Do you love your luggage? If so, please share!

Hi missypie,

I do just LOVE my Victorinox Werks Traveler 2 luggage. It's light, and I really really love the mono-pole handle and its grip that rotates (saves my wrist). It's about mid-range with prices (cheaper than Tumi, not as cheap as Target, etc).

Good luck!

s

I love my Dakota carryon roller. It's smaller than 22", is the best-made piece of luggage I've ever owned. I think Dakota was the "value" line for Tumi and I don't think they make it anymore.
There isn't a brand of luggage around that my husband can't trash (they should have used him instead of that gorilla for the old American Tourister ad) so he is not allowed to even touch my Dakota roller. He has already broken two of the five pieces in my year old set of Pierre Cardin luggage (which isn't that hard to do, it's cheap luggage, but he's also trashed several other better brands).
Swandav, I've heard excellent things about the Victorinox line. I like the way they lean back just a bit so when they're heavily loaded they don't pitch forward the way lots of other bags do.

Lark luggage is really good. I have bought two suitbags and they both have travelled the world. They were fabricated with balistics nylon and it handles the curse of travel and airlines. I still have both bags and I have a Lark smaller bag for online requirements.

I still am in love with the Lark bags.

Blackduff

Yes, I do love my luggage. I got it on eBags.com, and here's the link. I use the two smallest pieces in the set the most, but did use the largest one once.

http://www.ebags.com/international_traveller/equator_4_piece_hardside_rolling_set/product_detail/index.cfm?modelid=17575

Best Wishes,
BC

I love my luggage!

http://tinyurl.com/lw8m

I've had this suitcase for 4 years and it's been on 10 trans-atlantic, trans/pacific trips. I've tried so hard to do some damage to it, but it just keeps on going. If it ever wears out, I'll get another one.

I take this suitcase and a daypack for a 2 week trip.

We have two bags we love.

One is the Rick Steves' roll-on that offwego has

http://tinyurl.com/lw8m

and one is this one by Patagonia

http://tinyurl.com/lh2sg

My DH and older son tend to take the Patagonia ones and younger son and I tend to use the rollers. I love the Patagonia one, too, but ever since my shoulder surgery it is a little too much for me to carry.

I bring the roll-on and a carry on backpack/purse for a 2 week trip.

Good luck!

Briggs+Riley..it lasts and lasts.

I love my travel pro platinum. Quite indestructable..or at least so far. I do a lot of traveling and I have a 24" expandable as well as a small bag that fits on top. I use the smaller as a weekend bag (or a 1 week beach type vacation bag). The large one has great interior design. My husband has a Tumi. He offered to buy me a Tumi (my birthday present), but the salesman showed me both the Tumi and TP platinum, and I just could not justify the difference in cost (my husband was away on business more than he was home so he probably logged at least 50 RTs per year many of which were multiple legs..it took him 10 yrs to wear out his Tumi) for someone who travels about a third as much.

My Lowe Alpine backpack i bought when i first went backpacking round Greece when I was 17 - still have it 17years later! its been round the world with me - just dug it out last night for my next trip to India in May for 4months - its like my brother!

My Travelpro Platinum II 22" expandable rollaboard is perfect - I can't think of a single thing I would change to make it better. I use it on both pleasure and business travel and I would guess it's made well over 100 trips over the last 7 years or so with only a lost screw every now and again (Travelpro customer service is great and they'll send you replacements free). One of the best purchases I've ever made, and not all that expensive.

Yes, BTilke, in my opinion, the Victorinox really shows its engineering -- all the little things that make life easier when you're jet-lagged & too tired to pay attention. The larger pieces have a "stand" so a case piled on top can rest against it; the stand actually retracts into the case when you don't use it. Really neat.

And for me, the weight was a deal-breaker. No more heavy bags for me!

s

I second Intrepid's rec of Briggs & Riley - heavy, well made, unconditional, no questions guarantee

I am sold on Delsey (lite line). Similar concept as the Victorinox that Swanday was stating. Advertised to be 40% lighter than other brands on the market. It is also very durable, my 22 inch has made 6 roundtrips to Europe and looks almost new. I prefer the design (suiter and pockets for organizing) over the Victorinox.

EMS - backpack

One more vote for Briggs and Riley.

Anselm

I hate my lugggage when I cannot get enough into it.
I hate it when it is soooo heavy.
I love my luggage when I see it every time on that carousel and it is still in good shape.
I bought it in Bloomingdales years ago and have no idea what brand it is.

I used a Samsonite soft-sided set for 40 years and never had a problem with it. It has traveled three continents with me. I still love it, but my DH is getting tired of lugging it around (no wheels), so this summer we bought me a new set - Briggs & Riley. So far I really like it, but I have yet to take it on any real journeys. This spring we are going to Europe, and in the fall to Africa. This should be a real test for it. If it is half as good as my trusty old Samsonite, I'll be happy.

I LOVE my Eagle Creek Switchback bag -- soft sided with wheels, 22" so fits carryon bins & has a zip-off daypack -- and I got the khaki color so it's a nice neutral color yet easy to spot among all the black ones -- it holds everything & I never check bags anymore. Mine is almost 10 years old now -- I got it at REI but they also sell it online on various sites -- the current version of it is here: http://www.eaglecreek.com/20156.html

Another Briggs and Riley fan. Lifetime guarantee, no questions asked. Very sturdy. A bit on the heavy side, but durability makes up for it.Each of us has a 22" with wheels.

Hi missypie,

We have had everything over the years from Tumi to your regular luggage. My most recent favorite was purchased because we needed a second 22" for our trip to Italy. I was at REI looking for day packs when I found my new favorite piece of luggage. It is fantastic. Something about the pocket sizes and design that impress me more than any piece I have owned. It is more lightweight than our Tumis, but very sturdy and maneuverable. It is the best I have owned and I got it on sale for around $100.

I have never "loved" any piece until now, but in keeping with your question, I do now "love" my REI luggage.

Tiff

Ok, so what is good as a carry on-Air France-with wheels?

Another Victorinox Werks Traveler fan. Lightweight and holds up great. I use a 22" roller and can pack much more into it than I expected. I advise looking online for it because online prices seem to be much lower than those at, say, Macy's.

I'll put in a vote for the Air Boss from Red Oxx (www.redoxx.com). Excellent construction, carry on size and can swallow quite a load if necessary. The best I've found in 20+ years of travel

Important fact for Briggs and Riley - wheel and handle mechanism is OUTSIDE the bag, not inside like many other products. What about damage from airline handling? No problem. Guaranteed by B & R.

I have a set of Roncato luggage in Barbie pink and I absolutely adore it. I always know where my bag is, and because it is a hard case, I never over stuff, nor do I have to worry about breakage inside.

Roncato luggage is just perfect for travelers. Especially the hard stuff.

I have Ricardo luggage. Bought it at a department store and I love it. Also have seen it online. It's not real expensive and it's survived 3 trips to Europe and many trips around the US.

I have Ricardo also, I got it at Costo six years ago, three piece set. It has survived several airplane trips well. A piece of one zipper handle has broken off.

But really anything is a step up over what I put up with in college, traveling to and from school over breaks.

I had asked for suitcases with wheels, and my non-traveling family bought me two big suitcases with little tiny wheels and a leather strap you took out from a side pouch and clipped to a metal loop. Pulling two of those so that one or the other didn't fall over sideways was a real art form.

I have a Ricardo too and I have lost count of how many airline trips it has been on..but the funny thing is one of the zipper handles on mine broke off too.

This piece of luggage is the 29 inch and I need a smaller size. Am trying to figure out if a 22 inch would be big enough for say a three week trip. I do keep packing less and less.

If I see a smaller piece of luggage by Ricardo I will buy it as I have been very pleased with the one I have had for years. I do want a color other than black though.

I have a great Eaglecreek backpack which I bought 6 years ago. The recent model which comes closest is this one:

http://www.eaglecreek.com/10053.html

The good thing is that the big compartiment opens completely with a zipper, so you don't have to stuff everything in from the top, and it has a zip off daypack included.

Be it Delsey, Victorinox, or the other brands now making light luggage, one thing I can contest to is that once you have tried them you will never go back to regular luggage. While packing for our last trip, my mother grabbed my 22" Delsey by accident instead of her 22" Samsonite (same color). When she realized her error and grabbed her suitcase and noticed the difference in the weight, she begged me to let her use my suitcase. I had to use my 25" for that trip.

After that trip, I am now permanently missing a 22" piece from my set.

I was trying to check on the weights for the Victorinox Werks luggage and can't find it anywhere. Ebags ususally lists weights on all the luggage they sell but omits it on their stuff it seems. I hate the claim "30% lighter than....' but then you aren't given the actual weight! any info from V W fans? lynda

Hi lyndash,

There are some weights on ebags for the Werks Traveler cases, but not for all of them. So just for comparison, I jotted these down. These are all for the 21" - 22" rolling cases

Werks Traveler -- 9.10
Delsey Helium -- 8.10
Samsonite Aspire -- 8.3
Travelpro Platinum -- 10.6
Briggs & Riley Baseline Superlite -- 12

Just for comparison.

Remember, too, that Victorinox also has a lifetime warrenty.

Good luck!

s

Thanks for the reply. I've got a piece of Aspire Lite from Samsonite on order from ebags so eventually I'll chime in with an opinion on it. lynda

I bought a 22 inch and it's very light. I paid $25 for it at a Christmas shop ten years ago and it's gone on at least one Europe trip a year and still looks great. The wheels and all. My carry on is a leather overnight Longchamp.

My Hartmann luggage was a very big splurge for me but I absolutely love it. When I saw the Wings Collection, I just knew I had to have. I buy myself a piece every other year. I travel internationally and domestically several times a year so I wanted something I knew I could depend on. Each and every time I travel I am always amazed that when I pull my clothes out of the luggage they are in the same condition (no wrinkles) as they were before they went in. I actually found a great company out in California that makes custom made covers at a reasonable price to protect the beautiful material that is used in the Wings Collection.
Well worth saving up for!!

Hi missypie,

I have had a set of Briggs and Riley Luggage for a few years. It's a bit expensive, but well worth it! It is garunteed for a life time against anything even if the airlines damages it. I have had mine repaired at least 3-4 times due to the airlines. And the company has fixed it like new for no cost. I was told by the luggage store I go to to get it repaired. That Briggs and Riley are the only company that does that. You can look them up on line. They have all sorts of bags.

Good Luck,
PrincessDee

P.S. Hope this helped.

I love my 7-yr-old Ricardo 22" expandable. I like the overall design, especially the hanging section. In addition, I have two matching totes, one which fits over the handle of the 22" and the other can be carried on a clip that comes with the luggage. This luggage has made 14 international flights and several domestic trips with no damage whatsoever. I travel a month with the 22" and one tote.

We were giving our American Tourister
luggage it's last rites. Looked for the Delsey
lite line but came up empty as it
appeared to be a hot commodity at this particular time.

Anyway, we tried the Rick Steves 21" wheeled carry-on, the attraction was it's weight only being 7-1/4 lbs,
the 2500 cubic inches along with the 2" expandable.

Now, We each only use that 21" and a 14" boarding
tote from LLBean.

The exception is for a cruise when we check a 26" rolling suiter and use an 18" rolling carry-on. The 18" is great with having to give up your bag the night before.

We absolutely love our
RS & Bean luggage!
They're light and do their job
well.

I have acquired a lot of different luggage and sizes but I found a good condition hard sided Samsonite luggage at the GoodWill store, which is small and holds enough items plus I carry a small carry on. The suite case didn't have any keys and the luggage stores said that I couldn't get one but my neighbor had one and loaned me his key to copy which worked in my case plus he had the instructions as to how you change the code for the suite case. I have a strap that fits around my suite case and can be unlocked by the TSA security if necessary. I really like the hard sided case. The handle and the wheels are really important and this has both that are excellent. I am sold on wheels and wouldn't use a bag without one. Hope that this helps.

Classic Samsonite seems to wear extremely well and is nearly indescructible (like those old Ma Bell phones you rented instead of bought), but we're not happy with their newer lines. My husband bought a fairly expensive piece from their Samsonite Black line. It's less than a year old and has had to be repaired three times. The zippers are small and flimsy and the fabric is pilling at various spots. So no more new Samsonite pieces for us--my parents' well-used 1960s hard sided three-suiters are in better shape, but they're too heavy and don't have wheels, so they've been retired from circulation and given to a local theatre company where they've found a second life as props for period plays.

I HATE my luggage.

I bought the Delsey Lite line for myself and my daughter. The 22" rollers will not stand up alone when full. Those stupid things will topple over as soon as you let go of the handle.

My husband has a Samsonite that has lasted through 3 overseas trips and still looks great.

OK does anyone have an opinion/experience with cheap luggage? I just got a piece of Samsonite Aspire Lite from ebags and was pleased with it until...... I find just about the exact thing at Wal-Mart for 20 bucks!!!

The Samsonite was $80. free shipping. It is a wheeled tote and weighs only 5 lbs. the wally-world tote is just an oz. or 2 shy of 6lbs so it is close. Getting a light & easy to stash piece of carryon was my goal on this search for a new bag. The wheels and handles look to be equal in quality, the fabric on the Samsonite bag is probably a slighly better grade but not by much.

So now I have 2 bags at home while I try to decide to send the Samsonite back or return the wal-mart bag. Even paying to ship back it would be about $55. difference. any thoughts? lynda

My local TJ Maxx has Delseys from 25" and up, starting at $89.99. Don't know that they will be everywhere but worth a try, if that is your brand of choice. I was surprised by how light they were with that hard outside. Unfortunately, I am looking for a 22" so no bargains for me.

lyndash, do you read my post? I'm on the tenth year with a $25 from the Christmas store.

Thanks so much for all this advice! I just found a Delsey Helium Lite at Marshalls and knew to pick it up quick.

Got hold of a JanSport Footlocker 30" with retractable claw handle from REI some time ago. Three compartments: one anti-bacterial cover between the two main compartments and a smaller compartment for shoes/dirty clothing. Love it! I only bring this luggage for a whole month of travel (business and vacation). Very solid and easy to maneuver. Used to have a four-wheel hard-case Samsonite that I could sit on while waiting in line Unfortunately they stopped that line long ago.

American Airlines did their best but my Samsonite took a lickin and is still tickin.
http://wellsmaine.com/Airlineluggage/luggage-damage.html

My K-Mart $19.99 roll-on suitcase lasted for about 20 years of abuse, overpacking, banging around, being checked, being dropped from heights, rain and more. It finally started separating at one seam about 2 inches long. I think I got my money's worth out of it. Maybe with duct tape I could have eaked out another couple of years!