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- The new hand luggage-compliant roller-case is available in three colorways
- It's part of Peak Design's ecosystem, with a new purpose-made XL Camera Cube
- Priced from $599.95, with crowdfunding campaign running from March 4 to April 17
Peak Design has unveiled its first roller-case, the premium Roller Pro, with innovative features and familiar design touches taken from its camera accessories ecosystem.
The hand-luggage compliant roller is available in three colorways – black, eclipse (a burgundy-ish shade) and sage – and is currently being crowdfunded from March 4 to April 17 with a backer price of $599.95, and is due to land on the Peak Design website from late June.
There's also a new dedicated Camera Cube (XL) that's designed to maximize the internal storage of the Roller Pro for camera gear that needs extra protection, which costs $139.95 (UK and Australia pricing for both items is TBC).
Of course there are no guarantees with crowdfunding campaigns, but I've already had my hands on a sage Roller Pro prototype for weeks (and I've tested numerous Peak Design products down the years, primarily camera gear, such as the Outdoor Backpack, Camera Cubes, Travel Tripod and Camera Sling), and I can imagine Peak Design's latest product becoming my go-to roller case for many years to come. Let's take a look at what it offers.
A pricey roller that's a dream to handle, and built to last
Peak Design sent me a prototype of the Roller Pro several weeks ahead of its announcement, and I can tell you that it's an entirely different proposition to budget roller cases made from off-the-shelf parts.
This a premium Peak Design product through and through, with an ultra-smooth and agile four-set of wheels, plus a low-profile handle made from solid single pieces of carbon fiber, rather than rickety telescoping tubes. The handle slots into an aluminum chassis and takes up less space inside the roller case, meaning more space for your stuff.
The roller's exterior is a durable-feeling and expandable soft-shell type, with a familiar Peak Design look and an additional top soft handle (easing that temptation to hoist the loaded case up by the extending handle), while a polycarbonate hard shell structure inside provides rigidity and protection for what's inside.
I love how the main compartment opens for packing and unpacking. Unlike other rollers that double in footprint when you open them up, the Roller Pro's drawbridge top sits vertically up – ideal for when you're in tight spaces trying to access camera gear, or in an airport frantically searching for that thing you need.
With so many camera accessories in its portfolio, naturally Peak Design has put plenty of thought into gear storage. There are dedicated and secure compartments for items such as a laptop, small interior zipped pockets for important items like a passport and memory cards, plus a wide variety of protective Camera Cubes – including the new XL version, meaning you can customize how you split camera gear / personal items storage for your needs, for a each trip.
It's still early days for my Roller Pro testing, but I can already see it becoming my go-to roller case for many years of traveling and photography trips. The elephant in the room is the product's list price – around $600 for the case only is pretty steep, and that's before you add the cost of accessories for camera gear, such as Camera Cubes.
Still, if it's as durable and versatile as my time with it so far indicates, the Roller Pro could ultimately turn out to be excellent value. I'll share more thoughts further down the line by way of a long-term review.