Luggage: To Spinner or Not?

Just came back from our cruise where one piece of our luggage was broken so badly it had a date with the garbage man upon arrival. DH has this notion that we should cruise more in the near future, so I am needing to replace that piece of luggage. I am wondering about purchasing luggage. It's been a while and the options have changed. Please tell me your preferences in luggage.

Do you use spinner (4 wheels) do you have a normal wheeled suit case with skateboard wheels (2 wheels on back)?

Do you have hard sided? or soft sided?

How has it held up?

What is the perfect Size?

How often does it get used?

Do you hand carry it for cruises or is it checked?

Subscribed. :)

I switched to a spinner about 18 months ago and so far I'm very happy with it. It's much easier to manage on hard surfaces yet can be dragged like a normal wheelie over carpet and bumps.

I've done a few trips with it and so far so good. It's a Samsonite soft side. One thing I really like is the lid part has a big zipped compartment which os perfect for bundle-packing trousers, long skirts and dresses. I've completed changed my packing technique with this suitcase.

Edit - I checked it on our cruise.

Spinner for sure. It just glides along. No pulling needed. :)

My new bag is a Docker soft side spinner and It is a 22". Good for up to 2 week cruise and much easier to handle. So far, it has held up very well.

Another vote for the spinner. Far easier to move through crowds with it right by your side rather than dragging the two wheeled bags behind you.

Softsided

Spinners

We lost two brand new spinners to mishandling by porters in the Sydney cruise port and in the Lima airport. I still like them much better than two wheelers. Why?

We usually do trips of 4 + weeks, land, air and water combined, and need one large suitcase and a small carry-on each. All of them spinners. On smooth surfaces, we can roll them both together with one hand. Perfect when standing in line. Three of ours are new, very light weight hard sided.

We still own an older two wheeler, soft sided and a tough old bird, has been around the world a few times, also in canoes and in open boats. It's a bit too heavy for today's air travel needs. If you do a lot of expedition type travel with rough surfaces, a soft sided two wheeler like our old case is the better equipment.

The perfect size depends on your packing habits, the length and type of your trip. We use our suitcases twice a year and our carry-ons more often for short visits. We always check the large suitcases. Last time, we used trains and the large cases were a pain to drag along and up and down stairs. Next time, we'll use a luggage forwarding system, different country.

2-wheel skateboard, Travelpro.

I've seen too many spinners discarded in trash because the exposed wheels are very vulnerable to impact damage especially when bags are piled into luggage cages. The wheel gets caught - other bags pile on top - SNAP!

Spinners seem nice on hard even surfaces. They may be fine if only used at airports or cruise terminals. But I'm somebody who has to occasionally pull a bag on city pavements and other uneven surfaces. Spinners would constantly get stuck.

Another vote against spinners. The extended/exposed wheels are not just vulnerable to being snapped off, they significantly reduce the actual carrying capacity of the bag. Since total bag size allowance is on exterior dimensions, 2 inches of exposed wheel are two inches that can't be used for carrying compartment. Similar dimensioned spinners hold less than a 2 wheeler of the same size, since the two wheels are nestled into the corners.

As for a favorite bag -- for many people, it is not worth the investment in a high-quality Tumi, though they are great for frequent travelers. I highly recommend the Mother Lode duffels from eBags. Quality materials combined with very intelligent design features. They've served me well and are my go-to bag unless I need a traditional "box" design due to the need for a suiter or if I'm carrying something that needs that extended diagonal dimension.

Soft-sided

Spinner

CHEAP

Got tired of having good luggage damaged so started buying cheap stuff and just replacing it.

We use soft sided spinners, carry on size only. We get free laundry on both NCL and Princess so I can pack lightly.

The weight of the empty suitcase is important to me. A friend gave us two nice suitcases, not carry on size though, but not huge either. Each one weighs almost ten pounds EMPTY. Needless to say, they are packed away in a closet.

My soft sides skatewheeled case was murdered on a baggage carousel at Manchester Airport, and they very kindly replaced it with a hard shelled skatewheel type. This case has been everywhere with me since, I have never seen another one that even looked a bit like it, and it has been great.

It is quite heavy though because of the hard shell, so I have to be extra careful in that it weights about 5kg empty!!

It takes up a lot of room in the boot of the car when we are driving to airports, so it sometimes means that someone else's case has to go in a passenger seat.

I have a cabin size suitcase that has 4 spinning wheels, and to be honest I struggle with that a little. I find when it is on 4 wheels it is my elbow that is doing all the work in pushing it along, as opposed to the muscles that works when a case is being pulled on 2 wheels.... Does that make sense?

We have all 3 kinds of luggage. I prefer to use our hard sided spinners. Interestingly enough, they hold a lot more than the soft sided models. I have not yet figured out why this is, but I can pack at least 30% more in the hard sided ones as opposed to the exact same size in the soft sided ones. What I like is that the spinner takes all the weight as I just push it along ahead of me - kind of like walking a dog on a leash. So traversing airports is much less difficult and exhausting and much easier on my arm. I bought sets of spinners so I have 3 different sizes of suitcases including XL, L, roll-aboards AND a vanity case in my set and my husband has a briefcase/computer case instead of a vanity case. We have not had any problems with damage or breakage thus far on the hard sided spinners. The soft sided ones - the fabric is really torn up and one was destroyed going through 3 airports on one trip. Our old roll a boards are so beat up, that we don't use them anymore as there really is no reason to do that.

Just came back from our cruise where one piece of our luggage was broken so badly it had a date with the garbage man upon arrival. DH has this notion that we should cruise more in the near future, so I am needing to replace that piece of luggage. I am wondering about purchasing luggage. It's been a while and the options have changed. Please tell me your preferences in luggage.

 

Do you use spinner (4 wheels) do you have a normal wheeled suit case with skateboard wheels (2 wheels on back)?

 

Do you have hard sided? or soft sided?

 

How has it held up?

 

What is the perfect Size?

 

How often does it get used?

 

Do you hand carry it for cruises or is it checked?

Have Samsonite HOMMAGE Spinner stes. Battered, bruised and dented, and still going strong after over 10 years. Cruise 6/7 times a year, all bags are checked.

Any spares (because if damage) are supplied free of charge by Samsonite.

Suggest: Hard, 4 wheels, spinner, largest size, expandable, Samsonite.

It really depends on how you "roll". :D

For primarily airport travel, the spinners are nice. But I haven't found them to be very durable.

For travel where you are also likely to have to traverse cobbled streets, uneven pavements or unpaved stretches, the two-wheel alignments work better.

I have three bags in different sizes from Eagle Creek, all of them lightweight, soft-side bags with rugged "all-terrain" wheels. They work fine for me in any situation and seem to be pretty durable. I got all of them at good sale or clearance prices.

I also have a Patagonia MLC (maximum legal carry-on) bag that is good for light travel or when you need a back-pack and perhaps one small wheeled bag -- for example, for train travel in Europe. Again, purchased at a discount due to a discontinued color.

We use soft side spinner luggage. Overall, it has worked well for us. We have lost a piece or two over the years but all have been killed by the air transportation system (airport or airlines).

We have gotten to the point that we expect bad things to happen to the luggage every time we sure Der it at an airport and never spend big money in the hope of getting that is airline-proof.

I'm with cruisemom42 (no surprise) and flyertalker: if I do wheels, it's a 2-wheeler. They are all-terrain capable. Those spinners just don't work well unless you're on hard, smooth surface. I drag those things across carpet at my hotel all the time - a PIA. Cobbles and dirt - forget it.

I've got a multitude of softies that I choose from. eBags Motherlode Weekender and Weekender Jr., Osprey Porter 46 and 65 non-wheel and Osprey Sojourn 25" wheeled convertible, and my trusty old Eagle Creek Tarmac 22" wheelie. I've had that EC for about 10 years now, the Porter 65 for 6 years, and they are in just as good shape as when I bought them. Many people don't know about Osprey since they are still thought of as a backpack manufacturer. Great quality and lifetime guarantee.

Since the overwhelming distance you haul a bag is on smooth surfaces, the greater ease of spinners offsets the occasional, infrequent difficulty the migh give on cobblestones or gravel.

Soft sides are lighter and offer a bit more flexibility, and cheaper is better. Aggressive baggage smashers can destroy high end luggage just as readily as the inexpensive sort - just don't go trashy cheap - inspect before you buy.

Check out LL Bean. Great stuff and if it breaks it's returnable.

Do you use spinner (4 wheels) do you have a normal wheeled suit case with skateboard wheels (2 wheels on back)? Over the years we have "graduated" from inherited suitcases with no wheels (UGH), 29" hard 'clamshell' pullmans with two wheels on a small end, to carryon size 22" soft-sided bags (which weighed over 10lb empty each!) with 2 skate wheels, to 20"+2" (for the wheels) hard-sided with soft/zipper/zip-out gussets spinners that weigh ~7lb each. So, SPINNERS at present!

Do you have hard sided? or soft sided? Hard with zip-out sides.

How has it held up? So far so good, we're about 6 or 8 landtrips and 2 cruises into using them.

What is the perfect Size? Carryon size, and light. Some international airlines enforce 8 kg (17 lbs) weight/bag for economy carryon bag!

How often does it get used? about six times per year for from 5 days to a month (well this is the first year one will be 28 days!).

Do you hand carry it for cruises or is it checked? We hand carry on planes except when force to gate-check (due to crowded flight, not weight or size), but we give it to the porter to load on ship.

I wasn't sure before we got them, but I love the spinners! Airports or at least connections seem to get longer and longer between. I have heard about the wheels being torn off when checked, and we *have* checked them willingly on a couple occasions, but our M.O. is to keep them with us!

Also we didn't pay that much for them, it was either $30 or $40/each at CostCo for Ricardo of Beverly Hills. The hard-shells are thin (have to be to keep them light) and the last checked-bag experience DID result in one being dinged with a small punch hole. But we have already gotten our money's worth out of them and should one be "murdered" en route, we would replace with something similar.

That said, if money were no object OR we somehow changed our thinking to spending more per bag, THIS case is interesting to me:

http://www.biaggi.com/volo-22-foldable-spinner-carry-on-valentines-day-red-sale/

The red is on 40% off sale through Valentine's Day, I love red, and storage IS a problem when we are here at home. But it's still a pound heavier than my hard-sided case.

Here is that whole collection if you need a larger size. Note I am not recommending these; have not seen in person; just popped up in my "ad-space".

http://www.biaggi.com/volo/

I prefer the spinners vs the 2 wheelies. Max size 25 inches (its too easy to go overweight with a larger case even if its light weight). Carryon Max size 21 inches (many airlines have strict sizing as the cases can be measured from bottom of the wheels to the top of the handle). Carryon as light weight as possible - as someone stated some airlines have a 15 pound limit for carryon.

I tried Eagle Creek but I do not like that the cases have no sturdy sides. This makes it hard for me to pack even with packing cubes.

Currently I use a Samsonite case and carryon I bought at Costco. I think about $140 for both. When carryon size is an issue I use a small Ebag wheeled (2) duffle. Otherwise I prefer using the 22 inch Samsonite as it has a flat top where I can put my 'personal item'.

As a person who travels solo, I have found spinners much easier than two wheeled. I have soft-sided IT luggage that has done well on two cruises and six flights. I don't spend a whole lot on any luggage so if it breaks it can be replaced. IT luggage is among the lightest luggage out there with some lines starting at 3 1/2 pounds for a carry-on and 5 pounds for a 28" case. I don't like hard sided cases because most open in the center requiring a large space for packing.

It can depend on how much you travel, and how. I travel for business 48 weeks a year all on airplanes, etc.

My brand choice: Travel Pro. you can get all repair parts and fix them your self, or send them in. OR: you can by the platinum line that has a lifetime guarantee that covers abuse by airlines, ships, etc. They will fix it no matter how or who damaged it. The ones with lifetime warranty are not cheap, but if you travel much, it is worth the money. My choice 2 wheels. I too have seen too many wheels broken off, and people fighting the ones left, to get to their car, etc. All of our pieces of luggage are soft sided.

Shop around, even on line for good prices. If you shop on line, call in your order. On line it may show items in stock that are not there...

Hey Dad.

I'm loving the responses so far...I was thinking the same thing about the spinners that with as far as they stick out, it's amazing they make it any where!

I Was at Macy's looking at luggage. I think it was TravelPro? I scanned it with my phone and it took me to a video about spinners. I got really confused because they had probably last generation (2 wheel) with a new label on it with the other luggage. If I was smart, I would have went up and asked about it. Maybe I could have got a deal :D (maybe I will do that this weekend?) It is clearly NOT a spinner case. I would buy it right now if the price were right, even know I am not so post to be in the market quite yet!

Keep your replies coming. If I knew how to start a poll I would have.