Luggage - to spin or not?

[Hmom]

On our last trip, we lost two of our large suitcases to damage & age. I need to replace at least one for our upcoming trip and I am hoping someone might have some helpful advice.

Looking for a 29 or 30 inch suitcase. Yes, I believe in taking the kitchen sink!

1. spinner - yes or no??? leaning toward yes, but prices are high & I am cheap
2. hard sided - yes or no??? same as above
3. any good websites or stores for luggage prices? I've tried ebags, amazon and a few others.

Thanks for the help!

 

[Pooh_Friend#1]

I am trying to debate on getting spinners too. They seem so nice and I am trying to justify the cost.

 

[Pre]

On our last trip, we lost two of our large suitcases to damage & age. I need to replace at least one for our upcoming trip and I am hoping someone might have some helpful advice.

Looking for a 29 or 30 inch suitcase. Yes, I believe in taking the kitchen sink!

1. spinner - yes or no??? leaning toward yes, but prices are high & I am cheap
2. hard sided - yes or no??? same as above
3. any good websites or stores for luggage prices? I've tried ebags, amazon and a few others.

Thanks for the help!

YES TO SPINNERS!
I have a carry on spinner and love it, when I'm at the airport I can keep an eye on my luggage. I'm a little paranoid that someone might slip something out of my bag. Also it's great to know that no one will trip over it as I'm walking.
When I reach a hotel with thick carpet it's nice to be able to wheel it around with out having to think too much.
Also when I pack a lot and have a checked bag it wheels behind and I haven't replaced it yet but I'm able to push the spinner and drag the checked bag.
The control and menerverablity (sp?) of the spinner is great!
I have a soft side and don't know about the pros or cons sorry


I bought my samsonite carryon at tjmaxx after seeing it at the store for triple the cost. It had a little brown threading on the back but a little bit of permanent marker fixed that.
Good luck

 

[uk_wildcat]

We replaced all of our old suitcases with Spinners several years ago and I would never have anything else. They are so easy to pull and push along. My kids are even able to push them around.
I have purchased most of ours at Kohl's using 30% off coupons and the price wasn't too bad.

 

[englishteacha]

I got a "Jeep" brand spinner at Walmart last winter. I like it. It was clearanced for $25. I haven't flown with it, yet, so not sure how it will hold up to airport handling. It's a soft side. I've never had a hard side suitcase.

 

[sookie]

YES to spinners!
My samsonite spinners are my babies! I'm addicted. I travel a lot each spring so they are WORTH it. Get soft though, because they weigh less.

 

[kaytieeldr]

If you fly, you want to avoid that 29" or 30" suitcase. It's likely going to end up being oversize according to most airlines' restrictions, and since you take the kitchen sink you'd definitely go overweight in a bag that size. The extra fees for either would negate any savings you got on the suitcase itself; the combined fees would probably turn you into a quivering mess.

A spinner is a nice convenience, but is that more important to you - or is it the money? It's probably cheaper to get a "just plain" rolling suitcase with a strap from which to hang a smaller bag; or a bag bungee from ebags to attach a second bag, than to buy a spinner just so you can push one and pull one.

Target sometimes has good luggage sales - especially on Hays, which are hard but light.

 

[Judique]

On our last trip, we lost two of our large suitcases to damage & age. I need to replace at least one for our upcoming trip and I am hoping someone might have some helpful advice.

Looking for a 29 or 30 inch suitcase. Yes, I believe in taking the kitchen sink!

1. spinner - yes or no??? leaning toward yes, but prices are high & I am cheap
2. hard sided - yes or no??? same as above
3. any good websites or stores for luggage prices? I've tried ebags, amazon and a few others.

Thanks for the help!

Spinners - yes! Most airlines are allowing a 50 pound bag with 62 inch dimension - that's roughly a 30 in bag that is 20 in wide by 12 in deep, so you still can't pack the kitchen sink as it will quickly put you over the weight limits. Put the heavy books on your kindle and carry your laptop in your carryon luggage.

I like soft luggage.

The question is how much are you trying to spend?

 

[mommyrosa2]

Yes to spinners...we purchased 2 two pc. Sets (American Tourister) at Walmart of all places. Since purchasing them, we've been to California twice, WDW 3 times and many other local vacation spots. They are soft sided, weren't expensive and have held up very well. Having the spinner feature is a bonus - very easy to maneuver.

 

[swilshire]

I prefer the hard sided bags, but they weigh a ton even empty. When I check a bag, I use a semi-hard side. It has a solid frame that gives the contents some protection, but has a fabric like covering. The only downside is that it seems to get stacked with the hardside luggage and takes a bit of a beating.

Sheila

 

[carebee21]

We bought DS a spinner suitcase a couple years ago. It's great for him, as it's easy for him to push or pull and navigate as need be.

We still have regular suitcases for both of us adults, even though we had to purchase a new set last year. The spinner luggage just wasn't worth the extra cost for adults, as we can easily pull and move our luggage thoughout obstacles (elevators, the flat sidewalk escalator things, etc) without much problem.

Personally, I'd recommend the spinner luggage for younger kids or the elderly who may need the extra flexibility in moving the luggage. For others, it's just not worth the extra cost. Now, if you can get a decent spinner suitcase for the same price as a regular (ie one's on clearance) then it's a nice feature to have, but IMO not worth paying extra for for able-bodied people.

 

[Hmom]

Thank you all so much!

You've given me some great information & things to think about. I appreciate you taking the time to share your experiences!

Happy New Year!

 

[MrsPete]

Each of my family members owns one suitcase, and one of those is a spinner. I really like it. It is easy to pull on four wheels, though it isn't as good as a two wheeled suitcase for scooting on two wheels at an angle. That wasn't very descriptive . . . But the spinners are better in most circumstances.

If you're looking for a single piece of luggage, check places like Marshall's or TJMaxx. They often have single suitcases that won't sell in more expensive stores because they aren't sets anymore.

 

[gretchenohar@hotmail]

Can't exactly answer your questions, OP - but for the last several years I've bought cheap luggage on sale. The reason being that the airlines destroyed my well made expensive luggage just as easily as my cheap stuff. Learned the hard way not to put so much money into the better stuff....

 

[goosedwn]

We bought spinners last year for our ds and dd for carry on luggage. They are great and so easy to pull or push. I think it is worth every single dollars as carry on. For check in luggage, I do not think spinner really worth it for me.

 

[walkdmc]

I got Samsonite spinners from Tuesday Morning for about $140 for the largest bag and less for the smaller carry-on bags. I love those spinners, so easy to maneuver.

My spinners are not hard-sided but they're not soft either, kind of a hard(er) structured fabric. They are quite heavy so keep that in mind.

 

[NotUrsula]

Stay away from the 30"; most of them go over 62" when you total up the dimensions. 29" hardsides are usually OK because you cannot overstuff them, but remember that the wheels/handles count in the dimensions. Really, your best option is a 27" if you are investing, because the odds are that the airlines are going to cut the size limits sometime soon in order to collect more fee revenue.

Paying for an overweight bag is more expensive than taking a second bag, so pack accordingly. (When traveling overseas in urban environments I sometimes pack with a collapsible canvas duffel and my large pullman; I put soft items in the duffle and check it as a second bag, then reconsolidate into the large pullman at my destination because one large bag is easier to handle on public transit than multiple smaller ones, even if it is heavy.)

Go for light weight over anything else. Spinners are good, but don't buy a sale-priced spinner if it is heavy when empty -- there is a reason why it is on sale. If you go hardside, do NOT go shiny; it will get scratched up and look awful very quickly; you want a textured surface on a hardside. I would say that any pullman that weighs more than 12 lbs. empty is not a good buy, and you probably want to stay below 10 lbs. if you can. (Also consider rolling duffels; they are usually lighter; you can sometimes get a larger one that is under 8 lbs, and they are available in spinner models, too.) Also, pay attention to the warranty details; the better brands have lifetime warranties (but save the original purchase receipt).

Always shop for luggage with a measuring tape in hand; never trust the dimensions that are on the label, because at least half the time they are wrong. What I do when shopping for a softside is to roll it to the linens dept. and fill it with sheets so that it is stuffed the way that it would be when packed, then I measure. (And of course, put the sheets back exactly as I found them afterward.)