Ask any airline employee for a carry-on bag recommendation and you are bound to be told to avoid one specific type of bag: hard-sided wheeled luggage. Airline employees are all too familiar with stories of broken wheels and cracked plastic from cheaply made hard-sided luggage. These bags are often built with thin polycarbonate material that get damaged easily while in an airplane’s cargo hold (namely due to poor flexibility & crush protection). Rampers will tell anyone who listens to avoid hard-sided carry-on bags. In this review, we show you why the heavy-duty NANUK 935 carry-on case is the exception to that rule by offering protection that other hard-sided bags can only dream of.
NANUK competes directly with Pelican to build heavy-duty cases to protect valuable gear. Both companies are well-regarded for producing sturdy cases that are virtually indestructible.
NANUK’s 935 case is purpose-built for frequent travelers who want a carry-on compliant case for fragile cargo. While I generally shy away from recommended wheeled luggage (wheels add weight along with extra components that can break), the NANUK 935 case stood out to me as a specialized tool in my arsenal for certain trips.
I often travel with camera gear, but I use the NANUK 935 to carry a different kind of gear: fragile bottles of beer, wine, and spirits from non-rev trips around the world. Today, we review the NANUK 935 case based on my experiences taking this bag on trips over the past year.
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| Pros | Cons |
| + Virtually indestructible | – Spotty quality control (my bag arrived with partially ripped foam) |
| + Comes with pick-and-pull foam for customization | – Heavier than your average carry-on bag |
| + Less expensive than an equivalent Pelican carry-on case |
About NANUK
NANUK, a brand of Plasticase, specializes in making indestructible & waterproof cases for professionals who aren’t afraid to put their gear to the test. NANUK competes directly with the likes of Pelican to build high-quality protective cases meant for transporting valuable equipment.
NANUK cases are made in Canada and are well-known in the photography/videography industry for providing shock-absorbent transportation solutions at competitive prices. These cases promise waterproof & dustproof protection for your peace of mind. If you travel with expensive electronics (or other valuable gear that needs protecting), NANUK is a brand to know.
One of NANUK’s claims to fame is their patented latching system named “PowerClaw”. These latches utilize spring-loaded slide locks that have held up very well throughout my travels. Fans of NANUK cases claim that these latches are easier to use than competitor’s latches. I have never had a NANUK latch ever bust open, and I feel completely confident that this bag will hold up to all the abuses of air travel.
NANUK 935 Specifications
- Dimensions: 22” x 14” x 9” (L x W x D)
- Volume: 28.3 L (1 cubic foot)
- Weight: 11.6 pounds (5.2 kg)
- Material: NK-7 resin
- Zippers: N/A
- Laptop Sleeve: No
- Wheels: 2
- Price: $169.95 ($199.95 with cubed foam included)
- Made in Canada
How does the NANUK 935 look & feel?
If I had to sum up this NANUK 935 case in a single word, “robust” is the word I would use.
Weighing in at nearly 12 pounds, this wheeled luggage case is an absolute tank. The case material is thick and can stand up to a ton of abuse.
NANUK cases come in a variety of colors ranging from a standard black to a bright safety orange. I had a tough time picking my favorite color from NANUK’s line-up (I was especially partial to the dark olive & bright yellow options), but I ended up picking a neutral graphite colorway. I figured the dark gray was different enough to stand out among the sea of black luggage cases at the baggage claim carousel but without attracting too much attention.
The NANUK 935 feels like a serious piece of hardware in your hands. The carrying handle on the side of the bag is built to last and swings right back into place when you need to stow it.
The adjustable handle has two positions: half-extended and fully extended. In my experience with the NANUK 935, the shorter of the two handle lengths helps in tight quarters when you need that extra bit of maneuverability.
You will not find a more comfortable or sturdy handle on the market. A well-positioned button allows you to extend and retract the handle with one hand, and the handle itself is almost comically thick. Because the NANUK 935 is a flat-bottom hard shell case, one downside is the external handle system forces the interior dimensions to be only 7.5 inches deep. Most people will still find the depth more than enough, but it is worth mentioning just how much space the handle takes up.
How does the NANUK 935 fit?
Beyond ergonomics, the NANUK 935 fits the exact dimensions of most U.S.-based airline carry-on policies.
I can easily fit the NANUK 935 on any aircraft with standard overhead bins (as with all carry-on bags, expect to gate-check your rollaboards on smaller regional planes that lack full-size overhead storage). Since it is a standard carry-on size, make sure to put it wheels-first into the overhead compartment (stand it up on its side if you are in a newer aircraft with the taller bins). There is a special place in hell for people who place their carry-on bags sideways!
Wheeling this case down the airplane’s aisle is not a great option because of its size & weight. Instead, use the spring-loaded handle on top of the bag to carry it through a crowded cabin. The handle snaps back into place once you release it, so it requires no fuss once you reach your seat.
Keep in mind that the bulky NANUK 935 can get heavy once fully loaded. I have never had issues getting it on board an aircraft, but make sure to take extra care when handling such a heavy bag above other passengers’ heads.
Features of the NANUK 935
Cubed Pick-and-Pull Foam
If you have never used pick-and-pull foam, you are in for a treat. This foam is the equivalent of perforated foam blocks, so these pre-cut pads allow you to create a customized foam insert for any shapes you need. This system makes it very easy to create foam cutouts to perfectly hug you gear like camera bodies, lenses, or other fragile items that you need to protect. In my case, I modified my original foam insert to fit wine & liquor bottles.
I spent years transporting wine in my duffel bags by wrapping them in clothes & praying to the non-rev gods, and thankfully I never had a single bottle break in transit. After years of good luck, I decided it was time to stop pushing my luck and finally purchased this NANUK case to serve as my purpose-built bottle bag.
There is room in my NANUK 935 to comfortably fit 3 wine bottles (I originally had it set up to fit 4 bottles, but the gaps between bottles when the foam was compressed seemed too close for comfort after initial review). When I’m not using it to transport wine, the foam can hold other types of cans/bottles or be removed completely if you aren’t traveling with fragile goods.
Large, Smooth-rolling Wheels
In principle, I am normally very anti-wheeled luggage. I think the vast majority of travelers are better served by backpacks & duffel bags over wheeled luggage for most trips. Nothing screams “I’m an unprepared tourist” like wheeling massive luggage bags across a cobblestone street in Europe. Don’t even get me started about those four-wheel spinner bags!
That said, there is a time and place for wheeled luggage. If you need to carry more than what your backpack can handle, packing your heaviest gear in a wheeled bag makes sense. NANUK’s polyurethane wheels are large in diameter that look more rollerblade wheels than what you would expect on a standard carry-on bag which means they roll smoothly & keep the noise to a minimum.
PowerClaw Superior Latching System
Let’s be honest: the fact that NANUK had to name their latch system is a bit cheesy. I couldn’t care less about what they call it though: it works damn well.
I heard stories about Pelican case latches having a tendency to pinch your fingers, but I have never once experienced that with the NANUK 935’s latches. They are easy to operate & give a reassuring click once locked in.
IP67 Waterproof & Dustproof Protection
While my current use for this bag doesn’t necessitate these types of protection, anyone who is transporting valuable camera gear or other electronics can rest assured that NANUKs bags will be able to keep the elements out. I haven’t found a hotel bathtub big enough to fully test the waterproof feature yet, but I may just have to throw it into the pool for fun next time.
Pressure Relief Valve
NANUK touts this feature as a way to prevent your bag from forming a vacuum lock as you experience changes in altitude or humidity. Since the protective case is rated as waterproof, the seal that forms on a bag like this is tighter than any other type of luggage. Having this pressure relief valve ensures that neither your bag or your gear will suffer any adverse effects the next time you take an airplane to your next trip.
Padlock Openings & Tie-Down Eyelets
All NANUK cases include cutouts near the latches that are large enough to pass a padlock through. I don’t often use a padlock when traveling, but it is nice to know that NANUK includes purpose-built holes to allow for more security. If you do choose to travel with a padlocked case, make sure to use a TSA-approved lock to avoid any trouble.
In addition to the holes that are specifically molded to fit padlocks, the NANUK 935 also has a couple molded eyelets on the hinge side of the bag. These eyelets can be used to help secure your NANUK case by tying it down when necessary.
Final Thoughts
This bag is totally overkill for my purposes, and that is exactly why I fell in love with it. I can toss this thing around on road trips or check it on plane trips without a worry in the world. The NANUK 935 is a tank that can handle it all.
The hard-sided exterior has also been a canvas for me to finally expend my brewery stickers upon. I cover up more & more of this bag with new stickers on every trip, and I am excited to see this NANUK 935 serve as my living beer/wine passport for years to come.
Do you need a shockproof, waterproof, dustproof, pressure-equalizing hard case bag to safely transport wines back from Europe? Maybe not. Will I brag about this bag whenever someone asks how I brought home hard-to-find bottles? Absolutely.
Recommended For: Hobbyists & professionals who want to use customized foam/padded inserts to carry valuable cargo inside of an indestructible carry-on bag.
