Ricardo Beverly Hills Rodeo Drive 21" Hybrid Review

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RBH Rodeo Drive 21 4-Wheel Exp Hybrid WheelAboard

It looks like many luggage manufacturers are on a roll with hybrid carry on bags. It’s becoming more common to find a hardside spinner collection with a carry on that features a soft shell front with exterior pockets. This combines the best of durability with functionality and the Ricardo Beverly Hills Rodeo Drive 21″ Hybrid Wheelaboard is just such a hybrid from the sleek-looking and high performance Rodeo Drive collection.

Of course, if you’d prefer to stick to an all-hardside carry on case, this collection has that too. In addition to the 21″ hybrid, the Rodeo Drive line also features a plain hardside carry on, a 25″ spinner and a 29″ spinner. If you’d like to take a look at any of these pieces, you can do so on Amazon.com where prices are the most competitive.

The difference between the other pieces and the hybrid, other than the obvious combination feature, is that the full hardside bags also have an add-a-bag strap that can be pulled out from a slot on the top back of each. When not in use, the strap completely retracts back into the slot.

RBH isn’t the only bag of this kind. Take a look at a few more carry on hybrids that have appeared in the market in the last year or so.

But for now, let’s just take a better look at the Rodeo Drive carry on hybrid.

Features of the Ricardo Beverly Hills Rodeo Drive 21″ Hybrid Wheelaboard

You can buy this hybrid carry on in one of two colors – anthracite which is a grey, or black cherry which is a dark red.

The carry on measures 20.5″ x 15″ x 9.5″ and weighs 8 lbs and 4 ozs.

This bag features a combination of hard and soft shell exteriors that’s designed to keep it looking new for as many trips as possible. The hardside is made of Makrolon polycarbonate, which is highly impact resistant even on the points that are extra vulnerable to wear and tear. The finish on these points is a sleek brushed layer with a fine textured film on top for extra scratch resistance.
The softsided area is for the easy access exterior pockets. It is made of Nano-Tex treated fabric to provide extra protection against the elements and stains.

The dual spinner wheels are Hinomoto, which are known for smooth and silent gliding over almost any surface, making transport of the bag effortless. The wheels are wide set so the bag is always balanced and upright when stationary.

The telescopic handle is adjustable for your height and locks into place. It features a curved grip that fits into the natural contours of your hand. This eliminates the stress while pushing or pulling the bag. There are low profile top and side grab handles and if you want to set the bag down on its long side, four small feet allow you to do that without getting it dirty.

The main compartment can be locked using the integrated TSA zipper lock. The front compartment is dual zippered and can be locked with any standard luggage lock.

The main compartment can be expanded by a simple zipper pull to accommodate extra items when needed.

There are two external compartments set into the softsided shell of the 21″ carry on bag. Both these are easily accessible at anytime during transit. The larger one is a full sized double zippered U-shaped pocket that features a padded laptop sleeve with restraining strap to hold your laptop securely. There are other slots that can hold your other business items as well. You can store anything here from keys and pens to cards, smartphone, files, etc. The smaller single zippered pocket is ideal for keeping your travel documents or a newspaper.

When you open up the main compartment, you’ll find the interior divided into two separate parts by a fabric zippered divider partition. The lid section is great for packing your formals, as it features a universal hanger loop and a horizontal restraining straps to keep your neatly pressed clothing item in place and crease-free. The outside of the divider panel features a zippered mesh pocket and two elasticated shoe pockets.

The other side of the panel is for the rest of your clothes and accessories with adjustable cross-section restraining straps. A zippered pocket runs along the length of one side.