Luggage

[zoebartlett]

My FI and I are thinking of things to register for and it dawned on us that we don''t have a great set of luggage. Neither one of us travel for work and we aren''t in a position to do a ton of traveling. We''ve only been on one 10 day vacation to Ireland a few years ago, and our next long, far-away vacation will be on our honeymoon to the Azores next summer. Even though we wouldn''t use it too often, we should try to get a quality set of luggage.

We''d like to get something relatively lightweight but sturdy. I would think something with wheels would be handy. I tend to use a gym bag/duffle type of bag now for long weekends away, but it''s not the prettiest. We''d like something that has a variety of sizes -- good for weekends and overnights as well as longer, 10 day trips. The only other thing we''re looking for is something that doesn''t cost an arm and a leg. Quality but budget-friendly also.

Any recommendations? Thanks!!

 

[Mara]

i''m kind of thinking about this too..we have a bigger suitcase we share when we travel together, greg has a suit carrier which works for most of his stuff if he is going away on business, and we have smaller leather duffels that we use for weekend getaways or overnight trips. and we always use our laptop bags for ''on the plane'' stuff like mags, snacks, laptop, ipod etc.

for the most part we are covered this way, but i would like to get us also a smaller piece of luggage which works as carry on but is more structured. have you checked out your local ross/marshalls/loehmanns? i have seen kenneth cole luggage there as well as swiss army pieces that are lower than retail price. i was tempted to get a KC black piece i really liked recently, but i realized i needed to do a bit more research on what would be for sure allowed in cabins. so hopefully i''ll get us another piece or two soon. this post is a reminder !!

the other thing i wanted to say is i''m not too into the whole ''sets'' of luggage things, i''d rather buy piecemeal what we really need/will use. so at this point we just need one or two smaller bags. wheels are a must in my opinion. also it''s great if you get something you can snap or hook a laptop case onto the top for when you are rolling through the airport.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Yes, check out those discount places! For my trip to CA during the summer, I lucked out and at TJMAXX found a really cute set of diane von furstenberg luggage for really cheap! Her stuff can also be found online at a discount, also.

 

[fleur-de-lis]

Hi Zoebartlett! I have two sets of luggage which are good for different situations, and I have been really pleased with them both. The pricey set is self-explanatory (LV), and the second everyday casual/inexpensive set has been a VERY pleasant surprise that I would recommend: a collection of matching individual pieces in lipstick red from Skyway Luggage. Their website can be found here: http://www.skywayluggage.com/ . The pieces are not only pretty darn inexpensive, but their inner compartments are laid out really well for travel and the rollerblade wheels are placed perfectly for agile stability. The bottom of the interior has a zip plastic area for dirty clothes while traveling, it's expandable, and they've held up very well. Best of all, they're lovely looking.

I find that three pieces cover 99% of travel situations. I have a (1) 22" carry-on size rolling suitcase, which is great for long weekends, (2) 29" or 30" rolling suitcase, which is huge and ideal for taking week and 2-week vacations, and (3) a small expandable carry-on case that counts as a "personal item" for flights and attaches onto the telescoping handles of the other pieces, but is a great tiny size for overnight journeys. I've had my items for a few years now, and they still look and perform great. You can buy the line by the piece rather than by the set. The pieces I bought, at least, fit well into each other so that the entire set can be stored in the space of just the largest bag. Being a lesser-known brand name, they're also about 1/3rd the price of the Swiss Army line Mara mentioned, and they're inconspicuous looking-- a benefit that the other set definitely does not have, but is often a BIG plus during travel in foreign lands.

 

[~*Alexis*~]

I have a 5 pc set from skyline...they are great...they all look like everyone elses luggage though so if you are looking for something else prettier than try looking at TJ Maxx....they always have good selections...I think my set cost around $60...

 

[Tacori E-ring]

I *love* our samsonite set from sam''s club (of all places). It was inexpensive (I think around $100), good quality, and an unusual color combo (red and grey) so it is so easy to pick them out in a crowd. I wish I bought two of the sets.

 

[monarch64]

I would never spend a ton of money on luggage unless it''s one or two pieces you''re always going to carry-on. That being said, my parents have supplied me with luggage for the past twelve years, and just a couple years ago I got tired of the J.C Penney''s Jaguar 5 piece set for $100 jacquard floral pattern I was using! LOL! Last Christmas they gave me two pieces (the medium wheeled suitcase and the shoulder-strap wheeled bag--looks like a LV KeepAll shape) again from JCP from the Liz Claiborne Crazyhorse line in red with a fleur-de-lis pattern. The pieces are beautiful and were around $100 each at the time my mom purchased them. Now they''ve been discontined, which makes me happy actually because I know there won''t be THAT many of that pattern and color out there on the luggage carousel should I decide to check my luggage ever. Both pieces are small enough to carry-on but both fit a ton of stuff and the suitcase expands, etc.

I think it depends on your typical travel needs as far as what size and how many pieces of luggage you need. Also, if you don''t usually carry-on luggage, it''s a good idea to get something a little distinctive (so you''re not tying some funky ribbon around the handle, definitely don''t do basic black), but if you do carry-on you can go a little more upscale, imo. Same with golf bags...you know they''re going to get beat up since you can''t carry them on, so get something that will be durable but still distinctive.

 

[zoebartlett]

Thanks for the suggestions! I have the day off today so I might look around and see what''s out there. I know a weekend bag would get way more use than anything else, but since we''re going on our honeymoon next summer, we definitely need a big suitcase too. I don''t think I''d buy a whole set, just the basics. I actually prefer to use carry-ons instead of checking my luggage but I know I''ll need to check baggage at some point too. I think I''ll start with a larger suitcase and one I can easily carry on.

 

[laine]

I always had duffel bags rather than suitcases until my BF moved in with his one 22 inch rolling suitcase (that standard size that you can carry on) and I use it all the time and love it for short trips. Its carry on size, but I can roll it so when I've stuffed it to the gills, its not too heavy. my mom swears by Travel-Pro (I think), she says its the brand flight attendants use. This bag is great for long weekends, like 4 days away.

For a larger bag, I prefer a rolling duffel. Mine is Columbia, my parents use LLBean. I just think its easier to handle than a giant suitcase, you can cram tons of stuff in, and you still get the wheels and handle for ease of transport. My rolling duffel fit enough for my BF and I for 10 days, though we're light packers. I'd avoid the really giant ones that look like you could fit a few dead bodies in them, I think they'd be awful to try to maneuver.

Between those two bags, a garment bag (cheap simple one, like $10 from walmart), and my backpack as a carry-on, I'm set for nearly every trip I've done.

 

[pennquaker09]

Congrats on your upcoming wedding!

I registered at Macy''s and Nordstrom and they had some nice luggage. We didn''t actually register for any, but I did see a nice set of black Vera Bradley. They also had some of her designs, but the black isn''t defined to one sex.

I have bits and pieces of different things. I have a LV damier upright, and some LL Bean carry on pieces. Nate has a complete set of Samsonite.

 

[TravelingGal]

So didja find something?

I travel a lot and try to mostly carry on. For my carry on, I buy something from Marshalls/TJMaxx/Ross, etc. If you always carry the piece on, I find it lasts a while as it doesn''t get damaged by the handlers. Things can still fall apart though (usually the handle) but they are easily fixed and I can carry a $40 or $50 bag for years. It''s less important now that we can''t bring water through security, but I love the ones that have the side zip away mesh pocket for water bottles.

If you are going to check luggage, it''s good to invest in a sturdier bag. I don''t buy sets...I buy just what I need. Briggs and Riley have a great name and apparently a great lifetime warranty, but I don''t like the look of their bags. Samsonite, from the reviews I read, isn''t what it used to be. TravelPro is still recommended.

My laptop bag is actually a Tumi rolling tote (I put my laptop in a neoprene sleeve). I LOVE this bag. At $425 for a little tote, it''s ridiculously expensive, but fortunately I found it at the outlet for half price. Totally worth it...I love the bag and it''s the one I use and put through the wringer the most. I''m not sure if Tumi luggage is worth it, mixed reviews, but I love my Tumi Tote!

 

[Asscherhalo_lover]

i have delsey helium light 1000 or something....best features are the color, it''s gray, not to many other peoples luggage can get mixed up with ours, its super lightweight so we can pack more, the larger pieces all have garment bags built in, and they have an awesome warranty. we ended up getting 1 29", 2 26", and a rolling laptop bag. i also have a coach carry on tote and he has a messenger bag thing.

 

[zoebartlett]

I jsut saw this again...thanks for the suggestions! I haven''t gotten anything yet. I want to go shopping with my FI but we haven''t had time yet. I''ll let you know what we come up with.

 

[sumbride]

I have a chocolate brown Claiborne set called "City Lite" and they are extremely light so you can pack them full and never exceed the weight restriction. That''s important these days as when the bag weighs 15 pounds, it''s not hard to hit 50 when packing for a long trip. You don''t NEED a set, but there are advantages to a set.

1) they can usually nest together. Helps with storage.
2) you look more coordinated and can point out what your bag looks like if they lose one
3) you often get a better price on a set

If you do get a set, be sure to get something neutral that both you and your FI can use. I''ve found it''s a lot easier to just have ONE set of luggage... when I was looking at the hot pink bags, M said "absolutely not". the chocolate brown is versatile enough for both of us to use even when we aren''t traveling together.