Luggage Travel Blog

If you are a road warrior, this has probably happened to you sometime in your travels… You are running down the concourse at the airport with your wheeled carry-on flying behind you and the wheel breaks at the most inopportune time (not like there is ever a good time for the wheel to break). So, now you are down to one wheel, which is still rolling, and the opposite corner of the bag that is now scraping along the floor. Your  carry-on is now truly a ‘carry-on’…and limps along like a car with a flat tire. What’s even worse is that not only is it uneven, it’s making that loud scraping sound. You can see the ‘been there done that’ look in so many eyes, from the other travelers staring at the unusual sound.

You can buy luggage virtually anywhere… Target, Walmart, Bed Bath and Beyond, and a multitude of department stores. You can pay a lot or pay a little. At some cost-conscious retailers, you can pay virtually nothing for an entire set of wheeled luggage. But, as road warriors know, you get what you pay for. The $100 wheeled 4-piece set of ‘almost’ brand luggage is worth about what you paid for it.

I learned the luggage lesson early in my traveling days. The money you invest in good luggage is worth it. I don’t need 4 pieces of luggage for $100 bucks that are only going to last me (hopefully) for only the next two months of traveling. You know the drill with the luggage ‘deals’… the annoying zipper that breaks; or the seams that suddenly develop a gap; or the handle that separates from the bag when pulled; or the inevitable wheel that breaks at the most inopportune time…all because you’ve saved a few bucks by buying the ‘almost’ brand. When I travel I need good luggage… luggage that will last.

There are a lot of good brands to choose from: Victorinox, Pathfinder, Hartmann, Tumi,  Briggs & Riley, Kenneth Cole. The carry-on bag that I chose was Briggs & Riley Baseline 22”. A friend recommended it to me, with the advice that when I was through with the cheap luggage, I should look at luggage that offers good value. The Baseline carry-on is a sturdy, lightweight carry-on that has lasted me for over ten years. It’s traveled with me to every continent in the world and other than the obvious wear of over a million airline miles, this carry-on is as good today as the day I bought it.

And, no one can argue with the Briggs & Riley’s lifetime warranty… Simple as That. If your bag is ever broken or damaged, regardless of how it happened, they will repair it free of charge—simple as that!  Good luggage, lifetime warranty and at a reasonable price. I can’t ask for anything more. Keep the cheap luggage….get real value for your money. Briggs & Riley is real value.

And, for a limited time, the Briggs & Riley 22" Upright is on sale for $299.

Recycled luggage? Think about it…not exactly what the traveling public is looking for (the concept of who owned this luggage and where has it been, is almost overwhelming - especially when I think about my own set of luggage)…but recyclable luggage, now that’s different. Heys USA, a leading manufacturer of hard sided luggage, has introduced the first eco friendly hardsided luggage set, made from 100% recycled materials…and it is 100% recyclable. Oprah Winfrey has picked the Heys EcoCase luggage set as a featured product on her highly coveted ‘O List’.  The 'O List' is a regular section in ‘O Magazine’  and features items that Oprah and her team think ‘are just great’

The EcoCase is made from 100% recycled plastic. By utilizing recycled materials to create new durable goods, not only does it help to reduce the demand for new materials and new resources, but it also reduces materials that would otherwise fill a landfill, and all the while giving support to the recycling industry as well. 

The EcoCase is a Spinner luggage set that is very durable, due to its flexible plastic material (ABS), that absorbs impacts. A new blend of ABS gives the EcoCase an elasticity effect similar to a rubber-band. Unlike other hardsided cases, the shell won’t crack… ever!

It is also lightweight, expandable, and is Hey’s first hardsided luggage set to have special 'Piggy-Back' straps - which are usually found on soft-sided luggage only. It has a fully lined interior with a built-in divider with a mesh pocket, and an internal telescopic handle system with a push-button locking system.

So the next time you are thinking about being eco friendly, think recyclable luggage that’s made from 100% recycled plastics. It’s a small step forward to help save our environment for today and tomorrow. And, at the same time you’ll be getting a great piece of luggage. 

A Tumi sale? That’s almost unheard of!  The brand that is recognized worldwide as one of the elite names in luggage, business accessories, briefcases and travel accessories is actually having a sale. And, it’s a good sale… 25% off. Typical, for Tumi, they don’t like to broadcast their sales. You have to wonder ‘Why Not?’

Tumi is a great brand. Road warriors – people who put their luggage to the test by traveling all the time – love it. The brand excels in style, quality and innovation. So why not advertise a sale that offers 25% off? 

It’s called the Friends and Family sale. If you go to the various websites that sell fine luggage, leather briefcases or leather business accessories, you won’t find any mention of the Tumi sale. There is a Tumi summer sale that is ongoing… probably like every other luggage manufacturer that is trying to reduce their inventory of the aging luggage collections… Tumi’s summer sale actually has a number of T-Tech, T-Tech Adventure, Alpha and travel accessories on sale at up to 40% off.

However, this limited time, Tumi Friends and Family sale is simply not advertised anywhere, other than via email blasts. Typical of Tumi, this is a one week sale and cannot be promoted (other than their own website, of course). However, those who actually are either friends or family (of whom, I don’t know) can get the 25% discount by using the coupon code: tumifriend 

This coupon code, tumifriend, only works on the Irv’s Luggage website or its sister company, Executive Essentials. One week only… so the sale ends on June 20 at midnight. This is not cheap luggage, so those with faint hearts at high prices… beware. However, at 25% off, even the most seasoned shopper will be interested.