Fjallraven Farden Roller 35 Review

The Fjallraven Farden Roller 35 uses an interesting mix of softside and hardside design elements. On the outside is the same friendly and colorful styling we’ve always known Fjallraven for, courtesy of the Farden’s polyamide fabric. But the Farden also has a sturdy polycarbonate shell around the back that gives it a ton of support and structure all throughout, making sure the 35-liter capacity isn’t just a baggy mess.

That said, some of the Farden’s design elements left us dissatisfied. The handle’s plasticky feel doesn’t reflect the build quality we’ve come to expect from the brand, for example. The compression straps are also not as impactful as we’d hoped, as they cannot cinch areas where we expect lumpiness.

Read on to learn more about the Farden and whether its pros outweigh its cons. Let’s dive in!

External Components

There is something to be said about Fjallraven, its aesthetics, and the Farden. On the one hand, we certainly respect brands that maintain their identity no matter what type of product they’re designing. On the other hand, seeing Fjallraven’s signature colorful fabrics and eye-catching logo stretched over a rigidly shaped piece of luggage is certainly a vibe—kind of like dressing a mechanic’s toolbox in a knitted sweater.

The exact materials are polyamide and polycarbonate. We’re assuming that the polyamide Fjallraven refers to here is primarily nylon, since it certainly has that familiar nylon feel. The polycarbonate forms the bag’s shell on the lower half, which, in turn, gives it that nice, uniform, boxy shape. Though the front is comprised of polyamide fabric with some slight padding, huge sections, such as the back, are also bare polycarbonate. This makes sense since it’s the part that will bear the brunt of abrasions, such as when you’re sliding the bag in and out of overhead bins and car trunks.

The size we’re sampling here is the 35-liter version, and it’s pretty much the average carry on size for most U.S. airlines. That said, you’ll want to consult your airline’s website to confirm the exact dimensions for their carry on restrictions, especially if you’re flying with an international carrier. Needless to say, you’re going to have to get your bag checked in if you’re going for the larger Farden Roller 75 (that thing is a beast).

At the top and left side are grab handles. They’re the simple folded-over nylon handles we usually find on other softside luggage. These would normally be acceptable to us, and for the most part, handles like these are perfectly serviceable. However, the Farden is almost large enough that we wish Fjallraven had beefier handles than these. As an aside, there is also a slip pocket for an ID slip under the side handle, though there’s no slip of paper included; you’ll have to make one yourself.

The bag also has bits of plastic trim, with the backside top corners having glossy accents and the wheels themselves mounted on plastic assemblies. Both elements seem removable, as evidenced by the bolts attaching them to the frame. The wheels themselves roll smoothly, but they’re not totally silent. Their chunky shape and plasticky construction create a “thunky” sound and sensation when you roll the bag over rough surfaces.

The telescoping handle only has one adjustment: fully extended. That’s honestly fine since the Farden only has two rear wheels, meaning you’ll want a fairly sloping angle when pulling it behind you. However, where we do take issue is with the handle itself. Not only is it a bit too plasticky for our taste, but the lock release button is also big enough that our tester could accidentally push it with the edge of her palm when gripping the handle.

Supporting elements include webbing at the front, where you can hang accessories, plus compression straps to help keep the bag tightly packed. We find compression straps on such a rigidly structured bag a bit redundant, and they block the main compartment, so you’ll have to unbuckle them every time you want to get inside. It’s tedious, but it’s not a dealbreaker. A stand at the front keeps the bag level with its two wheels. We like that the center bar is made of metal, unlike the more plasticky elements of the bag.

Fit Notes

If you’ve been eyeing the photo above and digging the green colorway, we agree: it exudes much more personality than the plain black alternative. It gives the bag a more outdoorsy feel, betrayed only by the fact that it’s a spinner through and through. As for mobility, the Farden’s relatively chunky wheels negotiate most terrain without any issues, whether cobblestone walkways, rough asphalt, or airport carpeting. However, the aforementioned thunks against the plastic assembly are definitely noticeable, though it’s more of a nitpick than an outright dealbreaker.

The most noticeable aspect when rolling the Farden around is the handle itself. Again, we wish Fjallraven had done better with the plasticky handle; we have seen other luggage with more substantial-feeling plastic handles. There is also a noticeable amount of wiggle along the length of the handle, so the tolerances are also a nitpick for us. On the whole, everything is still functional, but we’ll keep a close eye on it in case any of these parts fail in the future.

Inside The Carry On Luggage

Having softside elements means the Farden can afford to have secondary pockets; a luxury seldom included on hardside luggage because of their inherently rigid design. The top pocket is super handy for storing small everyday carry items you want easily accessible and includes a built-in key leash for your house keys. This makes deciding where to store your keys for the duration of your trips almost a no-brainer, so there’s no more second-guessing by the time you get home.

There’s also a larger front pocket for even more everyday carry items. While this pocket is technically larger than the top pocket, overall roominess is more restricted because of the tightness of the fabric. In other words, while larger, flatter items like flyers, pamphlets, and travel documents can fit inside, you’ll struggle with beefier ones like a power bank, winter gloves, or beanies.

Main compartment access is technically as straightforward as it gets since the Farden uses the typical clamshell design a lot of other luggage uses. That said, some thought has gone into the design to make it just a bit more special. Specifically, when it comes to quick access to the laptop sleeve, Fjallraven ensured that even a partial opening of the main compartment’s zippers at the top opens directly to the laptop sleeve. And, of course, the laptop sleeve’s zipper also faces that direction.

While the idea is certainly welcome since it gives users flexibility if they want to store their devices in their carry on, we’re not huge fans of doing so. On the off-chance your luggage gets gate-checked, your device is at risk of getting damaged by “overly enthusiastic” baggage handlers (you know exactly what we mean). Granted, the Farden’s laptop sleeve does have decent padding, but it’s not enough to satiate our risk appetite.

On a related note, the Farden’s compression straps do technically cinch the bag down. However, we don’t feel like they’re doing enough to make a difference when trying to avoid getting gate-checked. There’s not enough pressure around the front central area to reduce any lumpiness, so don’t count on these compression straps if you need major size reductions.

Opening up the main compartment presents you with the laptop sleeve on one side and the main bucket space on the other. The former shares space with the adjacent front pocket from earlier in a sort of twin configuration. That being said, you can also use the laptop sleeve to store other gear, but then you’ll either have to carry your laptop in a separate bag (which we recommend) or put it inside the front pocket where it can also fit.

The main bucket space gets the bulk of the Farden’s volume, having room for about ten shirts, three pairs of pants, a pair of extra shoes, and a small toiletry kit. That’s about two weeks’ worth of gear, and it can probably hold more if you pack more tightly than we did. There’s also a hold-down strap running vertically, in addition to the zippered mesh, to keep everything tightly packed and neat. In other words, you don’t have to worry about needing packing cubes if you don’t want to use a set.