We're overdue for upgrading our luggage & wanting to get some quality pieces. Currently we have an aged 3-piece set of semi-rigid rollers. A few failed zippers , some planned future travel & just normal wear/tear has us wanting a new set.

2 or 3 piece, rolling at minimum.
Should we go for full rigid or another semi-rigid (fabric) set?
Recommended brands?
Not sure on budget, would need to browse & see where the recommendations fall.

I have had great luck with the Travelpro brand. I prefer soft sided, but many do not.

While we don't travel a lot, my wife and I did the same thing (luggage upgrade) about 2 years ago. My research kept circling me back to Travelpro.

Supposedly, it's the brand that many pilots and flight attendants use (for what that's worth). We only purchased a couple of small pieces, but have been really happy with the quality and performance so far.

I’ve owned them all… Travel pro was pretty good. (20 years ago ime)


For me, the best ever was purdyneat luggage.

FWIW: flight attendants use travelpro, and pilots use purdyneat/luggageworks

TravelPro.

But get their current top of the line. It comes with a lifetime warranty. Covers everything

Never had an issue if a zipper or wheel broke. They fixed it.

Soft sided because it gives. I have see too many cracked hard sides

After having my soft sided get trashed by the airlines I went rigid.

I bought mine at Marshals.

I have a mixture of Travel Pro, Sharper Image, and another brand. I need different sizes bought at different times.

Side by side they all look like they came out of the same factory in China.


I picked a slightly coppery color to easily spot it, anything but black but not loud enough to draw attention.

For years I was a luggage snob. I purchased at great expense Andiamo or Tumi. I reveled at their durability, traveling as a consultant about three cities each week. I was comforted by the warranty promise. I thought I made a good decision.

I tell you what, I have completely changed my approach. I bought rigid Samsonite brand at Costco. Two pieces. Maybe $130. Amazing stuff. No issues with scuffing. No concerns about durability. And, the luggage performs, even at this bargain price. Zippers work. Clothes are protected. I use smaller fabric cases and shirt holding sleeves to organize the interior.

So simple. So cheap. And so effective.

Our TravelPro rollaboards don't get used much.

Many pilots us LuggageWorks. Probably the most durable soft luggage available. The two big issues with luggage are wheels and zippers. Crappy wheels can sometimes be replaced if standard rollerblade wheels will fit, but on cheapo luggage the wheels usually cannot be retrofitted. Zips either are or are not high quality.

I am a retired airline pilot. I have and approve of the LuggageWorks Executive Series, which has the plastic composite frame. The weight is reasonable, and they are very sturdy. For carry-on use it will last forever.

Many pilots have the Stealth Series, but they are quite heavy due to the metal frame. I don't believe the metal frame is worth the extra $$ or weight. If you're checking the bag then the weight really counts against you.

I can't comment on the Stealth Premier series if they are worth the extra $$ or how the weight compares to the Executive Series.

For checked bags I prefer hard sided bags with latches. When mine wore out I replaced it with one that has zippers to hold it closed, which is not great. I always put a locking bright orange strap around it to keep it closed and deter theft.

^^^ polymer frame here for at least a decade

Travelpro--current 20% off sale.

Special offers is there closeout/discounted luggage.

Travelpro. From the outlets.

quote:

Originally posted by Seamus:
I have had great luck with the Travelpro brand. I prefer soft sided, but many do not.

I've tried a good numbe4r of brands. I settled on Travelpro. I like them so much that I got the small, medium, and large sizes for my wife and I. And I store them nestled inside each other. I also use a wrap around lock for added security and identification. I also add a bright colored shoe lace that they sell for ID purposes also.

So, this is what we use:
https://shop.samsonite.com/lug...dmaster=luggage-sets

The airlines we use have size requirements and these have met the requirements.

Some, if not all, have weight limits. So the lightest luggage possible will help maximize your clothing that you need to pack. We had the Costco Cordura luggage and it was heavy. We got rid of that luggage. So we would stay away from fabric. Weight is not your friend.

I would also stay away from luggage with built in batteries. Some airlines may not allow that type of luggage on board?

This luggage has TSA locks. We have had our checked luggage checked and if the TSA cannot get into the bag, they will cut the lock. They will also cut a TSA lock if they have any trouble unlocking it with their TSA key.

This Samsonite luggage rolls easy, which really helps as we sometimes stack smaller luggage on the tops and roll both together.

Just my 2 cents.
Lineman

6 to 8 years ago, I was living in Canada and my trusty large checkin suitcase gave up the ghost and next trip my trusty carry-on died too.

A post on here identified the two most popular luggage brands for pilots and flight attendants. I opted for Briggs & Riley as at the time out of the two brands they were the only one who sold something other than black (I bought olive)

I've been very happy with my two Briggs & Riley suitcases, and matching shaving kit. Still never seen another olive suitcase on the checked luggage conveyor at the airport.

I have had good luck with Delsey and Eagle Creek. Very durable. Not terribly expensive.

TSA Keys… LOL… That was blown the first day the stupid fed official guy spread all eight keys across his palm and they were photographed and then put in the paper. Everybody knew the bittings and profiles immediately and it was never changed lol. Think 3-D printers.

We bought Samsonite when they went on sale, I think on Amazon. No regrets. Used domestic and international. Sure, they get scuffed up a bit over time but the locks, wheels, and zippers are still ANIB.

I like my pelicans. Not pretty but they seem to hold up well - haven’t used the “air weight” one as much as my old one.

The lighter weight one is definitely flimsier - my old ones are now used for packing on boats, etc.

I have used a pacsafe backpack all over, and it’s held up well as a carry on, and is useful to lock stuff up while cruising around/in hotel rooms.

I’ve been very happy with this piece when I want to pack a lot of gear/clothes: Osprey Shuttle. Lifetime warranty too.

Used to go to Samsonite, but they’re not what they used to be.

TravelPro is the way to go for cost vs. value. There are better (think Tumi), but not that much better to justify the $$$, IMO.

-Rob