Rufus Roo jacket review thread

davholla · 24 November 2011 at 4:51PM

Baldur wrote: »

Rufus Roo report

Date of travel: 25th June
Airline: Wizz Air
Route: Luton to Varna

Having filled my hand luggage to the permitted 10kg limit, I loaded the following into the various pockets of the Rufus Roo travel jacket:

6 x Paperback novels, including 3 x double omnibus editions, weight distributed as evenly as possible around the available pockets.

4 x T-shirts

2 x Shorts

4 x boxer shorts

1 x Netbook

The jacket was reasonably comfortable to wear with the above load but I must admit to expecting to be stopped at check-in or security and asked why i was wearing such a bulging coat.

As it happened, no questions or remarks were forthcoming at check-in or in the security check, where I placed the jacket in the tray provided, having first removed the netbook and its protective sleeve for separate scanning.

All in all, the experience was an anticlimax, given my initial concerns about being stopped and the leightweight material of the jacket, and the jacket passed my test with flying colours.

I have since used it when shopping in Bulgaria, to supplement the carrying capacity of my rucksack, and have found it to be an exceptionally useful bit of kit.

Apologies for the delay in submitting my report, my internet access is currently rather limited. I will also have to arrange to post photographs at a later stage, as my camera's USB cable is unserviceable.

Baldur

Were the books ok, did they get damaged at all in the pockets?
Sadly my wife grew up in South America's most boring city and I am going there for christmas so would love to bring some more books with me.

stphnstevey · 17 January 2012 at 4:54PM

Just interested in what is considered 'carry on' - ie is it anything you can carry!

Can you take a laptop or couple books, as long as there in your hands?

Once on the plane, can you stash them in your bag?

wouldbeqaulitymoneysaver · 18 January 2012 at 9:34AM

I brought a http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B004L5ACNA
so I can shove things into it and not be too overloaded.
Ryanir is strict with dimensions and weight of baggage and will charge you at a blink of an eye.
I would look for other threads on here that are full of expertise and knowledge for you to access.
Best of luck.

wouldbeqaulitymoneysaver · 18 January 2012 at 9:35AM

I am only a petite asthmatic so there are clearly limits to how much I could carry in the Rufus Roo and how much I would be prepared to lug in terms of carry on luggage.
I have never flown independently before hence all theories are untested but that's in my plans!

spiro · 18 January 2012 at 1:17PM

stphnstevey wrote: »

Just interested in what is considered 'carry on' - ie is it anything you can carry!

Can you take a laptop or couple books, as long as there in your hands?

Once on the plane, can you stash them in your bag?

On Ryanair you have got to be joking. You are allowed to carry 1 bag EVERYTHING else must be in that bag. So a laptop and a couple of books are 3 items.

KBM_2 · 19 January 2012 at 5:17PM

Following the suggestion on Moneysavingexpert, I wore a sleeveless flight jacket on a journey to Alicante last March; both ways with Ryan Air. I had no problems on the outward flight, but as I was about to embark on the return flight a member of RA staff challenged me, stating that my jacket was 'a bag'. I replied (calmly) that this was obviously not true, but was informed by a second RA staff member that I would not be allowed to take both my hand luggage and my flack jacket on the plane and that if I tried to take them on board, they would call Security to have me removed. In the end, rather than miss my flight or loose my belongings, I had to pay £35 for my hand luggage to be put in the hold. I might add that the two RA staff were loud and aggressive. I later wrote to RA to complain and ask for my money back but received no reply. Needless to say I wouldn't dream of ever flying with Ryan Air again, but neither do I ever plan to use the flack jacket method as a way of avoiding baggage charges. Saving on the charges is all well and good, but economy air travel is stressful enough without leaving yourself open to that kind of hassle.

wouldbeqaulitymoneysaver · 19 January 2012 at 10:15PM

@KBM I am alarmed and we are all informed.

pd001 · 7 July 2012 at 3:26PM

kbm wrote: »

Following the suggestion on Moneysavingexpert, I wore a sleeveless flight jacket on a journey to Alicante last March; both ways with Ryan Air. I had no problems on the outward flight, but as I was about to embark on the return flight a member of RA staff challenged me, stating that my jacket was 'a bag'. I replied (calmly) that this was obviously not true, but was informed by a second RA staff member that I would not be allowed to take both my hand luggage and my flack jacket on the plane and that if I tried to take them on board, they would call Security to have me removed. In the end, rather than miss my flight or loose my belongings, I had to pay £35 for my hand luggage to be put in the hold. I might add that the two RA staff were loud and aggressive. I later wrote to RA to complain and ask for my money back but received no reply. Needless to say I wouldn't dream of ever flying with Ryan Air again, but neither do I ever plan to use the flack jacket method as a way of avoiding baggage charges. Saving on the charges is all well and good, but economy air travel is stressful enough without leaving yourself open to that kind of hassle.

I know that the above was posted a while ago, but has anyone had any issues recently with their rufus roo??

NonGeographicalMan · 20 November 2012 at 2:13PM

pd001 wrote: »

I know that the above was posted a while ago, but has anyone had any issues recently with their rufus roo??

I am also interested in this question since Ryanair currently have air fares to the Canaries that are much cheaper than their competitors on some routes. However Ryanair only let you have a 15kg hold bag for £40 return bag fee compared to a 20kg bag for £30 return on Easyjet. To have a 20kg hold bag on Ryanair costs £60 return. A 15kg hold bag rather than a 20kg hold bag is a big difference as a typical hold bag weighs 3kg to 4kg meaning a bag weighing 15kg can only hold may be 11kg contents compared to 16kg contents in a 20kg hold bag i.e. nearly 50% more and not 33% more luggage as it might at first appear.

I am currently considering whether any of https://www.rufusroo.com, https://www.bagket.com, https://www.jaktogo.com, https://www.scottevest.com or the soon to be launched https://www.stuffa.co.uk would actually work in practice.

I note that several of the people who tested them here without problems or challenge only wore the Rufus Roo and did not also take a fully laden maximum size 10kg cabin bag too. Clearly if you don't take a 10kg cabin bag too Ryanair won't challenge your stuffed jacket (as they know that is unlikely to exceed 10kg) but if you take a fully laden Rufus Roo as well as a fully laden cabin bag this is when you are likely to be challenged.

The Rufus Roo is most attractive financially because its low price means it costs less or about the same as one set of return hold bag charges but it also seems to me to be the worst of these bags as it has far fewer pockets and all the weight is presented on the outside at the front where it is most visible. I would potentially want to take a 13.3" laptop in the jacket but suspect it would be too heavy and likely to break it. So more realistic is to pack the laptop in my carry on 10kg carry on luggage and then get as much in the way of clothes as possible in the luggage jacket.

Scottevest and Bagket both make specific claims that the weight is properly distributed due to some proprietary aspect of design. The Scottevest also goes out of its way to not make itself so readily identifiable (although I'm sure Ryanair staff would be trained to look out for all jackets with no sleeves).

However Bagket seems to go out of its way to be visible with the bright orange strap across the front. The Jaktogo has such an absurd design as to surely be almost ridiculous.

Despite its poorer design than the others (less pockets and no big back pocket for a laptop or indeed any kind of back jacket space) based on price and the fact that Ryanair have previously said they would not challenge the Rufus Roo I am somewhat interested in the Rufus Roo "Stealth" model but as I am 18 stone in weight and 6ft 3in tall fear that it would be too small for me (the only size is L) and draw attention to itself even more than with most of you somewhat smaller people. On the other hand perhaps with my large frame it would actually be easier to get away with wearing it without attracting suspicion or challenge?

I suspect in the real world it may be better to get a secondhand Ipad cheaply so I don't then need to take the full laptop on holiday and then stick as many heavyish items as I can like cameras etc in the pockets of a normal well pocketed jacket

The Scottevest seems to be the best designed and most inconspicuous product but for some odd reason Amazon have recently vastly increased the price so that it no longer seems to be affordable.

Any thoughts from anyone on this issue including whether Ryanair are now challenging Rufus Roo's if you also take a full sized hand luggage bag and/or on the merits of the various Rufus Roo competitors outline above would be very much appreciated.

joerugby · 20 November 2012 at 2:39PM

NonGeographicalMan wrote: »

I am also interested in this question since Ryanair currently have air fares to the Canaries that are much cheaper than their competitors on some routes. However Ryanair only let you have a 15kg hold bag for £40 return bag fee compared to a 20kg bag for £30 return on Easyjet. To have a 20kg hold bag on Ryanair costs £60 return. A 15kg hold bag rather than a 20kg hold bag is a big difference as a typical hold bag weighs 3kg to 4kg meaning a bag weighing 15kg can only hold may be 11kg contents compared to 16kg contents in a 20kg hold bag i.e. nearly 50% more and not 33% more luggage as it might at first appear.

I am currently considering whether any of www.rufusroo.com, www.bagket.com, www.jaktogo.com, www.scottevest.com or the soon to be launched www.stuffa.co.uk would actually work in practice.

I note that several of the people who tested them here without problems or challenge only wore the Rufus Roo and did not also take a fully laden maximum size 10kg cabin bag too. Clearly if you don't take a 10kg cabin bag too Ryanair won't challenge your stuffed jacket (as they know that is unlikely to exceed 10kg) but if you take a fully laden Rufus Roo as well as a fully laden cabin bag this is when you are likely to be challenged.

The Rufus Roo is most attractive financially because its low price means it costs less or about the same as one set of return hold bag charges but it also seems to me to be the worst of these bags as it has far fewer pockets and all the weight is presented on the outside at the front where it is most visible. I would potentially want to take a 13.3" laptop in the jacket but suspect it would be too heavy and likely to break it. So more realistic is to pack the laptop in my carry on 10kg carry on luggage and then get as much in the way of clothes as possible in the luggage jacket.

Scottevest and Bagket both make specific claims that the weight is properly distributed due to some proprietary aspect of design. The Scottevest also goes out of its way to not make itself so readily identifiable (although I'm sure Ryanair staff would be trained to look out for all jackets with no sleeves).

However Bagket seems to go out of its way to be visible with the bright orange strap across the front. The Jaktogo has such an absurd design as to surely be almost ridiculous.

Despite its poorer design than the others (less pockets and no big back pocket for a laptop or indeed any kind of back jacket space) based on price and the fact that Ryanair have previously said they would not challenge the Rufus Roo I am somewhat interested in the Rufus Roo "Stealth" model but as I am 18 stone in weight and 6ft 3in tall fear that it would be too small for me (the only size is L) and draw attention to itself even more than with most of you somewhat smaller people. On the other hand perhaps with my large frame it would actually be easier to get away with wearing it without attracting suspicion or challenge?

I suspect in the real world it may be better to get a secondhand Ipad cheaply so I don't then need to take the full laptop on holiday and then stick as many heavyish items as I can like cameras etc in the pockets of a normal well pocketed jacket

The Scottevest seems to be the best designed and most inconspicuous product but for some odd reason Amazon have recently vastly increased the price so that it no longer seems to be affordable.

Any thoughts from anyone on this issue including whether Ryanair are now challenging Rufus Roo's if you also take a full sized hand luggage bag and/or on the merits of the various Rufus Roo competitors outline above would be very much appreciated.

BA will fly to Tenerife and Lanzarote from April 2013 and currently have fares available to TFS of around £150 return in June.

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