eBags says their new carry-on smart luggage is indestructible we put that claim to the test
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Editor's note, 3/4/2024: This suitcase is no longer being made. For our most up-to-date luggage recommendations, check out our guides to the best luggage and best carry-on bag.
When eBags was founded in 1998, it launched as a regular e-commerce retailer. Within a few years, however, the company realized it was in a perfect position to make its own products: eBags could take reviews of other products posted on its site and use them as market research, incorporating reader feedback into designs for a new in-house line.
Today, eBags is one of the best destinations for luggage and travel bags of all shapes and sizes, whether school bags, daypacks, carry-ons, or suitcases. It sells products from hundreds of brands, but its own line of eBags-branded luggage stands out for its intelligent designs, smart functions, and competitive prices. The only downside, on some products, at least, is that they aren't as stylish as other brands — a trade-off that's often worth making.
On eBags' newest piece of luggage, the brand managed to bring form, function, and price without making any compromises — even style.
The new Fortis Pro Smart hardside spinner begins with a lightweight polycarbonate shell, which eBags describes as "unbreakable." While I didn't have time to take the bag on an actual trip before this review, the Insider Picks team decided to test this out in the office.
While we stopped short of standing on top the closed bag, we can confirm that despite our kicks, drops, bangs, bends, beatings, and even a throw down half a flight of stairs, the bag did not break. We also skipped hitting the bag full-strength with a hammer — we didn't have a hammer handy.
eBags also describes the bag as "hardly scuffable." This, I'm sad to say, was not quite the case. By the end of our abuse, the bag was showing unmistakable signs of scuffing — most particularly, scuffs. While we were able to wipe most of them away with a damp paper towel, there are still some scuffs and scratches left behind, so I would recommend ignoring the "hardly" and focusing on the "scuffable."
That said, scuffs aren't a deal breaker, and I'm far more concerned about the function of my bag and the safety of its contents than I am with the uninterrupted shine of its outside.
In that respect, the eBags Fortis Pro is a force to behold.
The bag unzips and opens like a standard valise, and stores clothing and contents on both sides. One half features a nifty compression strap that has two built-in packing cubes — these are perfect for storing small items like socks or undershirts. You can fill those, and then buckle the strap they rest on to hold and compress everything else in that side of the main compartment.
There's also an interior divider on that side, which can be removed or adjusted to fit whatever you pack. The other side of the main compartment is a large open space, and can be sealed with a zippable netting.
This is the new "smart" edition of eBags' carry-ons, and it reflects this with an integrated USB pass through cable. You can take any USB power bank, and put it in a small interior pouch near the top of the bag. Just plug in the USB cable, and you can access power through a USB port near the handle — without removing the battery.
The bag evokes obvious comparisons to Away, the popular luggage startup.
While the Fortis Pro is certainly similar to the smaller Away carry-on, it's a little less expensive, and has one major feature that the Away bags don't — an expansion zipper. Simply unzip it, and you can expand the Fortis bag by about an inch and a half.
The bag is incredibly lightweight considering its size, and even when we fully loaded it, the wheels spun effortlessly, a necessity for any quality spinner bag. The telescoping handle has three positions, and the bag has a built-in TSA-approved combination lock that's easy to set — and reset.
The eBags Fortis Pro is a solid product, and representative of the deliberation with which eBags designs its products. While the description of "hardly scuffable" is optimistic at best, I — and the Insider Picks team — remain impressed at how the polycarbonate shell withstood our pummeling and, as crucially, held its shape, even when we tried to bend and snap the shell's edges. Plus, the bag has a lifetime warranty, so if something stronger than us gets to your bag, you're covered.
If you're looking for a new bag, or a gift to give for the holidays, the Fortis Pro is a great bet.
EBags Fortis Pro Traveler Carry-On, $124.99
David Slotnick Senior Reporter, Airlines David is a Senior Transportation Reporter for Business Insider. He primarily covers airlines and air travel. A native New Yorker and avid photographer, David previously covered travel, credit-card rewards, and frequent-flyer programs. Before joining Business Insider, David was a freelance writer and editor — before that, he worked in public affairs. He earned his bachelor's degree from Muhlenberg College and his master's from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, UK. You can follow him on Twitter or Instagram, visit his website, or send him an e-mail at dslotnick@businessinsider.com. Here are some of his recent stories:- The president of Emirates says passengers will never again be as comfortable as they have been aboard the enormous discontinued Airbus A380
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