Customer Reviews The North Face Rolling Thunder 30"

I have been essentially living out of this bag (previous version) for 3-4 years now and it is holding up ok. I've had to patch several wear areas multiple times though and replace one wheel. I really like the cloth handles for dragging it behind you, it's much more comfortable than you'd think and much less likely to break. Shortly after purchasing mine a few coworkers purchased the new updated (current) version and have had the shell crack, and wheels fall off. After multiple warranty claims they have moved on to other brands. Should have stuck with thick plastic wheel housing instead of thin brittle metal.

The product it self is very good, when you use it by it self, but I'm still holding on to my old model even that it's almost worn down. I normally use 2 bags, and on the old one, you could strap a big duffel bag to the top, with the 2 long straps. The new one, does not have the same flexibility when it comes to another bag on top.

Love the product line.

Wheels are cheap & Broke after just 10 trips.. I'm just out of warranty by a few months.. bummed I have to replace the wheels at my own cost for what should be a better built bag. The rest of the materials are holding up really well to airline travel..

We've had 3 of these bags for over 10 years and they continue to serve us well. We've recommended them to friends many times because of their durability. However, the redesigned bag is not the same. When we realized we needed a fourth bag, I read the reviews about the newer bags having inferior construction. I wanted to evaluate a bag myself and ordered one. It arrived today and it definitely does not seem as strong: particularly the plastic bottom, which also looks cheap compared to the old bags. This is being returned and we'll be switching to a competitor's bag. If TNF had kept the quality up in this revision, we wouldn't have dreamed of switching.

Work. Surprised at how soon it failed.

I've had a pair of these bags for a couple months now. They're roomy and useful, but I wouldn't recommend them to a frequent traveler. Unfortunately the metal bracket that keeps the bottom of the bag rigid is constantly coming loose and the bag is prone to belt burns from baggage moving systems at airports.

I love this bag although when it arrived it was so much bigger than the picture portrays. There is no retractable handle either. I returned the bag for the 30" and its the perfect size with everything I was looking for. Im very happy with my 30" rolling thunder.

Well Madeleine but way to heavy

Great bag. Tough material, mostly well designed (except see below), rolls well, handle large volume of stuff. Had internal and external compression straps. It's been on several trips (big airports, small planes, etc.), and while it's a bit scuffed up, it's holding up well. HOWEVER, the handle has started to come apart and it no longer locks down in place. Feels like it's about to fail - not trusted for another trip. I'm about to test TNF's lifetime warranty.

This is a wonderful bag, but, where are the different color options? The one color pattern offered currently is terrible.

This is a great bag. Lots of storage room and looks great. Awesome quality.

North Face makes beautiful bags with appealing color schemes and designs. The pockets zip easily and were placed with thought. The two external pockets on the new Rolling Thunder 22 are great for storing books and magazines that you can easily find before putting your bag in the overhead bin. The bags roll smoothly and quietly with their large rubber wheels. The RT 22 has numerous external handles and now includes a strap for attaching a secondary bag. The suitcase fits perfectly in standard sized overhead bins and fits sideways in a regional jet. The upgraded base support over the last iteration (Rolling Thunder size Small) should keep the bottom from crushing down over time and yet still provides just enough storage space for a few days of travel. My only frustration with this bag is the handle... and it is a major frustration. The first few uses of the handle are always exciting. It extends and stows smoothly with no noticeable wobble and looks like the sturdiest handle on any bag ever made. I used and warrantied a RT (size small) bag twice with broken handles before upgrading to the new RT 22 with hopes that the "handle issue" had been fixed. With both original handles, the button mechanism snapped and one side of the handle would pull away from the other. This past week, I took my brand new RT 22 on it's first trip. I lightly loaded the bag and babied the handle, thinking to myself "I'm going to make this bag last as long as possible!" The handle worked fine on my first leg of the trip, but wouldn't stow past the half way point by the time I boarded my flight home. In order to restow the handle past the half way point I now have to slam it several times like I'm vigorously pumping a bike tire. Bottom line: Buy this bag if you want a bag that will get complements from random travelers. Don't buy this bag if you want a bag with a functioning handle.

I am on my third bag . The first two broke apart at seams, the wheels cracked ( making it hard to travel ) . I did get the first two replaced with in warranty period , because they were NEW. De coded to give it a try and go with the thunder again . I'm now on a trip with my NEW 5hinder ( 3 rd one ) and find the base is severely cracked . Only traveling with 50 lbs. I think the luggage handlers hate these things on throw them off the plane ? Anyway, these are expensive and they don't qualify as the best quality at all . And I am I Europe with a severely cracked case . HOPE air doesn't fall apart andi lose all my stuff .REALLY ! As in another review, the handle design sucks and is awaited. You have to be really strong ( which I am ) to even pull it straight. So I made a rope system to connect the two stupidly placed side handles ( these will HURT your wrists with the angles they installed - again I am a big man with strong wrists ). Returning again ( 3 rd time now ) over it . I guess I'll have to get ski pants or a jacket or something with my credit . Very disappointed and now stranded in Europe with weeks more to go and a BROKEN suitcase .

My flight allows a 7kg carryon. This 3.5 kg bag takes up half my allowable weight.

This is my 2nd bag that has broke. My 1st one the wheel sheared off and I was able to return. I got this one as a replacement in Mar 21. The hard case where the wheels attach is now cracked. Kid of sucks.

If it had a retractable handle I would recommend this bag. I found it very awkward if not impossible to pull (I'm a 5'2" woman).

There's a lip all around the opening that restricts the access so bad. Need to squeeze the items or the hand to get there. There are no straps inside to fix the stuff when the bag is not full. Would not recommend it

1. The funky design for pulling a full 36" roller detracts from an otherwise well designed duffle. Nothing like needing to upright the duffle after it has fallen off and over from the provided hook on pull leash in the middle of an airport roadway. Please take some lessons from Eagle Creek on how to install a handle on a roller duffle. 2. I purchased the duffle because by paying a $25 shipping premium my order would ship the next day. That didn't come close to occurring. To North Face's credit they refunded my $25.

The bag material is sturdy and has generally tolerated airline bag handlers. However, the corners where the material is fashioned to the rigid bottom has torn from the bottom in two places. Also, one of the hubs of the wheels broke. I tried to order a replacement wheel from TNF and they wanted me to mail the bag back so their warranty department could evaluate. I wasn't even asking for warranty replacement! I would purchase a wheel to save me from buying another large piece of luggage while I waited for their warranty department. Very dissappointed with TNF customer service. Since I now need to replace the bag, I will go with another brand.

Bag lasted find for about 2 weekend trips then when opening the handle it came right off, still a good basic bag but failed me when i needed it at the airport.

Very nice looking bag however craftsmanship is poor. Bought this bag less than a month ago. Screws inside of the handle unscrew very easily. Attempted to screw back in with my screwdriver but was unsuccessful. Couple of weeks later that same screw fell out and handle is unable to move up and down. Spoke to warranty department and was told I would have to mail bag in to see if it's eligible for repairs for a minimum of eight weeks. Was also told there's nothing else than can be done. Highly unacceptable.

Having had an older version of this bag, we purchased two of the new/current design in 2020, thinking they would be awesome. We've used these about 4 times so far. The bags have a metal support bar that is at the bottom on the inside. Each time we use them, the support bar pops out of the cloth portion that looks like it was intended to hold the ends in place--which it hasn't yet. This happens on both bags, and we aren't even doing anything extreme. When the bar pops out, it not only minimizes the support feature, but it also scratches up the inside hard plastic part of the bag. It appears that this feature was intended to help the bag to stand upright. It seems like a poor design to not secure the bar. This has happened every time we've used the luggage. Although it hasn't cause any harm, and the bar hasn't popped through the side of the luggage yet, but the fact that this happens it is rather annoying and disappointing when we consider the price of each bag. I give it a "just below average" review. On a brighter note, the wheels work great.

You only need this one bag and nothing else. So big and spacious and of course stylish

For the money I was expecting a tough duffel that would last...not the case, after two airline trips, both corner's on the tub was cracked and broken. I expect better North Face.