Luggage brands

2 wheeler or spinner depends on your travelling style. We do most of our travel in airports and on ships now and have replaced our sturdy 2 wheelers with spinners. We kept one old soft-case, very sturdy two wheeler just in case it needs to go on an Amazon canoe again. ;-) Our 2 new large suitcases are expensive brand name with Canadian Heyes my favorite because it opens up in the middle and on top. We leave the middle locked and use it from the top.

Our carry-ons are no name discounter spinners selected for low weight and size. One is smaller than European standard and has been very useful on domestic flights in Asia and on trains. It has an easy to reach lap-top pocket. The other one has no interior pockets at all and serves as a catch-all for our light weight day pack, jackets, scarves and items that may be needed on the plane. It is light enough for me to put in an overhead bin.

A number of years ago I had a briefcase repaired at shop that does the repairs for several airlines and warranty work for manufacturers. They also sell luggage. I asked the clerk to show what/how to buy. His focus was on zippers, wheels, and materials.

One thing he did say was beware of the name brand luggage that is sold by the discounters and at so called factory outlet stores. Looks the same but in the case of some of the big names it is made to a lower standard specifically for these stores. Watch out for wheels, zippers, polyester vs ballistic nylon etc. Not much different from the clothing that is made specifically for the outlet stores I guess.

Knowing the way that baggage handlers in airports beat up and abuse luggage, I prefer to buy moderately priced bags, knowing that they'll hold up okay for a few years and then need replaced. I'm not willing to spend a small fortune per bag, only to have the luggage handlers destroy them.

Look for good deals on ebags, and be sure to read the reviews for whatever you choose before ordering.

One caveat about "4-wheeled spinners" ..... They're great to push along on hard surfaces until you try to wheel them on carpeting, which many airports have!! I got a carry-on size one to try and stopped using it after one use because of the poor performance of the wheels in carpeted areas. I also tried pulling it behind me. like a 2-wheeled drag-along over the carpeting, and that doesn't work well either.

2 wheeler or spinner depends on your travelling style. We do most of our travel in airports and on ships now and have replaced our sturdy 2 wheelers with spinners. We kept one old soft-case, very sturdy two wheeler just in case it needs to go on an Amazon canoe again. ;-) Our 2 new large suitcases are expensive brand name with Canadian Heyes my favorite because it opens up in the middle and on top. We leave the middle locked and use it from the top.

I find spinners are great on hard surfaces, but not so great on carpet.

The Heys is similar to my Delsey.

The problem I have is, where the zipper comes over the top (when laying down) it gets worn due the airlines dragging it when laying upside down. If the Heys is immune to this, I will give them a try.

I find spinners are great on hard surfaces, but not so great on carpet.

 

The Heys is similar to my Delsey.

 

The problem I have is, where the zipper comes over the top (when laying down) it gets worn due the airlines dragging it when laying upside down. If the Heys is immune to this, I will give them a try.

The Heyes doesn't have the zipper on the very top. Have a look at the picture. https://heys.com/

I know carpets are difficult for spinners, but DH who has the heavier carry-on with electronic gear prefers it to his older two wheeler carry-on.

I have 2 larger Heys awd spinners hard sided they are fine

about 9yrs old now

the only problem was not the wheels but there are rubber feet on one side the cruise line broke off one in Copenhagen & the airline decided to break another one on the way home

Took it to Heys they repaired them n/c & shipped it to our home also n/c

I also have the Heys soft side with pocket on the outside 20" size with spinners

We have some cheap bags cost about $25 back in the '90s still fine

we take those when I can manage to pack carry on only ;)

I do not think it matter what you buy some will last longer than others depending on the abuse it is given

JMO

Our Heys and Rimova have survived so far. Two cheap no name brands died on the first trip, one had a wheel broken off, the other had an entire corner bashed in! I got a $ 50 back from the airline (wheel) and a bit more from the cruiseline (corner). The cabin attendant gave us duct tape to close off the corner so we could fly home from Australia.

The Heyes doesn't have the zipper on the very top. Have a look at the picture. https://heys.com/

 

I know carpets are difficult for spinners, but DH who has the heavier carry-on with electronic gear prefers it to his older two wheeler carry-on.

You mentioned one that opens at the top and middle. I prefer ones that open at the top (when laying down).

But the one I saw that had that feature, the zipper came over the face.

Like this one - https://www.luggagepros.com/heys-america-portal-30-spinner.shtml