Luggage Recommendations?

[jandn]

Does anyone have any recommendations for durable, yet economical luggage to purchase? What types/brands are best for airline travel and 7 day cruises? Are rolling or wheeled duffel bags preferable to stay under the weight limit on airlines?

[Rayefan]

If it were me, I would go with a nice rolling duffle bag.... or two! There are many good brands out there. Have fun!

[Keith1010]

We have learned that a nice size bag is a 28" rolling bag. We can fill it up and be at the 50 pound limit. Many of our 28" bags are also suiters meaning that there is a compartment in them that allows you to hang certain items from mens shirts, to mens sports jackets to ladies dresses on hangers in the bag. The section comes out if you do not want to use it for hanging garments.

 

When you are looking for luggage consider the weight of the piece with nothing in it given the airline weight restrictions. Many times the weight will vary by as much as 5 pounds.

 

There are many brands out there at a wide range of prices. The best bet is to set your budget first.

 

Keith

[jandn]

Has anyone ordered luggage online from ebags.com or does anyone know anyone who has ordered luggage online from ebags.com? Were you/they happy with them? Would you/they recommend using them?

[cece1955]

I actually had a wonderful experience with surrayluggage.com - their prices were better than the rest, and their customer service person was great! They have all price ranges.

 

Have a wonderful cruise!

[corazondiablo]

I just ordered the Heys XCase-XL 3 pc set from ebags... expecting them on or around oct 6th... will let you know how it goes after i get them. my fingers are crossed for a smooth experience with them!

[Happy ks]

Has anyone ordered luggage online from ebags.com or does anyone know anyone who has ordered luggage online from ebags.com? Were you/they happy with them? Would you/they recommend using them?

 

They are a great resource for comparison. Their prices are pretty much the same as you will get at a luggage store or large department store. Luggage is always on sale. I've had good experience with their returns and they ship promptly. I haven't purchased suitcases, but a couple totes and packing accessories.

 

My advice would be to not buy bargain basement quality. It might look the same and feel the same, but it is not made from the same quality fabrics as a better brand. Zippers are not as strong, fabrics tear easier, frames break or bend easier.

 

There are many good quality brands out there that won't break the bank. I would suggest going to a large luggage store and really look at some pieces. Travelpro and Victorinox are a couple of my favorites, my Victorinox bags have travelled for years with not much more than a few scuff marks. My Travelpro is newer and, while pricey, it came with so many extras, it was worth it. My husband has a couple Delsey bags that are going the distance as well.

 

Compare these to the large discount bag my BIL purchased from Costco, after only 3 flights, the zipper on his bag was broken and the frame was already bent. So, you can spend $75 on a bag that will need replacement every 2 years or $200 on a bag that you can keep for 10 years.

 

Sometimes the cash outlay is too great and I can very well understand the need to buy inexpensive luggage to get by. But, if and when better quality can be afforded, you will really save in the long run.

[twin43]

Has anyone ordered luggage online from ebags.com or does anyone know anyone who has ordered luggage online from ebags.com? Were you/they happy with them? Would you/they recommend using them?

I ordered from luggageguy.com and had a wonderful experience. I ended up getting Liz Claiborne. I have been on 6 trips since and it looks brand new. It has an expansion pocket and it rolls like a dream. Only problem with the expander is I went over weight so ended up transferring to other suitcase at check in! It also came with a great sized carry-on also on wheels.

[jandn]

I am seriously considering the L.L.Bean luggage, too, and would like to get pros and cons on the various types of rolling luggage L.L.Bean carries, specifically the Rolling Adventure Duffle, the Quickload Upright Duffle, the Sportsman's Rolling Gear Bag. Also, what are the pros and cons of rolling duffles vs. rolling pullmans? And, how durable are these I've mentioned compared to L.L. Bean's more expensive Ballistic Collection?

[celbercrz333]

Whatever you get make sure it's on wheels. Carry on bags included. You don't want to have to carry a lot through the terminals. Our carry on was not on wheels on our first cruise which was out of New York. We felt like our backs were braking even though our regular luggage was on wheels. On our second cruise we had wheels on everything. So much nicer! We prefer Samsonite, but all major brands should be good. Check out your local Marshall's, Ross's or TJ Maxx stores. They have nice ones at good prices.

[FinallyGoing2Bcruising]

I have to recommend TravelPro. I've had my TravelPro for about 7 years and it has held up remarkably well. I used to travel every week for work and would pack everything in my TravelPro rolling bag. Most of the time I would put it in the overhead bin, but there are many occasions I would have to check it. It is still in fantastic condition and I hope to continue using it for several more years.

 

I have a larger TravelPro that I am taking on my cruise next week. Full, it would probably be over the 50lb weight limit, but fortnately I live in Houston and am cruising out of Galveston, so no airline needed!:D

[jandn]

Is your Travelpro luggage a rolling duffel? Which collection is it -- Platinum5, Hydrogen, or TProXtreme?

[mjt2890]

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[jandn]

I have to recommend TravelPro. I've had my TravelPro for about 7 years and it has held up remarkably well. I used to travel every week for work and would pack everything in my TravelPro rolling bag. Most of the time I would put it in the overhead bin, but there are many occasions I would have to check it. It is still in fantastic condition and I hope to continue using it for several more years.

 

I have a larger TravelPro that I am taking on my cruise next week. Full, it would probably be over the 50lb weight limit, but fortnately I live in Houston and am cruising out of Galveston, so no airline needed!:D

 

 

Is your Travelpro luggage a rolling duffel? Which collection is it -- Platinum5, Hydrogen, or TProXtreme? Is it one of these at this link? Do these stand upright without toppling over? Is there enough space between the top of the bag and the top of the handle when it's pulled out to stack a non-wheeled duffle bag on top?

 

http://www.travelpro.com/duffles_styles/duffels.html

[corazondiablo]

For what it's worth, I just received my order from ebags, and the luggage is in great shape and exactly what I ordered. Had a bit of a hassle with delivery, but that wasn't ebag's fault, the hitch was on UPS's end. I'd order from them again (although I shouldn't have to ever again, I now have 6 bags :o)

 

3 Heys bags weigh less than one of my old bags, let's hope they hold up as well as some of the reviewers stated!

[cece1955]

:) A quick bit of advice. When we were looking for luggage we checked out ebags and travel guy, but they ended up being more expensive when we compared prices dollar to dollar. Surrayluggage.com sent us our luggage without a shipping charge. In addition, they did monogram our luggage for free as well. Buying luggage from out of state will also save you the tax! By the way, they have TravelPro (which I also think is good). I also shopped their site and found other things that I needed for the cruise...they also sell Vera Bradley (although it is not on their website, I happened to have this great conversation with this guy and I was talking about how much my dd wanted some tote. and he told me that they do not sell Vera Bradley on their web, but that their stores sold it. My daughter loves Vera Bradley, and I ended up calling the store and got some stuff for her...she was so excited! He was really helpful with advising me on the luggage too.

 

 

quote=FinallyGoing2Bcruising]I have to recommend TravelPro. I've had my TravelPro for about 7 years and it has held up remarkably well. I used to travel every week for work and would pack everything in my TravelPro rolling bag. Most of the time I would put it in the overhead bin, but there are many occasions I would have to check it. It is still in fantastic condition and I hope to continue using it for several more years.

 

I have a larger TravelPro that I am taking on my cruise next week. Full, it would probably be over the 50lb weight limit, but fortnately I live in Houston and am cruising out of Galveston, so no airline needed!:D

[FinallyGoing2Bcruising]

Sorry it has taken me so long to get back to you...I just got home from my cruise yesterday. It was fantastic!!!!

 

I have the TravelPro suitcase, not the duffel. I don't remember what model it is. It might be a FlightPro. It is about 7 years old so it doesn't have all the newer features on it like you see on the website. It does stand upright and it only topples if I have a heavy smaller bag on top. The larger one does not topple. I used the larger one for this cruise and I packed everything in it. As mentioned before, I probably wouldn't use the larger one on flights bc of the weight limit.

 

I would recommend getting a bright colored suitcase. It will make it so much easier to find when you get off the ship and everyone's (from your floor) bags are together. You have to find yours and then go through customs. Remember you place them outside your cabin door the night before you depart and they are all unloaded at once.

[jandn]

Sorry it has taken me so long to get back to you...I just got home from my cruise yesterday. It was fantastic!!!!

 

I have the TravelPro suitcase, not the duffel. I don't remember what model it is. It might be a FlightPro. It is about 7 years old so it doesn't have all the newer features on it like you see on the website. It does stand upright and it only topples if I have a heavy smaller bag on top. The larger one does not topple. I used the larger one for this cruise and I packed everything in it. As mentioned before, I probably wouldn't use the larger one on flights bc of the weight limit.

 

I would recommend getting a bright colored suitcase. It will make it so much easier to find when you get off the ship and everyone's (from your floor) bags are together. You have to find yours and then go through customs. Remember you place them outside your cabin door the night before you depart and they are all unloaded at once.

Thanks for getting back to me after your cruise. I have ordered the Travel Pro Hydrogen 30" Expandable Rolling Duffles for check-in luggage and the Travel Pro Hydrogen 22" Expandable Rolling Duffles for carry-on luggage. There was a delay in shipping because they were not in stock, so we are still waiting for them. I found a good deal on the price online at Kimberly & Co. Both sizes were under $100 when I ordered them, plus free shipping for an order over $100. The price on the larger ones has gone up since I ordered them. They are supposed to be shipped today. We got a couple of L.L. Bean Adventure Duffle bags, also for check-in luggage, which I hope we can strap on top of the large Travel Pro Rolling Duffles to transport them to and from and in the airport.

 

The Travel Pro is only available in navy or gray and I ordered all of them in navy. Unfortunately, I didn't think to get the L.L. Bean duffle bags in bright colors, so I will have to try to find some bright colored duct tape or stickers of some sort to make our luggage easier to find. Anyone have any suggestions on how to decorate our luggage to make it easier to find?