Full Review

5 July 2007 - Building on a suitcase can be hard, but Trunki, the makers of a kid friendly suitcase thinks it's succeeded with its latest offering the Towgo, so has it? We go on holiday to find out.

The new version is, like the first version, based on the simple idea that kids like to ride things. The answer is a hard (think Samsonite) suitcase that has been designed with a saddle, some grab ears, stabilisers to stop it toppling over, and a tail on it to make children believe it has a personality.

Improvements this time around include locking catches to keep toys locked in, a carry handle so you can grab it if you are in a rush, internal straps that keep the contents in place (to some degree) and a secret compartment big enough for some TicTacs.

Available in bright blue or pink and now green, the basic premise of the case hasn't changed much, in fact, if this was a software package it would be more a 1.1 update rather than a version 2.

In tests the kids we tried it with the same kids (now 6 and 4) who we tested the Trunki on, and while the 6-year-old now thought it was a bit past him the 4-year-old loved it, worried that we might have gone out of the demographic we also tested it out on a 14-month-old as well. The design allows it to be sat on, ridden and pulled along, or adults can carry it with a shoulder strap or the new carry handle once your little one gets a bit tired.

As for the improvements, this isn't going to want to make you go out and buy it again. The secret compartment is very small and pretty pointless making use of a recess in the design rather than being intentional and the internal straps would have been better as a mesh so it really keeps stuff in rather than the strap system seen here.

In fact the only real improvement that will make parents happy is the carry handle so you can carry it like a briefcase, something that you couldn't do before.

VERDICT
That's not to say its all bad, far from it, the Trunki is an a great piece of kit because it is so simple. It's bright, colourful, entertaining and useful. Just don't expect the new features to change much.

Useful links