Doing luggage research

[Li'lImp]

After 20 years or so, our luggage is crying "uncle!" We have a set of soft-sided, roll around luggage that is suffering from broken handles and crumbling plastic corner reinforcements. I can't stand them any longer!

 

Searching through this forum, I keep coming across positive comments for Delsey and Heys. Another site also lists Briggs & Riley as a good, but pricier, choice. Are there any other reasonably priced but very reliable brands I'm missing?

 

It's just my DH and me at this point, and we're infrequent travelers for the most part. I pack a lean wardrobe most of the time, but occasionally include a suit for DH. I'm thinking a standard 3-piece set will be plenty for us.

 

As for soft versus hard sides, I'm only experienced with the former. My complaints with it would be not being water resistant. A white blouse turned pink after my red suitcase was left on the top of the luggage cart on the tarmac on a rainy day. :mad: My concerns with hard sided is the absence of pockets to help organize/separate my stuff.

 

Anybody have extensive experience in this area that can offer unbiased advice?

[Lois R]

Happy Ks (Kathy) is the luggage expert:D and hopefully she will see your

post and give you some good advice. :). She has worked part time in a

luggage store for many years now.

[royalcruz]

I'm not a luggage expert, but I do travel a few times a year...Here's what I like and why:

 

I haven't tried hard luggage. I like the soft luggage because of all the pockets and flexibility. I like 4 wheels, but our local luggage repair expert says this just is more opportunity for breakage. I like the lightest luggage I can find because international travel requirements are stricter and costlier. I like luggage that has strange colors or patterns because it is easy to spot from a distance on the carousel, and is less likely to get mixed up with someone else's (black is the worst for potential mixups). I want top and side handles, as well as a grip/handle on the bottom for safety and balance (avoiding back and shoulder injuries). I don't personally care if every piece matches...at this point in my life I choose function over beauty. I shop at Marshall's and TJMaxx because they have great prices and name brands.

[SadieN]

Be careful of luggage sales. Some pieces might be too large or too heavy.

 

The new carryon size is 22", measured from the ground to the top.

A 22" 4wheel bag will have less capacity than a 2wheel bag.

 

We like browsing thru ebags.com. Their descriptions are very good, including weight.

[Daisydaisy20]

I have used Hartmann for years and it wears very well. It is an investment, but it has been wprth it for my family. They are changing some of their designs and have some good prices at the outlets on selected pieces. Look at the website hartmann.com for locations. Call for pricing. The in-store prices are always better than the website prices, in my experience. They will ship.

[slidergirl]

I do like a few lines. I do very different types of traveling, so my bags reflect this. I'm a soft-side person.

Take a look at the eBags Motherlode TLS series. The price point on them is very reasonable and the quality of the bags is, for what I've bought, excellent. The bags come in an array of colors to be able to distinguish your bags from the others on the belts.

 

I also have bags from Osprey. A little more expensive, but they do have a lifetime warranty. My big bag is their 25" Sojourn wheeled bag. If I'm doing a multi-week trip or know that I'll be buying something and need the room, I'll take this one. I also have their Porter 46 and 65 bags when having wheels is not practical.

 

Then I have one legacy piece left from Eagle Creek. It's my Tarmac 22" that I've had for close to 10 years. It only comes out once in awhile when I'm going to pack heavy and need wheels.

[royalcruz]

I go luggage shopping with a tapemeasure. :)

[calliopecruiser]

I have changed from rolling suitcases to rolling duffel bags, and I much prefer them. I have one from LL Bean (terrific) and one from Mountain Equipment Co-op (also great, it's a Canadian company, but a general equivalent is REI in the US). I like duffel bags because if they're not full I can compress the straps and things don't roll around inside as much....basically I find them more flexible than squared off suitcases.

[Ehpride]

My old trusty suitcase finally died on my last cruise and I ended up getting a hybrid suitcase. It's got hard pieces in the more vulnerable places with the split style that I like, but it's got the flexibility of softsided with pockets on the front.

[emandjennsmom]

TJ Maxx has a fabulous selection of luggage. After you decide on soft or hard side and a brand, you may want to check there. The prices are great.

[CELTICGIRLCRUISER]

Samsonite EZ cart for me. If you use the search facility it has been discussed in a few posts, I swear by mine for longer trips.

 

I love the shelves, mine is an older version, it is not hard sided but made from a really tough webbing sort of material over the up right frame. I bought it about 14 years ago, in fact we bought a couple in a Samsonite store in Atlanta. They were about $250 each at the time but what an investment. I have not needed to buy another case since.

 

It has a suiter in it which the new ones don't have, and more waterproof pouches, but I would search to the end of the earth for another one before I bought anything else. To this day I have never seen any but our two on my travels. Loads of people comment on it! I would settle for the latest version though.

 

I have traveled the world extensively mainly by land/air and it has never let me down. I have taken it on cruises too as it is easy to maneuver with the T bar at the front you push it like a stroller almost.

[islandgirlejfan]

I have a Delsey bag I just love....my only regret is it's not just a little larger. My hubby had a hardside that he took on business trips. The baggage gorillas managed to crack it.

 

I just bought a Kenneth Cole Reaction carry on bag at Nordstrom Rack to replace my K-Mart rolling bag I bought about 15 years ago. The K-Mart bag has been everywhere and still looks pretty darned good, I just needed more pockets. I had a hard time finding just a two wheel bag that had what I was looking for... I didn't want a spinner. Hope this one lasts as long as my K-Mart bag! :p

[ozarkmama]

I used to work at a luggage store. Briggs & Riley has the best warranty in the business. They will repair or replace your luggage for life. No questions asked. I have sent in several suitcases for repair and never had any problem.

[beesKate]

I think mine are Atlantic. What I REALLY like is that both the larger bag and the carry-on have a garment bag that packs within a front interior zipper compartment. I hang most of my clothes and unpacking is mainly just pulling them out and hanging them up.

 

And I would never buy a suitcase without spinner wheels. I did compare empty weights, and there are lighter ones, but for the one or two big trips annually our Atlantic bag starts out lighter than our older giant suitcase.

[sherilyn70]

If you are a member of AAA check with your local store or online first. They have great luggage for very good prices.

We purchased their Travelers Club luggage and it is extremely durable and well built. The spinner wheels on them are very high quality to many other cases I found in the same price point.

[SadieN]

I go luggage shopping with a tapemeasure. :)

 

..............and I bring a luggage scale. I measure with my hands or a dollar bill.:D

[Guest maddycat]

Samsonite EZ cart for me. If you use the search facility it has been discussed in a few posts, I swear by mine for longer trips.

 

I love the shelves, mine is an older version, it is not hard sided but made from a really tough webbing sort of material over the up right frame. I bought it about 14 years ago, in fact we bought a couple in a Samsonite store in Atlanta. They were about $250 each at the time but what an investment. I have not needed to buy another case since.

 

It has a suiter in it which the new ones don't have, and more waterproof pouches, but I would search to the end of the earth for another one before I bought anything else. To this day I have never seen any but our two on my travels. Loads of people comment on it! I would settle for the latest version though.

 

I have traveled the world extensively mainly by land/air and it has never let me down. I have taken it on cruises too as it is easy to maneuver with the T bar at the front you push it like a stroller almost.

 

I just found the ez cart after doing a google search. It looks interesting but I think that I prefer a traditional suitcase.

 

Luggagefactory.com - Luggage and Travel Accessories

[CELTICGIRLCRUISER]

I just found the ez cart after doing a google search. It looks interesting but I think that I prefer a traditional suitcase.

 

Luggagefactory.com - Luggage and Travel Accessories

 

I have three shelves in mine and they do come out to give a deep suitcase in the traditional sense, so presuming the new model shelves come out too.

 

Good luck with the hunt for the perfect piece, I found mine 14 years ago:D:D:D

[Guest maddycat]

I retired my old Samsonite hardside after my last cruise. It was just too heavy for me to handle. I was about 20 yrs. old, had 2 wheels and had to be tilted up on the 2 wheels. It was very heavy when you were pulling it and lifting it.

 

I started researching luggage. I wanted a water resistant suitcase so it had to be hardside and not have a zipper closure. I wanted 4 wheels so that it would be easy to wheel. It had to be lightweight. I wanted a combination lock like my old Samsonite had........what a pleasure not having to worry about a key.

 

The one that I ended up buying is a 30" Eagle Creek Hardside and I'm very pleased with it. We no longer fly so airline restrictions aren't a concern. The only one of my requirements that was not met is the lock, it's a regular key lock.

 

Eagle Creek DS3 30-inch Hardside Spinner Upright Suitcase | Overstock.com

[tbmrt]

Totally agree!

[tbmrt]

I have changed from rolling suitcases to rolling duffel bags, and I much prefer them. I have one from LL Bean (terrific) and one from Mountain Equipment Co-op (also great, it's a Canadian company, but a general equivalent is REI in the US). I like duffel bags because if they're not full I can compress the straps and things don't roll around inside as much....basically I find them more flexible than squared off suitcases.

 

 

I find that they hold alot and like the fact that I can put my shoes and heavy stuff into the bottom section.

[Strictly Ballroom]

I travel a lot to ballroom competitions (16 in the past year alone), and I cannot recommend Tumi enough, if you can afford it. I'm up to five pieces now, but the single best bag I own is their large rolling garment bag.

 

I can fit five competition gowns + formal evening gown, all the needed toiletries, ballroom makeup and hair stuff I need, plus every day clothing in the front pocket packed in a Tumi folder. It's a very pricey bag, but worth every cent in my book. I take it every time I travel, and it doesn't even show signs of wear!

 

Their separated rolling duffel is also a really nice bag. Just used that and the garment bag on my recent HAL cruise. The sectioned off bottom is great for things you don't want to get crushed. The bag is rigid, but can be collapsed down into a small space, great for stashing beneath the beds.

 

ETA: All my bags are from the Alpha series, I don't have any experience with the other types of bags.

[funNsun4me]

TJ Maxx has a fabulous selection of luggage. After you decide on soft or hard side and a brand, you may want to check there. The prices are great.

 

Just stumbled across this thread, and yes I agree that you can't beat the selection or prices at TJ Maxx. I just bought two matching suitcases from them yesterday. The brand I decided on is Ricardo Beverly Hills "Sausalito". Has 4 wheels, very light-weight and has many different sections, including one where you can hang a hanger for a suit jacket. My older luggage is Samsonite and while I love it, it is very heavy empty. Still good to use when driving to port but not so much for flying.

[celebrity]

I love our Travel Pro. Not the lightest weight, but has held up beautifully over multiple airplane flights. It is soft sided and has lots of pockets.

[Li'lImp]

Thanks for everyone's input. I ended up ordering three pieces of Delsey soft-sided luggage. Got a great deal out of a Manhattan company. And for the record, AAA is never competitively priced on their luggage.

 

Surprisingly, none of today's 'lightweight' luggage comes close to my previous luggage. My old 27" was only 7.6 lbs! The Delsey Superlite clocks in around 10. But then again, maybe that's why my old stuff has crapped out!