We need new luggage, Help!!

[harrynterry]

We last bought luggage in 1997. It was a very nice set but has traveled ALOT! It is time to buy a new set and I would love some input as to styles and brands you have or have not liked. Please share what has or has not held up well with cruises and the airlines.

 

I am wondering about the "spinner" type with 4 wheels. Anything pro or con?

 

Since this is an investment we live with for some time I just want to make an informed decision!

 

Thanks for sharing, I'm sure you will be helping more than just us!

[Cruise Gypsy]

I have a Samsonite Spinner and I really love it. The best feature to me is that is allows you to wheel you luggage without putting all the weight on your wrist plus how great it is to maneuver in crowded places.

 

My Spinner is used for carry on so I can't speak to how they do being checked. We do carry on luggage only for cruises less than 7 nights to warm places.

 

For longer cruises DH and I share a piece of luggage to check which is a hard side - Samsonite Oyster. It does great being checked because it has latches as opposed to a zipper.

[mjmalino]

We are actually in the process of purchasing new luggage ourselves (I have had mine since college and my DH's is about the same age). Anyway, according to Consumer Reports, their recommendation is that when buying luggage make sure that it is made of ballistic nylon or nylon. According to CR, it holds up much better than polyester.

[Bucky3]

I bought mine at Costco a year or so ago. It is holding up well, but we don't fly, so it's just the ship handling that it gets. It was very reasonably priced, so I don't care if it holds up forever. My DH has an OLD hard side heavy Samsonite that he refuses to get rid of!!

[PollyPenguin]

Look for a color other than black! I found a great deal on a Delsey that is bright blue. It survived the Med cruise last fall and was easy to pick out in the vast sea of black suitcases at the airports and at debarkation and is now my suitcase of choice for all my business travel. I've only seen two others in all my travels - makes it VERY easy to pick out on the luggage carousel.

[alolewis]

I have Travel Pro luggage. They advertise that the majority of airline crews use Travel Pro and if you look around the airport, that is true and one would think someone who travels everyday for a living would know luggage It is well built and takes a lot of abuse, I always check my luggage.

Prior to this I had a Eagle Creek suitcase which held up for over 10 years of 10-12 airline trips a year - always checked and also had the advantage of being tan/brown, never saw another suitcase on the luggage carousel that looked close to mine. Only got rid of it as it was getting a littled stained over the years.

The bad news is neither are particualrly inexpensive, actually quite the opposite, very pricy, expect $200 - $300 per suitcase.

Years ago in the early days of wheeled luggage often would see cheaper luggage in the airport with missing wheels etc but they have improved the wheels a lot since then.

[lisiamc]

I have Travel Pro luggage. They advertise that the majority of airline crews use Travel Pro and if you look around the airport, that is true and one would think someone who travels everyday for a living would know luggage It is well built and takes a lot of abuse, I always check my luggage.

 

I second this - I loooove my Travelpro luggage. Pricey but worth it! If you can catch the sale when they switch to a new series, you can usually get a bargain on the discontinued one.

 

Lisa

[djstweety]

I vote for Ricardo...Used it on the last cruise, Has an extra place to place formal atire. Made well, was so impressed. I went out and got another one so my husband and I do do fight over the piece. Really loved the design. I even bought the everything bag for my carry on. That I have used twice its a very nice addition;) Hope this helps

[Whimsy]

I have to agree about choosing something other then black. We were able to find my suitcases easily as they are floral, DH has green which was bit harder but our traveling companions had black and it took them a while.

[Maryandi]

If you fly, Id be concerned about the weight of the luggage. At Packinglight.com, you are told the weight, also. I was surprized at the difference between bags.

 

MaryAnn

[cruisemom42]

I recently bought new bags, so here is what I was looking for:

 

Sturdy -- As someone said, it should be ballistic nylon. Generally, the more expensive suitcases are constructed of more durable nylons (higher denier), so in a sense you get what you pay for. However, look for outlet stores or online luggage stores that sell at a discount.

 

Lightweight -- be sure you compare the weight of the bags. Most newer bags are lighter than ever, which is a big help with not exceeding the weight restrictions that are becoming stricter. Frameless bags are probably the lightest, but they are relatively new and I'm not sure of their durability.

 

Spinner wheels -- these are so much easier to maneuver than the old type of wheels. If you tend to carry on a small suitcase, you know how much you have to maneuver (through the airport, on the plane, etc). I also travel by train in Europe and having a med. sized bag with the spinner wheels is great.

 

Finally, make sure the dimensions of whatever bag(s) you buy don't exceed the maximums for either airport check-in or carry-on. These vary by airline, but most will allow a 22" carry-on or smaller.

 

Color is helpful but you can always buy colorful straps, luggage tags, etc to help in recognizing your bags.

[Pia1913]

Interesting thread. We however, purchase replacement luggage as needed and always buy inexpensive. Best stuff is Lauren knockoff; bought in Shanghai for $20. For those travelling to Asia....hint hint. The way the airlines kick stuff around (cruise lines do too) we just want serviceable and durable, for as long as it lasts. No great expense; no great loss. They're going to mishandle it all. Of course as lightweight as possible and if it's black, no biggie. We always use a luggage strap; multicolor stripes or bright blue Princess tag. Easy to spot.

 

Pia

[seacuracao]

we bought two hard sided pieces for the last cruise. One was a carry on and the other a little larger for souveniers coming home(cosmetics and such going).

Orange color. the hard sided are nice, but our carry ones, although legal, were just a little wider than the distance between seats in the airplane. That was an uexpected, but short lived, pain in the bb.

speaking of baggage, we left 2 friends we met on board searching for their luggage. Don't know if they ever found them. is it always such a"chinese fire drill"??

[cindep]

I'll add a second vote for Ricardo with a little more specifics. To my knowledge, Ricardo Beverly Hills is the only luggage with a built-in scale. If (like me) you have a tendency to overpack your bags and get dangerously close (if not over) the 50 pound limit, you will LOVE having the built in scale. Plus they have vibrant colors, are light weight, and have other cool features.

 

Check online for various discount luggage sites. You will get the same exact product, but save money over retail. Most also offer free shipping.

[LARGIN]

Travel-Pro has my vote..

[PescadoAmarillo]

We don't have luggage "sets"...not that coordinated, but we buy a piece when we need to and for a specific need. We just bought a Samsonsite Spinner, 29" at Sam's Club for $99. It was a bargain, most online are selling for $159. It's a big, "hardside" suitcase (we're replacing a big, hardside suitcase), especially for slightly fragile things and scuba equipment. It weighs 15 pound empty, which is a consideration. We also use a rolling garment bag, a rolling duffle and a rolling softside suitcase, and generally use 3 or all of the above on a long cruise. Each suitcase carries a certain type of item...rolling duffle carries quidebooks, tshirts and clothes that tend to weigh a lot, since the suitcase itself is so light. Garment bag carries the obvious good clothes and whatever shoes we can squeeze into the corners, since it never weighs more than 30 pound fully loaded, etc. It's a dance between linear length, weight and utility, for sure.

[Pia1913]

I'll add a second vote for Ricardo with a little more specifics. To my knowledge, Ricardo Beverly Hills is the only luggage with a built-in scale. If (like me) you have a tendency to overpack your bags and get dangerously close (if not over) the 50 pound limit, you will LOVE having the built in scale. Plus they have vibrant colors, are light weight, and have other cool features.

 

.

 

Small Fish Scale at Walmart; $4.99. Weighs up to 50 lbs.

[happyscot]

I'll check the model next time I let DW put them down for a rest.

[Texcruise]

Thanks for the super tips when buying luggage....who would have thought of a fish scale......Pia obviously you did:)!

[Pia1913]

Thanks for the super tips when buying luggage....who would have thought of a fish scale......Pia obviously you did:)!

 

Can't take credit for this one. Got the info from another CC thread, purchased one before our last international trip; worked out well.

 

Pia

[Fuzzzy]

I too recently bought all new luggage.

 

Someone told me about ebags. They are fantastic. The selection is huge and you are able to compare the models side by side.

 

If you are a AAA member you get an additional 10% off. The shipping is fast. I love the place. :)

[caliber35]

You can find great deals on most of the better brands at

http://www.luggagebase.com/Default.aspx They are reliable and ship quickly. I have bought several pieces there for a fraction of retail. For my dollar, Samsonite holds up very well and is a good value.

[RLBlack]

We travel via air more than cruising. We have a attic full of cases that have been beaten to death by the luggage handlers, are to big for the 50lb limit- and don't fit the bill anymore, and we spent lots of $$ for all of them, so can't make myself getting rid of them. Use to worry about high quality and high price. The baggage handlers throw around expensive bags around maybe more than the cheap ones.

 

We then went to rolling duffle bags- light weight, inexspensive- slipped under cruise beds well- Took the airlines about 5 years to distroy them-those instead of going up the attic went to the trash.

 

This last time- we went to the discount store Ross- and got a set of two rollers and one smaller for under $100- What we looked at was- weight- good sturdy large zippers- and general construction. And that way when they are worn out by misuse- we can replace them with what is new and different at the time and won't feel like I have to store them for years.

 

Hope this helps. rlb

[ck53]

You can check out ebags.com, they have great selection and is always shipped quickly. They carry all the brands mentioned above along w/ detailed reviews by consumers, good and bad! It also gives all the info, like weight(empty), dernier count, reg. wheels or spinners, tipping percentage, all the good stuff.They also sell single pieces not just sets. We have been very pleased w/ this website. We have ordered a set of ourselves and 2 other sets for gifts over the years.:)

 

Good Luck!

[CruisinChris]

I travel just about weekly for work and I swear by Atlantic Infinity. I recently bought a new one and love it. I picked up a great sale at the dept. store and got it half off. The bigger bags that we use for cruising are 30" and I've bought them all at TJMaxx. They get a really good selection of bags and the pricing is equivalent to the half-off sale at the dept. store. I have found the ships' luggage handing is harder on the bags than the airlines by far. I don't buy the cheapest bags at TJ (like the Ricardo) and usually spend $79-110. I can get about 5 years out these bags cruising about 2 times a year.