Carry-On, Reinvented: Peak Design Roller Pro First Look

Rolling luggage as a product category is both big and stagnant. But for travelers, it’s critical gear that millions rely on daily.

Peak Design, a brand renowned for thoughtfully introducing new designs to iconic products like tripods or camera straps, is doing it again with the Roller Pro. Launching on Kickstarter today, the Roller Pro reimagines what a roller-style carry-on bag can be.

And the results are a vastly better, more useful roller bag. I got my hands on a pre-production model to see if it’s worth the fuss. And in a very short testing window, I’d say, “Heck yeah.”

In short: The Peak Design Roller Pro is simply a better roller bag than any I’ve used. It’s a fresh take on a generally stagnant category from its solid, low-profile carbon fiber handle to its innovative “Drawbridge” opening system to interior organizational panels and retention systems. While costly, its high-quality build, compatibility with camera protection cubes, and fantastic organizational capabilities should make it a top choice for frequent flyers.

Compare it on our guide to the best carry-on luggage.

Peak Design Roller Pro Review

Let’s address the elephant in the room right away: The Roller Pro is expensive. It retails for $600, and the camera cube adds another $140, bringing the total to $740 if you want to use it as a large camera transporter.

It will sell for less on Kickstarter, and I’m sure there will be discounts regularly, but that’s a very high-end roller bag.

Why? Peak Design started from the ground up with entirely custom parts and assemblies. This enabled the brand to address shortcomings such as poorly built handles, wasted space, unwieldy clamshell access, and tired aesthetics.

Starting with the handle, Peak Design’s “SlimDrive” is a patented, low-profile carbon fiber handle engineered for strength in a minimal volume. Standard roller handles are made from off-the-shelf telescoping aluminum tubes, which create large ridges at the bottom of traditional roller bags and create wasted space around them.

Roller Pro’s handle is made from single-stage flat carbon fiber tubes, making it significantly stiffer while taking up just a third of the volume. Coupled with custom-engineered 60mm wheels — nestled within the bag’s corners to optimize interior storage — the Roller Pro glides smoothly.

It’s so easy to move that I worry that it may roll away on non-flat surfaces. Sliding it around is a joy, though, as it moves seemingly without friction over concrete or tile — almost as good as this unique, frisky roller bag.

The next thing that stands out is the innovative “Drawbridge” opening system. It allows travelers a unique solution for packing in confined spaces like airplane aisles, busy event spaces or cramped hotel rooms. It opens to allow easy access to items without dumping gear. The top clamshell hangs open without falling to the ground, giving good access to a three-pocketed organizational panel.

Additionally, the bag’s expandable capacity, from 34L to 39L, accommodates those returning home with more than they left.

Hybrid Construction

The Peak Design Roller Pro has a unique hybrid construction. The core is a polycarbonate shell, which the brand then covers with fabric. That allows the bag to have hard-sided protection with soft-sided features like a front EDC pocket for passports, chargers, headphones, and a laptop/tablet.

An interior organization panel holds small items or acts as dedicated dirty clothes storage. Unlike many rollers, it has no fabric separator on the inside. Instead, a proprietary Cord Hook Internal Retention System keeps contents secure. It’s simple, light, and functional.

Camera Bag to Boot

Peak Design also released an extra-large Camera Cube as part of the launch. The cube fits inside the roller, allowing it to be a very large camera carry system that holds up to a 400mm prime lens.

With the cube, the brand claims the bag becomes a mobile creative workstation for photographers on location or in the studio. Camera Cubes also disappear as quickly as they are installed, eliminating the need for photographers to own a dedicated camera roller. It seems like a very functional system, although I haven’t seen it. We’ll update this story once we have a chance to check one out.

Launching Today on Kickstarter

While I haven’t had the chance to travel with the bag, my first impressions are very good. It seems like a well-thought-out product made with premium, durable materials.

Serious travelers and photographers may want to consider it, although it comes at a hefty price. But for those protecting tens of thousands of dollars of camera gear, the investment may make a lot of sense.

From March 4 to April 17, 2025, the Peak Design Roller Pro and XL Camera Cube will be available to preorder on Kickstarter (peakdesign.com/ks), offering customers an exclusive chance to purchase at a discounted price (MSRP $140-600, depending on the item) in three colors: Black, Eclipse, and Sage.

The brand expects products to ship to Kickstarter backers in June 2025, with a full release on peakdesign.com, Amazon, and global retailers by August 2025.