Luggage Question

[marcyjane]

Need cruise critic family help.

Looking for luggage my set is about on it's last leg. Boy has the price of luggage gone up over the years.

 

Give me your thoughts on What's a good brand and durable luggage at a moderate price.

 

Thanks,

Marcy

[pasodancer]

Regardless of brand, cannot say enough about the spinner wheels (4 wheels not just 2).

 

I've purchased high end and low end over the decades .........now I only purchase whatever is lightweight, 4 spinner wheels & on clearance at Marshalls/ Ross / TJ Maxx. //Maria

[setsail]

Costco and sams have good deals. Go cheap, use for several years and toss, go cheap again.

[srvdmy4usn]

I purchased 2 of the 4 piece sets from Rockland Luggage using overstock about 4 years ago and they have stood up pretty well and they are in the $100 range

 

http://www.overstock.com/search?keywords=rockland+luggage&SearchType=Header&cid=128502&kid=144191351049143&TRACK=PSGGL&mkwid=s144191351049143&pcrid=30787083804&pmt=p&pdv=c&mtrckid=17394at10470

 

there are a bunch of colors and patterns, I got the camo and my GF got polka dots....they stand out great in the giant room of luggage compared to the traditional black bags!

[Guest maddycat]

After much research I purchased Eagle Creek hardsided spinner (4 wheel) luggage from overstock.com. It's very lightweight and has a regular frame closure........no zipper. Since there isn't a zipper it is more water tight.

 

http://www.overstock.com/Luggage-Bags/Eagle-Creek-DS3-28-inch-Hardside-Spinner-Upright-Suitcase/7876939/product.html?cid=202290&kid=9553000357392&track=pspla&ef_id=UgQqCwAAAGYhFSjt:20130909211944:s

[cb at sea]

I don't think brand matters.....get what you can afford that is the lightest weight you can find. I've been using a bag I got for $49 for the last 8 years!

[marcyjane]

Thank you all so very much. Now to the web to search more.:)

 

Marcy

[emeraldcity]

Honestly, I've bought several sets over the years and the one that held up the best is the oldest ... and it was 3 pieces for $60 at Target, I believe. And I've had it for over 10 years.

[ZoeyVictoria]

i just spent $80 at Costco (online) for a 24" bag with spinner wheels. It was delivered to my door, free. Very lightweight, and I just push it through the cruise terminal instead of dragging it like the old one with two wheels.

[Cheryl H]

We researched our luggage on ebags....then bought our 25 inch Delsey suitcases at Kohl's using a coupon. Delsey seemed to have high grades. But more importantly, then we searched on ebags for carryon's that have sleeves on them. So the carryon can be wheeled alone, or you can set it on top of your bigger 25 inch suitcase and put the sleeve over the handle of the 25 inch bag. That way it doesn't fall off. The carryon's are about 15 to 18 inch rolling bags so slightly smaller than the normal 21 inch carryons.

 

For ours, one just has the sleeve. The other two carryons, the sleeve zippers so when not in use tandem, it can be zipped shut on the bottom and you can slip a newspaper or magazines in there.

 

So each one of us has a rolling 25 inch delsey, and a smaller rolling carryon with a sleeve on the back. This is the only way we can handle our 6 bags if our young son isn't able to roll his. So it's really like rolling 3 bags instead of 6. Does that make sense?

[marcyjane]

Thanks for all the help and information and sharing your luggage experiences.

 

Marcy:)

[barb in ga]

We bought 2 2pc sets of Samsonite at Costco--1 very large 28"? and 1 rollaboard size. They have the 4 spinner wheels and we absolutely love them. I think they were around $130 for the 2 piece set, a lot cheaper than most department stores.

 

I once owned an expensive set of Hartmann, but I found that the handling they get beats them up, so now I would rather buy again every few years as needed.

 

Barb

[Toddcan]

Do you fly often? If so, you might want to spend a little more and get a more rugged piece of luggage. Airports are BRUTAL on luggage.

 

Just cruising, or doing land vacations, etc... go cheap, but I agree 100% with the suggestion to get the ones with the 4 wheels. They skate along beside you with very little effort (assuming a nice floor)

[paylady]

I don't bother buying nice luggage anymore since the luggage handlers are so careless with them. Like Cheryl, I use ebags as a point of comparison. I have bought from them as we'll.

 

For me, luggage needs to have spinners, be lightweight and cheap. I can always replace cheap luggage if necessary.

[frisbeewife]

Everybody has their personal preference regarding cheap luggage vs expensive luggage. Some people like the idea of getting it cheap, using it a while until it is trashed, then getting more cheap luggage. Other people want to buy top-quality luggage that they expect to last for many, many years.

 

I think either way is fine - just do your research to make sure you aren't paying a high-quality price for cheap luggage. Personally I've had cheap luggage that lasted a long time, cheap luggage that fell apart on the first trip, expensive luggage that lasted a long time, and expensive luggage that fell apart after a couple of trips. My biggest luggage problem is my husband - for some reason he ALWAYS gets his luggage trashed by the airlines. I have NEVER had luggage get messed up, and I'm a former Road Warrior who was flying every other week for several years. :rolleyes:

 

One piece of advice - get the lightest luggage in whatever quality you are comfortable with. You only get to check 50 pounds, and if you are carrying on it can be hard to get anything very heavy into the overhead. They make nice lightweight luggage these days, even in hardsided.

[cruisenfever]

Several years ago we invested in luggage made by Briggs & Reilly. While it is not inexpensive, it's guaranty is repair or replacement free of charge due to any sort of damage done by anyone or anything.

[msw1023]

I like the idea of cheap and light...but I also go for the distinctive. I have a 26 in pink hard sided with white spots...I can see it from a mile away, and if some one tried to take it I'd know!

Marsha

[Cheryl H]

One other tip......I lost a zipper pull once and it was a struggle to zip and unzip. Amazon carries replaceable zipper pulls for luggage. I purchased one to try. I had to pinch it on with pliers and it worked!!

[WetToes]

I like the idea of cheap and light...but I also go for the distinctive. I have a 26 in pink hard sided with white spots...I can see it from a mile away, and if some one tried to take it I'd know!

Marsha

 

 

I agree with the 'distinctive' idea. I would always say that I'd buy the ugliest I could find.

Can make traveling a bit easier.

[LuvBNatC]

Just retired a heavy-duty Samsonite because it weighed 18 lbs. EMPTY. Even after years of abuse, it was still in great shape.

 

I've seen enough people in airports with their underwear spilling out to be leery of really cheap bags.

 

Got a nice, lighter Samsonite 360 4-wheel spinner at Kohl's. Catch them on sale and use Kohl's cash and discounts and you can get a good deal. The 360 line is exclusive to Kohl's.

 

No matter what luggage you buy, invest in a nylon luggage strap. Samsonite makes them, and there are plenty of off-brands. You can find them in Target.

 

Mine are hot-pink and I've had them for years. They've saved me many times when I was told my luggage was "lost." After I said, "Look for the red bag with the hot-pink strap," it got found every single time.

 

BONUS: A strap keeps your undies in place even if your zipper rips. :D

[nanwel]

I bought a hard case suitcase with spinner wheels, but hated it - ok on a cruise, you unpack - brutal in a hotel room, had to open it double size on the bed or the floor - will not fit on a luggage rack. Opened in the middle and you had to put thought into packing it to distribute the weight. Found it way to awkward. Only used it once and replaced it with light weight soft sided spinner with regular top open suitcase.

I too prefer cheaper - do not like them covered in lables/scuff marks etc - easier to toss and get new every few years, then it is no biggy if the airline messes it up!!

[maureencruiser]

I'm also a fan of distinctive, here is the new luggage I just purchased!

 

 

For those of you getting new luggage, here is a good use for the old ones. The cat always gets in the luggage anyway!

 

OOps, too big, let me try again!

[Beach Watcher SPI]

Price and weight are issues to think about, but don't forget the size. The wheels on the spinners appear taller than the two wheel type. Remenber the size limitations include the wheels and to the handle.

 

I have read that the European size limit is smaller than the US.

[maureencruiser]

[trojan3000]

from another cat lover that picture is brilliant