what is your favorite suitcase?

[Deleted]

We have some 20 year old Samsonites hard cases that are rock stars, but we bought some more Samsonite suitcases for the kids probably 2-3 years ago and they suck. The zipper on 2 of them no longer zip smoothly and often open mid-seam and the handle on the other one won't go down. 

I'm thinking of getting new luggage. Does anyone have any thoughts on LLBean luggage? We have the large duffle bags with wheels for overnight camp and they seem very sturdy. (1 is currently missing as it hasn't arrived from Helsinki yet 3 days later but they assured us the fact that it is orange and has our name monogrammed will help them find it in a see of lost black suitcases.)

[Deleted]

We used to have Samsonite luggage and I'll never get it again. They fell apart and were too heavy/bulky.

I love, love, love the Eagle Creek Tarmac line though.

I've had it for about 2 years now and It's been worth every penny.

www.rei.com/search?query=eagle+creek+tarmac

[GilliC]

Where did you buy the new Samsonites? My boyfriend and I each have a new Samsonite spinner that we got at about the same time (thanks to the airlines destroying both our bags on Europe-Rio routes), and the quality of mine is obviously better. Our theory is that they offer different quality in different markets (I got mine here in Norway; he got his in Brazil).

I picked up my previous Samsonite spinner at an outlet in the US, and when it finally died it was because the airline managed to rip an entire wheel off of it. The rest of the bag was in amazing shape, and when I added it up, it had crossed the Atlantic 33 times during its lifespan. So I'm pretty pleased.

(ETA - Both of mine are from their ultra-lightweight soft-sided lines.)

[Deleted]

Jan 2, 2014 4:54:07 GMT -5 GilliC said:

Where did you buy the new Samsonites? My boyfriend and I each have a new Samsonite spinner that we got at about the same time (thanks to the airlines destroying both our bags on Europe-Rio routes), and the quality of mine is obviously better. Our theory is that they offer different quality in different markets (I got mine here in Norway; he got his in Brazil).

I picked up my previous Samsonite spinner at an outlet in the US, and when it finally died it was because the airline managed to rip an entire wheel off of it. The rest of the bag was in amazing shape, and when I added it up, it had crossed the Atlantic 33 times during its lifespan. So I'm pretty pleased.

(ETA - Both of mine are from their ultra-lightweight soft-sided lines.)

Ugh, stories like yours kills me because I got Samsonite for the great reputation, but mine barely made it around the world twice before they died. 

I bought mine at Macys in the States in 2009. 

[Deleted]

I think DH got them at Sam's Club, but even the new travel bag I bought DH at Macy's isn't holding up very well either (at least not what I would expect from a brand like Samsonite that cost over $150)

[GilliC]

FWIW, there might also be significant variation between the different lines. Both of my bags have been from lines that were not quite the most expensive, but pretty far up there. The original was around $350 on sale at the outlet. I was having buyer's remorse for weeks, but my mother (who's normally a complete cheapskate) kept telling me that given how much I travel, it was probably a good investment. She was right. (Don't tell her that.)

I think first and foremost, before brand loyalty, I'd choose based on the warranty. That way if it does turn out to be rubbish, you have some recompense. A lifetime warranty is great, but I'm fine with a 10-year, because I honestly don't expect any bag to make it through ten years with me. (And packs and luggage continue to improve, so I'd probably want an upgrade before then anyway.)

[Deleted]

Jan 2, 2014 5:49:26 GMT -5 GilliC said:

FWIW, there might also be significant variation between the different lines. Both of my bags have been from lines that were not quite the most expensive, but pretty far up there. The original was around $350 on sale at the outlet. I was having buyer's remorse for weeks, but my mother (who's normally a complete cheapskate) kept telling me that given how much I travel, it was probably a good investment. She was right. (Don't tell her that.)

I think first and foremost, before brand loyalty, I'd choose based on the warranty. That way if it does turn out to be rubbish, you have some recompense. A lifetime warranty is great, but I'm fine with a 10-year, because I honestly don't expect any bag to make it through ten years with me. (And packs and luggage continue to improve, so I'd probably want an upgrade before then anyway.)

I may try LLBean just for this reason. I know the warranty is good and would have no qualms about returning the suitcases with failing zippers to them if they were LLBean brand. 

[emilyinchile]

Briggs & Riley Transcend line. I love my carry-on so much I got the larger suitcase as well. They're pretty expensive, but I got good deals on both of mine, and with the lifetime warranty and how much I travel I don't regret making the investment.

[jaime183]

I'm also in the market for new luggage.
I have heard that spinners are great for carry on but for checked bags the wheels get too banged up and fall off.
I was looking into travelpro but now maybe ill look at REI since they do have amazing customer service.

[GilliC]

Jan 2, 2014 12:47:12 GMT -5 jaime183 said:

I'm also in the market for new luggage.
I have heard that spinners are great for carry on but for checked bags the wheels get too banged up and fall off.
I was looking into travelpro but now maybe ill look at REI since they do have amazing customer service.

If you have a very heavy checked bag, spinners are amazing, because you don't have to carry any of the weight.

Flying back from the US, I'd regularly have 60+ pounds of shopping in my suitcase, and it was so easy to just grab the handle and roll it along with all the wheels carrying all the weight of the bag. All I had to do was keep the momentum up. With a second 20-pound duffel on top, I could easily move 80 pounds of luggage single handed! (Of course getting it on and off the subway was challenging and frustrating, but getting through the airport was a breeze!

[cransplash]

Jan 2, 2014 7:58:39 GMT -5 emilyinchile said:

Briggs & Riley Transcend line. I love my carry-on so much I got the larger suitcase as well. They're pretty expensive, but I got good deals on both of mine, and with the lifetime warranty and how much I travel I don't regret making the investment.

I have always used Travelpro, but have heard great things about B&R. I just never knew what justified the price (other than lifetime warranty). Do you mind if I asked you why you love this bag/brand so much?

[spindle92]

It might sound odd but I actually love my Ricco luggage from kohl's. I bought it about 5 years ago and 2 of those years I was using it every 2 weeks for work travel and it still is holding up great.

[emilyinchile]

cransplash, beyond the quality - I travel a lot, and my bags still look great - I primarily like the layout. The front of the carry-on has a small pocket that's perfect for passport, boarding pass, immigration documents and pen, and a big pocket that's great for magazines or my laptop. The back, between the extension of the handles, has a pocket that I use for a Kindle/cell phone charge (same cord) and is where I then put my house keys. The interior pockets and fold-out hanging part work for me too. I don't think that it's necessarily superior to other bags of the same quality, but it's a good set-up for me. Plus I like the pretty red color

[iammalcolmx]

I use a Tumi roller board I bought like 15 years ago and it's still great.

[dutchgirl678]

We have Briggs and Riley. They come with a lifetime warranty. We got them at a TJ Maxx for much cheaper than what they are normally. The first time we used it we locked it with a TSA approved lock. But apparently someone didn't like that and our zippers got slashed. After we returned from our trip we went to a local luggage store that carries B&R and they sent the suitcase out for free and the zipper was replaced at no charge.

[Deleted]

I always recommend my REI rolling duffel bags. They are nice-looking, a little more exciting than plain black (ours are orange, gray, and brown), and have held up very well. REI has decent sales and membership perks - we got ours 50% off a few years ago. We're in the market for packs now, and are looking at REI again.

[GilliC]

Jan 2, 2014 18:39:05 GMT -5 emilyinchile said:

Plus I like the pretty red color

When the airline replaced my last bag, the options they had at the shop were black or navy. They had the same bag in a gorgeous dark teal, but it cost $20 more. I happily paid the difference!

I like to justify it by saying that it's always the only bag that color on the carrousel, but I used to have a navy bag, and it narrowed the field enough that it was never that much trouble. The truth is that the teal was just so pretty!

[sunshinedaydreams]

That's a bummer about your Samsonites. We have three Samsonite spinners that have been beat to hell and are still kickin' after 5-ish years. H has an LL Bean duffel that he bought a few years ago for our safari, and it's holding up really well. He hasn't put it through the wringer like the spinners, but it's in good shape.

[Deleted]

I have a 4 year old Swiss Army rollerboard that I bought at Target. I travel weekly and the airlines have definitely kicked the shit out of it. The suitcase is a little dirty but otherwise, wheels are great and it works. I think it's about 7 lbs empty. When I replace it, I'll either pick that one again or possibly a Tumi. The big thing that I look for is quality construction and inset roller blade type wheels (harder to break off if they're sort of protected by the suitcase.)