After having used this bag for 2 weeks in Europe in planes, trains, subways, buses and a good deal of carting around on cobblestones, I can say that I’m pretty impressed by how well it held up. I ended up checking the bag in but decided to wrap it in an inexpensive thin nylon duffle bag first because there are a lot of loose straps that could otherwise catch in the luggage carrousel. This also has the benefit of keeping the luggage clean. Upon retrieving my bag, I just removed the duffel and stuffed it in the front pocket for the next use.*** As mentioned below, the handle doesn’t feel that sturdy when fully extended and if you want to make it last, don’t use it to lift your bag while it’s in the extended position. Drop it down first, then lift and you’ll have zero problems.In conclusion: I liked this arrangement of compression packing cubes and wheeled backpack so much, that I’ll be switching to that way of packing on all my trips from now on.Original review:I needed something pretty compact that I could carry on my back if need be, so I ordered this kit despite some reviews saying it was “cheaply made”. I also wanted something that I could use on a two week trip to avoid having to check any luggage in. I used many small packing cubes, but not the ones that came with the bag. I used the kind that has a secondary zipper to create more compression and was able to fit an impressive amount of stuff in there.Unless there is an obvious stitching defect somewhere, I think most complaints about the zipper busting is most likely due to overstuffing the bag. This zipper is pretty much the same as on any of my other carry-ons, so I see no particular issue there. It is true that once the retractable handle is fully extended, it doesn’t feel that sturdy but to be honest, my other carry-ons have the same problem.As mentioned by many, when the small bag is zipped to the larger one, the whole thing topples forward. This is to be expected because the center of gravity is moved forward. Since the smaller bag is designed to slip over the extended handle, this is my preferred way to carry it when I wheel it around, which solves the toppling issue. I only zip the small one to the large one when carrying it on my back.