Chatterbox Luggage - Pink

One of the most anticipted products of 2005 (well, by me anyway!) has been the limited edition Chatterbox Luggage Collection. Announced at the beginning of the year, and finally delivered now, the collection was promoted as a stylish storage and tote system in one. The collection came in two colours (standard brown and the much harder to get hold of pink) and was made up of the following items:

• Trunk with Paper Storage Box and Business Card Holder
  
• Handbag
  
• Corner Punch with Storage Box
  

Above is an image of the entire collection. Each item was available separately for purchase but many retailers offered discounts if you bought everything. The reason for pink being hard to get hold of was the Chatterbox policy of selling the trunks in sets of four, one pink and three brown. This meant pink was hard to get hold of as retailers didn't want to be stuck with unsold brown ones. Understandable as it would be quite a financial investment.

Trunk

The trunk is equiped with sturdy rollers (double rollers on each of two sides). The telescopic handle is black. Unlike similar rolling totes, the handle runs on the inside of the bag (see image below). I think this is a good and important design decision as black handles/poles on the back would have ruined the asthetic of the bag. It is about the size of a standard carry on suitcase.

There are straps which go around the entire trunk and are fully functional, being held in place with buckles. For the security conscious, there is a double combination lock. On the bottom of the trunk, there are strudy metal studs to protect the bottom of the trunk. The material used to make the trunk (and other items in the collection) is not leather, but some sort of synthetic. It has a matt (not totally smooth texture) and the colour is just very PINK.

The above images shows how the telescopic handles are located on the inside of the trunk. While this does mean the bottom of the trunk is not flat and there is some loss of space, for me, I find this an acceptable compromise as this keeps the overall look and style of the bag intact. I would think it would also add to the strength of the handles as they are given extra support by the back of the case.

The inside top of the trunk has an expanding section that could house papers or other materials, held in place by two straps and press studs. There is a zipper pocket that would be suitable for pens or similar items.

Paper Storage Box

The Paper Storage box comes as part of the package with the trunk. It is large enough to hold 12 x 12 paper (but not, ironically enough, the latest range of Chatterbox room papers, which have that little extra strip of info at the bottom which you have to cut off!). I would think it would hold 50 sheets of paper.

The box is made in two separate sections. The top of the box slides over the bottom and is held in place by two lots of press studs (top and bottom). This box will fit inside the trunk.

Business Card Briefcase

This is also part of the trunk package. It is so cute! The little combination lock doesn't work, but the clasps holding it closed do work. Just a very cute way to store business cards.

Handbag

The handbag has similar features to the trunk, combination lock, an expandable pocket on the lid and studs on two sides for when sitting flat or upright. The straps, however are decorative and are held in place by press studs. There is, in addition to the handle, a small strap. This can by slipped over the open telescopic handle of the trunk to allow both to be moved at the same time. The dimensions of the handbard are 12" long, by 9" wide and 4" deep.

A long strap is provided which allows use as a traditional handbag. From looking at the original photo posted on the Chatterbox site earlier this year, it seams that a major improvement was made with this strap. In the earlier photos it seemed to be made of webbing. The one that arrived with the case is made of the same material as the case and has solid metal fixtures (clips and slides).

Corner Press

The corner press comes in a small, relatively plain box with none of the metal work on the corners or straps but it does have the combination lock. It holds the corner press tool and two bags of corners. The corners themselves are covered in a removable plastic so that they can be applied without scratching the metal. The plastic is easy to remove. Chatterbox is supposed to be coming out with a line of decorative corners at some future date. The ones that come with the tool are plain brass.

Overall, I am pretty impressed with the collection. While marketed as a functional item, style is also a major selling factor. As such, I think the prices reflect this. I got the trunk for approx $180 AU. This included the paper storage box and business card briefcase. When you look at comparable systems, I think this is pretty much on par as far as price goes.

The handbag was $58 AU and the corner press set $40 AU.

Pros: It is stylish. You can't deny that a major reason for buying this system is that it is just very cool to look at. It is sturdily built and I think that with care, it will last quite a while. The rollers are strong and will make moving it pretty easy.

Cons: As a storage system, the trunk isn't that big. It would be suitable for day crops but no good for packing for a retreat. The colour will take a bit of looking after as small scrapes and dings will show up pretty easily. The weight of the system, if you are carrying everything at once is not minor, and when full would be quite difficult to move without care.

Quick Review (Out of 5 Stars)

Cost: 4
Usefulness: 4
Ease of Use: 5
Style: 5