Let's talk luggage.

[vacationut]

I've been using cheap luggage for years and I'm ready for an upgrade. I've always had soft sided but am thinking about going hard this time. My biggest concern is the wheels. The current bag has had a bum spinner since the second trip. It drives me crazy.

 

My biggest concern is the wheels getting roughed up and if they warranty/replace them. Price range I'm looking for is $200-$400 per bag. I'm leaning towards Beis but Monos looks nice too. Anyone with experience with these? 

 

[Flatbush Flyer]

8 hours ago, vacationut said:

I've been using cheap luggage for years and I'm ready for an upgrade. I've always had soft sided but am thinking about going hard this time. My biggest concern is the wheels. The current bag has had a bum spinner since the second trip. It drives me crazy.

 

My biggest concern is the wheels getting roughed up and if they warranty/replace them. Price range I'm looking for is $200-$400 per bag. I'm leaning towards Beis but Monos looks nice too. Anyone with experience with these? 

 

 

Though some models are more expensive, look at Briggs & Riley compressible hard sides.
Excellent guarantee and same amount of packing fits in a smaller footprint- very important if you do airport transfers in sedans or even some SUVs. 

[VIFP1987]

I highly recommend Away Luggage. Lifetime guarantee. If you have an issue with your luggage, call them … they will send out a replacement piece overnight. When you receive it, put your old piece in the same box the new one came in, stick the prepaid sticker on and send it back. Aside from their great service, I really love their products! 

[Mum2Mercury]

This may not be a popular opinion, but -- if you're thinking of cruises -- I wouldn't spend big on luggage.  I'd suggest buying from a place like Marshall's or Home Goods, where you can find mismatched low-level luggage for low prices.  

 

Why I feel this way:  On a cruise years ago, Day 1, we were walking down the long hallway to our room, and we heard THUMP, THUMP, THUMP!  A crew-only room was standing open, and we could see into a staircase room ... someone at the top was literally THROWING suitcases down the stairs into a big heap.  I saw one of our suitcases, and I popped in and grabbed it.  

 

Anyway, if you're thinking of car trips, in which you'll manage your own luggage, go ahead and spend on something nice -- but if other people will be handling your luggage, I'd be stingy.  I'd even use the luggage with one wonky wheel until it falls apart.  

 

If you want it to LOOK GOOD, consider ordering luggage covers from Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/s?k=luggage+cover&crid=35EXEF08VEI59&sprefix=luggage%20cover%2Caps%2C194&ref=nb_sb_noss 

[Flatbush Flyer]

54 minutes ago, Mum2Mercury said:

This may not be a popular opinion, but -- if you're thinking of cruises -- I wouldn't spend big on luggage.  I'd suggest buying from a place like Marshall's or Home Goods, where you can find mismatched low-level luggage for low prices.  

 

Why I feel this way:  On a cruise years ago, Day 1, we were walking down the long hallway to our room, and we heard THUMP, THUMP, THUMP!  A crew-only room was standing open, and we could see into a staircase room ... someone at the top was literally THROWING suitcases down the stairs into a big heap.  I saw one of our suitcases, and I popped in and grabbed it.  

 

Anyway, if you're thinking of car trips, in which you'll manage your own luggage, go ahead and spend on something nice -- but if other people will be handling your luggage, I'd be stingy.  I'd even use the luggage with one wonky wheel until it falls apart.  

 

If you want it to LOOK GOOD, consider ordering luggage covers from Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/s?k=luggage+cover&crid=35EXEF08VEI59&sprefix=luggage%20cover%2Caps%2C194&ref=nb_sb_noss 

If you travel a lot - particularly by air (which is known for tough baggage handling), the above advice is ill-advised. 
Spending $$$ on the right luggage will get you a lifetime guarantee of durability. So, one outlay of cash vs the multiple purchases of often poorly made and not very sturdy stuff you buy at a discount store is far more economical.
And then there’s the difference is materials (lightweight/strong), design (the new compressible hard sides), size/shape (that will be easier to do transfers),  etc.

 

Don’t be “penny wise and pound foolish.”

Edited February 11, 2023 by Flatbush Flyer

[K32682]

1 hour ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

If you travel a lot - particularly by air (which is known for tough baggage handling), the above advice is ill-advised. 
Spending $$$ on the right luggage will get you a lifetime guarantee of durability. So, one outlay of cash vs the multiple purchases of often poorly made and not very sturdy stuff you buy at a discount store is far more economical.
And then there’s the difference is materials (lightweight/strong), design (the new compressible hard sides), size/shape (that will be easier to do transfers),  etc.

 

Don’t be “penny wise and pound foolish.”

 

Quality luggage is never a mistake. I had a cheap roller carry-on crap out mid-way through a business trip. Found an airport luggage outlet during a transfer and purchased a Briggs and Riley. Transferred my stuff to it and never looked back. The bag probably has 100,000 miles on it by now and is almost good as new. 

[kelkel2]

Cheaper isn’t always better. My husband bought his luggage from Kmart when they were closing. Well, it was so flimsy that it didn’t even survive to fly home. By the time we got to the airport to go home we had to Saran Wrap it to get it home. Someone from the airport had to help us. It was a mess. So, I’m not saying buy the most expensive, but for sure don’t buy the cheapest! 

[pdmlynek]

7 hours ago, Mum2Mercury said:

This may not be a popular opinion, but -- if you're thinking of cruises -- I wouldn't spend big on luggage.  I'd suggest buying from a place like Marshall's or Home Goods, where you can find mismatched low-level luggage for low prices.  

 

Why I feel this way:  On a cruise years ago, Day 1, we were walking down the long hallway to our room, and we heard THUMP, THUMP, THUMP!  A crew-only room was standing open, and we could see into a staircase room ... someone at the top was literally THROWING suitcases down the stairs into a big heap. 

It is normal for luggage to be thrown by luggage handlers.  That is their job.  Whether it is on a ship, a plane, a train, a bus, or wherever.  You should count on your luggage to be dropped off a plane onto a tarmac, or from a 2nd story window onto a pavement, etc.  It happens.

 

Buying suitcases that have held together by zippers, or by flimsy locks, etc. will break.  

 

To me, it is foolish to have hard-sided suitcases: They will be banged up, wheels will fly off, etc.  

 

I generally do not check luggage when I travel, especially when I go on a cruise.  On a cruise you have pretty much everything provided for you -- no need for you to bring a sleeping bag, a tent, sleeping pad, water, food,  stove, fuel, cooking equipment, silverware, ice chest, etc. -- you just need a few changes of underwear and shirts, and you are set.  So whatever I take on a cruise goes with me, and no luggage 

 

But when I do check luggage, I just use a duffle bag.  Typically, like a military type, top loading canvas bag, something like https://www.amazon.com/Rothco-Heavyweight-Canvas-Duffle-Olive/dp/B07PFXSJRM/ .  You can throw that off a plane and it will survive, because it distributes the kinetic energy but a hard-sided case does not.

 

Why people use hard-sided luggage as a checked luggage is a mystery to me.

 

 

[pdmlynek]

7 hours ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

If you travel a lot - particularly by air (which is known for tough baggage handling), the above advice is ill-advised. 
Spending $$$ on the right luggage will get you a lifetime guarantee of durability. So, one outlay of cash vs the multiple purchases of often poorly made and not very sturdy stuff you buy at a discount store is far more economical.
And then there’s the difference is materials (lightweight/strong), design (the new compressible hard sides), size/shape (that will be easier to do transfers),  etc.

 

Don’t be “penny wise and pound foolish.”

 

 

There is a trend going on, that equates durable with expensive, and cheap = flimsy.  In my view, there is little, if any, correlation between the two. 

 

I think that we should advise people to buy "durable" luggage when we mean that they should get a durable luggage, and not advise them to spend $$$.  It is the durability that we care about, not the amount of money.

 

To me, a hard sided luggage is foolish.  It just won't last rough handling, because there is no way for the kinetic energy of a dropped luggage to be dissapated.  Get a duffle bag for 30 USD/EUR.

[Flatbush Flyer]

1 hour ago, pdmlynek said:

 

 

There is a trend going on, that equates durable with expensive, and cheap = flimsy.  In my view, there is little, if any, correlation between the two. 

 

I think that we should advise people to buy "durable" luggage when we mean that they should get a durable luggage, and not advise them to spend $$$.  It is the durability that we care about, not the amount of money.

 

To me, a hard sided luggage is foolish.  It just won't last rough handling, because there is no way for the kinetic energy of a dropped luggage to be dissapated.  Get a duffle bag for 30 USD/EUR.

I assume you’ve never seen a duffel bag that’s been torn up by mechanical handling machinery at major hub airports. It’s not a pretty sight.

In any case, you’re missing the point. No one here is saying that durability has anything to do with cost. Rather, we’re saying that good design, appropriate materials and quality in manufacturing are major factors in determining durability. And though extremely important, durability is not the only consideration. A lifetime warranty (with few to no exceptions) add real value to an investment in the right product.

 

And one last word about duffels. Not only are they far more prone to irreparable damage (and theft of contents - thanks to even a dull knife), the lack of a reinforced structure invites destruction of delicate contents including medical equipment, fragile containers et al.
 

[Hlitner]

We are big fans of lightweight and relatively inexpensive luggage.  Why?  Even the best luggage will eventually get damaged.  And luggage thieves (more common than folks want to believe) will generally target the best most expensive luggage for the simple reason that they assume it contains the most expensive contents.  For us, the ideal bag is a compromise between quality and weight.  Over the years we have had pretty good luck with the various lightweight lines from Travelpro.  Even a huge 26" bag only weighs about 7 pounds. A large lightweight bag can be 5 pounds (or more) lighter than heavy duty stuff, and those extra pounds of allowance are meaningful on a long trip.  DW and I travel all the world and usually take two large lightweight bags which gives us the ability to add an extra 10-12 pounds of items vs many other pieces of luggage.

 

As to lifetime guarantees, as they say in Brooklyn, "Forget about it."  We travel too often to deal with the time involved in getting luggage repaired.  The guarantees are legit, but the process and time necessary to get repairs simply does not work for folks that are constantly on the move.  Our lightweight Travelpro does have a limited lifetime warranty but since the bags cost less than $200 it is just easier to buy another bag rather than deal with the aggravation of constantly filing warranty claims.   When an airline badly damaged one of our bags (on a flight to Anchorage) their luggage person simply gave us another bag (they had a large supply of extra bags for such a purpose).  With a really expensive bag it is unlikely we would have agreed to the swap, and would have been stuck with a badly damaged bag for a two-month trip (how can you get luggage repaired when you are constantly traveling?) 

 

Hank

[janetz]

We have had our Travelpro, soft side spinners for 7 years.

Love them

Still looking very good and we do travel. 😊

[Flatbush Flyer]

3 hours ago, Hlitner said:

We are big fans of lightweight and relatively inexpensive luggage.  Why?  Even the best luggage will eventually get damaged.  And luggage thieves (more common than folks want to believe) will generally target the best most expensive luggage for the simple reason that they assume it contains the most expensive contents.  For us, the ideal bag is a compromise between quality and weight.  Over the years we have had pretty good luck with the various lightweight lines from Travelpro.  Even a huge 26" bag only weighs about 7 pounds. A large lightweight bag can be 5 pounds (or more) lighter than heavy duty stuff, and those extra pounds of allowance are meaningful on a long trip.  DW and I travel all the world and usually take two large lightweight bags which gives us the ability to add an extra 10-12 pounds of items vs many other pieces of luggage.

 

As to lifetime guarantees, as they say in Brooklyn, "Forget about it."  We travel too often to deal with the time involved in getting luggage repaired.  The guarantees are legit, but the process and time necessary to get repairs simply does not work for folks that are constantly on the move.  Our lightweight Travelpro does have a limited lifetime warranty but since the bags cost less than $200 it is just easier to buy another bag rather than deal with the aggravation of constantly filing warranty claims.   When an airline badly damaged one of our bags (on a flight to Anchorage) their luggage person simply gave us another bag (they had a large supply of extra bags for such a purpose).  With a really expensive bag it is unlikely we would have agreed to the swap, and would have been stuck with a badly damaged bag for a two-month trip (how can you get luggage repaired when you are constantly traveling?) 

 

Hank

We’ve used TravelPro for many years (including two 29” soft sided Platinums and other pieces as well). 

As for “Fuggedaboutit” when it comes to the hassle of repair, the picture you paint is not true for everyone. Where you live can play a significant factor in that scenario. For example, I needed replacement of a TravrlPro wheel with a bad bearing on my most used 15 yr old rollaboard. Dropped it off at the certified repair shop near SFO and picked it up several days later. The only paperwork was providing my name an phone number.

FWIW, though the 29” TravelPro bags are still in great shape, they do pose one interesting problem. We most often use private transfers when traveling by air (or ship) and the newer sedans being used worldwide (mostly foreign brands) have started sporting slightly smaller trunks that can challenge those bags!

 

So, recently, we added two new 27” Briggs & Riley hard sides to our collection. Why?

The new bags have a compression mechanism that basically starts with slightly more interior cubic space than the TravelPro 29” bag. However, though one side remains rigid (for less flexible non-clothing items you don’t want to compress), the other side has interior ratchets at each end. Once packed and closed, you press down at the ends of the bag and it compresses and locks itself in place. It’s sort of like sitting on an old bag but it then stays compressed (until you open it and unlatch the ratchets to repack).

We’ve now used them on three trips - excellent. And should they ever need repair, we have another nearby certified repair shop for no hassle fixes.

[Hlitner]

1 hour ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

We’ve used TravelPro for many years (including two 29” soft sided Platinums and other pieces as well). 

As for “Fuggedaboutit” when it comes to the hassle of repair, the picture you paint is not true for everyone. Where you live can play a significant factor in that scenario. For example, I needed replacement of a TravrlPro wheel with a bad bearing on my most used 15 yr old rollaboard. Dropped it off at the certified repair shop near SFO and picked it up several days later. The only paperwork was providing my name an phone number.

FWIW, though the 29” TravelPro bags are still in great shape, they do pose one interesting problem. We most often use private transfers when traveling by air (or ship) and the newer sedans being used worldwide (mostly foreign brands) have started sporting slightly smaller trunks that can challenge those bags!

 

So, recently, we added two new 27” Briggs & Riley hard sides to our collection. Why?

The new bags have a compression mechanism that basically starts with slightly more interior cubic space than the TravelPro 29” bag. However, though one side remains rigid (for less flexible non-clothing items you don’t want to compress), the other side has interior ratchets at each end. Once packed and closed, you press down at the ends of the bag and it compresses and locks itself in place. It’s sort of like sitting on an old bag but it then stays compressed (until you open it and unlatch the ratchets to repack).

We’ve now used them on three trips - excellent. And should they ever need repair, we have another nearby certified repair shop for no hassle fixes.

I guess that is one advantage to living in the Bay area (we will not talk about the taxes).  We live in Podunk, USA, where luggage repair is not usually a viable option.   I have long thought luggage should be made for easy wheel replacement (by the owner) but that is not the case (good pun).   Briggs and Riley is too rich for my blood and might be tempting to a thief looking for a decent bag :).  One of their bags probably costs more than all my rags inside :).

 

Hank

[Flatbush Flyer]

12 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

I guess that is one advantage to living in the Bay area (we will not talk about the taxes).  We live in Podunk, USA, where luggage repair is not usually a viable option.   I have long thought luggage should be made for easy wheel replacement (by the owner) but that is not the case (good pun).   Briggs and Riley is too rich for my blood and might be tempting to a thief looking for a decent bag :).  One of their bags probably costs more than all my rags inside :).

 

Hank

Briggs & Riley has regular online sales with prices that our local brick and mortar B&R dealer will match. Always worth a look.

[Hlitner]

26 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Briggs & Riley has regular online sales with prices that our local brick and mortar B&R dealer will match. Always worth a look.

There is my personal issue of weight.  A 26" lightweight Travelpro is about 7 pounds but a 26 inch Briggs and Stratton Expander is over 12 pounds.  Multiply that by 2 bags and we would lose 10 pounds of clothes vs the Travelpro Max bags.  No doubt in my mind that the Briggs and Stratton are very high quality, but we would miss those 10 pounds of "stuff" on a trip.  Sad to admit that I (emphasis on "I") have never learned to fine art of packing light!  

 

I am already dreading an upcoming 8 week trip where we need to pack for two climates (normal spring and cold) and somehow make it work with 2 checked pieces.  We can pack them to 70 pounds (each) but I have to be able to handle that stuff so still try to keep it to 50 pounds.  I admire those who can go away for months with a single bag or backpack.  My goodness, at our age just our drugs and electronics) weigh down our carry-ons.  I have finally decided that there is no need to pack formal clothes (there is a HAL cruise that is part of this trip) and imagine just a wife beater shirt and backwards facing ball cap would work for some, but we still have some standards :).

 

Hank

[Mum2Mercury]

18 hours ago, pdmlynek said:

It is normal for luggage to be thrown by luggage handlers. 

Yep, and no luggage is going to stand up to that treatment for too long ... which is why I don't see any point in paying $$$ for luggage, unless you always manage it yourself.  

 

Consider, too, that stores like Marshall's and TJ Maxx don't necessarily carry poor quality stuff; rather, they have last year's colors and styles and mis-matched stuff that top-dollar stores don't want to offer.  Some luggage is just $$$ because someone's name is on it.    

18 hours ago, pdmlynek said:

To me, it is foolish to have hard-sided suitcases: They will be banged up, wheels will fly off, etc. 

Agree.  We need to buy some new luggage ... as our children moved out, somehow the selection in our attic has dwindled!  As such, I took a sneaky look at other people's luggage in the cruise ship hallway (hope no one thought I was choosing one to steal), and I definitely noticed that the hard-sided suitcases looked more beat-up.  

18 hours ago, pdmlynek said:

I generally do not check luggage when I travel, especially when I go on a cruise. 

Yeah, we only own rolling carry-ons, and our rule is that + a backpack is all we'll bring.  Period.  I'd be FINE with not checking luggage, but my husband doesn't like that idea ... and since I don't feel strongly about it, I let him have his way.  

 

[pdmlynek]

16 hours ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

I assume you’ve never seen a duffel bag that’s been torn up by mechanical handling machinery at major hub airports. It’s not a pretty sight.

...

You are correct.  I've never seen or heard of it happening.  That is why I use duffel bags.

[pdmlynek]

16 hours ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

In any case, you’re missing the point. No one here is saying that durability has anything to do with cost.

I am sorry, but isn't that exactly what you posted when you wrote:

"Spending $$$ on the right luggage will get you a lifetime guarantee of durability." ?

[57redbird]

Before weight became an issue we bought red suitcases so they'd be less likely to get taken by mistake......true but each one (28") weighs 16# empty.  Hubby still uses his but my current one, which I will be using this week, weighs 6#....glad we have unlimited laundry.

[navybankerteacher]

23 hours ago, kelkel2 said:

Cheaper isn’t always better. My husband bought his luggage from Kmart when they were closing. Well, it was so flimsy that it didn’t even survive to fly home. By the time we got to the airport to go home we had to Saran Wrap it to get it home. Someone from the airport had to help us. It was a mess. So, I’m not saying buy the most expensive, but for sure don’t buy the cheapest! 

Well made luggage will last longer -- certainly the wheels tend to stay on - and most good brands come with guaranteed repairs.  Like most things, you will only get what you are willing to pay for.  

[kelkel2]

19 minutes ago, navybankerteacher said:

Well made luggage will last longer -- certainly the wheels tend to stay on - and most good brands come with guaranteed repairs.  Like most things, you will only get what you are willing to pay for.  

Absolutely! My husband is cheap and he got exactly what he paid for! 

[Flatbush Flyer]

1 hour ago, navybankerteacher said:

Well made luggage will last longer -- certainly the wheels tend to stay on - and most good brands come with guaranteed repairs.  Like most things, you will only get what you are willing to pay for.  

5 hours ago, pdmlynek said:

I am sorry, but isn't that exactly what you posted when you wrote:

"Spending $$$ on the right luggage will get you a lifetime guarantee of durability." ?

$$$ is hardly expensive.

To each his own. But, still, you won’t see many “million milers” toting duffle bags.

[pdmlynek]

On 2/12/2023 at 12:53 AM, Flatbush Flyer said:

...

And though extremely important, durability is not the only consideration. A lifetime warranty (with few to no exceptions) add real value to an investment in the right product.

....

 

Durability is the only consideration when we are discussing durability.  A lifetime warranty is irrelevant when it comes to durability.

 

A lifetime warranty does not add any real value to an investment in the right product.  Firstly, a luggage is not an investment; it is merely a cost.  A consumer buys the product and uses it.  Or do invenstors buy 10, 100, or 1000 pieces of luggage hoping to selling at a profit in a year or two like other investments?  I have not seen or heard of that. 

 

Secondly, I've seen plenty of luggage on secondary market, and no buyer of used luggage cares if there is a lifetime warranty on that luggage.  The buyer of used luggage may care about the durability, and durable luggage may sell for a bigger price than similar less durable luggage, but there is no premium on luggage with lifetime warranty.  

[pdmlynek]

21 hours ago, Hlitner said:

As to lifetime guarantees, as they say in Brooklyn, "Forget about it."  We travel too often to deal with the time involved in getting luggage repaired.  The guarantees are legit, but the process and time necessary to get repairs simply does not work for folks that are constantly on the move. ....

Hank @Hlitner is correct, as always.  

 

Lifetime warranties are worthless.  If a zipper or hinge or another part on a luggage fails while traveling, and the contents of the bag spill all over the tarmac or loading dock, I could not care less if I get my money back or I get the bag repaired.  I damage caused by the failure of the luggage part is much greater to a traveler than the cost of getting the failed part replaced or repaired.