Resriechan

Hi Folks.

I would appreciate folks' experience, for a dear friend of mine,
in selecting two to four pieces of sturdy (yet hopefully also presentable/ attractive) luggage.
She will be making the selection and purchase four days from now, possibly at Walmart (which I do understand is not the store where one would first head for a selection of
the highest-quality product selections)

We are not consumers who would even consider the fancy, (but in my opinion) overpriced "designer" products (L. Vuitton, etc) Not intending to cause any riots by mentioning that, just providing a thumbnail of our financial level.

I'm hoping that there is some useful input on products that will be worth their cost of perhaps $100-250 total for two-four pieces (max of two large & two carryon items maybe) and also be reliable and sturdy. That dollar figure is an ESTIMATE about her plans; I do not have the actual available dollar figure. She may have more than $150 but I don't know for a fact ; sorry about lacking that detail here in the forum. Please resist any temptation to tell me how out-of-date I am about pricing of luggage/ brands, etc. I'm simply trying to help
her to gather some useful data. I myself haven't done out-of-state flying for several years now however my family did live in Japan, in DC, etc. ...it's just that in the past 15 years or so, my finances are no longer such that I can travel other than to visit a family member in a different state on occasion.

just the very basic, streamlined advice, such as:

yes/ no choices for one or two pieces of standard luggage to use for a flight btw Nevada and one of the two DC airports (so there will be lots of airport/ car logistics on the arrival trip AND on the return trip).

My friend is a working single mother, making ends meet, paying for braces for her daughter, father NOT on the scene or providng any money (he's a dangerous guy).

.She does not own an automobile, so it's likely that a chunk of her travel money will have to go to paying taxicab fares. That's why I don't want her to rush home from Walmart,
with the first cheap item of luggage that has a pretty bow on it, and then have it fall apart in the first few logistical struggles of a cross-country trip during the holiday crowds.

Please just a few lines of "this brand is always reliably well-built and the price I paid for two pieces was ------"....She's going shopping during (next ) weekend Oct 25th or so. Unfortunately I only HAVE a few-days' notice, so I would deeply appreciate anyone's help with a "just the facts, ma'am" version of this. Please mention maybe an average price, and maybe a minimum price to expect, for a basic large suitcase of a particular brand (not with fancy accessories added)

Also I don't know if this is allowed on this blog, but if you've had horrible consistent experiences with some particular brand that is the only brand carried .... not a long list, just if it's one particular brand which you have found to fall apart after one or two trips ....please tell me "don't recommend wasting even $5 on this brand".



Thank you SO much. Peace.

suze

I own 3 pieces of luggage, a 22" and a 24" rolling suitcase, and a 24" rolling duffle bag. I travel with only 1 of them on a trip. (Not sure why someone would need or how they would handle 4 pieces of luggage at once.)

I never pay more than ~$50 for each one. I have found them at Marshalls, JC Pennys, and TJ Maxx.

If you have to shop Walmart, you're pretty limited to whatever selection they have. I wouldn't fret too much about it, just go and look at what they have. Open the zippers, feel how heavy they are empty, wheel them around the store to make sure the pop-up handle and wheels work properly.

One of mine is Ricardo, the other two are no-name brands. I've had them all for years.

Resriechan

Thanks Suze. I wrote her back awhile ago and she mentioned that she's hoping to purchase from JC Penney's; so that's good info. Appreciate it!

suze

JC Penney's should be OK. Or if she happens to have a Macy's nearby, they are always having sales where they sell those 4-piece name-brand sets at very good prices.

My best suggestion is to try to buy a suitcase that is sturdy but *lightweight* when empty. Some of the priciest ones are REALLY heavy, which always seemed a waste to me. Second that the wheels, handle mechanism and zippers work smoothly.

thursdaysd

If she can travel lighter she won't need taxis in D.C. - there's a very good subway/metro system. I'd recommend staying somewhere like Crystal City - on the subway but cheaper than in D.C. proper. The less luggage the better. Unless she's actually moving house, one checked and one carry-on should be ample - and remember there are charges for checked bags now.

I have an Eagle Creek convertible backpack that has done over a year and a half of actual travel, but she will probably want something with wheels.

Iowa_Redhead

If she can find a Younkers, they often put their luggage on 50% off sales. That brings the prices down past Penney's range and near/in WalMart range. Also Kohls often has decent deals on bags. She can also try eBags if she has time to wait for it to be delivered. They generally have free shipping and are often cheaper than stores. She can read reviews for that specific bag from people who have already purchased it.

A simple carryon size roller and a 24-25" roller should be sufficient for most kinds of travel.

My big roller bag is a 25" Swiss Army bag from Target. It's held up very well through multiple trips and was really cheap. I love it and would happily purchase it again if I wanted a roller bag. The other bag I use is a convertible backpack from eBags.

I would suggest against getting a black roller bag (there are 100 of them on the luggage carousel and you have to keep checking to find yours). I prefer bright red, bright blue, etc. It still looks fine, but is easy to find. She might want to look online to begin with so that she can find the prices and sales for the stores in her area. That way she can pick out the one she thinks she wants and go to that store first, already knowing the prices for the other possible bags. I hate buying an item at one store just to see that it's on sale at the next store.

Good luck!

suze

The one time I tried using both pieces with rollers (an 18" carryon plus a checked thru 24") it did not work out very well for me. I use a carry-on without wheels, and it just sits on top of the larger wheeled one when we're moving.

november_moon

I do like Suze does - if I can't manage with just the one suitcase, I use a wheeled luggage and a small non-wheeled flight bag that sits on top. I bought mine about 5 years ago from Rick Steves and have been quite happy with them.

bigtyke

You might try looking at a local thrift shop. I have bought 3 pieces of luggage for less than $25 total - a nice roller carry on, a standard hard shell suitcase with rollers, and a very sturdy hard shell big suitcase with rollers.

Every time I go to the thrift stores (in most cases these have been Habitat for Humanity ReStores) there has been decent used luggage for just a few dollars.

lcuy

I get my luggage at Ross. $39 or $49 for a 22" 4 wheeled bag with expandable zippers by Samsonite, Chaps, Diane von Furstenberg, Swiss Army, etc. Usually I can find attractive ones that work well.

I do a lot of travel in Asia where the bags get really beat up by airlines and trains. I've found that the cheap bags work just as well as the expensive ones, and when they do get dirty and damaged- as all bags do- I have no qualms about getting a new one.

I've often checked the bags at Walmart, and have never been tempted to buy one there. They are really poor quality and boring too.

janisj

The OP's friend bought her luggage back in October . . . (This was topped by an advertiser)

LSky

Even though it was last year's post, I agree with Icuy- buy luggage at Ross or TJMaxx.

Had to answer since I read the whole thing without noticing the date.

lcuy

Yikes...usually i catch things like this!