HELP I Need New Luggage

[hockeymomNS]

i'm looking for opinions, good and bad on luggage.

Do you subscribe to the theory "buy cheap, the airline is going to ruin it anyway"?
Or have you had luck with some of the pricier brands that have indeed stood up?
I do like to shop a bit while in Orlando so the lightweight has caught my eye.

Please share your experiences.

 

[Robo]

I've used the same soft-sided cases for decades.

After packing, we weigh each case before we go to the airport to make sure we
won't pay a premium charge per case.
(Trade heavier items between bags, if needed.)

Know your airline's max. sizes and weights before you pack.

 

[ravenclawtrekkie]

I'm personally a big fan of the eBags brand. I use a purse, laptop backpack, and lunch bag from them, as well as their luggage and packing cubes.

 

[AngiTN]

I have sworn off cheap luggage. While the airline may well be rough on it I am the one that has to wheel it through the airport/at the resorts. My last couple cheap bags were just that, cheap crap that I used 1, maybe 2 times and tossed.
I am replacing all ours with 4 wheel, higher quality stuff.
I bought our carry on size bags back in Oct and just today went and bought 2 more checked bag sizes. Dillards had a lot of bags on clearance, including the Travel Pro.
I have checked out a lot and find that overall I like TravelPro brand quite well. Price is easier to take than Tumi or the other high end brands but it performs very well. They have a great backpack laptop bag that can go through the scanner very easily too, don't even have to remove the laptop
I also have 2 Eagle Creek bags that I like.
Today I bought this Lucas bag. I've not tried this brand before and I'm uncertain of it. The price was too good to pass up due to the clearance.
http://www.ebags.com/product/lucas/...lightweight-spinner/285957?productid=10341091

The TravelPro bags we got
http://www.ebags.com/product/travelpro/crew-10-21-expandable-spinner/279109?productid=10377139
http://www.ebags.com/product/travel...omputer-laptop-case/284046?productid=10336310
http://www.ebags.com/product/travelpro/29-expandable-spinner/278604?productid=10377141

And the Eagle Creek (the 2nd one, the weekend bag, appears large but will fit under the seat so I can carry both of these on a plane)
http://www.ebags.com/product/eagle-creek/no-matter-what-flatbed-awd-20/294589?productid=10364613
http://www.ebags.com/product/eagle-creek/tarmac-weekend-bag/294587?productid=10364606

 

[thetallone101]

I used cloth luggage for years and was tired of it being ripped after only a couple flights and I find that it's heavy...I weight my large air canada luggage and it was 22lbs without anything in it! With airlines charging for everything these days I wanted light weight luggage that is durable. Often the Heyes brand goes on sale and I bought the hard luggage from them for 70% off and the largest case I have - I think over 30" is less than 8lbs empty! It fits a LOT, therefore I can buy more hehe. It does get scuffed up but at least doesn't rip like the soft stuff.

 

[AngiTN]

I thought I would like hard side luggage so I sprung for a piece last year.
Turns out I hate it. I am one who lives out of a suitcase when we travel. I put it on the luggage rack and prop it open when I am getting things out. With the hard shell bags they open in the middle and you can't prop it open easily.
Just something to consider if you are like me and stay packed.
If you opt to unpack it's a great choice

 

[Laura353741]

I travel several times a year and love my cheap roller suitcase because it's LIGHT WEIGHT and you know what, if it gets a tear or whatever, no biggie. I just love how lightweight it is so it's not adding to the bulkiness. I WILL say though, if I ever splurge on luggage again, I WANT one of those 4 wheeler roller bags. They're so easy for rolling thru security, etc.

 

[sachilles]

I do quite a bit of airtravel. I managed 68 flights in 2015. Travel with an Ogio backpack(laptop bag) and Ogio large roller duffle bag. It's dirtier than it was a year ago, but still functions as intended and has held up.
http://ogio.com/travel

 

[AngiTN]

All the bags I got are also very light weight. I tend to overpack so I have to worry about weight.
The Lucas bag I bought today weighs 5 lbs
The larger TravelPro bag weighs more, 11 lbs but it's not horrible.
The carry ons are small enough at 21" that it's pretty hard to overload them anyway. It's only the bigger bags I need to worry about

 

[Jestocost]

I have a Briggs & Riley Baseline carry-on roller bag that is still in great working order going on nearly 13 years. It's probably been on some 300 flights in that time. I can't tell you how many cheap bags we've gone through in that same time. Dozens, literally. One thing to note about B&R is that they come with a lifetime warranty, meaning they will repair anything that fails ever.

 

[AngiTN]

I love the Briggs and Riley bags. If I ever upgrade from what I've bought it will be them. I had to upgrade in baby steps

 

[hockeymomNS]

Wow, great feedback so fast! Thank you.

I do have a portable scale that I use.

Right now I'm using soft sided Air Canada that has likely 4 or 5 trips in it. It is very scruffy looking and this past trip had the handle get bent. I don't think I have many trips left with it. I got this on sale for around $100 here in Canada. I had heard that Heys was good and I think I would love the spinning wheels, but the latest reviews on them aren't great.

Hub was using a cheap brand that no one has heard of. It finally died.

 

[supersnoop]

I'm another vote for Briggs & Riley. I've probably got 300,000 miles on mine and the only problem is that a zipper pulled fell off. They have a lifetime no-questions-asked warranty, so they'll fix anything. Most luggage warranties don't cover "airline damage," so they're practically worthless.

 

[Disneylover99]

We have Heys luggage and it's been great, but I'm not a luggage connoisseur, so I'd probably be happy with any brand.

 

[DVCjj]

I vote for Light Weight, Light Weight, Light Weight.

Absolute first priority as ALL luggage (if checked) will be thrown around by the luggage monkeys (we have seen it personally, on TV and in the paper) and, to me, sturdiness doesn't matter. It will all be abused.

Unlike others, all my trips are in the US (95% to Disney many times a year) and I purposely pack light (very, very hard for me) and only do carry on....hence...."light, light, light"

I will never buy any other brand other than "IT" (yes "IT"). As light as a feather, a dream to put in overhead.

Perfect luggage (for me). And has the dream of 4 wheels. I couldn't ask for more.
Ohhhhh....and get it at TJMaxx and Marshall's for a song.

 

[rachdd]

I am a firm believer in not paying for the "good stuff". I buy all of my luggage these days from TJ Maxx or from a department store sale. The lightweight has been great. I just had a piece of newer lightweight Sampsonite that I have only flown with around 4 times break on the way home from Disney a couple of weeks ago. The airline rep at check in said you would not believe how often that it happens.

 

[AngiTN]

I am a firm believer in not paying for the "good stuff". I buy all of my luggage these days from TJ Maxx or from a department store sale. The lightweight has been great. I just had a piece of newer lightweight Sampsonite that I have only flown with around 4 times break on the way home from Disney a couple of weeks ago. The airline rep at check in said you would not believe how often that it happens.

I actually think Samsonite is pretty crappy quality now. At least all the pieces I've tried out are. Them and American Tourister are no longer the product they once were.

 

[loves to dive]

I can't begin to tell you how many pieces of luggage we have bought from hard case to soft side to duffle. Because we are divers and own our own equipment we have to go for light weight, that stuff is heavy. We also do underwater photography, DH does video I do still pictures, that has to be carried on but the video rig is heavy as all get out. We found it didn't matter if we bought expensive or cheap, it was going to get ruined after about two trips. In all fairness, it is heavy and the one's we carry gear in is big. We actually take out little portable scale to the store and weigh everything and the lightest wins. Right now we are using some nylon type bags we got at T.J. Maxx. It has 4 wheels so it can be rolled instead of pulled, big bonus when each of us has a big bag and a medium bag as well as two carry ons. The little carry ons fit perfect in overhead bins and bonus,, little ole me can lift them up without any help, so when I'm travelling alone I don't have to struggle.

 

[tabrizia]

We have an LL Bean rolling duffel bag that we have had for years. It looks new and has been on 3 trips to India plus numerous trips in the continental US. It has held up amazingly. In fact we are planning to get a second one soon. That being said we got the bigger size so it is checked luggage size, but we almost always end up checking at least 1 bag, and it was totally worth the cost for the bag considering how nicely it has stood the wear and tear of travel.

 

[larryz]

I actually think Samsonite is pretty crappy quality now.

I can understand the reluctance to buy at the prices they charge today! But I've had a 2-suit Samsonite hardside with rigid metal frame (not zippered) since 2008. It's been to Abu Dhabi, Germany, and Taiwan,as well as several domestic trips. Not a dent in it. I think it has held up well considering.