Luggage buying tips?

[megan_in_pink]

Well since I have few trips coming up (I hope!) I need to buy my self some real luggage, How should I look for in a set?

 

[AnimalKingdomLover15]

Well since I have few trips coming up (I hope!) I need to buy my self some real luggage, How should I look for in a set?

well, I just bought a set from overstock.com. and LOVE it! I wanted the lightweight, being there is now weight issues with travel.. It also has the "spinners" so it is very easy to move!

this is the set I bought! It worked great and never went over 28 pounds!

http://www.overstock.com/Luggage-Ba...ner-Hardside-Luggage-Set/2969430/product.html

 

[Cool-Beans]

I bought several sets of more pricey luggage. Not Tumi expensive, but up there. One was really cute Winnie the Pooh tapestry luggage from Disney. It was all trashed by the airlines.

Got a set at Walmart or Target that was cheap, cheap, cheap. Figured that if all the luggage was going to be ruined, I might as well get cheap luggage ruined as expensive, KWIM?

And it has made many a trip since then. Still holding up. And it is SO ugly that I think I'm the only person in the country to buy it, so always easy to pick out on the roundy-round thing the luggage comes out on...whatever that is called.

So, IME, cheaper is better.

Good luck.

 

[java]

1. Check into your airline "size" limitations. Start with that. You don't want to be paying extra because your bag is 64" when it should have been 60"(and that's measured length, height and width!)

2. LIGHTWEIGHT!! is important. *and wheels add weight! if you curb check your luggage you don't need to worry about wheels.

3. Shop around. Luggage goes on sale all the time. Ebags is where I ended up buying my latest round of luggage. The price was incredible. I put myself on watch for the set I wanted and when the price came down I jumped on it.

I did have some great bags that lasted for years.(Ghurka) but those were out of my price range now that I have kids. But those were GREAT bags. I took them all over the world and they held up for years.

 

[DrCavin]

Try to get any color besides black, every bag that comes out of the carousel is black & will look like yours...

 

[tinatark]

TJ Maxx or Marshallls - you can get Samsonite, Kenneth Cole, and other "brand" names for cheap. We bought Kenneth Cole around 10 years ago - any time we have had a problem (zipper stuck, etc.) we send it back, and they send us a new piece of luggage. Lifetime warranties are awesome!

 

[N&B'smom]

We've had some really nice luggage and some cheap luggage. Whatever you purchase make sure it doesn't weigh a lot. Our nice luggage weighed like 14lbs EMPTY!

We just recently got rid of all our luggage and switched to duffles. They are SO light and you can really pack them with a ton of stuff - it's awesome!! We got these...

http://www.llbean.com/webapp/wcs/st...-1&parentCategory=4522&feat=4522-tn&cat4=2915

My DD and I both got bright pink/flowered ones (as shown in the link), my son got hunter green and my DH still has to pick out his.

(I should mention, the 'cheap' luggage we had showed just how cheap it was when I went to retrieve my luggage after a flight and the entire top was bent up and broken and the icing on the cake - my bra lying on the floor of the airport)

 

[DawnCt1]

TJ Maxx or Marshallls - you can get Samsonite, Kenneth Cole, and other "brand" names for cheap. We bought Kenneth Cole around 10 years ago - any time we have had a problem (zipper stuck, etc.) we send it back, and they send us a new piece of luggage. Lifetime warranties are awesome!

I agree. I love TJ Maxx and Marshalls for luggage. I actually have a broken zipper now, but there is a luggage repair shop about 20 miles from us, so I when I travel in that direction, I will drop it off. Their repairs are cheap and they will just fix the zipper by relocating the "stop". I didn't think of calling Ricardo however. Also, I agree with the person who said, "any color but black". I also wouldn't worry about a matching set. They don't wear out on the same schedule so you never end up with a completely matching set.

 

[RN4Babies]

I agree with pp who suggested you try to avoid black luggage if you can.

My sister puts pieces of colored duct tape all over their luggage prior to traveling. It makes their black suitcases easy to spot!! (Ribbons and such on the handles can get stuck in the conveyer belts at the terminal).

 

[MinnieFan4ever]

I really like TravelPro luggage. We travel A LOT and it really holds up. You will notice that airline employees use it. No matter what brand you get, get luggage with good zippers.

 

[Beca]

As a former flight attendant, my best advice would be to not spend too much!! I have had super expensive luggage (Tumi), medium-priced luggage (Travelpro), and super cheap luggage (whatever was cute at TJ Maxx). It all gets beat up, and when you spend a fortune on it, you feel obligated to keep using it no matter what!! My Tumi luggage was great, but I did have to have it repaired several times (although the lifetime warranty always covered it). The Travelpros were mediocre, but they were cheap enough to replace them. The best luggage I have found is something called a "Gorilla bag". It is a suitcase that is very light and almost indestructible. It only comes in really funky designs and patterns (certainly to tell yours apart from others), and has been just amazing!! We found them at TJ Maxx for about $150, and they have served us well.

However, if Baggalini is still manufacturing luggage, they make a REALLY good product. It is durable, but very lightweight. They have a website...you might want to google for it.

As far as getting something because airline employees are using it.....well, I just cannot recommend that. In training, you are required to purchase a set of luggage from the airline when you purchase your uniform. They usually give you 1 or 2 choices (usually Tumi or Travelpro) because those are the vendors who provide "kickbacks" or "incentives" to the employer. In training, we were all very pressured to go with the Tumi. Pilots were only given one option...a metal framed ballistic suitcase that weighs about 30lbs, but is extremely durable. Most flight attendants switch to a different brand as soon as their first purchase wears out.

 

[dizluvah]

Get "spinner" wheels - they may cost a bit more but are totally worth it - they allow you to push your suitcase, rather than pull, making it easier to get through tight crowded spaces like out of the baggage claim area when everyone is standing around. Also so much easier for one person to manuever two bags alone.

IMHO spinning 360 wheels are the only must have with luggage. if you get black, you can tie a ribbon around the handle or buy a unique luggage tag that stands out from the million other bags.

Happy shopping

 

[dennis99ss]

I am very happy with Tumi and Victorinox. at bag and baggage among others. I do not have the leather, but have the "ballistic nylon" or similar. have never had a problem with them, and, while they get scuffed, they do not tear, and as the saying goes, they take a licking and keep on ticking. The warranty is a good plus as well.

 

[Disney Doll]

Weight it empty. The lighter the better. We have some pretty good Samsonite but it's heavy empty, so that makes packing a challenge with the restrictions.

I am going to go for the LLBean duffle bags next time we need luggage...sturdy, guaranteed by LLBean and fairly lightweight.

 

[N&B'smom]

Weight it empty. The lighter the better. We have some pretty good Samsonite but it's heavy empty, so that makes packing a challenge with the restrictions.

I am going to go for the LLBean duffle bags next time we need luggage...sturdy, guaranteed by LLBean and fairly lightweight.

That's what we did. Our older luggage was so heavy even empty it was NUTS! Now we have the LL Bean duffles and they are SO light!!!

 

[RNMOM]

Are you sure you need a set? We both have a large one and then just take a carryone. That way we can each pack our own stuff. On the way home I put all the dirty clothes in one, inside a large garbage bag I take with me and leave the clean stuff in the other. DH has a carryon size he uses for short business trips but more often than not he uses the big one. He often has to take equipment with him.