Don’t get black!
Everyone else has black, get a unique color. Like purple, pink, bright yellow, etc.
Rimowa or bust.
When I was traveling frequently I was involved in collectable card games. Card stock is heavy. My bags would always be max wieght. My carry-on was always well over max weight, Id never let anyone else touch it to figure that out.
Cheap luggage had no chance. It wouldn’t last a single trip. Even good luggage had a maximum expected lifetime. Replacing luggage was a regular part of business expenses. The wieght of the bags themselves was also a consideration. As a heavier bag meant less product in checked luggage.
Nothing worse then traveling on a tight schedule and having a zipper or seam blow out. Then you’re stuck buying a replacement piece in a tourist trap for 4 times it’s value.
Went through a lot of high end Samsonite. Paid attention to sales and coupons to get it as cheap as possible. Having a few extra stored away was never an issue.
Rimowa lasts longer and has the best customer service. Break a wheel and the would next day it pretty much anywhere in the world as part of the warranty. It is however incredibly expensive so it was a toss up as to go throw a couple Sampsonites vs one Rimowa.
I don’t travel nearly as much now. I still have friends in the industry. If I travel I just borrow what I need. It’s so much easier to just be moving around personal items.