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For some reason, I’ve never actually spoken about one of my favorite travel items. It’s something that’s super important to me and I know that it’s important to you, too. Not sure what it is yet? It’s your luggage!
Read my Osprey Ozone 46 review (or watch the video at the end of the post). Find out the pros and cons and what features you should consider when choosing your own suitcase!
Osprey Ozone 46 Review
I’m going to tell you all about how to choose a suitcase and my very favorite bag of all time.
I traveled full-time for almost 9 years (from 2008 – 2016) and i this time I visited 46 countries. You can say I lived out of a suitcase so the piece of luggage I used to house all my worldly belongings had to be absolutely perfect.
Find out how packing light has impacted my everyday life now that I’ve stopped traveling full-time.
Osprey Ozone (with Naot sandals, Diane Kroe Wrap, Zella Leggings)
As a long-term traveler, my suitcase was basically my home; everything I own was in there! So if anything went wrong with my suitcase, it was a big deal. It can’t fall apart.
There are various features that I personally need in a suitcase. Now, keep in mind that what works for me, or your best friend, or your neighbor, may not work for you.
I’m going to show you exactly how to look for the features you truly need in a suitcase and I’m going to explain why I absolutely love this bag. This is my exclusive Osprey Ozone 46 review.
Disclaimer: I am NOT sponsored by Osprey and don’t work with this company whatsoever. I genuinely love their gear and want to tell you all about them.
In this Osprey Ozone 46 review I’ll walk through all the features and will show you the pros and cons and what I’ve put this suitcase through.
Throughout 9 years of full time travel, I went through various bags. This wasn’t because the bags weren’t good quality or that they didn’t hold up. The reason I went through so many bags is because, well, Travel Fashion Girl is all about packing so I love to try new bags to discover the next greatest bag and suitcase for me!
Discover the best luggage brands and why people love them!
The one thing that stayed the same throughout the 9 years is the particular brand of suitcases that I’ve used, and that brand is Osprey. This is my absolute favorite brand for long-term travel.
To learn more about why I love Osprey packs, please read:
- Best Osprey Backpacks: 4 Styles Compared which Makes the Cut?
- Farpoint Osprey Packs: The Best Travel Backpacks
- Rolling Backpack: Why the Osprey Meridian Doesn’t Work for Me
- Wheeled Backpacks: Why the Osprey Meridian is a Great Choice!
The Ozone is the fourth Osprey bag I’ve had. In 2010, I did a round-the-world trip with the Osprey Aura, a 65-liter top-loading backpack, but then I wanted to travel carryon only. My one goal when I started this blog was to learn how to travel carryon only, despite the fact that I was a full-time traveler.
And I say long-term travel because Osprey is a specific kind of a bag; it’s made for more of an outdoor and adventure trip. I’m not saying that you can’t use this brand on other travels but it really met my needs as a long-term traveller, and I’ll explain why in a moment.
Read this post to find out which are the best Osprey packs!
After traveling with the Aura, I found the Osprey Farpoint 55. It’s the best travel backpack in the world. I traveled with it for two years–it was the first time I traveled carryon only during full-time travels!
Read my complete Osprey Farpoint review and find out why it’s the best travel backpack!
After experiencing reoccurring back issues, I decided it was time to use wheels but before I let go of my backpack straps altogether, and before I found the Ozone, I traveled with yet another wheeled suitcase–the Osprey Meridian 22″. It’s a convertible wheeled backpack.
However, my needs continued to evolve, as I’m sure yours do, too. A suitcase that worked for you last year or ten years ago might not be the same as the one that you need now. Every time you choose a suitcase, make sure it fits your needs, regardless of whether you’re spending $50 dollars or $500.
If you’re considering wheeled backpacks, check out my Osprey Meridian review! The Ozone now also offers a wheeled convertible backpack version, too.
The Osprey Ozone 46L (22-inch) is the last bag I bought as part of my long term travels. It isn’t a backpack, it’s actually a wheeled suitcase that met my needs more than the Meridian.
Find out the pros and cons of a backpack or wheeled luggage!
Here’s why this bag is awesome and why it works for my long-term travels. You’ll find my Osprey Ozone 46 review below and you can also watch the video here.
Size
The Ozone 46L is 9 x 14 x 22 inches and will fit as a carryon on the majority of airlines. It even worked for the budget airline AirAsia. To be honest, I’m not sure if it fits in Ryanair, which has stricter limitations. (There is also a smaller Ozone in size 42L which should work for Europe’s budget airlines.)
One of the most common questions that I get asked by my readers is: “Do you really travel carryon only or do you check your bag?”
You can read my full response to this question here but the short version is that everything that I owned was in a suitcase, plus I also had a laptop backpack. So I know that you can travel with only a carryon for any length of time because I did it full-time!
Watch these videos to learn my packing strategies:
- Luggage-Free Travel: One Week in My Favorite Purse
- What’s in My Bag: 4 Weeks Carryon Only
- Packing Tutorial: This Video will Change the Way You Travel
Wheels
One of my favorite features about this bag is the wheels. If you’re going on an adventurous trip, you want indestructible wheels that can go over anything and everything.
When you’re off the beaten path and discovering places all over the world, the wheels on your suitcase or your backpack have to be perfect and can’t fall apart on you!
Should you travel with wheels or a suitcase? Read this.
I’m brutal with my bag and my gear, because I want to make sure–when I recommend a product to my readership at Travel Fashion Girl–that I can wholeheartedly say this is a great product. So you’ll actually see the damage that I have done to this bag over the years in these photos.
If I can help it, I don’t pick up my bag. I take it over cobblestones, over street curves, I make it jump over pebbles, I take it in the sand, I take it in the dirt. I’m very mean to this bag. I’m sad to retire it, which is part of the reason I’m doing this Osprey Ozone 46 review before I do.
To sum it up, make sure that your suitcase, no matter the price, has awesome wheels. For me, that’s the number one thing I look for in a bag for long-term travel.
Traveling long-term? Read our round-the-world packing list!
Weight
The next big thing that I love about this bag is the weight. It’s so featherlight that I can pick it up with my pinky! It weighs 2.2 kilos or roughly 4.5 pounds. It doesn’t have a lot of framework or heavy fabric to weigh it down.
Tip: try to use a carry-on suitcase that weighs under 5lb or 2kg. Find out why!
The more features a bag has–the more bells and whistles–the heavier that it’s going to be. The great thing about this one is that it has a ton of features that I love and that met my needs, but it doesn’t have the weight that is going to destroy my ability to meet the carryon weight restriction.
The less your bag weighs, the more stuff you can put inside it while staying under the weight limit. So regardless of which suitcase size you choose, try to find something that’s not more than 5 pounds, if possible.
Handle
In 2008, I was traveling in Europe with my best friend and the handle on her suitcase broke. She had overpacked her giant, massive bag and we ended up dragging it up and down the stairs all over Europe. What a mess! We were first-time travelers and learned a lot since then, which I’ve written about in this Europe packing guide.
Make sure that whichever suitcase you choose, it has a great handle. I love the handle on this bag. It’s a single handle, which is a bit more lightweight than a double handle. People tend to like single versus double handles; they have different pros and cons.
This one is extremely lightweight and sturdy, which means I’m going to get the best feature without a lot of weight.
Read my guide on how to stop overpacking and learn how you, too, can travel carryon only.
Exterior Compartments
I originally traveled with the Osprey Meridian, but realized that I didn’t need the backpack feature. I’ve now switched to this bag, which means that instead of having straps for the convertible backpack, this one has a space for a laptop, which is awesome. I absolutely love that.
The laptop compartment is great. When it’s time to go through security, I don’t have to open up my bag or get stuff out of my backpack. All I have to do is to unzip this pocket, grab my laptop and iPad or anything else, and that’s it.
Use a capsule wardrobe to pack light but create many outfits.
This bag also has two awesome front-side compartments. They are super roomy; you can put a ton of stuff in there. When I went through security, I had my laptop, jacket, scarf, sleeping bag liner, all my outer layers, and anything that I might need before I got on the flight. Everything was easily accessible.
It also has a handy little stash pocket. I use it to store my headlamp. As a full-time traveler, I’ve ended up in the middle of nowhere without electricity or experienced a power outage, and I could easily grab my headlamp. I also carried any other items I needed easy access to should I not be able to rummage through my entire suitcase.
Take a look at how I organize this suitcase to pack in just fifteen minutes!
Interior Compartments
There’s loads of space in this bag. As I mentioned before, I used this for traveling every single day, 24 hours a day, for months at a time. So I know you guys don’t need a bigger suitcase than this!
Inside the bag are a couple of compartments. There is also a zippered case.
One of the reasons I like this design is because it opens wide and I have access to everything with one quick unzip. I didn’t have to search through everything.
And I actually prefer my luggage not to have a bunch of compartments. This is the perfect amount as I find internal compartments to be restricting. Without them I get to design how I use the space in my own suitcase.
For example, I always use packing cubes. They are the way that I managed to include all my belongings in a carryon size bag for full-time travel. I would use four slim packing cubes in here, depending on what I needed.
Watch this video to learn how to use packing cubes!
Lockable Zippers
One of the top features for choosing any suitcase, no matter what size or your destination, is a lockable zipper.
People say, “Why can’t I just lock the zipper with a small lock?” You could put a lock through there, but this bag’s zippers has two little dedicated loops where you can lock the zippers. While that’s not going to guarantee that your luggage won’t get broken into, I can vouch 100% that it deterred theft from my bags.
I wouldn’t chose a suitcase without lockable zippers. I like to have that protection.
Read about how lockable zippers prevented theft in Southeast Asia!
Fabric
I love this fabric; it’s so lightweight and one of my favorite features from Osprey. You need a bag that can handle the wear and tear of full-time travel. Just in case, Osprey has a lifetime warranty, which is an important feature to look for when buying luggage.
I’ve mentioned that I’m tough on my luggage and travel gear – after non-stop full-time travel the fabric of my bag eventually did tear in the front pocket after a flight. It happened towards the end of my travels when I had too much stuff inside my bag and there was a sharp object towards the front where it ripped.
This is my one con against this bag. Other than that, I traveled with Osprey for almost nine years full time and it never happened before. I think I just came across a really mean baggage handler!
Tip: suitcase covers help keep your suitcase clean and long lasting. I highly recommend them!
WATCH THE VIDEO FEATURING MY OSPREY OZONE 46 REVIEW ON FACEBOOK:
Like Travel Fashion Girl on Facebook to get notified when we have of our latest updates, watch the newest videos, and ask your most problematic packing questions.
Here are a few additional images to complete this Osprey Ozone 46 review :
Are there any other features you’d want me to discuss in this Osprey Ozone 46 review? Share in the comments!
For even more on Osprey bags, please read:
- Best Osprey Backpacks: 4 Styles Compared which Makes the Cut?
- Farpoint Osprey Packs: The Best Travel Backpacks
- Rolling Backpack: Why the Osprey Meridian Doesn’t Work for Me
- Wheeled Backpacks: Why the Osprey Meridian is a Great Choice!
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Alex, I love Travel Fashion Girls and am a member on Facebook. This summer I plan to travel carryon only to Europe for 3 weeks. And I really think the Osprey 46L sounds perfect for me. I noticed you said you were “retiring” this bag? Why is that? Also it looks to be discontinued and only a 42L version is available. Any idea why? The dimensions don’t look to be very different other than the L.
Thank you,
Kathryn
Hi Kathryn, thank you for reaching out! The only reason I am not using the Osprey Ozone 46 at the moment is because I am no longer traveling long term. For shorter trips I prefer the hard side Desley Paris Turenne suitcase. If I was traveling for longer, maybe three or four weeks, or I was moving around between destinations a lot more then I would take the osprey.
The new version is not the same and it is every disappointing. I think they changed the size because of the changing sizes of carryon for airlines. Hope this helps answer your question. Have a great day! ?
Thanks so much for this info and here is a question for you.I am traveling on Safari and want to know if you know if this Osprey bag will fit the requirements of the “soft sided bag”.They do say a soft sided rolling bag is ok as long as the measurements don’t exceed 10 by 12 by 24in).I know you have written on safari and have been on those planes so thought you might know.I am recovering from an injury and have a month long trip planned.Really dread not having someway to roll the luggage.Thanks for your help on this!
Hi Moana, I have checked for you and the dimensions of the Osprey Ozone bag are 22 x 14 x 9 inches so slightly over the limit allowed. I would highly recommend that you join our TFG facebook group and post your question there to be sure: https://www.facebook.com/groups/travelfashiongirls/ Its a fabulous community of helpful female travelers that have the best advice and recommendations to share. Sorry I could not have been of more help. If you need any more tips to help you with your packing, you may find this article helpful: https://www.travelfashiongirl.com/safari-clothing-packing-list-what-to-wear-on-an-overland-africa-trip/ Have an incredible time! ?
Hi Alex Thanks for the great review. It helped me make up my mind on what carry on bag to use. Getting a good deal on the price clinched it. Actually thank you for all your articles. I have yet to travel overseas (from Australia). That, and being a 65 plus sized woman who will be travelling on her own has had me a bit daunted. Your articles and videos have helped immensely. Now where am I journeying? Brisbane to Lisbon, cruise on Viking Sky, and then fly home from Miami in December 2019. I keep telling myself that the feelings are the same whether you are scared or excited. yeah??? cheers Judith
Hi Judith, wow thank you so much for your lovely comment! So happy you found the review helpful and that TFG has been able to help. Your upcoming trip sounds incredible, have the most amazing time. They definitely are!! Good luck with your trip and please let me know how you get on! 🙂
Do the wheels swivel to be able to roll down a plane aisle or do you have to carry it onto the plane??
Hi Karen, yes they do! The wheels are one of the things I particularly love about this bag! If I can help it I don’t pick my bag up at all, so the wheels on my bag have been through alot and they are fantastic feature of this bag! Hope this helps! 🙂
I’ve watched every one of your videos and read all your reviews with this bag. I’ve bougt it (and two other sizes of osprey ozone…so Osprey give homegirl her dues she’s working for you ?) and my question to whittle it down is is it actually 22” or 24”? I know you said it doesn’t ride budget airlines. Have you had any experience with British Airways? I think I’ve ruled it out for my EasyJet and Airitalia flights but I think it works for a cabin bag for Bristish Airways? Any experience? Your budget airways experience with this bag and how much your bag usually weighs?
Ok. I’m done. Been obsessed with all things you say for my London/Italy trip in 3 weeks. Even my husband has l
Listens to your osprey and compass rose tips!! So thanks. Let me know if you can! I’m down ranting ?
Hi Rachel, thank you for your comment!! It is 22″, I am afraid that I have never flown with British airways so haven’t any experiences to share. Glad you are enjoying the tips! If you have any additional questions, join our free Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/travelfashiongirls/. You’re going to love it! Have an awesome trip to London and Italy!! 🙂
Your post is from a long time ago so perhaps I’m too late to ask a question.
Osprey now has a 75L version of the Ozone so I would be checking it in. Do you think the material and the frame would hold up to plane travel for very long. It’s $250 so I don’t want to find out that it’s only good for a few uses!
Thanks, Helen
Hi Helen, I am afraid that I don’t have any experience with that particular bag. To get you some feedback on the Osprey 75l bag, I have gone ahead and posted your question on TFG’s facebook page. Our readers have the best tips, so please keep an eye out for their replies from tomorrow: https://www.facebook.com/TravelFashionGirl/ Hope this helps! 🙂
I have heard how durable Osprey bags are and the fact that its like a roll on roll off is ideal for me. Thanks for the review.
I currently travel with a backpack but feel it really is too large, will need to check these bags out! Thanks for your thorough reviews!
Thanks Betty! Here’s another option: https://www.travelfashiongirl.com/farpoint-osprey-packs-the-best-travel-backpacks/
Just purchased a new Osprey Ozone. There is now one exterior pocket on the front, zipping at the top. Also, there is no flap on the back. The ID pocket is inside the back zippered section.
Great to know, thanks Martha!
Hi Alex! Thanks for the review, love all the info on your blog! I currently use the Osprey Farpoint 40L but my back gets quite sore. I am considering purchasing a new bag for my upcoming trip to Vietnam and Thailand. Did you use the Ozone 46 in those countries? If so, was it alright using a wheeled suitcase or would you recommend the Osprey options that have the backpack straps? I like the idea of using a full wheeled suitcase but am not sure if it will be a good idea or not. Thanks so much!!!
YES I love the Farpoint but now use the Ozone and it’s perfect!!!!! The offroad wheels make all the difference.
Looking for a new carry on back pack as my “personal” item. Thanks for the great info but I don’t want the added weight or bulk of wheels.
Just got a TLS Mother Lode Weekender back pack so I can carryon only! Can’t wait to give it a try.
Thanks for the inspiration!
Thanks Karen!
Looks like a great bag but I wonder about the single handle. I like to piggy back my personal item on my carry on. It seems like it would slip around on this handle as compared to the wider handles on other bags.
It’s not great for carrying an additional item on the handle unfortunately
I just got a TLS Mother Lode Weekend that I can’t wait to try out!
Hope you like it ?
I totally agree with this review! I love this convertible 46L Osprey and much prefer this to the other carry on luggage I have. The large wheels and the handle are amazing quality – especially tough for navigating potholes and rough sidewalks that my previous luggage has problems with. Plus so many pockets! My favourite though has to be the removable daypack feature. If I worry about the backpack not meeting size requirements, I take it apart so that the daypack sits with me as a personal bag and the heavier piece to stow at the overhead compartment. I rarely ever need to check in my luggage again. The Red colour wasn’t my first choice, but it’s very striking and takes away the monotony of looking at the same old luggage at the baggar carousel.
Glad you love the Osprey as much as I do ?
Wow! great review. Makes one rethink about backpacks. Thanks!
Thanks Lynne!