Time for new Luggage...

Matt

Administrator
Staff member
I need a new set.. basically the bigger bags (checked) but open to a set that includes a decent carry-on. I have to admit i'm pretty clueless at all this.

My previous 'best' bag for checked was a high sierra that converted into a backpack (while looking very odd, and involved a lot of being forced to flop onto your back like a turtle being flipped over).

I think we need 2 new decent sized bags - enough for 3 people (including diapers/not for me) to take a 2-3 week trip.

I don't see the value in Tumi/Briggs for this, am thinking more at the $100-200 per bag price point.

Any hot tips for what to look for?
 

WavyCEO

Level 2 Member
Samsonite has some pretty solid selections in my experience, I especially like their hard sided options w/ no zipper. For the price range you are looking at you will certainly have a wide array of options. Also there is an AMEX Offer (might be targeted) that has been floating around, I believe its spend $150 or more get $30 back.
 

JeffB

Level 2 Member
eBags has their own brand that is reasonable and there is always additional discounts available. I also like Eagle Creek.
 

haserfauld

Level 2 Member
I need a new set.. basically the bigger bags (checked) but open to a set that includes a decent carry-on. I have to admit i'm pretty clueless at all this.

My previous 'best' bag for checked was a high sierra that converted into a backpack (while looking very odd, and involved a lot of being forced to flop onto your back like a turtle being flipped over).

I think we need 2 new decent sized bags - enough for 3 people (including diapers/not for me) to take a 2-3 week trip.

I don't see the value in Tumi/Briggs for this, am thinking more at the $100-200 per bag price point.

Any hot tips for what to look for?
I recently purchased a Samsonite Fiero in 24" and am very happy with it. Through coupons and stacking of codes, I got a pretty solid price (and used a $30 off $150 AMEX offer). The case has done LAX > LHR > Cardiff (train) > Edinburgh (train) > CDG > LAX, and 3 domestic coast to coast flights, and it still looks brand new. You might want to look at 28" for at least one of them, given you're packing for 3, but they are quite roomy.

Pardon all the redaction:

upload_2016-5-24_16-52-33.png
 

MickiSue

Level 2 Member
Last summer, in preparation for the trip to Italy in the fall (3 weeks) I got a Travelpro from luggagepros.com. The spinner wheels work beautifully, the variety of ways it can be packed, ditto. What I really like about that site (aside from portal bonuses) is that they have a variety of very nice, but discontinued style, choices that allow you to have something nice for much less. I think the MSRP on my bag was $450, and I paid, before the portal bonus, $175.

I also got the packable inserts from ebags.com, One in black for Husband, a patterned one for me. I've used the compression bags, but rolling clothes into tubes, and putting them in the bags beats that all to heck. You could put Dylan's diapers in a couple of the big ones, and manually compress as you pack.
 

heavenlyjane

Level 2 Member
I recently took my Samsonite to a luggage repair shop to get a wheel replaced (2nd lost wheel in 12 months). The guy said it wasn't worth fixing because the bag had reached the end of his life. He said that with the amount of travel I do, it's worth buying "professional quality" luggage. He suggested the TravelPro Crew series, which is marketed to the airline crew community. He said it was the most durable luggage available.

I ended up sticking with Samsonite because I refuse to use black luggage (I want to be able to spot my luggage at the carousel). But I thought his tip was valuable.
 

knick1959

Level 2 Member
I have recently purchased new luggage for my wife and myself. Like @MickiSue I found that luggagepros.com seemed to have some good deals. I ended up placing 3 separate orders with them and was very pleased.

I thought I was going to chase some Samsonite pieces, but after looking at the Amazon reviews for these, I was not sold. I chose 2 different TravelPro bag styles and am pretty happy with these, although we've only put them through 2 longer trips, to-date. I'm not sure these are still available, but we ordered 2 of the MaxLite 3 28" Expandable Rollaboards ($98 at the time) and a single Crew 10 26" Expandable Roller ($157 when ordered). I've found the smaller bag to be my first choice while my wife, for some reason, likes to pack more shoes than I do, so she's been using the bigger bag. The Crew 10 seems sturdier BUT adds a little weight because of this. The larger bags are surprisingly light.

I stayed away from the spinners. The height these wheels add to the bag in-general bothered me (mostly based on a few reviews that say some airports measure and notice). And I've never seen that big of a utility in them. A couple of piggy-back straps to put our carry-ons on top of the roller bag and we dart around pretty fast.

I read way too many reviews on Amazon and then ordered from luggagepros.com :). That's ok, I spend plenty of money on Amazon!
 

Josh F

Level 2 Member
Charity Forum Mod
We have a few different variations of the TravelPro MaxLite 3 as well, very happy with them!
 

heavenlyjane

Level 2 Member
I have recently purchased new luggage for my wife and myself. Like @MickiSue I found that luggagepros.com seemed to have some good deals. I ended up placing 3 separate orders with them and was very pleased.

I thought I was going to chase some Samsonite pieces, but after looking at the Amazon reviews for these, I was not sold. I chose 2 different TravelPro bag styles and am pretty happy with these, although we've only put them through 2 longer trips, to-date. I'm not sure these are still available, but we ordered 2 of the MaxLite 3 28" Expandable Rollaboards ($98 at the time) and a single Crew 10 26" Expandable Roller ($157 when ordered). I've found the smaller bag to be my first choice while my wife, for some reason, likes to pack more shoes than I do, so she's been using the bigger bag. The Crew 10 seems sturdier BUT adds a little weight because of this. The larger bags are surprisingly light.

I stayed away from the spinners. The height these wheels add to the bag in-general bothered me (mostly based on a few reviews that say some airports measure and notice). And I've never seen that big of a utility in them. A couple of piggy-back straps to put our carry-ons on top of the roller bag and we dart around pretty fast.

I read way too many reviews on Amazon and then ordered from luggagepros.com :). That's ok, I spend plenty of money on Amazon!
The other piece of advice the luggage repair guy offered was to stay away from spinner bags. Each wheel is an additional opportunity for failure.
 

Craig

Level 2 Member
We have a few different variations of the TravelPro MaxLite 3 as well, very happy with them!
Do you have any issues with the Maxlite 3 tipping over? I was excited for this bag but its balance is pretty bad...

(Edit - I have the interior wheel model, not spinners).
 

knick1959

Level 2 Member
Do you have any issues with the Maxlite 3 tipping over? I was excited for this bag but its balance is pretty bad...

(Edit - I have the interior wheel model, not spinners).
Not Josh F, but I think he was following up on my post. Once you strap a carry on to any big bag, it's unstable and will usually tip. I don't recall any issues with the bag standing on its own, but we don't test this often as we're usually in piggy-back mode while moving around. We typically don't let go of the bags without moving them up against a wall or something else, so we've trained ourselves for that.
 

Matt

Administrator
Staff member
I have to say that is my biggest pet hate.. and why i'm open to a new carryon too.. I bought a 4 wheel spinner Travelpro for that role and it tips constantly... drives me batshit crazy.

Saw a few Samsonite options that looked good. I think I need to pop to a store to get a feel for the sizes better before pulling the trigger though.
 

Burgertm

Level 2 Member
Load your Amex offers for eBags.com, split your purchases up as much as possible for the cards that have that offer (Amex offer is $15 off $75), and use a shopping portal like BeFrugal (currently 20%).
 

knick1959

Level 2 Member
I have to say that is my biggest pet hate.. and why i'm open to a new carryon too.. I bought a 4 wheel spinner Travelpro for that role and it tips constantly... drives me batshit crazy.

Saw a few Samsonite options that looked good. I think I need to pop to a store to get a feel for the sizes better before pulling the trigger though.
Read the reviews for the one(s) you pick on Amazon, just to be safe! The feeling I got is that the quality of the Samsonite brand isn't what it used to be. But that could have just been me,
 
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MickiSue

Level 2 Member
I got my first spinner, a carry on, for a trip that was going to involve traipsing from MXP to the train station, then through Milano Centrale to the train, and then through another train station to Daughter's car. She was 39 weeks pregnant at the time, so asking for help was not an option. Years of dragging AV equipment through airports for a job means that my shoulders and elbows do NOT like two wheel luggage.

It wasn't particularly expensive or high quality, but it still made long hikes with the bag less painful.

This particular Travelpro spinner makes that one feel like I'm still dragging a bag. I'm pretty sure that the quality of the bag corresponds to the quality of the wheels. IOW: I'd rather find out that the wheels need replacing, after hours of easy use, than nurse my shoulders and elbows with a roller bag.
 

Josh F

Level 2 Member
Charity Forum Mod
Do you have any issues with the Maxlite 3 tipping over? I was excited for this bag but its balance is pretty bad...

(Edit - I have the interior wheel model, not spinners).
If I stack a bag on top of it, then I definitely do. With the bag by itself, usually not, but I make sure to pack heavier items at the bottom.
 

kodiak jack

Level 2 Member
I just bought the TravelPro crew 10 from eBags and received it yesterday. Looks pretty sweet. Never had one before but I'm quite happy with the purchase.

Clearance price of 144 at ebags,but after ninja tricks it was more like 85.
 

Hanoi IG

Level 2 Member
I have similar problems. We travel a lot and often go to the opera so we have dress clothes. We have some older Ricardo bags but phased out the large ones for Samsonite spinners. Just got a carryon with tote included but am now thinking I should add a garment bag with wheels since we only have flimsy ones that our tailor gave us. there are so many bags on Amazon and the luggage company websites that it is difficult to choose.
 

Matt

Administrator
Staff member
I bet you were wondering how this all turned out?

I ended up with Samsonite (Winfield Fashion), I bought two single bags rather than the set of 3 on offer. I used the Amex Sync offer for $30 off $150 and split on two cards...



Bag 1 is the international/checked giant (28 inch) looks nice
Bag 2.. which is with me now in Vegas .. supposed to be the carry on bag.. I bought 24inch.. the worst size of bag ever- 22 is the 'general' limit for carry on, but luckily WN and a few others allow 24.

Also, that 24inch bag was $125, and I got the Amex offer mixed up, so I didn't get that either!

Still.. the suite here is nice :)
 
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