Vaude Rotuma 90 trolley review

Vaude is known for its eco-friendly credentials, so it’s no surprise that its travel bag, the Rotuma 90 trolley, is constructed using PVC-free materials.

What’s nice about the Rotuma 90 is that despite it having a tough base with well-supported sides that taper down towards the pull-handle end, the tarpaulin upper can be pushed flat. This means it takes up less space when not in use.

Two massive compartments offer loads of space for all the kit you could want for a week or more away in the hills, while the pull handle and broadly spaced wheels make carting all of that around easier.

Vaude Rotuma 90 trolley performance

A long zip around the centre of the Rotuma 90 enables you to open the bag up fully, exposing the two large compartments, which are covered with a zipped mesh to keep the contents in check.

Storage space is split roughly 50/50 between these two compartments.

Thanks to the supported sides of the base, the bottom compartment offers more in the way of protection for your kit, making it the better place to stash a mountain bike helmet and glasses when checking it in for a flight.

Compression straps in this section mean you can cinch things down tight if needed, ensuring you can get the zip closed if you’ve over-packed.

The upper compartment offers a similar amount of storage space, although because it’s covered by the tarpaulin upper, not the same level of protection. It is water-repellent and tough, though – always a plus when travelling.

You can access this section of the bag from the top, meaning you don’t need to unzip the whole bag and open it fully.

There are no internal pockets for organising smaller items, or dividers for keeping grotty shoes or kit separate, though.

Despite the cavernous size, the light grey lining makes finding items easy enough.

Vaude has included one deep external pocket on the front of the bag. At close to half the length of the bag, it feels as though it could be sub-divided to make better use of the vast amount of space on offer.

A retractable pull handle, coupled with the widely spaced wheels, enables you to haul the Rotuma around with relative ease.

Although stable, the wheels aren’t as big as I’ve used on some bags and they're a little noisy on some surfaces. They do the job just fine, though.

The pull handle is a little wobbly and doesn’t feel quite on a par with the asking price.

There are grab handles at either end, along with a holdall-style handle on the top, which comes in handy when the bag is loaded up and you’re trying to drag it from a vehicle.

While the main zips are all lockable (you’ll need to supply a padlock), there’s no integrated luggage tag included.

I like the fact that the Rotuma doesn’t weigh too much and can be packed down relatively flat when not in use – always a plus for flights and when staying in a small hotel room.

Vaude Rotuma 90 trolley bottom line

The Rotuma 90 trolley bag from Vaude offers masses of storage room and some decent protection for your kit. It’s easy to move around with when fully loaded, too.

The asking price is quite high, though, and there are a few details that could be improved upon.