Onward Cabin Bag
— Buyer Beware

Refused Return Despite Their Own "100 Days Risk Free" Promise

The first thing I did after receiving the bag was decide it was too small for my needs. Still in perfect condition, tags on, never used. I emailed to initiate a return.

I was told returns are only accepted for defective items. That directly contradicts what's plastered on Onward's product page:

"100% Money Back Guarantee — 100 Days Risk Free. We'll refund you if it's not quite right for you or your loved ones." That's their words. Not mine.

The Main Zipper Is Dangerously Stiff

The bag's headline feature is a vacuum-compression compartment — you zip it shut, then use the included pump to suck the air out. Clever idea. Except the zipper requires so much force to pull that it feels like the bag is about to rip. Anyone with arthritis, limited grip strength, or hand issues would simply be unable to close this compartment at all.

When I raised this with support, they told me the stiffness is "intentional" and "a normal characteristic." So apparently that's considered not a defect — just a feature of a zipper that many people can't physically use.

The Pump Comes With Mystery Attachments and Zero Instructions

The vacuum pump ships inside a small box along with a collection of nozzles, adapters, and rubber bits — none of them labeled, none of them explained anywhere in the box. No instruction sheet, no QR code, nothing.

After trial and error I figured out that none of the attachments are actually needed for the bag. The pump connects directly. So why include them? My guess: this is a generic off-the-shelf pump being rebranded for the bag, and Onward just threw the whole kit in the box. It's confusing, it's wasteful plastic, and it makes the product feel cheap.

They Invented a New Reason to Deny My Return

I wrote back, attaching a screenshot of their own guarantee. Their response: I bought the bag during a "promotional sale" and therefore my order is not eligible for return.

There's a problem with that explanation. The same price is still showing on their website weeks later. There is nothing in my purchase confirmation email saying the item is non-returnable. This wasn't a clearance event. It's the regular price — permanently listed as a "sale."

When a company permanently lists a product as on sale, then uses that "sale" status to deny all returns… that's not a promotion. That's a mechanism to avoid honoring their own refund policy.

The Vacuum Seal Fails in About 30 Seconds

I decided to give the bag a real try before escalating further. I packed it, zipped the compression compartment (with great effort), ran the pump, and watched the bag compress. Then waited.

Within about 30 seconds, air started leaking back in. The "airtight" compartment is not airtight. The vacuum fails almost immediately. The entire point of this bag — the one feature that differentiates it from any other backpack — doesn't work.

Many Other Customers Report the Same Return Runaround

I searched online to see if my experience was an anomaly. It isn't. Trustpilot has a growing number of reviews from customers who encountered the same pattern: a broad guarantee advertised, returns refused, reasons shifting.

They Quietly Updated the Refund Policy — And It's Designed to Never Pay Out

I went back and read their actual refund policy. It now includes this language: "Sale or discounted items: All promotional or clearance items are final sale and not eligible for return or refund. This is clearly stated at checkout and on our website."

The thing is, it was not clearly stated at checkout. My purchase confirmation email contains no mention of the item being final sale or non-returnable. Since the product appears to be permanently priced at a "sale" rate, this policy effectively means Onward will never process a refund — for anyone — regardless of what their product page promises.