Having travelled the world routinely on business, had multiple gold frequent flier cards simultaneously, and owned Tumi, Travelpro and other premium brands, I've finally settled on Samsonite as my luggage of choice. Why? Excellent quality that matches those other brands but at a reasonable price. I have a hard shell carry-on and a suit carrier bought in 1996 that refuse to die and still look good.
But my last family-size softshells - bought in 2004 - finally gave up the ghost this year after sterling service on all holidays across a number of continents, so a replacement set was needed.
So having bought three of these and taken them to NYC for a family holiday, I can report that Samsonite continue to be my luggage of choice.
Here's why. Firstly, excellent construction. These have a tough polycarbonate base and back frame that, with the wire soft frame, provide a case you'd feel comfortable packing fragile items, albeit padded by clothes. We managed to bring back some really nice Chinese earthenware without probems. They also look cool, typically unostentatious Samsonite. The outer skin is hard-wearing yet good looking and the expansion facility is genuinely useful. This is finished with a slick TSA-compliant lock that makes each zipper pull do double duty as locking tabs. Neat.
Secondly, they carry and travel with ease. The pull out aluminium tow bar is reassuringly rigid and positive in action; the wheels simply glide effortlessly whether vertical or tilted; even the side carry handle is well thought out, being highly comfortable, yet distributing the strain to the frame, rather than the side of the case.
But finally, it does all this while being light - and I mean very very light. These are amongst the lightest in class. With air travel nowadays having almost everything as an optional extra, and the gradual erosion of luggage allowances, this was a huge boon for us, allowing us to pack two weeks of luggage yet still have both the space and weight allowance left over to get everything under our 23kg allowance upon return (with the usual carry-on canniness in packing). ;)
What's not to like? Well, they're not "fashionable". Sure they look sleek and classy, but they don't stand out. Not important for me. And maybe you could say the style is a little anonymous. But frankly, after so many years of travel, I no longer care.
So, another excellent product. I'll give it a perfect 5 stars after 5 years use.
Other Product Promotions:
|
|
