You should be aware, if youre flying with European or Asian carriers, that the biggest restriction is weight, which can be as low as 11 pounds on certain carriersand makes this kind of luggage impractical. Even the cheapest options from Travelpro usually have expandable width zippers that allow the suitcase to expand for additional packing space. The spinner luggage configuration stands out in particular because of its MagnaTrac wheels, which magnetically snap into a forward position when the bag is moved. International travelers may favor Travelpro models with RFID-blocking pockets to prevent virtual theft of their passport and credit card data. Unlike other expansion systems, which are either open or closed, this one locks into incremental positions. The story of Travelpro begins more than three decades ago, in 1987. We think its worthwhile to invest a little more into your luggagethe bag you choose will last longer and work better. Its the airlines responsibility to cover the fees for the damage that theyve caused! The garment folder is similar to Travelpros, and thats a good thing. The one scenario in which we can get it to tip easily is by intentionally packing all the heaviest items near the top (when its lying flat) of the baglaptops are a common culprit here. Next, comes the aluminum handle. For every half-pound increase in weight we estimated 288 cubic inches of packable space. One long mesh pocket sits on one of the bags sides, and a smaller removable transparent plastic bag sits on the other side for easy TSA inspection of toiletries. Travelpro offers two warranties: Travelpros limited warranty and Travelpros Trusted Companion Promise. Total packing versatility with Travelpro exclusive zip-in organizers. Maxlite 5s, like other Travelpro product families, is boosted by the brands Trusted Companion Promise, which for the first year of limited warranty covers the shipping cost to repair facilities and the cost of repair for damage caused by airlines or other common carriers. Free Standard Shipping For Orders Over $49! Its strong yet flexible polycarbonate shell does show more wear than our soft-sided picks. Was it a good-looking bag, or an eyesore? To get repair service, you can either drop the bag off at a repair center or ship the bag to Travelpro, the cost of which the company will cover. If youre someone who values durability and practicality over looks, then you might want to consider getting the Travelpro Bold 2.0 carry-on. It costs more than our main pick, but after using all of these bags side by side, we can see what a difference that extra money buys: The Briggs & Riley garment folder is among the roomiest weve tested, the compression system is superior to anything else weve seen, and the bag has a huge amount of interior spacemore than all the others in this guide. The Crew and Plat are virtually the same bag. We decided that carry-on bags should be capable of holding enough clothes to last you five days with room to spare for miscellaneous necessities. He has written for Popular Science, The Awl, and the New York Observer, among others. It carries so much, Lam said. But now that companies have started building injection-molded pans for their wheel mounts, thickened the overall supports, and increased the diameter of the wheel spindles, the failure rate has reduced considerably. Youll also find a USB charging port on the backside, which will allow you to charge your phone without taking out your power bank. When we first started testing the Away in 2016, we found that flexibility to be a liability, especially on airport carpets: The first version of the Away I tested tended to flex into itself and jam up its own wheels when I pushed it in front of me. Their luggage is durable, lightweight, packed with good features, and backed up by a reliable warranty. Sometimes I check it. However, the unique shape of the Vocier means that the zipper of the luggage must travel a very specific S curve, which snagged almost every time we opened the case. Make sure to look up the warranty thats right for your suitcase family. Read our carry-on luggage review. The Briggs & Riley Baseline 22 Domestic is that kind of bag. The tubing throughout the Crew Experts frame is twice as wide and much heavier than that of the Platinum Elite. The Platinum Elites plastic baseboard is perforated with holes and secured with a litany of small screws. Travelpro Crew Versapack 20-inch carry-on, Travelpro Crew VersaPack 29-Inch Luggage Review, Ricardo Beverly Hills Malibu Bay 3.0 Carry-On, Travelpro Platinum Elite 25-Inch Checked Suitcase Review, Kenneth Cole Luggage: 2022 Brand Review and Rating, Rockland London 3-Piece Luggage Set Review, Olympia Fashion Rolling Shopper Tote Review, Rockland Journey 4-Piece Upright Luggage Set Review, Rockland Fashion 2-Piece Upright Luggage Set Review, Kenneth Cole Reaction Out of Bounds 28-Inch Checked Luggage Review, Zippered pockets for organizing all the smaller items, Compression straps for keeping your clothing in place, Mesh dividers for organizing your belongings, Waterproof pockets for storing wet and dirty laundry. After 45K miles, I have to say that I love the bag. Due to the larger dimensions, Maxlite can also carry more volume. Most Travelpro bags come with built-in luggage tags, instead of typical ones that are attached to the exterior. Its retractable and fixes in three various heights. Its almost the same bag. Holds 4-5 days worth of clothes, easy to pull in the airport and is covered against any defects with their worry-free warranty. The removable garment bags in Travelpros spinner suitcases are, in general, tight in the shoulders, which can cause wrinkles. Though we generally prefer YKK zippers, which have a very good reputation, Travelpros zipper choice hasnt been enough to change our recommendation. The only large checked bag from Travelpro that is within 62 linear inches is the Travelpro Bold 28-inch checked bag, which measures 59.5 linear inches. The wheels have 360-degree rotation and a unique magnetic technology that helps them self-align for the smoothest possible movement. Weve tested 47 bags over the past five years and found the most reliable, best carry-on luggage for most travels. In fact, ballistic nylon is currently the most durable fabric used in luggage. But some people may prefer having the extra flexibility. On a flat marble ground that isnt perfectly leveled, the Maxlite 5 would start rolling away by itself, because of its smooth spinner wheels. In 1987, Northwest Airlines pilot Bob Plath invented The Original Rollaboard, one of the world's first wheeled suitcases. In the past, luggage designers have told us that such flexibility leads to fewer breaks, but in comparing the two bags, I found that the Crew Experts more firmly attached rails felt much stronger while still managing to offer enough give. Travelpro's under-seat carry-on is excellent for people who tend to pack light. And its backed by a limited lifetime warranty that doesnt cover airline damage. Besides the suggestions from our experts, we researched editorial and user reviews of luggage, making sure to include popular brands like Samsonite and Tumi as well as esoteric names like Filson and Hideo Wakamatsu. However, the dimensions of the Platinum Elite bag are 18 x 14 x 7 inches. From all 31 luggage brands that we collected data on, Travelpro scored #8, which is a really good result considering that their luggage is also durable. This means that you can pack your suitcase full and then compress it to keep everything from moving around inside the bag. In the medium class, theyre definitely one of the more expensive brands, because on average, Delseys suitcases cost 206$, Samsonites 190$, and Ricardo Beverly Hills 167$. In luggage reviews, the most common complaint about Briggs & Riley suitcases is that the handle seems loose, but this is by design. Briggs & Riley emphasizes that returning your bag to you in its original condition, even after repairs, is not always possible. Samsonite's carry-on bags range in price from $80 to $550; Travelpro's carry-ons cost $90 to $320. Incase EO Roller: At full price, this stylish bag is $250. Which suitcase will work best for you depends on your taste and needs. If youre not part of a professional flight crew, I think youre better off purchasing our top carry-on pick. The textured finish hides most of the smaller scratches that come naturally with years of use. This great-looking and relatively resilient piece of hard-sided luggage has top-of-the-line componentsincluding wheels as smooth-rolling as any weve tested. It also has an aluminum retractable handle, which lets you use it like any other rolling suitcase. If you fly more than 25,000 miles per year, its worthwhile to invest in luggage that goes beyond merely being sturdy and will actually improve your overall travel experience. Despite the cases large size, it is easy to maneuver, thanks to four 360-degree spinner wheels. If you prefer more packing capacity (the equivalent of squeezing in two more sweatshirts), larger wheels that run more smoothly over rough terrain, and a more protective built-in garment folder,2 we also like the two-wheeled 22-inch version, especially for longer trips. But if you prefer the look of hard-sided luggage or the security of knowing that you cant overpack your suitcase, the Away Carry-On is the carry-on we recommend. On the Crew Expert, Travelpro takes a similar design to another level of durability and strength. Even though this doesnt make the fabric completely waterproof, its usually able to withstand light rain without letting any moisture inside the bag. Looking them over, I found the two bags to be almost identical except for some minor variations in the pocket layout and some additions to the interior of the limited-edition bag that lend it some amenities most regular travelers will appreciate, such as a built-in garment bag and a clear toiletries bag. They were beaten only by Briggs & Riley (81 points) and Ricardo (76 points). The Platinum Elite also does very well by the numbers. Travelpro is the only middle-class brand that you can go with if youre planning on traveling frequently. Soft-sided suitcases tend to be great for over-packers, as they offer additional give and the exterior pockets allow you to pack last-minute essentials with ease. By Alexios Georgakopoulos | Last Updated September 29, 2022. Spinner luggage or two-wheeled carry-on bag? It really comes down to personal preference. Sometimes I check it. Available colors include black, blue, and indigo. Our journalists combine independent research with (occasionally) over-the-top testing so you can make quick and confident buying decisions. Sometimes I carry it. If youre nervous about getting caught at the gate or often fly in very small regional planes, Travelpro also makes a slightly smaller, 20-inch Platinum Elite as well as a slimmer International configuration, but these hold less (naturally) and lack a suiter insert. Whats not so great? Our former runner-up pick, the Travelpro Crew 11 21 Expandable Spinner, has been discontinued. The spinner model of the Platinum Elite comes with a removable garment bag for optional use. Full review: Travelpro Bold 21-Inch Carry-on Review. Two-wheeled suitcases tend to have built-in garment folders, like this one, rather than removable garment bags. Its also true that they use larger, more durable wheels, which roll better over rough surfaces at least in one direction. In addition to the expert interviews, we spoke with assorted salespeople, brand engineers, and media-relations folks to make sure we found the best models from each brand. This is better because theyre pretty much impossible to break off, even if the bag is checked in, so your contact information will always stay on your bag in case it gets lost. In fact, the Travelpro is less prone to tipping over than many other bags weve tested. 1:33 . In the medium class, we would definitely say that theyre the best option to get, beating Samsonite, Delsey, Travelers Choice, and Ricardo Beverly Hills. How Apples AirTag and Androids Tile Mate can help you keep tabs on iteven when the airline cant. The Away has a modern and minimalist look and also comes in more colors than our soft-sided picks, but the sleek style comes at a cost: Its polycarbonate shell is ultimately more likely to break than the nylon fabric of our other picks. Originally, spinner models tended to use weaker wheels that were mounted to a basic inner and outer housing at the base of the bag, said Jason Gifford, who was the design manager for eBags when I spoke to him in 2018. Active travelers, meanwhile, will benefit from designs that allow them to isolate their gear from their clean clothes. Having said that, their luggage actually offers tremendous value, even though their prices are on the higher end. The wheels glide like butter and the different zip-in dividers is brilliant. Travelpro increased the diameter of the wheels on the Elite, making for a slightly smoother ride, and redesigned the top handle to lie flat, which cuts about an inch from the overall height of the bag relative to previous designs. Although Incase makes decent laptop sleeves, its hard to see how an exterior made of 60 percent cotton, 30 percent polyester, and 10 percent thermoplastic rubber will be as tough as a dense woven nylon. The polycarbonate that Away uses is both strong and flexible. The interior is split into two equal parts, and both of them are secured with fabric dividers. Made from ballistic nylon and treated with DuraGuard coating, the Travelpro Crew 11 22-Inch Expandable Spinner Suitcase is designed to withstand staining and abrasions. And although 100 percent polycarbonate hard-shell luggage has come a long way compared with the crack-prone ABS-blended suitcases that used to plague moderately priced hard-shell luggage lines, a stronger shell doesnt necessarily mean a stronger overall suitcase. It also eschews niceties that most modern travelers enjoy, such as spinner wheels and USB hubs. But this comes at the cost of a large amount of packing space for a small amount of convenience. Plenty of pockets and compartments inside and out keep everything in its place, and the designers have even thought to include a removable hanging wet pocketgreat for cosmetics and toiletries. On average, their luggage is 1.52 inches over this limit, which isnt a lot, but in the long term, you should expect to sometimes pay oversized baggage fees if you encounter a strict airline employee. Registering is an easy process: Take a picture of the registration code thats shipped with the luggage, text the photo to a phone number thats provided, and fill out the form in the response link. Its obviously more rigid but obviously heavier as well. The Travelpro Platinum Elite hardside carry-on is the newest addition to the Platinum Elite collection. It comes with a garment organizer, which helps you keep your suits from wrinkling, but they also offer additional packing options sold separately, like packing cubes and a water-resistant organizer for dirty laundry. Based on whats available, and what different types of travelers need, we think the following bags are the best investment you can make. 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