How to Choose Carry-on Luggage

Luggage shopping is a fun, and confusing task. There are so many kinds of luggage: so many shapes, and sizes, and materials that it is tempting to just drive down to Target and pick the cheapest thing. That might be good enough, if you travel rarely, carry only lightweight, unbreakable items, and aren't concerned about your things being all jumbled together during your entire trip, to be sorted out only after you return home. If you are fine with shipping home souvenirs because you don't have room in your bag. If you don't mind shipping possibly fragile items instead of taking them on the plane with you. If you are OK with broken straps, wheels, and handles. If you don't mind arriving home with duct tape wrapped around your bag because you tried to stuff just one more thing in it, no worries. If you are fine with getting a new bag for your next trip, then put luggage decisions aside, and go with Target and cheap so you can get on with looking forward to your trip.

But, if any of those things annoy you, and might put a damper on your trip, take just a little time to learn about luggage. A little knowledge can save you money and a lot of annoyance by helping you find and buy the right piece of luggage the FIRST time! And, it's a fast and easy process.

If you are an airline pilot, a 22" X 24" upright with wheels provides enough space for a 4 day trip. An add-a-bag strap helps lug around the 50 pounds of flight manuals that pilots take on every trip. If you're going to visit your grandkids for a couple of weeks, and plan on carrying a gift for each kid plus something for your daughter and son-iin-law, you might need something a little larger.

Are you going to check your larger bags? Better get something tough! In this age of constant litigation, it's easy to assume that if the airline breaks it, they'll pay for it, but that probably won't be the case. If you are planning on carrying something fragile, like a camera, opt for a hard side suitcase. Not that long ago, hard side suitcase fell into disfavor because they were so much heavier than their soft sided cousins. No longer! New super lightweight materials make hard sides an excellent option.

At some airports, if you are boarding a smaller aircraft (fairly common nowadays), or a jet way is inoperable, you might have to walk down a couple of flights of stairs to get to the airplane. A rolling backpack works great in that instance. A suiter that you carry or roll can work well too. And there is a rolling carry-on bag made for just about every purpose. (OK, not for pool queues or golf clubs!)

But there are specialized cases for pool queues and golf clubs, and snowboards, and skis, and....

Online shoppers, in-store shoppers-know what you need and don't settle. Online shoppers have more choices.

Carry on or check? Rules vary by airline as to the exact size of luggage they allow to be carried on board an airplane, but the rule-of-thumb is that it should be not much bigger than 45 linear inches-meaning its length, breadth, and depth added together together. Usually, wheeled luggage between 20"-23" fits in the "carry on" category.

How long is your trip? Here are some Bag Size Recommendations based on trip length:

1 - 4 days..........20" - 23" Wheeled carry-on

4 - 7 days..........24" - 26" Wheeled upright

7 - 14 days........27" - 30" Wheeled upright

14 - 21 days......30" - 35" Wheeled upright

For online shoppers cut a piece of paper the size of the large side of the suitcase. Hold a yardstick up to show you the depth. Make a guess. You won't do any better in a store.

Here are the advantages and disadvantages of hard, soft, and semi-soft shelled luggage. Modern hard shelled luggage is much lighter weight than it used to be, but there is no getting around it-it's still a bit heavier than the soft or semi-soft luggage. Hard shelled bags are often molded fiberglass or plastic. They are tough, stain resistant, and offer superior protection for fragile items, though they can dent or even crack with a hard enough blow. That same blow might not break your soft shelled bag, but it will certainly crush whatever fragile item you had packed inside. If you are going to check the bag anyway, the small extra weight really isn't an issue, and they come with wheels, so you won't find yourself hauling the thing around.

Soft shelled luggage, such as rolling duffel bags and the like, are the lightest weight option, and may even be folded and packed within another bag (a feature handy if you're planning on bringing back souvenirs). They are easier than their counterparts to fit into airplane overhead bins, and are only as large as the items you pack in them. They offer minimal protection, if any, for fragile items in your luggage.

Semi-soft luggage has become the most popular in recent years. Semi-soft luggage is usually constructed of ballistic nylon around a metal frame, and offers a compromise between durability and moderate protection of fragile items and flexibility with an extra zipper which allows you to pack a few extra items.

For online shoppers, the materials will be listed in the product details. Probably easier to find than if you were in Target trying to read the fine print on a product card.

Why not? (Unless, of course, you are trying to show off or maybe build some serious upper body strength) Even backpacks, duffel bags, and equipment cases come with wheels now. The only question is what kind of wheels? you should be confident that the wheels on your roller luggage will stand up to the rigors of travel and not leave with with a mono-wheeled suitcase in the middle of your trip? Here's what to look for:

1 - Large-diameter wheels. These look like roller-blade wheels, and are durable, tough, last a long time, and can be replaced with roller blade wheels from your local sports supply store.

2 - Inset into the suitcase. On some luggage, the wheels stick out from the side of the suitcase exposed to damage. They easily get hung on chair legs, counters, corners, and airplane seats when you're rolling down the aircraft aisle. Inset wheels are protected from harm and are much less likely to get hung on anything.

3 - Smooth gliding. It helps if you can handle the suitcase prior to purchase Make sure that the suitcase glides nicely on its wheels. How the wheels are mated to their axles can make a big difference for how easy it is to roll the suitcase along when it is loaded, especially on carpet.

For online shoppers, how to you tell? Duh, just look.

Lots of luggage pieces come with detachable hooks or straps that let you hang another bag from your wheeled suitcase. If a bag doesn't come with this, it's not a deal killer. These cool straps are available from any luggage store, and even at specialty stores at the airport.

Handles are easy to evaluate-look at the length and the construction. The length is dependent on you-how tall are you. Some bags have handles that adjust. Adjustable-good. Not adjustable, maybe not so good, if the length doesn't suit your particular build. You should be able to tow the suitcase along easily while you walk normally (without hunching).

Most handles are telescopic, and fairly sturdy, but the problem is how the handle is attached to the suitcase. The handle should be part of the framework of the bag. If it's just attached with stitching, the n it's probably going to come unstilted.

How do you figure this out if you are online and don't have the suitcase to drag around? Easy! Stand up, put your hand down. Hold a yardstick at what looks like a comfortable angle (this is a grey area). measure up the yardstick the distance of the height of the suitcase. The rest is handle.

There are lots of types, and a zipper can make or break your suitcase, as well as your day. Small is bad. Large is better. Plastic zippers are light weight, but they are weak and may break under strain. Metal zippers are heavier construction and sturdier than plastic zippers, however these too will eventually wear and break. The problem is you can't see the of wear in a zipper until it fails, usually when you're inside an airport terminal at security trying to put your things back in your bag after having been randomly picked for a more thorough search of your luggage. (as if that wasn't bad enough!)

The solution to the dilemma is a self-repairing zipper. Made from composites, these zippers can self-heal by gently moving the slide over the separated portion of the zipper. Their track record has been nearly flawless, and they have proven themselves to be much more reliable and long lasting than their plastic or metal counterparts.

Bottom line: large, metal or self healing.

Unless you are using "TSA Locks" don't even bother. "TSA Locks" are locks that all fit to a master-key that is possessed by the Transportation Security Administration. There is a colored flag which indicates if your luggage was opened by the TSA's key. They allows the TSA to inspect airline luggage while still maintaining customer security. TSA Locks can be purchased online from online vendors, brick and mortar luggage stores, airport specialty stores.

More important than you might think. If your luggage breaks, this is your first resource. Many folks just toss the bag away, with a pithy comment about how stuff doesn't last. If you are buying cheap, that may be your only recourse. But manufacturers of quality luggage do provide replacement parts. Heads up though! Sometimes familiar brand names are found on luggage that was actually made by a different company. If such a bag breaks, you may find that the brand name company will tell you that your bag was actually made by such-and-such company, and you call them only to find that they provide no support at all. Do some research.

Here's the Big 3! TravelPro, International Traveler, and SkyWay.

TravelPro was the first company to build wheeled luggage, and are the supplier of choice for airline crews, who put luggage through more wear and tear than any other traveler.

International Traveler produces primarily hard-shelled luggage--great reputation for supreme quality in their products.

SkyWay make good quality semi-soft wheeled carry-on uprights with inset wheels and have a reputation for excellent durability.

Plain black or brown: Oh please!

Hard-shelled luggage have a plus for groove factor because you don't see nearly as many hard-shells around an airport as the other kinds of luggage. They are shiny, look space-age, and their patterns and colors show up more brightly. International makes a 3 piece set with a pattern called the Shiny Zebra Print!

Luggage sets allow you to keep your bags coordinated, which does a lot for your *groove factor*, and can also get you a lower price-per-bag.

Bottom line: Nowadays, you really don't have to settle for plain, but shop quality first.