In the past, I always purchased the cheap stuff and then replaced it in a couple of years. The last time, I decided to switch to (what I thought, at least) a name brand (Kenneth Cole) in hopes that it would last longer. After only a couple of years, I have a dented and scratched suitcase. I think that it will continue to last a few more years but it will continue to look progressively crappier. It does have more features than my old Walmart luggage but I only travel a few times a year and I rarely make use of the extra features.
I also bought a nice Delsey carry on bag and it’s in fine shape. Not turning your luggage over to the luggage monsters apparently makes a big difference.
So, what’s your strategy? Cheap? Expensive? Middle of the road? Something else?
Quality isn’t my main concern as far as luggage goes. What I’m looking for is visibility and recognizability. Everyone has a red/blue/black suitcase and they all look exactly the same. I look for the tackiest, ugliest, most garish bag I can find.
I go tha thrift shop and sort through their luggage until I find one that suits my needs. Two or three bucks.
I am currently using a canvas duffel bag with a shoulder strep and a full length zipper. Flat bottom is 26x50 mm, It meets carry-on specs, I never check bags anymore. I never take more than I can comfortably fit into the bag, without squeezing. No extra pockets, I keep forgetting which pocket I put things in and then have to search all of them, so I just throw everything in one space and feel around for it. I have a plastic flip-lidded box in there, a tackle box for odd little useful things easily lost elsewhere. Dirty laundry just goes in its own separate plastic bag. Stringpull nylon bag inside, for day-trips or sorting contents.
I go for six weeks with just the shoes and jeans I’m wearing, a few extra shirts. A change or two of socks/underwear, they are washed out easily. Easy to stay under 5kg. Tablet, charger. Toothbrush, razor. Here’s a tip: Squeeze a few weeks worth of toothpaste in a wide-mouth Rx bottle,and just dip your toothbrush in it to brush, it meets the <100g carryon limit…
I have a TravelPro set, 1 24" Delsey, and 1 24" Kirkland brand. I cannot tell a difference in quality between the TravelPro and the Kirkland. I’ve found through the years that 24" is the right size for me, so I won’t buy sets anymore but will just replace my go-to size.
I also look for something other than black (all mine are red), and I look for sales or good buys at TJ Maxx, Costco, or when they’re on sale at Macys. I won’t pay more than $100 for a suitcase.
And this is a problem for you?
A suitcase is supposed to absorb dents and scratches. For me, the only purpose of a suitcase is to protect the contents inside.
I don’t need to impress anybody with fancy luggage. But if I need ever do impress somebody, I’ll take a fancy suit out of the suitcase. And while I’m wearing it, the dented luggage will be safely out of sight in the hotel room.
My luggage is all mid-priced Samsonite softsided luggage mostly bought from Macy’s during various sales. And the OP mentioned buying two brands of luggage; Kenneth Cole and Delsey. The former is probably luggage from whatever manufacturer with a designer brand label stitched on it. The latter, Delsey, is an actual luggage brand. I think if you want good luggage, buy a good luggage brand like TravelPro, Tumi, Briggs & Riley, etc.
Edited to add, note that many of the brands, even Samsonite, have various lines at various quality levels. So the Samsonite stuff from the dedicated luggage store isn’t the same as what’s in TJ Maxx.
I fly about 100k miles a year, most of it to and from the developing world. I want luggage that is rugged and functional. I don’t mind paying extra, but I want serious warranties, REI is great for this. I don’t care if my luggage gets beat up, in fact I take please in my dusty, world weary bags covered in airport security stickers from all over the world.
My bags are all black or dark blue soft-sided stuff, so yes, they look like everyone else’s bags. I solved this by buying neon luggage tags and neon wraps for the handles. Other people in my family tie ribbons to their bags, or use brightly colored adhesive tape on them.
I buy mid-grade bags as when I purchased cheap ones, things like handles breaking and wheels cracking and falling off were major annoyances. My second criterion is that the luggage must be of an easily identifiable color. My current set is raspberry pink.
I travel frequently. For my go to bag, I splurge a bit on a bag with warranties, and a reputation for quality. If you don’t travel very much, this may be less of a concern.
I use a 4 wheeler based on a recommendation from my doctor. It’s easier on my shoulder and back.
I also look for the light weight bags now. Every little bit helps, when you have to haul the thing around.
My current bag is a shocking purple. I compared sources and pricing once I had selected a brand, then picked a visible color. My last bag was black, and I just added a bright blue hand grip. Pick the bag you like at the best price you can find, and then you can adjust as needed.
CostCo almost always has good deals on good luggage, if you’re just wanting to grab something at a good price. Not top of the line, but mid-range.
I only travel with a carry-on nowadays, but back when I traveled for a living, I always went with Atlantic softside luggage. Tough ballistic nylon, good wheels that don’t get knocked off, solid stitching, and the zippers never failed. And it was moderately priced.
When I went to NYC, I got bitten by bed bugs in a hotel. (a nice W Hotel). I can take a few bites, but from that day on, every piece of “luggage” I have can be washed in hot water and dried, before I bring it into my house, along with my clothes.
I wouldn’t characterize it as a problem per se, at least not yet. But I assume that because of the dent and the accompanying crack in the outer shell, the structural integrity of the suitcase has been compromised at least somewhat. I guess I didn’t really know what to expect but I was just surprised when the corner of my suitcase was caved in after just a few uses.
Same here. I have some nice mustard yellow hard luggage that looks like it belongs on top of the Brady Bunch station wagon. I also have an old blue carry-on bag I use everyday as a backpack. Most people think it’s a bowling bag, and are surprised at how much I can actually fit inside.
Soft. And CHEAP. I have a number of duffel bags of various sizes, bought cheap at military surplus stores. I do not own any “suitcases” and never will. Scrunch everything up in a bag, zip it tight, wrap it a few times in strapping, and kick it on down the corridor.
Trundling cases around is my idea of hell so my current choice is a samsonite combined backpack/laptop bag that can easily hold a weeks work of work and leisure clothes and is small enough to fit in the overheads.
In fact my wife, myself and two young kids all recently went to Florida for two weeks and all we took was a similar backpack each. The customs guy at immigration in O’Hare quizzed us quite rigorously about our lack of luggage. I ended up opening my backpack and showing him what I actually had brought.
I have a 1999 Eagle Creek travel backpack that has spent literally years on the road in some of the roughest of circumstances (and served double duty hauling laundry and groceries stateside). I’ve needed two minor repairs in all that time, both of which were carried out quickly and without charge. Seventeen years of hard use later, it’s still basically as good as the day I got it. Now that I’m a bit older, I’ve purchased an Eagle Creek carry on suitcase (I’m an obsessively light packer) with their most comprehensive warranty. It’s served me well and I appreciate the quality of construction and thoughtful design details.
I go for the most inconspicuous bag possible. I want it to draw zero attention, and to blend in equally as well on top of a developing world bus as in a world class hotel. When the thieves go looking for a bag to steal, I want nothing at all that would draw their eyes to mine. I want to be another small, plain black suitcase in a world of nearly indistinguishable pieces of luggage. It’s a pain at the luggage carousel, but it’s safer during the rest of the trip.
I’ve got a few mis-matched pieces that seem to have held up over the years only being used 2-3 times as checked luggage. California Pak, Kenneth Cole, Samsonite.
You can usually get some good deals at those “off-price” retailers like TJMaxx, Ross, Marshalls, Nordtrom Rack, etc.
Our luggage is also all mid-priced Samsonite, purchased over the course of a couple of years at Samsonite outlet stores, about 15 years ago. I bought the mid-priced line, and felt it was an excellent value for the money. We don’t travel much anymore, but all the pieces are sturdy and in excellent condition. I;ll never have to buy luggage again at this rate.