medicalma'am Posted September 10, 2014 #1 Share Posted September 10, 2014 (edited) I recently flew overseas and Air France mutilated my suitcase, breaking off one wheel and breaking the other three! I need advice in choosing another one. Tell me that your favorite brands are and the features you love. What I need: four rollers that maneuver easily durable/strength :rolleyes: expandable is nice (for all those port purchases) soft side/hard side - undecided Help me out here Thanks for all your suggestions in advance! Edited September 10, 2014 by medicalma'am spelling Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cruisin&Relaxin Posted September 10, 2014 #2 Share Posted September 10, 2014 I recently flew overseas and Air France mutilated my suitcase' date=' breaking off one wheel and breaking the other three! I need advice in choosing another one. Tell me that your favorite brands are and the features you love. What I need: four rollers that maneuver easily durable/strength :rolleyes: expandable is nice (for all those port purchases) soft side/hard side - undecided Help me out here Thanks for all your suggestions in advance! [/size'] I have been using these two bags the past year and have been very pleased with them. One is a two wheeler (not your desired four) and the other is a backpack style that I carry atop the two wheeler (or my back). http://www.ebags.com/product/ebags/mother-lode-tls-mini-21-wheeled-duffel/125538?productid=10150071 http://www.ebags.com/product/ebags/mother-lode-tls-weekender-convertible/143101?productid=10126285 This retailer has many different styles to choose from. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
griz400 Posted September 10, 2014 #3 Share Posted September 10, 2014 We bought this set 2 years ago now, 3 vacations later and looks real good, no problems ... also bought an additional garment bag for hanging stuff ... other places sell same set for more, buy it on line and pick it up .. you can look at it all first in store ... we dont use the small bags ... http://www.walmart.com/ip/American-Tourister-5-Piece-Luggage-Set-Black/14957032 http://www.walmart.com/ip/American-Tourister-Black-Wheeled-Garment-Bag/20469684 :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
griz400 Posted September 10, 2014 #4 Share Posted September 10, 2014 Sorry, ours are 2 wheels, tried to delete, but was too late :( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FreestyleNovice Posted September 10, 2014 #5 Share Posted September 10, 2014 I prefer hard shell suitcases as they are (more) weather resistant, combined with spinner wheels they are perfect for walking and dragging if needed. Great European brands are; Rimowa (the famous aluminium top quality suitcases), Titan. Above mentioned American Tourister is a sub brand of Samsonite, the same quality but without the Samsonite price. ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foghorn Posted September 11, 2014 #6 Share Posted September 11, 2014 I went back and forth for about a month between the semi hard sided and the soft sided. I did buy the American Tourister three piece set. Go to Amazon and e-bags both had free shipping. You can also read a ton of reviews. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobg529 Posted September 11, 2014 #7 Share Posted September 11, 2014 You cannot go wrong with Travelpro. This is the brand used by most airline crew. They make many different variations, but look in particular at the Crew 9 or Crew 10 lines. You can get a fair price if you shop around on line. Check ebags and Amazon in particular. You probably would want a 26" rollaway and a carryon, but YRMV. :) Sent from my iPhone using Cruise Critic Forums mobile app Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valen9 Posted September 11, 2014 #8 Share Posted September 11, 2014 I'm pretty fond of Samsonite's 4-wheel luggage. They make some fairly lightweight but easy to roll bags. My Siloughette (I think) that I bought in the factory outlet has lasted 7 years and still looks new. I was soft-sided all the way until I bought a plastic hard shell carry-on size bag. Mine has an expansion section which I have used several times. I found that the hard shell makes the bag lighter overall while being very sturdy. It does a much better job of being a shelf when the need arises than any of my soft-sided bags. The only problem with the hard sided bag is that there are no external pockets where I could slip a brochure or some last-minute item into. I've taken to making sure the zippers are at the top, so if I need to slide something in there I can slip it in between the two sections of the clamshell. Good luck with the bag search! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garycarla Posted September 11, 2014 #9 Share Posted September 11, 2014 You will get lots of opinions here. Good luck. We prefer, or are happy with two wheels. Soft sided. Not too expensive as they will get trashed in time. BIG HINT... if you hand something off a 2 wheel suitcase, and it hangs LOW, it cuts the weight, drag way down. Physics at work. I have a roll aboard and a HEAVY briefcase with computer. I do this and can wheel that bag through airport with one finger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
herdingdogmom Posted September 11, 2014 #10 Share Posted September 11, 2014 Another vote for Travel Pro. I bought a 4 wheel 26" several years ago specifically for cruises and it has been fantastic. It is lightweight and very roomy with the expandable feature. A huge difference from the 22" two wheel I used before. Look for the sales on it on line or at discount retail stores. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
don't-use-real-name Posted September 11, 2014 #11 Share Posted September 11, 2014 Consider the value of what is inside the suitcase being protected from the elements ! A thousand dollar (euros) suitcase to protect a hundred dollar of Wal*Mart expendable clothing - common get real. The costly suitcases may do a great job protecting the contents but maybe this is a bit of overkill. Of course if you are fashion serious then the better luggage would be the correct choice. In any event it is the contents that are in need of protection and not the suitcase itself ! If that was the case then putting a suitcase inside another would be the definitive answer. So also consider what you have in items of weight and the total in one suitcase going over an airline threshold of overweight with the charge or fee for that. The better choice is something made of rip-stop nylon - lightweight - with wheels be they retractable or exposed and an extendable handle to trolly along the bag without carrying it. Some larger bags have a detachable luggage strap to latch onto a smaller bag and carry the smaller bag piggy back style. If packing a lot of stuff look for the bag with an exterior expandable zipper looks just like the zipper that closes the bag together but it allows about 2-3 inches of more room inside the bag. So in review you don't need expensive baggage to protect the stuff inside. Find a balance in how many times you are going to need baggage that is durable enough for your travels and plan on replacing it periodically when it has served its purpose. Also look for sales and combo deals where you buy 1 large piece with 2-3 or 4 smaller units nestled inside for a great deal ! There are an awful lot of places to shop for baggage - seek and you will find ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Viv0828 Posted September 11, 2014 #12 Share Posted September 11, 2014 (edited) We only carry on so no info from us but our DD and SIL buy whatever Costco carries and they seem pretty satisfied. Sent from my iPhone using Forums Edited September 11, 2014 by Viv0828 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
medicalma'am Posted September 12, 2014 Author #13 Share Posted September 12, 2014 Thank you so much for all the replies. So many great suggestions! I have been researching and weighing the 'expensive vs buy cheap and replace as needed options'. I only need one bag as my 24 inch hard side is fine. Back to my research. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Planmaam Posted September 12, 2014 #14 Share Posted September 12, 2014 What size case are you looking to replace? I read a thread on here before I purchased new suitcases about a year ago. I love my new "hard-soft sided" suitcases. If I say that do you know what I mean? I got it at Cost__, a two-piece set. It has 4 wheels, which I wanted after using my two-wheeled ones and DH's four-wheeled ones. Remember when we were asked to move luggage at the port in NOLA when my DH was in the restroom? His was easy because it had 4-wheels, and mine more difficult. Only because there were three bags piled up on each, and the top ones kept falling off mine, but his kept balanced as I moved things. Try the big, membership warehouse near you, they should have a good deal, and several for you to look at in person. I'll show you my new suitcase in two weeks. ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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