"Need To Find The Best Luggage? Here Are Luggage Ratings To Find The Best Luggage For You"

Are you suitcase shopping?

Luggage ratings can help.

Having trouble figuring out which luggage is best for your needs? Luggage reviews or luggage comparisons can help, especially if they are done by a professional traveler.

Hi, I'm Pilot Paul. Welcome aboard! You have landed on a web site dedicated to helping travelers.

If you're looking for luggage ratings and reviews done by someone who is out flying around all the time, you're in the right spot.

As a Captain at a major airline, I spend a lot of time living out of a suitcase. That involves carrying, pulling, packing, over-stuffing, trying to close, lifting, and generally abusing my luggage.

I'm not alone in luggage rating and testing business. All the other crewmembers that I work with are also very experienced travelers. We quickly learn which bags and features work well. We also know which ones are a waste of money.

Your luggage is one of your most important travel accessories. It's smart that you are looking for luggage ratings.

I'll tell you the things that make for a highly functional, well-designed and long-lasting suitcase. This kind will be your best value, because it will last the longest.

If you keep reading, here's what you will learn:

• I'll give you my checklist for the best luggage features.
• My luggage comparisons will continue with a contrast of designer luggage and functional luggage.
• After you learn what makes a great suitcase, I'll recommend several online luggage merchants who have specific luggage ratings for the individual suitcases. These unbiased luggage ratings from customers who have bought and used the specific one you are interested in are very helpful. Since there are so many choices available, these are the best way to narrow your search for the perfect bag.

  In addition to these luggage ratings, these merchants also have great low price guarantees and free shipping (sometimes there is a minimum purchase amount to get that). Then if after getting the bag, you decide that it's not right for you, they have hassle-free returns and free return shipping.

• After that, I'll wrap up my luggage ratings by recommending four different luggage companies that I think have the best products available. Moreover, they are not the highest priced. While they cost more than cheap discount store luggage that won't last long, they cost significantly less that the designer luggage.

  These three include what I now use, those I've had in the past, and what my next suitcase will be and why.

Luggage Ratings: Things to Look for When Buying Luggage

Pilot Paul's Luggage checklist

I highly recommend larger, rubberized wheels with ball bearings- similar to the ones on inline skates. These make a noticeable difference when pulling a loaded bag. They give the best performance and longevity.

Recessed wheels are less likely to be damaged. Often, while doing aircraft exterior inspections, I'll find suitcase wheels that have been broken off in the loading/unloading process.

Handle. Make sure that it is long enough. If it's too short, you'll be leaning sideways while walking. This can hurt your back. Travelpro Luggage® handles seem to be just the right length. When looking at a specific size bag made by another company, compare its handle length to that on the Travelpro Luggage® .

The Travelpro Luggage® Platinum series has a handle that adjusts to the pulling angle. This makes for less stress on your body and greater mobility.

To learn more about Travelpro luggage and these great handles, click here for Travelpro review.

Make sure that the handle locks down so it won't be damaged if you check your bag.

One thing that leads to handle failures on many bags is lifting a loaded bag by the pull handle. Your bag will last longer if you lift it by the smaller grip handles.

For larger bags, two grip handles make it much easier to hoist, lift, and carry your bag. Think of getting the bag out of a trunk of up into an overhead bin.

Outer Shell. There are three different types: soft-sided, hard-sided, and in-between, semi-soft sided. Consider your needs.

Soft-sided are the most lightweight and expandable. They make the best carry-ons, but your bag's contents are most vulnerable to damage. Think about what you pack in one, especially if you plan to check your bag.

Hard-sided bags are the best for protecting your stuff, but these bags tend to be heavier. They also don't give or compress if you're trying to stuff them in a tight place, like the trunk of a car.

Semi-soft combines the benefits of the other two. These are what I like best. They are partially framed and have expandable tops and bottoms. They weigh less than hard-sided ones, but still protect well.

Material. For soft and semi-soft luggage, nylon or ballistic nylon is stronger than polyester. Look for a tight and dense weave. If denier is mentioned, it refers to the thickness of the fiber. High denier means thick fiber.

Zippers. Metal ones aren't good. The newer, synthetic zippers made of coils can actually self-repair when the slide is moved over the teeth.

Large, self-repairing zippers are a requirement for my luggage.

Self-repairing zippers is one thing that separates the well-made luggage from the rest.

Since people tend to over-stuff their suitcases (especially if they did some extra shopping), the zipper takes the strain of trying to close and hold the suitcase together.

Self-repairing zippers do that job better than any others will. A standard zipper can fail under that strain. If your suitcase zipper breaks just as you are finishing packing and hurrying to catch a plane, you suddenly have a big problem.

There you are, it's time to go and your suitcase zipper is broken. Everything is falling out and you don't have the time or capability to fix or replace it.

Whatever you buy, make sure that it has a large, self-repairing zipper.

Hooks. Many rolling bags have a hook to carry an additional bag. These are wonderful. With these, you can often easily carry two extra bags - one on the hook and one over the extended handle. The bag on the hook tends to counter-balance everything making the downward load on the handle lighter.

Tip - some hooks are stronger than others are. The most strain on your luggage hook comes when you have a heavy bag attached and you are on an escalator. The hooked bag is unsupported. If this is an issue, look for the elevator.

Other Nice Features. Many pockets inside and out are useful. Many bags have some plastic lined pockets. These are great for wet items like swimsuits or workout clothes. If you are getting a bag that will be outside like a backpack, rain flaps over the zippers help keep the contents dry when it's raining.

Warranty. If you buy a good suitcase and use it for a long time, a good warranty is very important.

A long warranty period is a good indication that the manufacturer believes in their product.

Many higher-end bags have lifetime warranties. While these suitcases may cost a bit more, if a free warranty repair is the difference between more years of service and the garbage, it's worth it.

Briggs and Riley® offers the best I've seen. Their lifetime warranty even covers damage done by airlines!

Other lifetime warranties are offered on Travelpro Luggage® Platinum line and Delsey® .

What About Looks, Style, and Designer Logos?

My luggage ratings wouldn't complete if I didn't address "designer logo" luggage.

Of Course, you want an attractive bag. Keep in mind what your luggage is really for - to safely and easily transport your belongings while traveling. You need something that works well, is manageable, and will serve you for a long time. The above features can be found in Delsey® and Briggs and Riley® and Travelpro luggage® .

But what about designer luggage? Professional travelers almost never use it. In many cases, there is a huge price tag and not many features, combined with poor quality.

In my research, I found that many people were searching on the Internet for Louis Vuitton® luggage. I assumed from this interest level that it must be something special. Having never seen it before, I was curious. I recently saw some at a mall and boy was I shocked! The prices on the medium-size bags began at $1500! The price tags were well hidden, I think to minimize the number of heart attacks in their store. For that kind of price, I expected to find extremely high quality design, materials, and workmanship. That wasn't the case. Besides their famous logo all over the material, they looked like the low-end stuff at Kmart. It looked like thin plastic material, flimsy handles and frames, and minimal features. I must be missing something.

I have since studied Louis Vuitton® more and continue to reach the same conclusion.

When I see people in Airports with this luggage, I can't help but wonder, "did they really pay that much for that luggage or is it a knock-off?" Either way, I'm not impressed.

To me the smart choice is to buy well-constructed, long-lasting quality luggage. That will be the best value, last the longest, and be the wisest choice. I'm impressed by that kind of thinking and action.

In a moment of weakness, my wife once bought a designer soft-sided carry-on bag. It did not wear well. The fabric eventually separated along the seams in three places. The good news is that it was gray, the same color as duct tape. During our last few trips with it, we were sporting both the designer logo and duct tape, which covered the tears. It has since departed to the trash.

The Best Merchants That Give Specific Individual Luggage Ratings

These luggage ratings are to help you decide what to look for, now these vendors can give you great selection and prices.

The first two merchants below have price guarantees, free shipping if you order a certain amount, free returns, but most importantly, they have luggage ratings for the specific bag that interests you.

You can't find that at a store in the mall. In addition, you had to spend time traveling to and from the mall luggage store.

Their online luggage ratings will save you time, money and help you make the best luggage choice

Pilot Paul's Favorite Luggage Stores

1. Casual Travel
2. Family Vacations
3. Frequent Flyers
4. International Trips
5. Women Travelers

You can also search by material. They also have a fantastic unbiased customer luggage ratings database. Customers give their feedback and testimonials to help you make an informed buying decision. Customers rate the luggage they bought based on: appearance, durability, organization, price/value and overall.

They usually have some sort of special or sale clearance going on.

To have a look at eBags for yourself, click on:

Luggage at eBags.com

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2. Luggage Online. Also has bag specific luggage ratings. They offer a Low-price Guarantee, Free Shipping (minimum purchase required), and Free Returns within 150 days.

Click here to visit Luggage Online

Here are their current "Best Buys":

Luggage Online - Best Buys

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I also like one other online luggage merchant, but they do not offer specific item luggage ratings.

If you use the luggage ratings checklist, this is a great place to shop. They are worth checking out to get another price or see some different items. That company is:

3. Irv's Luggage Warehouse. Irv's features a Lowest Price Guarantee, Hassle-free Returns, and Free Shipping (minimum purchase required). They also have coupons, a best deals area, corporate sales, and closeouts.

Thay usually have some sort of specials or coupons. I was able to find some online coupons for you. The details are below...

10% OFF plus FREE SHIPPING on orders over $100 from Irv's Luggage Warehouse! Coupon Code EVER10. Save Here! Some exclusions apply.

This wraps up my general luggage ratings. I hope that you've found it helpful.

Are you curious what luggage I have used in my 25+ years as a professional traveler?

Pilot Paul's Top Luggage Picks

I'll list them here and the links that follow each will lead you to a review of why I like each brand.

1. Briggs and Riley® . This is what my wife and children use, and they are excellent. The greatest thing about Briggs and Riley® is their unbelievable lifetime warranty that even covers damage by airlines!

To learn more, click here for Briggs and Riley® luggage.

2. Travelpro luggage® . I have had several of their bags. These are the most widely used by crewmembers worldwide.

To learn more, click here for Travelpro® luggage.

3. Delsey® luggage. Delsey ® is the largest luggage company in Europe and the second largest worldwide.

Their luggage is excellent. To learn more about why it is so popular,

click here for Delsey® luggage.

Web www.Pilot Pauls Travel Accessories.com

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