlers, I’m looking at you).
I think the interior of this suitcase is designed extremely well. One side houses the removable hanging closet and includes a compression strap to ensure your clothes don’t move during your travels. The other side has a large zippered compartment to store other essentials like shoes and toiletries. Since I love keeping all my items neatly organized, these storage options are amazing.
The Solgaard Carry-On Closet is an organizer's dream! If you are anything like me, I thrive on being able to organize my outfits easily for different parts of my trip. The removable hanging closet makes that effortless and keeps everything neat and tidy in your bag.
The suitcase comes in two sizes - having options is a great perk! If you know your travels will take you overseas, you can choose the smaller version of this suitcase to ensure you will be able to carry it on all your flights.
This suitcase has to be one of Travel Merak’s favorites and you won’t go wrong adding this bag to your collection before your next trip.
Image courtesy: Solgaard
The Solgaard Solarbank Boombox is a portable, 4-in-1 device – it is a Bluetooth speaker, wireless charger, power bank, and solar powered unit all rolled into one. With dimensions of 6.2" x 3.5" x 0.5" and weighing only 1.75 pounds, the Solarbank is compact enough to stash away in virtually any bag.
The device is waterproof and can provide up to 96 hours of music, making it perfect to bring on long weekends with friends where you want to jam out! I really like that the boombox can be paired with a friend’s boombox to provide double the sound (perfect for parties).
Image courtesy: Solgaard
Solgaard has a 3.0/5 star review on Trustpilot, giving them an "average" ranking. The company has a claimed profile and encourages reviews by its customers, regardless if they are negative or positive. Out of 328 reviews, 39% rated the brand as "excellent" while 32% rated the brand as "bad".
I've found that the reviews are mixed for Solgaard, with some customers giving rave reviews and others discussing customer service issues or dissatisfaction with the product. It seems that most issues discussed on Trustpilot were with Solgaard's customer service.
When I originally reviewed Solgaard in July, I noted that the brand did not respond timely to negative reviews and assist in addressing customer service issues. Out of curiosity, I revisited Trustpilot five months later and to my surprise, Solgaard representatives have been responding to several negative reviews and offering assistance via direct email. The representatives have even offered replacements to customers with quality issues or defects in Solgaard products. Trustpilot now notes that Solgaard responds to negative reviews, on average, in less than one month, so I am very happy to see an improvement here!
@Solgaard has a verified Instagram profile with around 113,000 followers. Solgaard's highlights not only provide a way for the brand to share tagged content from its customers, but also give insight to their sustainability initiatives and give more details on the materials they use to create their luggage. We found the Ocean Health highlight very insightful and informative to Solgaard's positive impact on sustainability and the enviroment.
My favorite part of Solgaard's Instagram was their creative and humorous reels! These reels do a great job at keeping their audience engaged and interested in their content. My favorite reel was a review of Solgaard's luggage by Bjorn Solgaard, a "viking"!
After a thorough review of Solgaard, I give the brand a rating of 4.4/5. There are many great factors we considered when looking at Solgaard's travel bag options, however, I think they could offer more style options! With that said, Solgaard's options are perfect for travelers who prefer to travel with only a carry on.
Pros
Cons
Read about Travel Merak's product rating methodology.
As you’ve seen in this review, Solgaard provides durable, long-lasting luggage and backpack options with a focus on protecting the environment and reducing plastic around the world. They have a variety of products suitable for any type of traveler. Their Shore-Tex material is used on many of their products and even on some accessories. For those trying Solgaard for the first time, Travel Merak suggests the Lifepack Backpack or the Carry-On Closet suitcase.
Despite some of the negative reviews surrounding Solgaard and their customer service, I still believe this is a brand that is worth trying out. While there are other brands that offer
sustainable and eco-friendly options, Solgaard is a brand that is pretty hard to beat when it comes to unique design and sustainability!
Yes! The battery can be stored in your carry-on and taken on flights. However, the battery will need to be removed if you have to check any of your bags.
The backpacks have a water-resistant bottom and the suitcases are also water-resistant. We don’t recommend throwing your bags in a lake to test out if they are truly waterproof, but they will be fine if you are caught in an unexpected rainstorm!
Solgaard was founded by Adrian Solgaard, a Canadian-Norwegian who began the brand with an idea for a solar powered backpack.
Absolutely. Their iconic Carry-On Closet suitcase comes in a larger size, called the Check-In Closet. Similarly designed to the carry-on bag, the Check-In offers the same removable hanging closet that travelers love.
Solgaard is “plastic negative” meaning that they do not use single-use plastic in their products or in their shipping. The plastic used in Solgaard products is ocean-bound plastic, making this brand extremely sustainable for those eco-conscious travelers.