REI Co-op Wheely Beast Wheeled Duffel - 22"
This product is not available.
Our REI Wheely Beast wheeled duffel (22-inch size) is as burly as ever and fits in most airline overhead bins as a carry-on. A capacity of 42 liters makes it great for long weekends and light packers.
Shop similar products- Made of beefy Cordura® nylon with a sturdy aluminum frame and handle
- Smooth-rolling wheels are easy to maneuver
- Inside: 2 zip mesh pockets and compression straps
- Outside: 1 zip pocket accessible when luggage is opened up
- Back: hidden ID sleeve; magazine pocket
- 3-point compression system tames big loads
- Lock-compatible main zippers (locks sold separately)
- This item meets carry-on size restrictions for most airlines (size not to exceed 45 linear inches when adding L+W+H; this is subject to change, so check with your airline).
- REI Co-op brand is certified to The Climate Label; we actively fund efforts to reduce carbon emissions across our business and support climate projects around the world
| Best Use | Travel |
|---|---|
| Bag Style | Luggage |
| Gear Capacity (L) | 42 |
| Gear Capacity (cu. in.) | 2,563 |
| Number of Exterior Pockets | 2 + main compartment |
| Wheeled | Yes |
| Carry-On | Yes |
| Material(s) | Nylon |
| Dimensions | 22 x 14.5 x 10 inches |
| Removable Bag Dimensions | Not applicable |
| Weight | 6 lbs. 2 oz. |
| Gender | Unisex |
| Sustainability | From a Climate Label Certified brand |
Better gear is built together
From feedback to field testing, all of our gear is dialed-in by REI Co-op members. Their adventures informed every stitch and detail—making for better, longer-lasting gear.
Review this Product
Adding a review will require a valid email for verification
Most Helpful Favorable Review
Most Helpful Critical Review
Customer Images
Very sturdy, wheels add to dimensions
The nylon is heavy duty, and the zippers are substantial! The top of the bag is like the earlier version; it doesn't allow for full access and is sloped so there is some room on the top of the you have to creatively pack to utilize. The dimensions: height is a tad under 22". Width is right at 14". Depth of the bag is 9", BUT the wheels extend back about 2". If you have to put your bag in a sizer for flying on some airlines, this could be a dealbreaker. Overzealous gate agents would make you check the bag unless you replace the wheels with something smaller.
Great bag!
This is a fantastic little piece of luggage. I have now used it for a couple of trips in the two to three day range and it has held all I needed (including a suit). The mechanism does intrude a bit into the cargo area, so a bigger back will be needed for much longer trips, but this is just right as a carry-on. The additional pockets are great on this bag and all of the zippers have quality, smooth motion. The handle action is smooth, as are the wheels. While this won't stand up and roll like a "spinner", I prefer these smooth wheels to the ones usually on those.
Sizing is misleading
Airlines are cracking down on carry on sizing, and it includes wheels and handle. The sizers are not forgiving unless the dimension is soft and can be squished. So this on is 1-2 inches taller than common 22 inch height with wheels. The measurements are concrete please design a bag to the common limits
Travel the world with one bag
This is by far the BEST piece of luggage I have ever owned. I have tried tons of other options during domestic and international travel that always left me wishing for more ease and access. After I purchased the wheeley beast my days of searching for the best option are over! I feel confident that I will never meet a more practical, durable, useful, carry-on friendly design. It might looks small, but it can handle a ton of stuff. It’s really amazing how much stuff you can cram into this bag. Tons of great handle options, minimal on zippers and buckles, nice smooth wheels, the front opens almost all the way down for great access, the compression straps help the zipping process, and it’s super easy to handle and toss into overhead compartments. For this quality, you can’t beat the price. Love it!
North to Alaska!
Traveled to Alaska with "The Beast" both the 34" and 22" and they performed great! I even received complements from the Airline workers and other travelers on their "stylish" looks. The 22" carry-on loaded into the overhead compartment of the airplane easily. The 34" Wheely Beast Is rugged and held everything needed for a 7 day trip including my fishing and rain gear. Nice job!
Great Travel Bag
I bought the REI Wheely Beast Bag because it's a simple, lightweight, easy to maneuver carry-on bag. The bag has 3 zippered pockets for small items and plenty of handles for picking it up. The oversized wheels allows the bag to roll easily and the size is perfect for airplane overhead storage. I've traveled with the bag a half dozen times and it's holding up well.
Pros & Cons
First up, the one big con: This is truly "duffle style" which means there aren't 4 hard corners as on a traditional wheelie. There is a back panel and a bottom "tray" of ABS plastic to provide structure and rigidity. So, unlike a classic ABS-back panel and ABS at all four corners, which won't provide "crush resistance" if you check it through. Now, the biggest plus, IMHO: This is truly "duffle style" and saves about 2-4 pounds vs. conventional ABS-sided wheelies. That savings in weight is a big deal for smaller people, older people, and travelers exhausted after 14 hour transpacific etc. flights. Some other pluses: (1) Notice that the internal tie-down straps are cleverly engineered so they are "anchored" about 3/4 of the way up (pictures) or half-way up (video) the sides of the compartment. Most tie-down straps in competitors' bags are anchored only at the bottom, which means they pull the contents away from the sides of the compartment and open up wasted space. (2) In addition to the main compartment zipper, which is sturdy and self-healing, there are straps on top and both sides. These can provide a modest amount of compression but also relieve stress on the zipper. In a worst case scenario, if you somehow break or ruin the main compartment zipper, you can bag your your contents (trash bag?) and clamp the lid shut with the buckles. (3) There are grab handles on all four sides. (4) It really is 22" counting the wheels and handles. A lot of wheelies are a "fake" 22" - the makers don't count the wheels or handle - so they have problems with the luggage-testing racks, although most of the time most airlines (but not European) wave them through. (5) The fabric is Cordura-branded nylon - not polyester, which is weaker, and not ballistics, which looks semi-tactical but weighs a lot more and isn't required in a rolling duffle intended primarily for carry-on. (6) Because it isn't hard sided, you can compress out the wasted space for storage. Two of these will nest on top of each other (nose to end plate, face to face). Some other negatives: (i) Although there are some handy zipper pouches, there isn't the type of organization you'd find in a lot of packs and shoulder/cross-body bags designed for personal items like tablets, readers, and laptops. You can place those on the lid, but there isn't any real impact protection. (2) The top handle is supposed to look rugged, but ends up looking gaudy. The 22" Wheelie Beasts biggest competitor is a rolling duffle from an online retailer located in Maine. But, that one is 24" long, illegal for most flights, and oval instead of square, thus it will run into depth issues long before it has utilized the available legal width. So it is competitive in terms of price but not in terms of design and function. The competition you will see on REI's own shelves - name brands instead of house brands - are considerably more expensive but not significantly better, if even better, than REI's own house brand - the REI designers have gotten that good, and materials, sewing, and quality control are that good. Years ago house-branded products meant sacrificing something. Now REI is right at the head of the pack competing with the best and usually for much better prices. I recommend using this with a small daypack for your tablet or laptop; REI's own Flash 18 and 22 have water bladder slots that easily hold my 11.6" laptop or 9.7" tablet. I also recommend using packing cubes with the Wheelie Beast, although due to the handy nearly-perfect rectangular shape (only the front slopes down at the handle slightly when fully packed), bundle packing is certainly an option that will save the expense and slight additional weight of packing cubes. I like the slate color, which provides a visual cue in luggage carousels while not being as prone to dirt as the reddish version. I hope REI will reconsider the top handle, a hard rubber handle would be less flashy - and not freezing in winter - than the aluminum tubing used now.
Sturdy and lightweight
The roller bag is sturdy and lightweight. What took some getting used to was the best way to load it. It needs to be opened fully on the sides via the zipper to insert and also withdraw whatever you might need on a flight. For instance, I pack a bag within a bag and then take it out before stowing. In spite of this, the handy straps inside the main compartment keep secure anything you don’t want to remove. Another odd design feature is that the interior zipper bag on the inside and the front zipper pouch on the outside all go to the same pocket. I found this out when I was packing through the outside zipper and the inside zipper happened to be open and stuff kept falling into the main compartment. It was pretty funny until I figured it out. Very well made and I expect it will last many moons.
Nice but not enough expansion options
I am a fan of REI branded items but quickly returned this unit after opening the package and realizing that while having a bulky presence, it is actually a pretty small bag inside. Well made but pretty limited when it comes to working for a 1 day or a 4 day trip.
Awesome bag ...
I keep my essentials in this bag. I take it everywhere (even work). I also carry a backpack on my back. I have purchased three of them so far. At leat once year because the wheels aren't replaceable. I don't have time to shop around and look for wheels that will fit. Regardless it is still an awesome bag.