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It’s All Material.

Polyester and Nylon in a heavy weight are used to make the sturdiest luggage. The materials have been put through years of in-lab and real life tests and are constantly being improved and refined. With material names like Ripstop and Ballistic nylon, these bags can stand up to the harshest travel torture. Cordura is another particularly strong nylon product used to make suitcases. All three of these materials make excellent, durable luggage, though the lightest of them all, the Ripstop, is not quite as strong as the others.

 

Leather luggage is extremely beautiful and durable, but if you’re worried about preserving its looks, it’s not the choice for you. Leather takes care and remember, your luggage will be thrown around in greasy trucks, left in the harsh sun, transported at near freezing temperatures. It’s bound to get stained along the way. Another consideration is price. A set of leather luggage can run you well into the thousand-dollar range and beyond. But there’s no denying its elegance. If you acquire leather luggage, apply a conditioner to it before you use it. Several luggage stores recommended a brand of leather conditioning cream called Apple Polish. Also recommended were products called Lexol and a water repellant called Meltonian. Inquire about leather care when you purchase the bags. Leather or shoe stores will also offer good advice; and of course you should always heed the manufacturer’s recommendations before applying any product to your new leather.

 

Canvas. You only have to look to the armed forces to see that canvas luggage has been used and lasted literally through the wars. It’s very sturdy, reasonably priced and comes in every color you could hope for. It is not as durable as the special nylon mixes mentioned above, but it’s still a great choice. If you choose canvas luggage (which is made from coarse cotton) and it should happen to get wet, be sure it dries thoroughly before you store it away. The material can tend to mildew. You may consider treating the fabric with a water repellant such as Scotch Guard before you use it.

 

Hard luggage made from various plastic and fiber composites is virtually guaranteed to keep your belongings from harm. Does anyone remember that Samsonite ad where an elephant did his level best to destroy a suitcase? It was the hard, plastic kind. Now these suitcases are available with wheels for easy transport, but they remain the heaviest and most awkward of all luggage. If you don’t foresee having to lug your luggage, if porters and valets are in your future, hard luggage is a good choice.

 

Other materials such as thin plastic, woven grasses, rattan, and even rubber are used to make luggage. Avoid bags made out of these materials, as they simply won’t hold up to the punishment of today’s baggage handlers.

Zip It. Look for luggage with heavy, sturdy zippers. They’ll last the longest and have the least chance of splitting. Opt for metal zippers over nylon, but if you do chose a bag with a nylon zipper, make sure it’s a thick one. Zippers with pull tags originating from both sides will also reduce your chances of the terrifying zipper split. For easy-gliding and health of your luggage zipper, use a silicon spray lubricant every once in a while. Be careful of getting things caught in the zipper. Plastic bags (particularly those over your dry cleaning) can wreak havoc on a zipper.

Lock It. Either a small padlock or a combination lock is a good addition to any suitcase. Some luggage, particularly the hard plastic luggage, has built in combination locks. Such locks are harder to break into, so if security is an issue, choose the combination lock option.

Wheel It. The wheels you choose are important. They should be strong and durable and retract into the bag. Inline or six-inch wheels are the best bet. With new size restriction for carry-on luggage, the wheel extension is included in the overall measurement of the bag.

Size and Weight. Although it seems that the airlines have tried over the past several years to standardize the size and weight restrictions for luggage, there are still differences between them. If you have concerns about luggage size or weight, call the airlines to confirm the baggage allowance for your flight.

Checked Luggage. Most airlines we spoke with allowed passengers to check between two and three pieces of luggage each. While the dimension of the allowed luggage varied (hovering around 62 linear inches per bag - length + width + height), the weight came in fairly consistently at 70 pounds per bag. Some foreign airlines had varying weight allowances depending on the route you’re flying and the class of ticket you purchased. For example, British Airways allows first class passengers on some routes to check two 88 pound pieces whereas coach passenger’s bags can only weigh 50 pounds.

 

Carry-on Luggage. Most airlines we spoke with allowed passengers to carry on two pieces of luggage, though very crowded flights may limit the carry-ons to one. A briefcase or a garment bag is considered one of the pieces. There are very strict rules about the dimensions of carry-on luggage. Bags cannot exceed 45 linear inches (22" x 14" x 9"). Please remember the irksome airline rule that if the wheels or handles don’t retract or lay flush against the bag, the distance they protrude will be included in the total dimensions of the bag. Domestic carriers did not set weight limits for carry-on, but foreign airlines did. These limits varied depending on the ticket class, so check with the airlines.

The days when one’s set of luggage was considered a prized possession have sailed away and sunk with the Titanic. New materials and engineering in luggage manufacture are producing lighter and more durable luggage every year, and the prices have become very affordable. The life of a voyager surely was elegant during the era of the steamer trunk, but the truth is, nowadays trunks like those simply won’t fit into the overhead compartment.