I'm a bit late in reviewing but the benefit about my tardiness is this review speaks to how this product has held up through months of regular use, nearly a year after purchase. The Cart: Initially, upon receiving the Trolley Dolly, I was impressed with the cart itself - easy to assemble, sturdy, and lightweight. Those last two positives are greatly important to me. I live in urban New England where many older sidewalks are like rollercoasters due to tree roots and frost heaves lifting them up and down for decades. I needed a frame that wouldn't bend or snap at the sight of a gnarly old oak root strangling the sidewalk. I also needed hefty wheels that could handle these menacing sidewalks and roll over the occasional escaping tree root. This cart wonderfully does all of that! As for the lightweight part - I take this cart on public transportation often and with the frame itself being as light as it is, I'm able to easily lift it up onto busses; on the commuter rail, it's easy to hop across the gaps between elevated platforms and the train cars; and it's manageable getting it up and down stairs. (Though when packed full, it can be a pain but lugging anything up stairs can be a pain, with or without a cart.) Also, bonus -- we had a nor'easter blow through last week and I can now testify to this cart being able to roll wonderfully through up to 4 inches of snow. Bit more than that and you have to give it a little assist. No problem! Frankly, if I needed to transport items through snow deeper than that, I'd be using a sled. The Bag: The bag...the bag had a few minor issues upon arrival. The fabric itself is as the lising says - heavy duty, weatherproof. Can't argue with that. However, there were issues with the stitching along some of the seams - in several places, it was loose and poorly sewn. On the bottom,l of the bag, two of the box corner seams weren't sewn completely, leaving 1/4" gaps right on the corners. Seeing this, I just shrugged and figured that I can put my sewing skills to use and fix those seams right up. Issues that could be improved but are navigable as is...or issues caused by user, not poor design: -- The Flap -- Being weatherproof and heavy duty, the material is stiff and as such, the top flap doesn't always stay stuck via the Velcro, especially if the bag isn't fully packed and one is using the drawstring to cinch it at the top. (Cinching it also causes the connecting piece of Velcro to disappear into stiff folds that make it impossible to secure the top flap fully.) I just simply let the top flap sit on top (if packed full) or hang over the bag (if not full and/or cinching it). I've used the cart when it's been windy with 50mph+ gusts and haven't had any issues with the flap. It has no effect on how I personally use the cart or on any of my adventures I bring it along on. -- The Other Flap -- There's a small flap of material sewn to the top of the bag, just behind the larger closure flap. This flap has Velcro and is intended to be secured over the thin horizontal aluminum bar near the curve of the cart's foam handle. This flap, when secured, aids the bag in remaining upright and from leaning forward. Pretty good idea, for the most part it works wonderfully. However, if you happen to be toting a bit of a heavier load or the bag is packed to the top, this flap tends to come undone. Forcing it to remain in place, the flap almost seems to threaten to rip off the bag itself. I'm probably going to alter this and add stronger Velcro to this piece as well as possibly lengthen the flap so there's an option to loosen it when the bag is packed heavier or more fully. -- The Frame -- Before I tested this cart through snow last week, it's only ever been used in dry conditions. I do not use the cart when it's raining as I do not want to risk my things being ruined. But I noticed there's already some rust occurring along the bottom of the bar that rests on the ground when the cart is not being rolled. That was a little surprising given how I haven't had the cart even a year yet and it's only been used in wet conditions once. So, bummer to the quick oxidation of the frame...but this is something I can mitigate with a can of Rust-oleum,or even duct tape applied in a classy style. Also, one design weakness is how close to the wheels the rear of the bag sits. Sometimes, the back corners of the bag rest directly on top of the wheels. As you can guess, turning wheels plus fabric in constant contact leads to friction wear on the bag. One of the corners of my bag already has a hole worn through it due to the wheel rubbing against it while wheeling the cart. Currently looking into adding some sort of fenders for the wheels to avoid contact with the bag or a utility cloth cover for the bottom half so the bag itself isn't ruined more by the wheels. -- The Physics -- Yes, once in awhile the cart will twist a bit and if you don't catch it, it will fall over. But! Honestly, every time it's done this to me, it's because I was in a hurry, zooming along while pulling it behind me, and the angle of pulling it behind me plus speed caused the cart to twist and go off kilter. Or if I take a 90⁰ turn too rapidly. Not the cart's issue or the manufacturer - just me apparently trying to defy the most basic laws of physics. Some reviews say weight distribution affects this - I personally haven't noticed with my cart whether how I've packed it contributed to it twisting while in transit. The way the bag is designed with a stiff and squared off bottom as well as only about a 144" or so surface area to pack items horizontally, it's a bit difficult to pack it in a manner where weight distribution would be so far off as to cause the cart to twist. The only instance of uneven weight distribution that can exist when using the cart within it's operational capabilities is the difference in weight between the frame and the bag when it's loaded. Sitting a loaded bag that weighs significantly more than the lightweight dolly is going to create an oddly placed center of gravity that's higher off the ground and therefore more susceptible to silly things happening. Don't be a speedster like me, roll the cart responsibly, pack it responsibly, and for the most part, it'll serve you well with minimal (or no) shenanigans. -- The End (finally!) -- Overall, I absolutely love this cart! I love the lightweight frame, the beefy wheels, the fact that it can fold up and stow away easily... I love that by design it has a bag - things I put in it aren't escaping through gaps like those that are in standard wire frame shopping carts. I love the available color options - my cart is purple and it cheers me up. Makes long treks on the MBTA less depressing. Does it have some issues? Yes. (But who or what doesn't?) What's perfect for one isn't going to be perfect for all, so you just gotta find the next best thing and make it your own. This cart is the closest to perfect for my needs, my abilities, and my habits. If not for the poor stitching on the bag, the frame already beginning to rust, and the design flaw causing the wheels to rub holes in the bag, I'd have given 5 stars. I only deducted one star for those issues because with some fixing and modifications to mitigate these issues, the cart is still 5 star usable for me.
