Where do you buy your luggae from?
Was wanting some recommendations for lightweight cases that won't break the bank.
Size around 76 cm high or aroundabouts.
Budget is around $200
Happy to buy online or in person.
Suitcase recommendations for Overseas Travel.
17731773 on 04/08/2015 - 11:34
Comments
Great suggestion, I'm not adverse to Kogan. This might work as husband needs a bag too so I could downsize and he could do the larger one. Don't d they take long to post out?
can't remember the exact timing…. sorry
Got the same ones in 2013, used for two big US trips with no problems at all.
We've been using american tourister vivolite on our last trip os, it's been good and reliable.
We bought one from Myer when they were on sale though, however you should be able to buy it for a decent price online from re seller like luggagedirect etc.Some really awesome cases there thanks for that. Gravitating towards the colored ones they have the American Tourister in great colors and at $179 instead of $300 plus.
+1 for American Tourister. Bought the Bon Air series for recent trips, has been great so far.
Very cheap when on sale. FYI American Tourister are owned by Samsonite and produced in the same factories, so the quality is good.
Thanks for that, nothing worse than a cheap case where the zips go early. I'm leaning toward the American Tourister.
I bought mine from Victoria Station luggage store. Maybe there's one near you? They seem to have American Tourister permanently on sale.
I'd recommend buying luggage in person because you can personally check it for defects and get a better idea on weight (very important, generic brands will weigh a ton) and how well the wheels roll (spin some Samsonite Firelites for a good benchmark).
@evol: thanks for that, There is a Victoria Station in the city I will check it out on the weekend.
I plan on buying in person if I can as I mentioned below. I may check out what I want in Myer then buy online as Luggage Direct has a massive range online and specify weight of item which is helpful.
I personally bought this one
https://www.catchoftheday.com.au/event/luggage-travel-essent…
Just the large case though, when it was available still a good deal for just the two.
That looks really good, thanks for the suggestion, I think I will buy it for my mum who is also heading away. Nice size and looks sturdy.
Costco if you have membership, they have some cheap pnes
Unfortunately I don't have a membership, have considered it in the past.
I buy cheap ones while overseas for under $20 and replace them every few years.
I do a dozen or more trips a year and have had expensive bags in the past and had them show visible signs of damage on the first trip.
While they may last longer overall compared to the cheap ones they certainly dont last 20x longer, I doubt they even last twice as long in some instances.
I wouldnt be surprised if my cheap bags come from the same factory as the expensive bags, they certainly look the same.I worked at a luggage shop owned by a friend and here is some ideas to keep in mind. Look at the wheels, small wheels are a bad choice, so any luggage with wheels smaller than inline skate wheels (most common) will fail at a much, much higher percentage than smaller wheels.
Test the wheels to see if there is any friction slowing them down. A good four wheeler are far easier to manage than two except when going over ground rougher than smooth bitumen.
American Tourister is more reliable than a no name brand. Better quality brands like Antler, Samsonite, Delsey and Travel Pro. Antler and Samsonite had the lowest failure rates whereas no name brands can be a disaster and ruin a what should have a been pleasant holiday.
Luggage Direct has by far the largest choice on the ground in one shop where you should go to buy, as you can take what you like for a spin around a huge warehouse and test it against other brands.
Check the zippers to see if they catch when tested. DON'T put any valuables or fragile items in your luggage when travelling especially overseas. Padlocks on luggage for security are OK but only to prevent opportunistic theft as zippers can be opened very easily with a ballpoint pen.
Have a good trip.Fantastic info, thanks for taking the time to write all of that I really appreciate it.
Unfortunately for me Luggage Direct is in QLD and I am Melbourne based. They have some really great prices though, may pop into Myer on my lunch break and have a look at what I want then buy it online there.
"whereas no name brands can be a disaster and ruin a what should have a been pleasant holiday."
And so can expensive brands if dropped from a great height or having a truck drive over them.
I have never had a no name brand fail in over 20 years of travel doing a dozen trips or more a year.
I have had bits break off, I have had cracks ( I also had that with the expensive one I replaces) I have had one look sad enough that I felt I should reinforce a corner with gaffer tape to get me to the next destination where I could buy another cheapy but I have never had one fail to the stage where it actually leaves me in trouble.
Like others have mentioned, no matter what look at the quality of the wheels and also how elevated the wheels are from the ground. Some of them only have a few cms and after a few trips they will be useless as the wheels wont roll as the bag will scrape along the ground. Especially if a luggage handler dumps your luggage and breaks the wheels.
We had this experience in europe and had to resort to buying a trolley and straps to wheel the hard case luggage. I wouldn't go for cheap and neither crazy expensive - something that has good wheels, good quality but doesn't have to break the bank. I guess thats part of your research.
Purchased two soft Qantas bags today..
https://www.catchoftheday.com.au/product/qantas-durban-4-whe…
absolute bargain normally well over $120 each
I bought from Kogan, (I know, I know….)
https://www.kogan.com/au/buy/orbis-3-piece-deluxe-ultra-toug…
However…. four o/s trips later…. they are still going very well….. Last trip, I thought they were looking tatty externally, turns out it was a plastic covering (like glad wrap), removed that and they look as good as new.
Not for everyone I know, but has so far worked for me……