Luggage suggestions

[dez1978]

Does anyone have any good suggestions for affordable carry ons? My kids are 11 & 14 and we fly 3-4 x a year. A couple of years ago they got new carry-ons for Christmas, but they haven't held up well. They were under $30, so I'm not surprised lol. I have an American Tourister Disney set, which is really cute, but the handle is weird, and if you try to roll it beside you standing up, the handle isn't sturdy enough for that and it twists or something. Idk how to explain it, but it irritates me. So I am looking for suggestions for durable, roller carry-ons that will work for SW, so I believe have to be under 24 in including wheels. And I'd like to stay under $75 each, because kids, lol. I don't care if they are hard or soft sided. Please share links if you have any you really like! Thanks in advance.

 

[White Cat]

Tumi.

Edit, I didn’t read thoroughly enough. Won’t be under $75 but will last.

 

[china mom]

Not under $75 but I just took my Henke 20 inch hard-side trunk style spinner out for her first trip and I am in love (considering it is a budget suitcase).

Pros: smooth wheels, sturdy handle, not a clamshell and the #1 reason O like it is that the wheelbase is slightly wider than my Disney bad (soft side) so it doesn't not continuously tip over when you have a personal item sitting on top.

Cons: I can fit slightly more in my soft side 20 inch.

Did I mention that it does not constantly tip over?

https://www.amazon.com/Hanke-Suitca...8-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&th=1

 

[MICKIMINI]

I'd just go to TJMAXX or Target and pick up a couple bags. I don't think you will get much for that budget, unless you want to get them something they will have for decades... Our son had bags from LLBEAN in high school, college and grad school (12 years) which we bought on clearance at an outlet and they served him well through the years. He made trips to Europe, trips with us, and lugged ranch equipment back and forth to WY for 5 years. He used them to haul some clothes to his new home when he married and then bye, bye.

DH and I bought AWAY bags at a deep discount during COVID and they look and work just as nicely as they did when we bought them. I consider them a "once and done" after buying many sets over the years. I programmed the same code as my son and DIL have on their AWAY bags, so they can use them when we are no longer around!

 

[Moliphino]

I'd just go to TJMAXX or Target and pick up a couple bags. I don't think you will get much for that budget, unless you want to get them something they will have for decades... Our son had bags from LLBEAN in high school, college and grad school (12 years) which we bought on clearance at an outlet and they served him well through the years. He made trips to Europe, trips with us, and lugged ranch equipment back and forth to WY for 5 years. He used them to haul some clothes to his new home when he married and then bye, bye.

DH and I bought AWAY bags at a deep discount during COVID and they look and work just as nicely as they did when we bought them. I consider them a "once and done" after buying many sets over the years. I programmed the same code as my son and DIL have on their AWAY bags, so they can use them when we are no longer around!

I was going to suggest the same thing. Go to TJMaxx or Marshalls and try a few out, pick what you/your kids like.

 

[Darcy03231]

I have one from Travel Pro and I've been really happy with it. DH and I fly a lot and it's still going strong after 5 years. I got it on sale and I think it was about $100 at the time.

 

[mjkacmom]

I have one from Travel Pro and I've been really happy with it. DH and I fly a lot and it's still going strong after 5 years. I got it on sale and I think it was about $100 at the time.

We have 5 travel pro carry one’s, $144 Amazon.

 

[disykat]

Just a suggestion for the old luggage. We just got rid of several of our old suitcases and my parents had a bunch! Salvation Army was collecting luggage with wheels for the folks coming in for emergency clothing, etc. and didn't care that they weren't "pretty." Totally makes sense, but I hadn't thought of it before.

 

[NotUrsula]

Shopping at TJ or Marshalls is fine, but there is one brand commonly sold there you should avoid at all costs: Lucas. I've purchased Lucas bags twice, and both of them broke on first use in some critical way or another, so that they ended up totally useless.

If you are looking for hardside at those stores, I recommend IT bags; it's a UK brand that is affordable and quite durable, but I've never seen a softside of that brand sold there. (My DD, who prefers hardside, likes IT, and she's really hard on bags.)

Depending on what airlines you prefer, be careful on size. Bring a measuring tape with you to the store, the labels often lie by a bit. Something I do to test the case's balance (if it can be opened) is to roll it back to the linens dept and put several packages of sheets inside, so that I can check how it rolls fully loaded (obviously, put the sheets exactly back where you found them when you're done testing.)

My personal preference is for softside bags, I find them more durable, they often have expansion capability, and I like outer pockets. If you buy hardside, be sure that the bag material is polycarbonate, NOT polypropylene or ABS, both of which are liable to crack in both cold and hot conditions.