Suitcase suggestions

[dez1978]

I need to buy my kids some decent carry ons. Like normal size ones, not the smaller character themed child ones. Does anyone have any reasonable priced recommendations for some I can get on line? We fly SW normally so I think they can be up to 22 inches.

 

[Pixie Dusted Snow]

I don't have a specific brand recommendation however...
I'd suggest a spinner and while for a normal size luggage I do not recommend hard sided for carry on size I do recommend it as I feel like you can fit more because on the smaller soft sided luggage the outer pockets seem pretty useless.

 

[stsomewhere]

You can get some good deals at TJ MAXX on luggage. You need to keep checking

 

[kymom99]

Travelpro

the absolute best. Long lasting, light weight, spinner wheels

 

[GreatLakes]

I would recommend the 40L Patagonia Black Hole Wheeled Duffel. It can be used as a carry on and is great for weekend trips in a car as well. It will last forever too.

As soon as my son is old enough to drag his own bag around that is what he will be getting.

If you want more traditional luggage without costing a lot check out the American Tourister line from Kohl's.

 

[RUDisney]

I buy mine in TJ Maxx. I find what I like, for the right specifications and price. I toyed with buying Away luggage for my last trip, but found a $50 bag at TJM that works just fine vs. the $250 Away brand.

 

[jrmasm]

I really like the Kenneth Cole Reaction Renegade. It’s got a full zipper closure on one side of the inside and a full flap on the other side. Keeps stuff from moving around when you open it. Bought the 20” for my daughter to use for a 7 day trip to Europe and it worked really well!

 

[thewesterberg]

We have slowly built up our luggage collection with eBags. Sturdy. Good quality. Decent prices if you work their coupon codes. We have a checked piece and a couple of wheeled carryons. Our latest purchase at the beginning of March (ha ha!) were MotherLode backpacks for each of us - still anxiously waiting to get to use them!

 

[klacey1]

We bought all of our Swiss Gear suitcases (as well as my husbands SG laptop backpack and gym duffel) off eBags. I recommend both the brand and website. The suitcases are soft sided spinners and move with ease. Very durable after three years of lots of trips.

 

[ksanftleben]

You get a lot of bang for the buck with Amazon Basics hardshell spinners. We've got a couple of Rick Steves and TravelPro carryons too; they're great but a lot more expensive than Amazon's.

 

[Babsy]

I love Briggs and Riley or Tumi.

 

[NYCgrrl]

Swiss Gear makes quality luggage at a decent price point. Think I paid $40.00 for DGD’s 22” or 23” spinner on sale. Also saw some good ones by American Tourister at the time.
Target’s, Marshall, and Burlington generally carry one or the other line.

What you should look for when luggage shopping no matter the brand:

Tightly woven fabric (high denier)

Well made metal zippers with 2 heads, (YKK is the industry standard)

A two pronged telescopic handle that doesn’t “wobble” when fully extended is useful for future upgrades as it’s easy to hold a toiletry or lunch bag

Side handles that allows you to easily place in an overhead bin. The handles should be stitch reinforced in a triangular or “X” boxed pattern (same for tote bags).

Inside, compartment bags on the short sides (nice when the bags are removable) and a mesh zippered bag on the bag’s opening side are useful.

Personally, my preference is luggage straps that form an “X” but nowadays most bags have side by side straps; easy to modify if you’ve basic sewing skills or access to a decent shoemaker/ shoe repair shop.

I prefer a exterior zipper compartment to hold travel documents and readily accessed small goods so no need to open the main body. A side opening for a newspaper or umbrella might be something to consider as well.

For the same price, it’s been my observation that hardside bags are not as well made. I see too many duct taped or cellophane wrapped aluminum suitcases coming off luggage carousels.

 

[piccolopat]

Keep in mind that the measurements for any carryon will include the wheels, handles and outside pockets. Some air carriers will check this especially when a flight is full. For this reason, we looked for carryons that did not have bulky outside pockets and instead looked for ones that are flat. We rarely use the outside pocket for anything other than paperwork so it didn't make sense to have big pockets. I also looked for ones that had small wheels and handles to maximize the inside storage. The next time I buy a carryon I may look into a backpack style with no wheels.

 

[dyna]

Don't over look Goodwill Salvation Army etc ..I've been happier with what I bought used rather than new most of the time.

Once even got a SAminite sp? at a yard sale it was a breathable sports bag at time my DD was active in 3 different high school sports...She didn't like the bag so It became a cat carrier.

Bag had never been used an I got it for a dime.

 

[krissynina]

I love my matching American Tourister R2-D2 and BB8 luggage. It is so easy to find and its just fun to be dragging a BB8 carryon around the airports.

And it helps that they are durable, easy to clean and can fit lots of stuff, and look adorable in the corner of the hotel rooms.

 

[mmbrad02]

We have slowly built up our luggage collection with eBags. Sturdy. Good quality. Decent prices if you work their coupon codes. We have a checked piece and a couple of wheeled carryons. Our latest purchase at the beginning of March (ha ha!) were MotherLode backpacks for each of us - still anxiously waiting to get to use them!

We love our Ebags luggage as well. We have two 25" Motherlode suitcases as well as a 21" and also a shoulder bag and several sets of packing cubes. I keep eying the backbacks too but haven't taken the plunge given current events. Those Motherlode's hold SO MUCH stuff!

 

[Erzengel]

Tumi. I know they can be expensive but there are many Tumi outlets and our luggage has lasted for years.

 

[VandVsmama]

Red Oxx makes some really awesome bags. None of them have wheels. But they're very lightweight, made of tough, durable material, and come with a lifetime guarantee...meaning if the bag gets damaged for ANY reason, they will repair it or replace it for free.

 

[Orion Nebula]

I love my matching American Tourister R2-D2 and BB8 luggage. It is so easy to find and its just fun to be dragging a BB8 carryon around the airports.

And it helps that they are durable, easy to clean and can fit lots of stuff, and look adorable in the corner of the hotel rooms.

We bought seven sets of the American Tourister Disney luggage. The quality and designs are great.

 

[donaldbuzz&minnie]

I'd suggest that it depends on what you're aiming for. Sometimes it's almost as expensive to buy one carry-on as it is to buy an entire set. If your kids might soon be going away to college or into adult lives, or if you can use some larger bags yourselves, that might be a consideration.

We travel a lot, and come down on the side of buying luggage at Costco or on ebags. I'm way over buying expensive luggage, since the airlines are guaranteed to beat up the bags we check-in anyway, and I don't want to mourn over the loss. We've never had any problems with name brands.