Two years ago, Gate8 sent me their Tri-Fold Garment Bag for review (read the review). I was impressed! As a frequent business traveler for over 10 years, I felt I finally found a bag which was a perfect fit for a quick business trip where I just wanted to pack a suit, a few shirts and a laptop.
They just released an updated version of the Tri-Fold Garment Bag, now called GATE8 Garment MATE, and have sent me the new version to see how much it improved.
As the saying goes, “if it ain’t broken, don’t try and fix it”! When I initially reviewed the bag, I did find a few faults, but overall it was an excellent bag. To my delight, the updated version kept all the features I originally appreciated:
Size & Weight
The old bag was 55cm x 32cm x 7.5cm while the new bag is 53cm x 36cm x 15cm – i.e. almost double in width, but still within the maximum limit of 20cm imposed by most airlines.
The weight also increased slightly, from 2.8kg to 3.2kg, meaning you’ve got less weight to pack in before you hit the 10kg limit, common with most airlines.
Considering this bag is intended for short, 1-3 day trips and you will be travelling light, these changes are minimal and should not pose a problem.
Travel Comfort
One significant improvement with the new bag is the length of the trolley handle: the designers added an extra 10cm, bringing the total length to 103cm. I am 1m80 (6ft) tall and the handle on the old bag was too short for me – the new bag is a significant improvement!
The wheels have also been updated: they are bigger and more silent, contributing to a much smoother “ride”.
There is another little addition to the bag: in-built luggage tag, allowing for your name, address and telephone number. Since this is hand-luggage, there is little chance of the bag getting lost during the flight, but it is always handy in case the bag gets misplaced in the hotel/conference conciergerie.
Laptop Bag
The underlying principle of a detachable bag for a 17″ laptop is still the same and still such a brilliant idea! There are two handy improvements however:
- The zip attaches/detaches on the side instead of at the bottom, making it much more practical to remove and, in particular, to attach the laptop bag to the main bag.
- There is now a security-friendly, transparent, plastic toiletries bag included within a dedicated pouch inside the laptop bag. As you know, at the security control, they’ll ask you to remove your laptop and to put your toiletries outside in a transparent bag. Now you can remove both at the same time in one go. (Just must remember not to pack too many toiletries, or it will be too bulky.)
Garment Bag
Same crease-free design, same useful pockets for shoes and dirty laundry, same hanger space for a suit and several shirts. All of the things I loved in the original bag are still there. But the designers realised there was some extra unused space in the corners above the shoulders and have added two detachable corner pouches, very handy for placing those tricky small items like socks and underpants.
Price
This is the best bit: the old version cost £170 and the updated, improved version is even cheaper at £149 £75!! So, you get a perfect business travel bag with even more functionality and comfort for a lower cost.