Will Cheap Luggage Suffice?
Packing for our holiday trip this year, I realized: we have some cheap luggage!
It seems we usually buy 1 or 2 pieces in our favorite shapes & styles... every couple of years.
I recently found these fun facts about cheap luggage...
Will Cheap Luggage Suffice?
According to Consumer Reports (August 2005), cheaper priced luggage fails in one key area: durability.
Of those tested, "none could likely withstand the rigors of airline travel."
Consumer Reports evaluated rolling upright bags (25" to 28" tall) with retractable handles, each packed with 35 pounds of towels.
Then they put the bags through their paces by sending them through the CR luggage tumbler, which simulates rough baggage handling.
In sum, cheaper luggage...
- ...is inexpensive
- ...looks good
- ...handles well in general
- ...is not waterproof
- ...is not durable
- ...is not likely to last long
Final Recommendations
Of the luggage CR tested, following are the ratings, from highest to lowest:
- E-Bags Optima Rolling Set (fair durability, very good features)
- Sears Pierre Cardin Expandable (fair durability, very good features)
- Kohl's Sonoma Express (poor durability, very good features)
- Target Ridgecrest Worldbound (poor durability, good features)
- WalMart American Tourister (poor durability, good features)
- WalMart Skyline Venetian (poor durability, poor features)
When you see what your luggage looks like after the airline handlers are done with it, you're never inspired to spend a lot on it.