Their premium options even include padded pockets for laptops, suiters compartments, and USB chargers. The side handle of the Crew Expert does away with the plastic hinges, which under enough stress may become weak points. Best Overall: Travelpro Maxlite 5 25-Inch Expandable Spinner, Best Carry-on: Travelpro Maxlite 5 International Expandable Carry-on Rollaboard, Best Checked: Travelpro Crew 11 22-Inch Expandable Spinner Suiter Suitcase, Best for Durability: Bold By Travelpro 25-Inch Expandable Rollaboard, Best Splurge: Travelpro Platinum Elite 21-Inch Expandable Carry-on Spinner, Best Hard-Sided: Travelpro Platinum Elite Carry-on Expandable Hardside Spinner, Best Underseater: Travelpro Maxlite Rolling UnderSeat Carry-on, Best Set: Platinum Elite Carry-on / Medium Check-in Hardside Luggage Set, What to Look for in Travelpro Luggage Items. Due to the larger dimensions, Maxlite can also carry more volume. As a pilot, Bob was almost always on an airplane. No. The Travelpro Crew VersaPack Weekender Carry-on Duffel Bag with Suiter is a must-have for travelers embarking on a weekend getaway. And after many weeks of testing all three bags, I think most travelers are better off sticking with our pick, the light but still tough Travelpro Platinum Elite. Telescoping handles can be a common failure point on luggage, but the Elites aluminum handle is solidly built and has a great track recordweve yet to encounter a sticking or bending problem with any of the Platinum bags weve tested over the years. Its a trifold system, and each of the folds has a bit of padding that helps to keep a suit from pinching onto itself and creasing, though much of that depends on how well you pack. Full review: Travelpro Bold 21-Inch Carry-on Review. The suitcases in those days didnt have wheels, so people had to always carry them when they were traveling. Travel totes are your best bets for that weekend escape, and the Travelpro Maxlite 5 tote is one of the best travel totes that youll find. But the polyurethane on the Platinum Elite is skimpier, and the wheel is slightly more difficult to replace. We like the battery pocket, but the built-in cable itself, which routes from the pocket to a USB port less than 6 inches away, is an unnecessary item, which at best adds a potential point of failure to the bagUSB cables do not last forever. Thats because their luggage is comparable in quality with premium-class brands, like Tumi, Briggs & Riley, and Away. Choose one of two height settings for the telescoping handle with a comfortable patented contour grip. TSA-approved just means that the TSA agents are able to unlock it with special keys in case they need to perform additional inspections while its checked in. Thats remarkably efficient for a bag that does so much. But now that companies have started building injection-molded pans for their wheel mounts, thickened the overall supports, and increased the diameter of the wheel spindles, the failure rate has reduced considerably. More than 130 hours of researchincluding interviews with numerous luggage experts, frequent-flying friends, family vacationers, and occasional business travelersalong with dozens of hours of testing and tens of thousands of miles of flights went into making these picks. Kit Dillon is a senior staff writer at Wirecutter. Let us help you. Its called the Crew Expert. The Baseline Domestic is also the only spinner luggage model we tested with a built-in garment folder, which helps shirts and pants stay wrinkle-free if you pack them well. Inline wheels, on the other hand, are built into the main frame, so theyre much less likely to break off. Briggs & Riley is much more expensive, but their suitcases are extremely durable, and they also come with much better features, so if youre planning on traveling extra-frequently, you should get something from them instead, like the Briggs & Riley Baseline. The one scenario in which we can get it to tip easily is by intentionally packing all the heaviest items near the top (when its lying flat) of the baglaptops are a common culprit here. Usually, everyone is really satisfied with their purchase. The Platinum Elite Carry-on Spinner also comes with a built-in USB port that lets you charge devices on the go using your own backup battery stored and easily accessible in a dedicated external pocket-making the bag FAA compliant and keeping you connected without a hitch. After we had them all on hand, we weighed and measured the bags to see if they matched each companys claims. While most of Travelpros affordable luggage doesnt have USB ports, its more premium models, like the Travelpro Platinum Elitehave USB ports and enough space for laptops or tablets. One upgrade I love on the Crew Expert is its extra-thick polyurethane wheels. Travelpros luggage prices vary quite a bit, between 120$-400$, depending on which model you choose. International travelers may favor Travelpro models with RFID-blocking pockets to prevent virtual theft of their passport and credit card data. In 1987, Northwest Airlines pilot Bob Plath invented The Original Rollaboard, one of the world's first wheeled suitcases. It weighs 7.8 pounds empty, which is an average-to-light weight among carry-ons, but a half pound lighter than the previous model, the Platinum Magna 2. Away Expandable Bigger Carry-On: Aways soft-sided luggage entry was sturdy and good looking. The Maxlite 5 is Travelpros newest model, and while the main difference from Maxlite 4 might be its weight, the Maxlite 5 carry-on is one of the best softside carry-ons you can get. In luggage reviews, we have seen a number of complaints online that the previous version of the Platinum Elite, the Platinum Magna 2, was prone to tipping over when fully loaded. They typically lack expansion zippers (and the few hard-sided bags that can expand usually feel too bulky). Or you can drop off the bag at one of the many repair centers. Better yet, its tapered shape prevents the case from tipping if you lose your ultimate carry-on checklist and pack too much. This is further boosted by the uniquely effective ratcheting CX compression system that allows travelers to fit an entire extra outfit into the same external dimensions as most other carry-ons. Its a simple, spacious, and very durable suitcase offered at affordable prices. Travelpro Crew Versapack Max Carry-On Exp Rollaboard, Negro azabache, Crew Versapack Softside - Equipaje vertical expandible. From 31 different luggage brands that we collected data on, Travelpro scored 6th. Their more premium models are much more durable, but also weigh more. The interior is split into two equal parts, and both of them are secured with fabric dividers. Thats because spinner wheels sometimes break off because theyre sticking out from the main shape of the suitcase. Wirecutter is the product recommendation service from The New York Times. Our one critique is the front exterior pocket is difficult to get in and out of due to its shallow construction. The Travelpro Maxlite 5 hardside is pretty similar to the softside version of the Maxlite 5. Timbuk2 Copilot: We had high hopes for this one because Timbuk2 has a great reputation for making backpacks and messenger bags. How Apples AirTag and Androids Tile Mate can help you keep tabs on iteven when the airline cant. The Away has a modern and minimalist look and also comes in more colors than our soft-sided picks, but the sleek style comes at a cost: Its polycarbonate shell is ultimately more likely to break than the nylon fabric of our other picks. Like the rest of Travelpro's soft-sided suitcases, it's made from a durable, stain-resistant, water-repellent fabric exterior, so it'll hold up for many future trips. Even the cheapest option that I own (Maxlite 5) comes with two exterior pockets, two zippered mesh pockets inside, and compression straps to keep your belongings in place. Welcome to FT. Although it isnt the cheapest one, its extremely durable and comes with a lot of bells and whistles. In luggage reviews, the most common complaint about Briggs & Riley suitcases is that the handle seems loose, but this is by design. The spinner luggage configuration stands out in particular because of its MagnaTrac wheels, which magnetically snap into a forward position when the bag is moved. But some people may prefer having the extra flexibility. Though the Platinum Elite rolled pretty well in general, we are still a bit concerned when dragging the carry-on bag up stairs. *Excludes YT, NU, NT (subject to Purolator Rates) . The Crew Versapack and Platinum Elite also have built-in suiter compartments, which keep the suits wrinkle-free. Need help deciding which of the brand's luggage items will best suit your needs? They were beaten only by Briggs & Riley (81 points) and Ricardo (76 points). Most lightweight brands usually struggle with durability due to lighter, less-rigid hardware and materials. Measuring 23 by 13.5 by 9 inches, the Elite carry-on bag (in either wheel configuration) hits the upper margins of actual carry-on size limits and could get you gate-checked by an overzealous agent. Unlike other expansion systems, which are either open or closed, this one locks into incremental positions. Its a fairly expensive suitcase, but you can often buy it on sale for under $300. We measured these components and subtracted each from the total volume as well as we could. We also werent impressed by the zippered expansion system on the Lojel, which made the suitcase feel bulkier than our picks. Whats not so great? However, the unique shape of the Vocier means that the zipper of the luggage must travel a very specific S curve, which snagged almost every time we opened the case. We asked all of that and more. It also has an aluminum retractable handle, which lets you use it like any other rolling suitcase. Pull upward on two plastic handles inside the bag, and you can extend its depth a full 2 inches. Samsonite's carry-on bags range in price from $80 to $550; Travelpro's carry-ons cost $90 to $320. Buy Travelpro Crew Versapack Softside Expandable Spinner Wheel Luggage, Jet Black, Carry-On 21-Inch and other Packing Organizers at Amazon.com. Flight crews purchase their luggage from retailers that specialize in flight-crew gear and often require employee ID numbers or airline referral codes that most people dont have access to. Was the garment bag big enough, or would it crumple finery? Packing cubes help, but after years of packing and unpacking soft-sided luggage with a single lid, I definitely find a clamshell design to be more finicky. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. And as it turns out, luggage manufacturers do make lines of luggage especially for flight crews, pieces that they usually sell via to-the-industry retailers. Our tester appreciated this suitcase's strong but flexible body, noting that it squeezed into tight cargo spaces. It also has a dedicated power bank pocket on the side with a USB charging port on the back, which allows you to charge your devices on the go. Its made from military-grade aluminum, thats shaped in a way to improve its rigidness. It was a tedious process and not one we would want to repeat every leg of a trip. After handling countless bags over the years, we have found that the tolerances of the Travelpro telescoping handle feel the most comfortable: It's not so loose that it feels flimsy, but not so stiff that it feels stubborn. It provides ample space at 22 x 18 x 11.5 incheswith an additional 2 inches if you use the main compartments expansion feature. Also, the handles on the Crew Expert are secured directly to the frame of the bag for a stronger connection; the Platinum Elite, on the other hand, uses plastic hinges to provide a little more flexibility and movement of the handle, which makes it more comfortable to use. The garment folder is similar to Travelpros, and thats a good thing. It also has only two wheels instead of four to improve its durability. We also dragged them up and down two flights of concrete stairs, noting how easy this task was and how much damage the bags sustained. 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