[Anonymous]

[seasonedtraveller]

Just curious.

I see increasing amounts of Tumi luggage on my travels but it seems to me, ridiculously expensive (£500 for a medium sized roll along for example).

Why is it so expensive? Is it really worth it or has it just become a status symbol?

Am I missing something – maybe a lifetime guarantee perhaps?

For the record, my regular roll along, 4 wheel, hard sided, was bought at TK Maxx for £80.00 3 years ago and travels around the world with me both as cabin and hold luggage – it performs beautifully and although it bears a few scratches, its still more or less perfect.

[MartynSinclair]

My roller is from Bed Bath and Beyond… bright orange, so stands out when I occasionally check it in and had this one for 2 years… $45! Yes its marked, but for $45 who cares!

Colleagues buy Rimowa which seems to hold status for some…

[Schaible]

We can talk long about luggage… It is the same like cars…. Depends how much and if you want to spend in a brand and if you care about design.

For 6 years I travel with the 2-wheel classic silver aluminum Rimowa (didn’t go for 4-wheel as I heard they break easier). Never had any problem or damage. I love them: one Jumbo and one Cabin Trolley. The cases look more individual with each additional dent, scratch and airport security sticker. Not cheap but a Porsche or a Range Rover isn’t cheap either…

When I first showed up with them at a Chinese airport they sent me over to special security check expecting that I am a journalist carrying some valuable equipment… Wouldn’t happen anymore today… China is Rimowa’s second biggest market, after Germany.

Before I changed to Rimowa I had Samsonite. Was okay, a few small issues with the wheel and once the handle. I didn’t go away from Samsonite as an unhappy customer, simply wanted something a bit more classy.

I was never a fan of Tumi. From more than 5 feet away the Tumi product looks ordinary, just like any USD 25-bargain from a Chinatown shop. And by far not as robust as Rimowa.

[thebigseats]

Samsonite. Never had a problem with them. Just “donated” my 10 year old mini-wheelie to a friend who admired/needed one. Sorry to see it go really. It had travelled with me around the globe without issue. I have replaced it with a newer shinier version. Would NEVER pay the price of a Tumi or Rimowa.

[LuganoPirate]

I think you got it in one seasonedtraveler, “status symbol”!

Personally I use Samsonite, with my oldest one now thirty years old and still going strong, despite a few scratches and dents. It also survived a dunking in the Indian Ocean and my clothes all stayed perfectly dry.

[TheRealBabushka]

Is there a correlation between the brand of suitcases and the size of one’s genitalia?

[Stamford777]

I like brands that offer a repair service.Both Samsonite and Tumi do in major business centers around the world and LL Bean have a very flexible return service for US based travellers. I have had a couple of Tumi bags and liked the design and durability but had to use the repair service for disappointing zip quality and some stitching that came undone.Would not buy Tumi again as I don’t think the price premium is justified now that many others offer similar quality.

[esselle]

Briggs and Riley is well worth a look. Fantastic range/quality/price and a total guarantee; if anything breaks, for any reason, they will fix it free.

[stevescoots]

I used an eminett case from HK market for about 30 quid for almost 8 years, 4 long haul sectors per month before it finally gave up the ghost, it now houses part of my vinyl singles collection. At the same time I went through various rucksacks at the rate of one every 6 months.
I then moved onto Samsonite for my hold luggage and the first lasted 3 years before, again TSA decided to destroy the zips to get in, despite it having TSA locks on. Bought another Samsonite and at the same time bought a Samsonite wheeled laptop bag. As the junk I carry gets more and more, and needed space to stash my duty free I bought another rucksack, Tumi. On the basis I had one many years ago that lasted years before being stolen from a hotel room in the UK.
As the eminett and Samsonite proves, often it does not matter if its low or high cost, you are in the lap of the gods once you hand it over to baggage handlers and security.

So for carry on I go high end as they have a lot more personal abuse on a daily basis. On hold I go mid range

[K1ngston]

So I use Tumi and no its not about my genitalia TheRealBabushka I wish it was!!

I bought all my Tumi luggage in New York at a sale and was very happy with the bargain that I got, I had one piece for 2 years and then one of the handles literally came away in my hand when I was picking up the luggage off a belt somewhere!

I took it back to the store in NYC and the very sales lady who sold it to me who remembered me (yeah right I know) gave me a brand new piece of luggage as she said what happened should not have happened, so I now have a new piece of luggage. I agree with Stamford777 that the zips are not great but I am assured this is by design so if they get caught they wont pull the bag apart and if you take the bag into a shop they will replace with no cost….

No I don’t work for Tumi just like their luggage and at sale prices they are a bargain and would never pay list price

[Senator]

I used Samsonites for years. Was very happy until my last two models which broke too quick and easily.

As anything else, successful brands have an allure. For the past five years I’ve used a Tumi carry-on and a Tumi laptop bag. Despite my best efforts to abuse them, they don’t look used as I would expect: they have aged gracefully and have no bruises, scares or repaired limbs.

To “upgrade” to Tumi was an aspiration for me. The brand has so far delivered the sturdy, reliable experience I expected. So I am utterly happy with everything I have purchased from Tumi..

I do bargain hunt for stuff like this, and have picked up this on sale in the US while the USD was lowish.

[pheighdough]

My carry on is Tumi, which I think is fantastic, but for hold baggage I have a TravelPro Crew 5. Fantastic bag and been everywhere with me. Just about small enough to carry on, but has paid an unexpected visit to the hold at the gate.

I am a Tumi Tart, and it is a status thing, plus I love luggage. Please don’t judge me…!

[JohnHarper]

We use some battered old Samsonites, the oldest piece is almost twenty years old and I can’t imagine how far it has traveled. Luggage just does not excite me and I see it as a necessary evil. I would baulk at paying out for Tumi or Rimowa.

[HongKongLady]

Avoid Samsonite ‘Black’ over priced and not robust enough to be used as hold baggage. Regular Samsonite is much better, I have a four wheeled small case which has given me many very happy years of service. In addition I have an even smaller Antler purple leaf design which is great as a carry on.
I often look at expensive luggage but I have yet to take the plunge again.

[Author]

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