Luggage-buying tips

So I love to travel, and I travel somewhat regularly with my job now, but I haven't found luggage I like yet. ... A couple years ago, my folks bought me a set of American Tourister bags for Christmas, but one of them (the one I used most! A 24-inch upright with wheels/handle) has broken, the wheeled carry-on is on the smaller side (I think only 18") and the others just aren't that practical. Primarily, I'm now looking for a 24"-ish upright to check in (and that won't get ripped up by baggage machines/folks) and a wheeled carry-on sized bag...

Input I seek:

-- Best places (stores or web sites) to buy luggage from

-- Favorite brands

-- Tips for finding the right bag

-- Favorite bags

And any other tips you all might have to throw my way. Thanks much!

 

My experience is Samsonite always lasts the longest. And don't buy a bag that seems heavy before you even get anything in it. It'll be a nightmare, especially with pound charges now.

 

Whatever you do ... get a colour that is going to stand out among all the blacks and navy blues on the luggage carousel.

 

I had a nice forest green for the AT set, and I'm definitely not adverse to brightly colored bags. I just want to know which ones to browse for colors.

 

I have a hot pink bag I got at Ross or TJ Maxx. It's not all that well constructed though, so I don't know if it would stand up to regular travel. I only fly a couple times a year anymore.

 

My best bag is a 21" rollaboard that I got at TJ Maxx. It was some off-brand, but it's held up extremely well over the years. It's light and expandable and has lasted for years of lots of travel. It was pretty cheap as I recall, too.

 

try briggs and riley -- pricy but worth it.

their bags really stand up to beatings, and they have (or used to) completely free repair and replacement should you need it

and if you use a shoulder bag for your laptop consider a wheeled one. you might look ridiculous wheeling that little thing thru the terminal, but when you're going from A to C in Dallas -- hell, if you're going more than 10 feet -- it's worth it.

 

I will second the TJ Maxx/Marshall's idea. I bought my current set (two Liz Claiborne plaid bags that I adore) for like $110 for two. They're both checkable, and one is really big. I also got a smaller, carry-on only, one at Marshall's last year. It has the spinning wheels (which are fantastic, by the way) and cost me only like $30.

 

My set is Victorinox and while the light blue color I picked out gets dirty easily, my bags are quite durable. I especially love the gearshift style handle, which unfortunately I think they don't make anymore. If you have a Filene's Basement nearby, that's another good place to shop.

 

The GF mentioned luggage during her present-hint-dropping. It can be hard to prioritize because she keeps the present-hint-dropping up for 52 weeks a year.
Anyway, it's the kind of present I would like because it's something useful that I would rather not buy for myself. So I think it's a great gift.
On the other hand, I'm worried that it's too practical to give her as a Christmas gift. Pointing out that she asked for luggage might assuage disappointment.

 

Tread carefully. It took me two years to get past buying office furniture for my wife when she went off on her own as a freelancer. Looking back, it probably would have been better had I assembled it on the front end.

Re: luggage, I have a Tumi roller that I like for trips up to a week and I just picked up Brookstone Dash for overnights that I'm liking quite a bit. It only cost $79, it's very light, has a hard case that fits perfectly in the overhead compartment, and it comes in a variety of colors. The coating on the outer shell will scratch a little, though.

 

If you can handle it, ducky, I would actually avoid bags with wheels/castors.

It's just another item that can break. I bought a couple of Samsonite pieces years back and they're withstood the tests. Of course, I usually don't fly - the luggage was handy in the back of my vehicle - and there are no wheels.

Just something to think about. To boot, if it's THAT heavy, you're going to get charged by airlines for excessive weight, anyway. Better to use those last couple of pounds for your things instead of bag bells and whistles.