I travel quite a bit, to include a handful of international trips. I've used just about every brand out there and sold a bunch also on the wholesale side. Travel luggage is like a good pair of shoes, once you start using it, you'll notice the difference and have a renewed confidence that it'll not fail. A good 22" roller, will run you about $350; it's a big number in the beginning but, if you use it over the course of 20-years from everything like weekend road trips to overseas travel, it'll amortize itself out. Travel enough and see people's luggage fail, and it's always due to going cheap and at the worst time..shitty luggage handler, on/off train, board airplane, caster/wheel coming off in a coblestone alley.
There's a number of solid brands, I still use soft-sided luggage, the two that I turn to are:

Briggs & Riley
Eagle Creek

B+R is spendy but, worth it, they have the best warranty and workmanship in the industry, no debate about it. Nothing worse than a handle that is stuck and won't retract while you're boarding your flight Their Baseline collection is their most popular and most varied. I still use a 1st gen 22" roller from their BTX line.

Eagle Creek I like their features compared to most, an outside pocket or, two to dump your contents before going through security is nice, and a place to squirrel small things. They're more outdoor oriented so more colors, and the pocketing is very functional, they also carry a comprehensive warranty. Their Tarmac collection is their best all-around assortment, looks like they have them on sale. https://www.eaglecreek.com/shop/wheeled-luggage Expanse is their price-point collection and Road Warrior collection has some visual interest items.

Travelpro invented the roller board design, today, they have a pretty extensive collection, most of it geared for department stores and price-points. Stick with their top-tier collections. Luggageworks formerly known as Purdy, was made by and for pilots. Overbuilt and heavy, they're designed to take the abuse of daily travel by airline professionals.

Tumi, Samsonite, High Sierra, American Tourists, Lipault, Gregory are all owned by the same company, which has been bought and sold too many times. Delsey is a French brand that competes with Samsonite, very extensive collection that plays in the department store world. ebags.com is a good resource to shop for luggage, their house brand of rollers is very popular with flight attendants.

If you're looking for something more modern consider Thule and Timbuk2. Both of them and most of the others listed can be found shopping around eBags.com, Amazon, zappos and other online sites.

If you're looking for hardside luggage, most of the above brands have a collection. Hardsides are usually best during winter travel or, in the tropics. The chance of a heavy downpour, while your bags sit out in the open at the airport are real, and a hardside is piece of mind. The gold standard for hardside luggage is Rimowa , old school German brand that builds incredible luggage...and costs a fortune. Victorinox also has a collection that pretty good and more reasonable.

I have Travelpro Platinum Magna 2 spinners in carryon and suiter, 21 & 25 inch respectively. I’m very happy with them and they have a great warranty. The two of them came to just under $425 total after shopping around a bit online.

I fly for the big purple freight company in Memphis. Been using a Briggs and Riley Baseline 22inch roller for over 15 years. Its bullet proof and the warranty is exceptional. I have had the wheels replaced and the handles are getting a bit worn but it should last me a few more years. I like it because it doesn't scream aircrew and I can deadhead under the radar. Its good stuff.

Another vote for Briggs&Riley. My 22" carry on is going on 20 years, and with the exception of a zipper pull that broke, no issues. (I could take it to a luggage store and get it fixed, but a piece of paracord fixed it well enough for me). For a soft-side carry on, super-light travel, I have an older Osprey Porter 42 with built in shoulder straps or I equip it with an eagle creek silicone padded shoulder strap.

Ken

My Eagle Creek carry-on has served me very well flying all over the world. I have no reason to believe that it will fail anytime soon.

quote:

Originally posted by fpuhan:

quote:

Originally posted by reloader-1:
Go to eBay and buy a lightly used Briggs & Riley suitcase. Will last forever, and they have an unconditional lifetime warranty.

If you have the $$, you can also buy new, but they are $500 a suitcase new. eBay will be $100-200 for almost new suitcases.

+1 on Briggs & Riley. I bought a suitcase from them nearly 30 years ago. One reason was their unconditional lifetime guarantee. My suitcase finally showed the ravages of many years of travel (both job-related and personal), so I contacted them for a repair. They agreed to accept the repair without equivocation.

A lot changes over 30 years. I was offered a steep discount on a new suitcase in lieu of a repair. I took them up on their offer, and now have a brand-new "Domestic Carry-on Expandable" (retail: $569) that I expect to last me another 30 years!

Yes, they are expensive. Quality is beyond a price tag, in my opinion.

https://www.briggs-riley.com

This. They not only warrant them, they warrant them against DAMAGE. Which your suitcase is virtually guaranteed to get the first time you travel with it....

Based on recommendations here some time back, I bought a Travel Pro Platinum Magna carry on roller and have been very impressed with it. I truly believe you can buy excellent luggage without spending Briggs & Riley prices.

quote:

Originally posted by bigdeal:
Based on recommendations here some time back, I bought a Travel Pro Platinum Magna carry on roller and have been very impressed with it. I truly believe you can buy excellent luggage without spending Briggs & Riley prices.

Agreed. That’s why I recommended eBay, there are dozens of great Briggs & Riley suitcases in almost new condition for around the price range of that Travel Pro you posted.

Here’s one at $199

My family owns 5 Briggs & Riley suitcases in different sizes, I think total we spent less than $650 for all of them. All new or near new, and the benefit they have over the Travel Pro, for example, is beefier construction, and an unbeatable warranty.

quote:

Originally posted by Jim Shugart:
I prefer Kroger paper bags. Apparently there is a law around here against boarding a Greyhound Bus without one.

Similar to my Stop&Shop matching designer luggage.