Are Rollling Backpacks Comfortable?

I don’t have this, but it looks like a horrible choice to me. It weighs 5.5 lbs. Either buy a good quality backpack which is lightweight and has comfortable straps and a hip belt or get a good quality rolling bag.

Angelafrench- I have an Osprey Fairview 36L rolling backpack. I rarely use it as a backpack (mostly for climbing stairs). It’s very comfortable and the wheels of this backpack don’t touch your body. They also design them for men and women for a better fit. I haven’t been disappointed with it.

I’m currently on my 4th trip to England with this backpack as my carry on bag.

Good luck finding a backpack and happy travels!

Horrible is in the eyes of the user.

The RS bag and the Osprey bag are two different animals. The RS bag is a carry-on that can be worn on ones back for short periods of time. The Osprey bag is a backpack that can be wheeled for short periods of time.

My opinions:
First, when and where will you want your luggage on your back vs on the sidewalk? Please don’t wear either of those inside airports or train stations or elevators or crowded sidewalks or hotel lobbies or anywhere else where others will have to be within 3 feet of you. They are wonderful for the hiking trail or for the 3 kilometer walk from the bus, down the 3rd century Roman cobblestone road to the RS hotel which has 30 steps at the door and no elevator. Otherwise, for me, the bag will be sitting on its wheels.

If you want a backpack, then then stop reading and get the Osprey. If you want a carryon with the opportunity to wear it on a rare occasion, then get the RS bag.

The Osprey size of 14 x 9 x 21 sounds ideal because that is the size that fits the greatest number of airline size limits; but it isn’t. No soft bag can be packed too full, or it will exceed its advertised size and in the case of the Osprey bag, will quickly become larger than the limitations of a lot of airlines. The RS bag physical dimensions are better. It will meet the requirements of the same airlines even with a bulge in the middle. But I guess if you pack carefully, it’s more of a psychological difference. This is the one aspect of packing where a hard-shell bag is better cause you can pack it to the point thst you have to sit on it to zip it and it’s still the same size.

I like the RS design better. Nice and square. I think it will pack easier and with more efficiency. The weight of both is close to the same. I wouldn’t use that to determine anything. Both heavy for a backpack, both light for a wheeled carry-on. The Osprey is more beautiful and gets the admiration of Travelers.

How many trips do you have coming? The Osprey is over $300 and the RS bag is nearly $200. RS products get a number of complaints on the forum for quality, but I think that it might seem like more because we have the forum to voice it. Don’t know.

Which would I buy. My personal item is a back pack and I can not remember the last time I put it on my back …. In well over 50 trips to Europe over the years. So I am not a backpack person. I love the fact that the floor is carrying the load, not my old back (it fits over the handle of my carryon). I also tend to overpack at times so I like a hard shell so it keeps it size. I also think a spinner is a lot easier and more convenient for the places I go and the way that I go; and I love that they dont fall over. Good question on the RS bag and the Osprey bag. Do they fall over easly when packed? The RS bag looks more stable in that regard.

All this being said, I finally settled on a 6 pound, 21x14x9 hard shell spinner that cost $135 and 12x16x7 backpack that set me back $24. Between the two I can go anywhere for any period of time (unless I am fishing). Not right or wrong or best or .... just works for me.

Are Rolling Backpacks Comfortable?

Some may be; some not.

Looking at them it seems to be like eyeglasses.... what works for one person may not work for another.

I think you have to go to a store and 'try them on' to see if there is one that is comfortable for you.

Excellent review overall of the situation by Mr E. Take it to heart.
And to OP. You say you are an avid backpacker. So you most certainly have hit the point of discomfort and pain while backpacking whereby your pack, shoulders, hips and uncomfortable as you walk. Weight and distance and elevation. By no means would you ever have that with a rolling backpack when on your back. Probably the most you will walk with your pack is maybe 2 miles. Train to hotel. Or similar. So the time and distance are limited and you can make it.
As for wheels against your back, I guess it is time for you to put it on and try it for yourself. I recently bought a Hynes Eagle 42L rolling backpack and have used it only once. Previously I have 20 years of using RS original bag all over the world.
The Hynes Eagle is $119, so a modest attempt by me to see if a roller would suffice for me. In using it as the backpack, it has a cover built into the pack that pulls out and covers the wheels to keep your back cleaner should the wheels be dirty. I am headed for a month in România soon and will give it more of a workout than my one trip so far.

I have that bag, and I find it to be a good international-sized roller (I estimate I can pack 34-35 liters without overpacking, even though the RS website says 32L) but I find it to an intolerable backpack. I’ve seen other favorable comments on the Forum, so as always YMMV, but my problem with the comfort was 1) the almost board-like back panel, and 2) the short distance between the top of the backpack strap and the attachment point at the bottom (short versus any other actual backpack I own, from 40L travel packs to book bags) means I can’t wear it comfortably. In addition, I really find a sternum strap helpful for fit and comfort, which this bag doesn’t have.

I might clip on one shoulder strap and sling it over my shoulder to board a train or climb a flight of stairs, but otherwise was disappointed that for me, anyway, it isn’t really a dual-purpose bag.

I think Osprey and Eagle Creek make better wheeled backpacks — but you could think cost and dimensions are too much of a tradeoff.

Topo Designs is another option for a wheeled backpack where the wheels face out when wearing it.

To me, that would also be good if you have concerns about sticky fingers checking the zipped outer pockets while you are wearing it.

I don't think it has a sternum strap or hip belt though.