Summary: After nearly a decade of using an old backpack with a broken zipper for work, we upgraded my husband’s daily commute with the City-hopper Backpack from Carl Friedrik. We also got him the Carry-on X for the occasional work conference and overnight trip, but I ended up getting to try it first for a bachelorette weekend! Designed with durability at the forefront and style not far behind, these pieces are elegant but functional, and make the chore of packing effortlessly elevated.
Things we love:
- Carl Friedrik makes durability the cornerstone of the brand’s sustainability practice — seamless travel requires functional luggage that won’t fail, and these pieces delivered.
- The nubuck leather is gorgeous and soft, and promises to develop a beautiful patina over time.
- The compartments and construction of both pieces were intuitive and user-friendly, especially in making it easy to pack and travel with tech.
- The TSA-approved lock closure on the Carry-on X made me feel like my belongings were secure (and also made a very satisfying click!).
Things to keep in mind:
- If these pieces appear luxurious, it’s because they are — and the price tags reflect that.
- The Carry-on X has a lock you can easily set with your code of choice, but the brand warns that once set only you will be able to unlock it.
- The nubuck leather that we chose for the backpack is a bit stiff and needs some wearing in.
- Both the City-hopper Backpack and the carry-on have slim, efficient profiles and are not for packing everything but the kitchen sink.
My partner is a rare bird: He’s the only millenial I know who has worked at the same company for over a decade. After getting promoted to the VP of his department, I have been slowly convincing him to upgrade some of his work clothes and staples — some of which were well beyond repair. Take, for example, his 12-year old backpack that I bought him for Christmas one year. We were fresh out of school and it cost me $40 at Marshalls. Made from a mix of nylon and what appears to be craft felt, we’ve repaired the split zipper at least three times. “It looks like you’re on your way to calculus!” I told him one morning. But my partner is not the sort of person who buys something new just because — not even if it’s to commemorate a well-deserved milestone like a promotion.
When I gently suggested it was time for a grownup backpack, one that could accomodate his laptop and work docs and still be appropriate in the boardroom, he was surprisingly resistant. “But it was a gift from you!” he said. I looked at my sweet husband and then showed him the Carl Friedrik webpage. “Well this will be a gift from me, too.”
“If you’re going to invest in anything with a higher pricepoint, your return on investment is so much better with the items you use all the time.”
I’ll be honest — he balked at the price tags. But considering the impressively extended life he squeezed out of that bargain-bin backpack, I argued that this one — made from materials that were meant to last an actual human lifetime — would have a cost-per-wear breakdown we could justify. Because one of the things I’m learning on my own sustainability journey is that if you’re going to invest in anything with a higher pricepoint, your return on investment is so much better with the items you use all the time. This backpack would get daily use, without signaling that the man wearing it is an intern (RIP Marshalls backpack).
We also replaced our decade-old carry-on we’d grabbed last-minute at an underground shop in France to ship back a half case of champagne we hadn’t planned on buying. Only five bottles made it, and though we have continued to use the hardshell simply out of necessity, I don’t think either one of us truly ever forgave it.
About Carl Friedrik
If the name or the look of these pieces is ringing a bell for you, then I’m going to guess that you are a “Succession” fan.
The luggage brand was founded in 2012 by Swedish brothers Niklas and Mattis Oppermann, but it gained cult status after appearing as the Roy family’s luggage line of choice in the third season of the award-winning HBO show. The sleek designs and restrained colorways are the embodiment of quiet luxury — neutral, minimalist, chic — the sort of items that don’t need to shout about their quality or pedigree with loud patterns and logos. They are quality products for those who not only know what to look for, but are also willing to pay for true excellence.
“They are quality products for those who not only know what to look for, but are also willing to pay for true excellence.”
The brand’s best selling core collection is designed for business travel, but the London-based label also creates limited edition runs of luxury bags and accessories for everything from sport to briefcases. Named after their grandfather, the company that began as a direct-to-consumer leather and travel goods business now has select stockists around the world. One quick scan of the website makes it clear that the brand is drawing inspiration from a particular Old World timelessness of both style and standard, while adjusting their designs to accomodate modern standards.
I couldn’t wait to have these pieces in my hands, and I was excited when my husband finally agreed to giving them a try — on the condition that I let him keep his old backpack, just in case. I agreed, because even without seeing them in person yet, I felt confident these Carl Friedrik pieces would make him forget that tatty old thing even exists.
City-hopper Backpack, nubuck in chocolate|$595
The bag arrived in a cardboard box, wrapped in a protective cloth bag. I could tell it was already the fanciest bag either one of us had ever owned, and after touching it I resolved then and there that if my partner mentioned his old bag even once ever again, I was going to steal this one for myself. The nubuck is chosen for its durability as it comes from the toughest part of the hide. It’s then brushed until it has a suede-like feel to it, beautifully soft and with a subtle texture that I couldn’t stop touching.
The bag is quite slim, so the days of letting his piles of papers and files, notebooks, laptop, chargers, and whatever other detritus he used to haul around came to an abrupt end. In its neoprene case, his 16″ laptop just fits in the tech pouch, but it makes it feel extremely secure and protected. The sleek exterior pockets and interior compartments give him room for his airpods, pens, notebooks, and other essentials. The water bottle pouch in the side is the surprise winner of all the bag’s features — it somehow lets him slip his water bottle in and out with no trouble, no matter how packed the bag is.
The straps have padding on the inside but a nubuck exterior, making it comfortable to wear without sacrificing on the style. He looks very professional and sophisticated, and he admits he loves it — even though he sometimes gets annoyed with how stiff and tight the outside pocket is. “I’m looking forward to the way it will soften some, and how the patina will develop,” he told me.
The Carry-on X, grey/chocolate| $695
The first thing I noticed about the Carry-on was how light it was. At 9.5 lbs it’s lmost… too light. The hardshell was thinner than I expected, and for one horrible moment I worried that we’d been had. But as I continued to inspect the piece, more and more thoughtful details and smart design revealed themselves, convincing me to give this extremely lightweight bag a chance.
The exterior is a German-engineered Makrolon® polycarbonate shell and the frame is aluminum — which explains the weight. Both materials are known for their hardwearing capabilities without adding bulk or load. The TSA-approved locks are easy to set with my code of choice, and they make the most delightful sound when shut. There isn’t a zipper at all around the main compartment — just the frame locking perfectly into place with a satisfying click.
There is a zippered outer tech pocket is integrated into the hardshell, with a button and velcro fastener that makes it easy to quickly grab a laptop or boarding pass without having to open the whole bag. The compartments are neat and thin, and the interior lining is 100% recycled polyester. The interior of the main compartment has two sets of compression straps and a compression pad, which means this is the first time I ever packed a carry-on that didn’t toss out half its contents when I went to flip it closed.
Vegetable-tanned leather details with the brand name discreetly embossed is all the flashy logo we get. Silent 360° Hinomoto spinner wheels and a retractable handle make racing it across an airport appear almost elegant.
You know how airlines have those regulation carry-on displays where you can check to make sure your bag fits? Even when I have used bags that technically been within the measurements, mine have never fit. But I could tell just by looking at the Carry-on X that this sleek little bag would slip into any overhead with ease, no embarrassing whacking required.
I was able to pack my toiletry and makeup bag, two pairs of shoes (including cowboy boots!) three outfits, underwear and bras, jammies, my ipad, Kindle, planner, and some bachelorette decorations without any trouble at all. I actually felt inspired by the neat, limited interior space to be more decisive and efficient with my own packing, and I was surprised how little I actually ended up needing once I was there!
Bottom line: Is Carl Friedrik worth the splurge?
There is no question that Carl Friedrik luggage is on the pricier side. But for anyone who commutes with tons of tech or travels regularly — especially for work— Carl Friedrik gives the sort of return on investment that I think is well worth the initial cost.
“For anyone who commutes with tons of tech or travels regularly — especially for work— Carl Friedrik gives the sort of return on investment that I think is well worth the initial cost.”
When we think about “luxury” I am sometimes guilty of conflating it with something not just strictly unnecessary but also extravagantly so — a second or even third birthday cake, each a full foot taller than the last. But these pieces of luggage reminded me that luxury can also be comfort and quality, or taking something as practical as a suitcase and making it a thing of beauty and also a feat of function. There’s no cutting corners on style in favor of use or vice versa — instead, we get a true marriage of both, in pieces that we will undoubtedly use for the rest of our lives.
There is something truly pleasurable about enjoying the sensorial qualities of our most-used items, but there is also a security in knowing that you can trust the items to do their jobs well. It’s an upfront investment for a payoff that will continue long into the future — and that is really worth it for some things.
Stephanie H. Fallon is a Contributing Editor at The Good Trade. She is a writer originally from Houston, Texas and holds an MFA from the Jackson Center of Creative Writing at Hollins University. She lives with her family in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, where she writes about motherhood, artmaking, and work culture. Since 2022, she has been reviewing sustainable home and lifestyle brands, fact-checking sustainability claims, and bringing her sharp editorial skills to every product review. Say hi on Instagram or on her website.
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