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Buying New Luggage: Recommendations? Hard Shell vs Soft Shell?

Discussion in 'Non-Vegas Chat' started by RockyBalboa, Jul 19, 2014.

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  1. RockyBalboa

    RockyBalboa Front Line Winner

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    I am on the hunt for a new larger suitcase to use as my checked bag. I've been looking at Samsonite's and am intrigued by the hard shell cases.

    http://shop.samsonite.com/Samsonite-Winfield-Fashion-28-Spinner/dp/B00ELMCA2O?childAsin=B00EALLN56&field_availability=-1&field_browse=2235723011&id=Samsonite+Winfield+Fashion+28+Spinner&ie=UTF8&refinementHistory=brand_name%2Csubjectbin%2Cprice%2Ccolor_map%2Csize_name&searchNodeID=2235723011&searchPage=1&searchRank=salesrank&searchSize=12

    What do you guys use? Any negative feedback on hard shells?

    I don't want to spend too much so Tumi is out.
     
  2. salukidean

    salukidean High-Roller

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    Buy an uncommon color (blue, red, yellow, orange, etc).....the grays and blacks all look alike at baggage claim which make it more difficult to identify your luggage.
     
  3. SandsFan

    SandsFan VIP Whale

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    We were thinking about buying Briggs & Riley hard shell with 4 rollers but don't have any experience with hard shells. Still undecided.

    They have uncommon colors which are easy to spot.
     
    The 3 P Trip (Paris and Palms)
  4. RockyBalboa

    RockyBalboa Front Line Winner

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    Definitely...my current bag is orange and I like that color because it stands out.

    I see Samsonite has some cool colors too.
     
  5. RockyBalboa

    RockyBalboa Front Line Winner

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    I am not familiar with them but will check 'em out. Thanks!
     
  6. Joe

    Joe VIP Whale

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    I like my softside and the fact that opening another zipper allows it to expand another ~3 inches, in case we do get carried away with souvenirs. It is a four wheeler but I can't stand it, so I use two wheels and pull. The four wheeler also doesn't work that well on carpet.
     
  7. jr7110

    jr7110 VIP Whale

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    I use Heys hardshell luggage (orange color) and I would not go back to soft luggage. Heys is extremely light (important because the case weight detracts from the total amount of weight allowed in the bag) and I always know it is my bag coming down the ramp. Also, your items inside are protected from the elements ( if your bag is out on the tarmac on a particularly nasty day) and from things out of other passenger's bags (once on a flight a woman's suitcase opened and her bottles of liquid medication broke and medicine was all over everyone's bags). Heys also offers 4WD spinner wheels which makes the case glide effortlessly and much easier to navigate through the airport, the hotel etc.
     
  8. nhcris

    nhcris VIP Whale

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    I have this case in the 24" size and I really like it. I hardly even unpack. I just use the luggage stand and open it up clamshell style. I pull out my shoes, toiletry bag and a few items to hang up and the rest of my stuff sits in there nicely. I considered getting the larger size, but I haven't needed it and I haven't even used the zipper that expands it a couple inches. It rolls like a dream, and I use a square rolling carry on that I can sit on top of it when I am pulling both of them.

    I am a middle aged woman that overpacks, and this works for me for up to a week. It also only weighs around 42-44 pounds when it is stuffed. I use it now in place of my large drop bottom duffle bag that always hovered right around 50 pounds plus or minus and was much harder to maneuver. Mine is slate gray, and if I had to do it over again I would choose a weirder color, but I haven't been on a flight yet that had another one like mine.

    Hope this helps!
     
  9. RockyBalboa

    RockyBalboa Front Line Winner

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    Thank you very much Joe, jr and nhc!

    I have a Samsonite store close by so I will go check it out and then order it online if it works.

    Did you buy your directly from Samsonite, nhcris? How's their warranty?
     
  10. lotso-bear

    lotso-bear VIP Whale

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    How much are you willing to spend? I always go with Briggs and Riley due to their lifetime warranty. B&R honors their lifetime warranty policy as well so I fully support them even though I don't like how most of their products look. Tumi makes nice luggage bags but their price is high considering they don't have a good warranty policy like B&R. I also like Rimowa since they make some really nice aluminum cases. If you have any future trips to Germany, I recommend taking a look at Rimowa cases over there. The prices are significantly cheaper in Germany and you can get a VAT refund at the airport.
     
  11. RockyBalboa

    RockyBalboa Front Line Winner

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    We may go to Germany next year so I will definitely look into it.

    I was thinking something in the $150-250 range as far as spending range but since SandsFan mentioned B&R and now with your info about their warranties I would be ok with upping the spend on a good case. I like the way the B&R's look.

    There are some B&R retailers about 10mi away from me so I'm going to head out in a bit and look at them
     
  12. BlueSkadoo

    BlueSkadoo VMB Sweetheart

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    If you're looking to be economical, a lot of times you can find Samsonites for a reasonable price at a TJ Maxx or Marshalls.
     
  13. RockyBalboa

    RockyBalboa Front Line Winner

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    Ohhh nice tip, I did not know that. Thanks!
     
  14. smartone

    smartone VIP Whale

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    I have soft-sided Tumi carry-on that has served me well for the past 5 or 6 years. I'm a frequent traveler and durability and function are important to me. My bag isn't exactly light though. I'm pretty sure my next bag will be a hard-shell. I'm incredibly impressed with the lightness of them and they're expandable as well. Pretty sure this will be my next bag:

    http://www.tumi.com/product/index.jsp?productId=16485826&prodFindSrc=paramNav
     
  15. paperposter

    paperposter MIA

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    i live on tumi ,i think my casket will be made by tumi so im biased , but i swear by them.
     
  16. Kickin

    Kickin Flea

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    I love B&R, the Baseline wheeled garment bag has been my primary bag for literally almost a decade. I can carry 2 suits and a week worth of clothing easily and its very compact and sturdy. http://www.briggs-riley.com/category/productDetail.aspx?id=Carry-On-Wheeled-Garment-Bag_U174&sec=travel

    But let me try to talk you out of buying a checked spinner. Here is my reasoning - you buy a hardside spinner for the ease of moving it around. But you're not moving your checked bag around all that much. The 4 wheels means you have 4 opportunities for a wheel to break and render the bag useless. Sure you can have it fixed but that doesn't do you much good in the middle of a trip. A regular 2-wheeler has much sturdier wheels since they are recessed in and on one fixed axle. Each wheel on a spinner protrudes completely and is on a much flimsier little spindle. Plus they are smaller. Think about how a bag gets tossed around by the luggage handlers and the machines, especially a heavier bag, and ask yourself how confident you feel about those spinner wheels never breaking. As far as the hardshell it is lighter and seems sensible since you don't need exterior pockets on a checked bag, but if its not a good polycarbonate it can crack and you also want reinforced corners since the corners on hardsided bags get damaged a lot. You won't have any of these problems with a good soft-side rolling checked bag.

    The Rimowa's are way overpriced in my opinion. They are great if you want to look cool to people in the know or if you want to pick up Asian chicks but I don't think they are worth the price. Plus the aluminum will get banged up and you will have to take it to a Rimowa dealer to have them bang it back into place. I'll deal with having to get that kind of body work on my car but not a piece of luggage.

    If you really want a hardside spinner do what I did (no surprise I said that I guess!), about a month or two ago I bought a cheap but well-reviewed (on flyertalk) hardsided spinner from Costco. I haven't cared to use it yet but will at some point just to test how I like using them. If I like it I'll use it until it fails then buy up to a better brand, if I don't like it I lost very little. Do that before spending several hundred on a higher end spinner before you know if a spinner is really what you want.
     
  17. RockyBalboa

    RockyBalboa Front Line Winner

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    Nice post and points well taken. I have never had a four-wheeler and do like the two wheel set ups. One reason I have been drawn to the hard shells is because when I do check a bag (longer than four nights domestically and all internationals) I will often come back with breakables inside and figured the hard shell would be more beneficial.

    If the B&R's last longer than the Samsonite I linked then I could justify the extra cost. I would prefer not to buy a case and then have it cracked after two or three trips.

    The Rimowa's look cool and picking up an Asian chick or two wouldn't be frowned upon. :evillaugh
     
  18. Annie Vegas

    Annie Vegas Low-Roller

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    I toyed with the idea of hard shell suitcases when we were purchasing new luggage a few years ago, but went with the Samsonite soft shell. The major reason was weighing luggage at airports, I knew that the hard shell would factor into it being over the limit. I purchased my luggage on Ebags and was very happy with them.
     
  19. lotso-bear

    lotso-bear VIP Whale

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    Do you plan on using this luggage bag as a carry on bag or checked bag? If you plan on going with a checked bag, I wouldn't get anything expensive. The wear and tear on the bags will be pretty bad, especially with the way the rampers in the States treat them. I never use any of my pricier bags as a checked bag.

    IIRC, eBags has a 10% discount code and if you're into cashback sites like I am then mrrebates.com is doing a 20% cashback. You'd be looking at a 30% discount on a B&R if you go this route...
     
  20. g8rb8k8

    g8rb8k8 Low-Roller

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    I also have a Heys hardside spinner and love it Lets say it was a wonderful yardsale find (I wasn't looking for luggage but...at 5 bucks....sweeeeet) Its lightweight and maneuvers easily. I used it for my June trip to vegas and was so happy I had it, I took the bus and it maneuvered easily and it was really nice for the "longer" walk to El Cortez. If this one konks out I will replace it with another hardshell spinner.
     
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