Description
The traveler this cabin case is built around
The Mykel is Traveler’s Choice answer for someone who works while traveling. The defining feature is a polycarbonate front pocket on the outside of the shell, holding a padded sleeve for a laptop or tablet up to 16 inches, with a two way zipper that also opens through to the main compartment. That is a hard shell case with the access of a soft one, which is a genuinely useful combination at a security line.
The second feature is a two port charging pass through, USB 2.0 and USB Type C, which Traveler’s Choice calls the iTravel system. Between the laptop pocket and the ports, this is a business travel case rather than a holiday one. Comparable cabin options are on our carry-ons page.
The dimensions, and a name that does not match them
The specification block gives 13.5 by 9.25 by 21.25 inches. The product name calls it a carry-on 22 inch. Those do not agree, and the direction of the disagreement is unusual: normally the nominal name is smaller than the published overall figure because the overall includes the wheels, and here the nominal name is larger than any published dimension.
What that leaves unresolved
Either 21.25 inches is the case body and the real overall height with spinner wheels is closer to 22 or 23 inches, or 21.25 is the overall figure and the 22 inch name is rounded up. The listing does not label the set either way and publishes no second dimension set, so there is no way to tell. On a cabin case that is the question that decides whether you board with it.
Compare what is published against the allowance most commonly cited for a United States domestic carry-on, around 22 by 14 by 9 inches. At 21.25 inches tall the case is inside on height with three quarters of an inch to spare. At 13.5 inches wide it is inside with half an inch. At 9.25 inches deep it is a quarter inch over. So even on the more favorable reading it exceeds a common depth limit slightly, and if the published height excludes the wheels then it is over on two axes rather than one. Every airline sets its own figures, budget and regional carriers are stricter than the majors, and many international carriers enforce a cabin weight limit as well. Measure the case when it arrives and check it against your specific carrier rather than the 22 inch name.
Shell, front pocket, wheels and handle
The shell is named as polycarbonate and described as impact resistant, abrasion resistant and water resistant. Naming the polymer is the disclosure that matters, and polycarbonate is the right choice: it flexes under impact and returns to shape where ABS cracks at a corner, and water does not affect it. Its known weakness is scuffing, and no textured finish or corner guard is described here to address that.
The front pocket is the reason to buy this case and it is worth understanding what it costs. Building a laptop compartment into the outside of a hard shell means carving volume out of the main compartment and adding a second zipper line and a hinge to the shell. You gain the ability to pull a laptop out at security without laying the whole case down and opening it, which on a business trip is the difference between thirty seconds and three minutes. You lose packing volume and gain a potential failure point. The two way zipper that opens through to the main compartment is a thoughtful touch, because it means the front pocket is not a dead end.
The charging ports, and one claim that needs qualifying
Traveler’s Choice states plainly that a power bank is not included, which is the right disclosure and tells you the ports are a pass through: a cable runs from an external socket to an internal one and you supply your own battery. That is the safer arrangement, and it means the case itself contains no cell.
State the rule that matters. Lithium batteries and power banks must be carried in the cabin and must be removable. Airlines have refused smart luggage with sealed non removable batteries at check in and at the gate. If you fit your own power bank inside this case and the case is checked or gate checked, take the battery out first and keep it on your person. Given the dimension uncertainty above, gate checking is a realistic outcome rather than a hypothetical one.
One bullet needs pushing back on. It says the charging system lets you safely charge your devices without the risk of malware by plugging into any secure charging station. The risk being referred to is real, and the explanation is not. Data theft through a public USB port depends on whether the data pins in the cable and the port are connected. A pass through port in a suitcase does not inherently block data, and the listing does not say whether the data lines are omitted or the port is power only. Without that statement the claim is unsupported. If protection against untrusted charging points is why you want this, use a data blocking adapter, which is a known and cheap answer, rather than relying on the case. The same pass through arrangement without the claim appears on the Travelers Club Chicago Plus hardside carry-on and the Coolife YD105 three piece hardside set.
Weight, warranty and the record
Empty weight is published as 10.53 pounds in the specification block and 4.79 kilograms in an attribute field, which is 10.56 pounds. Those agree. What they agree on is a heavy cabin case. Ten and a half pounds is two to four pounds more than most 20 and 21 inch competitors, and it is what the polycarbonate shell, the front pocket structure and the charging hardware cost. On a carrier that weighs cabin baggage, and several international and budget carriers set the whole cabin allowance at fifteen or twenty pounds, most of it is spent before you pack. That is the single strongest argument against this case.
No warranty term is published anywhere. There is no lifetime claim, no limited period, no defect coverage statement and no airline damage provision. That is a notable gap on a case with a charging pass through, a secondary zipper line and spinner wheels, and it stands out because the same maker’s Traveler’s Choice Ultimax II trunk spinner also publishes none.
Reported customer feedback is 4.1 out of 5 from 62 ratings, which is a modest sample and a solid score, and the listing places it ranked 313th in carry-on luggage. Country of origin is China. For a lighter named polycarbonate alternative, the Level8 Luminous hard shell suitcase is worth comparing, and the wider range is on our carry-on luggage page.
Who should buy it, who should not
Buy it if you travel with a laptop and want to reach it without opening the case, you value a named polycarbonate shell, and the charging pass through is useful to you. The two way zipper linking the front pocket to the main compartment is a well judged detail and the front pocket concept is the real selling point.
Skip it if empty weight matters, because 10.53 pounds is heavy for a cabin bag. Skip it if you need a capacity figure or a published warranty, since neither appears. Treat the 22 inch name with caution, because every published dimension says 21.25 and the listing never says whether the wheels are counted. And do not rely on the case to protect you from an untrusted charging point, because nothing on the page explains how it would.
