[SenatorGold]

Gosh, in light of the vehemence of some of the views expressed here, I hesitate to say that I’m a Tumi fan having graduated to the brand some years ago from Mandarina Duck.

I now have a collection of Tumi bags (plus accessories) in various styles and sizes which I use according to the kind of trip I’m undertaking.

I’m not sure I regard Tumi as a status symbol. It’s fairly common and sometimes it’s predictable who will be carrying it.

Like pheighdough I do like luggage and I regard the money spent on it as an investment. I suppose it’s a personal choice and I put it in the same bracket as spending money on quality clothing and shoes.

[pointyendpreferred]

We are a family of travellers and have shared 4 Rimowa and a number of Samsonites. We found that we seemed to be replacing a Rimowa every second trip and thought it ridiculous at those prices so we changed to Samsonite which have proved to be much hardier.

We have a Samsonite Cosmolite (the original model) which everyone hates using and I seem to end up with it. The T-bar handle makes it very difficult to steer when it is full. It is the largest size and is a monster. I really hate it though I must say, after many long trips, there isn’t even a scratch on it.

Much better is the Samsonite Cubelite. We know have 2 of those and they are the ones everyone wants to use.

I have looked at Tumi a number of times but even empty they seem heavy to me. It’s ok when you are flying first or business but often nowadays you end up on a smaller commuter or low cost airline and the suitcase eats up almost half of your luggage allowance.

[BigDog.]

Have used Delsey hard shell for a decade, it is still going strong. One takes responsibility for caring for ones own tailoring and shoes however care for luggage is down to airport handlers, taxi drivers (if lucky) and hotel porters.

Further, I have no desire to attract tea-leaves/chancers with top brand luggage.

[Swissdiver]

I was thinking like most of you about Tumi until … Ms. SD gave me one for Christmas a few years ago. I have to say: I love it. Since it is a large one, it goes in the hold each time, with the usual gentle treatment luggage get there. Not a scratch, nor a missing zip thing nor a broken wheel or handle. Phenomenal quality!
I used in the past Samsonite (and still do for my old and beloved carry on) and Travelpro and broke them all. So, for me, Tumi makes sense…

[Carajillo2Sugar]

I bought 2 Delsey cases 27-years ago. I don’t travel anywhere near as much as some of you guys but I work out they have now both been to the moon and back at least twice and they’re still going strong.

Quite possibly the best £200 I’ve ever spent!

[RaveAroundTheWorld]

Tumi classic (black) for me. I m not a fan much of there other models.

Problem is that you need to check carefully that you grab the right suitcase. I grabbed one on the belt a few years ago that looked like mine – same tags and all – on a FRA-MIA flight. I was almost in SoBe already when a guy called my mobile and told me I had his suitcase.

All the way back to MIA and we switched bags. Not only the exact same Tumi but he looked exactly like me, too. We both laughed hysteriously – my doppelgänger. I gave him a ride to South Beach in lieu of a taxi….

[Charles-P]

Always liked the look of the Rimowa bags but never felt the need to spend that much money. My usual combination is the Samsonite ‘mobile office’ carry on which is superb and has been around the world many times and still is fine with a small laptop bag I bought at Vienna airport five years ago which now has a nice well traveled patina.

On the times I do need to pack for a longer trip I have a Canadian Army suit carrier I bought at an auction ten years ago that remains a very sturdy unit.

[SwissExPat]

Tumi is great if you buy in the USA. (even better in a sale)

The product is massively ovepriced in London/Europe.

I use Tumi every trip and have a stroller that was repaired afte 10 years, like brand new.

[capeleopard]

@SenatorGold +1. My main Tumi is a large black duffel bag. Love that it’s narrow with serious wheels and a separate base for shoes, crushables.

Years old, good as new, ‘ballistic nylon’ feels bulletproof, though I try to avoid destinations where that might be tested.

What’s that phrase – you remember the quality long after the price has been forgotten?

[batterytraveller]

I have a mandarina duck roll aboard that my dad bought me for Christmas when just after we got restricted to a single carry on and I was travelling a lot. 8 or 9 years later it’s still going strong. Very functional piece of luggage with a semi hard shell, suiter and useful exterior pockets for power adapters and freedom baggies.

For my checked luggage I have a rimowa polycarbonate hard sided spinner case with clasps, not zips. It was a remarkable bargain, at $205, in an outlet mall in Orlando. I consider this fair payback for the fact that I’ve spent more time in Orlando than any human should be forced to endure.

[midorosan]

I think I tried them all before I discovered Rimowa a few years ago we now have four pieces between my wife and I and our extended family probably have another four.
I am 76 and I find the manoueveriability the greatest feature I can twirl effortlessly through the airport up and down escalators without a care in the world.
They come with a five year guarantee and we have had one small problem which was fixed in the fifth year of the oldest case.
If anyone would like to buy some really old but very cool Louis Vuitton cases just let me know.

[BBFLYER]

I personally use Gate8 as I find its great

[MrDarwin]

I retired a trusty Samsonite carry on case recently and was sad to see it go after many years. I decided to take the plunge and invested in a Briggs & Riley expandable case for a small fortune – I absolutely love it. The design is well thought out, and being able to properly expand the case for certain trips gives it good versatility. Yes, it actually cost more than my regular hold case, but it does get used a lot more too and I need something sturdy and reliable. It also came with a proper lifetime guarantee, so in theory I’ll never need to buy another, right!?

[esselle]

As I noted earlier, have a look at Briggs.

I have both Tumi and Briggs, and both are excellent. But Briggs is typically 25-30% cheaper.

I have one piece, a Briggs folding suiter, that holds enough for a week away, and which must have seen 100 trips as hold baggage. It still looks brand new.

[jsn55]

I grew up in a town of 200 in northern Minnesota, so I would be mortified to own anything with a designer name on it or a known status symbol. Like many of you, I just buzz through the local discount store occasionally and pick up a rollaboard for $30 or less, when they get a little snarky I give them away. Always have an extra one in the closet but have never been inconvenienced by a malfunction while on the road. I feel quite sorry for people who need a designer name to confirm that they have good taste … or any taste.

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