"best" carry-on luggage

[TaylorEar]

I want to get my DH a new piece of carry-on luggage for christmas. He travels a LOT both domestically and internationally. He currently uses a Red Ox Air Boss and loves the capacity but has recently mentioned that he wishes he had something that rolled (it's a LONG walk through London Heathrow! )

I've looked at the ebags 21'' mother load mini and the 22'' expandable carry-on... I have very little experience with good carry-on's as I usually pay to check my bags.

Thoughts? What kind of wheeled carry-on's do you recommend? What kind of features are important (spinners vs. 2-wheels, weight, compartments?)

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

I personally dislike spinners. The wheels take up too much space and are too easily broken.

You need to carefully check the carry-on dimensions for your husband's usual airline and make sure the new bag will fit. A bag which will be used on international airlines usually needs to be a bit smaller than one for US airlines. Bags which fit dimensions of foreign carriers often use "international" in the bag name.

Look for a bag with a good warranty. I have a Tumi international bag which was damaged twice and completely destroyed when I checked it within a year of purchase. I got it repaired for free twice, then replaced for free. You might want to look at Briggs & Riley bags; repairs are free forever. They are expensive, but for a real road warrior, it would be worth it.

 

[anonymousegirl]

I prefer a soft (framed) carry on rather than the currently popular hard sided cases. Hard sides are more durable, but they are heavier (which can be a problem in Europe where many airlines have carry on weight restrictions), and sometimes do not fit in the overhead or definitely don't fit under the seat.

Spinner wheels are easier to maneuver but as someone pointed out, if you have to check it, the wheels are more likely to get damaged as they are not recessed into the case.

Sometimes a carry on bag will have a suiter option (my old 20'' Hartman does) with a thin hanger/garment bag that folds up and is strapped into the lid of the case. If your husband needs a suit when traveling for work, this might be something to look for.

 

[supersnoop]

Does he do mostly short trips, or is he gone for a whole week at a time? How much does he travel domestically versus international?

The best luggage, in my opinion, is Briggs and Riley. They have lots of options, the highest quality, and the industry's best warranty. Carry-on limits are smaller internationally, so if he makes lots of hops after leaving the states, he's going to need a slightly smaller bag, 19" or 20". But if he travels mostly domestic or direct overseas, and/or for full weeks at a time, he'll want something bigger, like a 21". Some 22" bags will fit in the overhead, but at that point, it starts getting risky. Briggs and Riley offer some "wide" bags that add 1.5" to the width. I have a 20", wide bag from them, and it works well for me.

 

[SuzanneSLO]

Because your husband travels a lot, you might get better information on the FlyerTalk Travel Products duscussion board. They love the Air Boss over there.

Also TheWirecutter is updating its best carryon luggage review. Last year's recommendation for very frequent flyers was the Tumi Alpha at $640. They found the quality on the Alpha to be significantly better than there next pick, which was a Briggs & Riley for $470.

-- Suzanne

 

[Super 27]

TravelPro is a pretty decent choice - a lot of airline flight attendants use them and love them.

I personally use a brand called Luggageworks. They are geared toward flight crew, and aren't the most aesthetically pleasing bags, but if you want something that is basically indestructible, you can't go wrong with any of their metal-framed bags.

 

[TaylorEar]

Thanks for the replies.

His travel is pretty evenly split between domestic and international, and almost always around 5-7 days per trip.

Wow... good luggage is expensive!!!

 

[Hopefully]

Another Briggs & Riley recommendation. They have a lifetime warranty that they are great about honoring.
In June I bought the International Carryon, As others have said it is slightly smaller than a domestic carry on, but great for me. Personally I LOVE the spinners as I can push the bag as well as pull it, which ever fits the situation best. It is the best Carry On I have ever had and I travel a fair amount for work, usually Internationally