How to Select the Best Luggage
Choosing the best luggage for your travels
The luggage you choose to buy depends on your travel preferences.
Basically though, any piece of luggage you buy should be durable, useful, tough (have you ever watched the airlines load your bags?) and good value for the price.
You want luggage that makes travel easy and comfortable — not too heavy, but able to hold all the clothes and accessories you think you will need (the airline weight restrictions help you decide).
If your travel is mostly by car, then weight restrictions do not apply. You can stuff your cases as much as they can hold — just remember that at some point you will have to lift your bags in and out of the car.
Selecting the type of luggage
Buy suitcases ideal for most of the kinds of trips you take.
– Hard-sided or soft-sided? Suitcase, garment bag, duffel bag, or backpack?
– Size: 24 – 36 inch, 22 inch or less for carry-on, expandable or not, matching tote or train-case.
– Two-wheeled, four-wheeled, pull-strap, pull handle…
– Clamshell — polypropylene or polycarbonate (yet lightweight)
Unique features are the reasons some luggage costs more than others do. Here are a few good features that you should look for:
- Telescoping handles and inline skate wheels for easy mobility (inline skate wheels are also less likely to fall off)
- Extra-large zipper pulls or YKK® “self-healing” zippers
- Reinforced or hard bottoms
- Expandability and/or compression straps to adjust volume (for all those souvenirs!)
- Padded straps for non-rolling luggage
- Multiple compartments such as suiters, internal bags for shoes, or built-in pouches for dirty laundry
- Waterproof pockets for wet bathing suits (so you can take one last dip before flying home)
- Waterproof finish (luggage can sometimes sit on rainy tarmacs for extended periods, soaking your clothes inside)
Before making your final selection, research the different types of luggage on the Internet. Check the sizes and weights offered. Look at the fabric used — leather, denier, clamshell, and the features mentioned above.
Then, visit any luggage store or the luggage section in one of the well-known department stores. Find the bags you researched online and open them up. Do they have the features described? Lift the suitcase and check the weight, then imagine it full of clothes.
Picture yourself at the check-in counter at the airport — would it beat the 50lb rule? How about lifting it into the trunk of your car, or carrying it up a flight of stairs?
What about the carry-on or tote? Will you be able to lift it into the airline bin, or will it fit under the seat?
When you find the pieces of luggage that fit the bill, compare prices in the store with those offered from the online stores. Do not forget to figure in the online shipping fees (if any). Having the luggage shipped to your house is a plus — no need to lug them home from the store.
Don’t forget to put luggage tags on all your bags. Do NOT put your phone number on your luggage tags, your address will do. If you insist on using locks– you’ll need to get the TSA locks so Security can get in (they will get in at any cost).
Many bags look alike, make sure yours stand out– add some ribbon or a colored strap to the handle.
Enjoy your travels knowing that your bags CAN withstand the Baggage handlers.
