Hard-Sided Rolling Suitcases

July 19, 2004 12:29 AM

Recommendations for luggage. I'm looking for durable (!), rolling, hardsided suitcases. Haven't been that happy with my last set of Samsonite - eg, weak handles, screws coming out.
posted by shoos to shopping (10 comments total)

I have a set of Victorinox travel gear, and I think I'm great for having them.
posted by the fire you left me at 6:43 AM on July 19, 2004

My sister's a pilot for Airborne Express, and I know she mentioned that there's one brand of luggage that all pilots and attendants use--you see them all around the airport. She says that they're by far the sturdiest and long-lasting bags.

The brand escapes me right now, and any searches return like a million hits, so I can't help you with the name at the moment, but I've sent her an e-mail--if no one else can come up with the name before she returns, I'll post it when I hear from her.
posted by LairBob at 8:02 AM on July 19, 2004

TravelPro is the brand you see all the airline employees using. I have a set myself, and I am extremely happy with it. I'm on the road every week and they have held up to the abuse, plus they have some pretty well designed interiors with lots of pockets and such. They are a little pricey, but for my needs, worth the money.
posted by gilgamesh at 10:26 AM on July 19, 2004

Ugh, didn't read the initial question closely enough; the TravelPro stuff is not hardsided so it might not be what you're looking for.
posted by gilgamesh at 10:30 AM on July 19, 2004

Will most airlines let you carry on rollaboards that are smaller than 22"?
posted by bshort at 10:59 AM on July 19, 2004

That was it, gilgamesh--good call.

shoos, unless you've got a specific reason to need hard-sided cases, you should definitely look into those. The corners are all reinforced with metal, so they're very sturdy and hold their shape even though they have cloth sides.
posted by LairBob at 11:04 AM on July 19, 2004

I was also going to recommend Travelpro - and they *do* make hardsided luggage. My parents have some, both regular and hardsided, and swear by it. My father travels constantly and they hold up really well. There's a (discount, I think) outlet near them (South FL) and they bought me a set when I went overseas five years ago; good stuff.
posted by Melinika at 12:19 PM on July 19, 2004

I haven't used the hardside as I don't travel with fragile items in luggage, but my softside TravelPro roller has proven to be nearly indestructible. However, the weight/capacity ratio on almost all rolling luggage, even the softside stuff, is worse than simple handle bags. Consider this when deciding what to buy.
posted by majick at 12:28 PM on July 19, 2004

bshort:

what i can figure from the FAA is that airlines are permitted to set-up their own guidelines for permissible carryon luggage as long as they inform passengers ahead of time and as long as those guidelines conform to the weight and balance requirements of the FAA for the particular aircraft in question. for instance, delta's policy, united's

i personally have never run across a "your bag must be larger than this space in order to be carried on the airline" regulation. i have seen people try to get three bags through, figuring that three "personal items" equals "one carryon suitcase and a personal item". at o'hare, those people are routinely asked to check a bag before boarding and sometimes before passing through security.
posted by crush-onastick at 1:22 PM on July 19, 2004

Thanks all for the ideas.
posted by shoos at 11:37 PM on July 19, 2004