hard or soft luggage?

[Anonymous]

I have a bunch of travel coming up in 2017 and I really want to invest in some new suitcases/luggage. My current set was given to me as a college graduation gift...in 1997! Yes, I am old. Anyway, would you recommend hard luggage or soft? I have soft now, but it seems like more and more people are going with hard.

[Anonymous]

I prefer our hard luggage.

[Anonymous]

I prefer soft. I'm not a very organized packer with two little kids and they are more forgiving when I just throw stuff in. Also tend to be more light weight so I can pack more.

[Anonymous]

Soft. It's more forgiving and I need that when I pack. It also weighs the least so I can stuff more items into the luggage. I've had hard luggage and I hated it.

[Anonymous]

I like my soft luggage. I picked up a Lipault carry-on size at Tuesday morning for around $70 and love that thing. The only downside is because it is SO soft sided, if it isn't full, it can be hard to set stuff on top of. That's pretty rare for me though.

I travel a ton for both work and pleasure, and these are my favorites/must-have features. I've had sets in the past, and my needs are a little different in each size, so now I prefer to buy pieces individually.

"Small" carry on - never gets gate checked and it's amazing how much it improved my quality of life to go with a smaller suitcase. I travel a lot for work though, so it makes a difference for me. This has a flap on the back so it can actually be stacked on top of a large suitcase. If I were traveling for a long time and needed a checked bag, I'd do the large checked bag, this on top of it to carry on with essentials, and then an under-seat personal item: http://shop.samsonite.com/sitewide-exclusion-list---callout/samsonite-large-rolling-underseater/55478XXXX.html?dwvar_55478XXXX_color=Black&cgidmaster=lugaz-lu015#sz=12&start=41

"Large" carry on - Lipault 20" spinner (bought at Tuesday Morning, TJ Maxx and other places are a great place to look for luggage): http://www.ebags.com/product/lipault/4-wheeled-22-carry-on/293669?productid=10365586

I don't have any recommendations on the BIG luggage, the stuff you have to check. My suggestion is as light as possible, and I've found I'm better off using smaller luggage, even if I have to check it. It's much easier to handle. I'd get spinners without a doubt, although they don't do well on cobblestone if you're going to Europe (again, go smaller, even if you have to check due to liquids, you'll be glad you aren't over weight limits or hauling a bag that is hard to handle).

For my personal item, when I'm traveling for work, I LOVE Baggallini. This bag is a little different than the one I have, but it looks like they've just updated what I had and this is the newer version.
I don't have to go on client meetings, so this is fine for my needs - I don't need a leather bag. This thing looks PERFECT after a few years of heavy abuse, the compartments and organization are great, and I put my laptop in a thin sleeve and drop it in.
http://www.ebags.com/product/baggallini/unity-tote/311839?productid=10417123

Look at the back side zip pocket where you can put it over your luggage. This is ESSENTIAL! I no longer buy smaller bags that don't have that option.

I use this for my every day gym bag at home, but it is also an awesome travel bag for beach trips or if you need a larger personal carry on or weekend bag (stuff your purse inside it). It also has the back slip pocket option. RuMe C-Fold Bag: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01BPCU7Q8/ref=twister_B00GQAP8UU?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

I keep this in my personal bag when I travel and use it for picking up groceries, a small gym bag, taking lunch to the office, etc. -- has come in handy a ton. I like this one better than some others because the pouch it folds into is attach to itself and becomes an inside pocket when you open it.
Flip & Tumble 24/7 Bag: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0028K2SU0/

Finally, not luggage, but my other must have for travel is a refillable water bottle (I like the Camelbak 20 oz insulated plastic with the Chute cap -- metal is too noisy against glass/clanging against stuff, and you don't want anything that can leak under pressure), and here's the key - an S-clip carabiner. You can hook it on the outside of your bag when your bag is full, but when it's not, the bottle fits in the bag. The s clip is also great for hooking it onto the back of an airplane seat so you always have water easily accessible.
S-clip (any hardware store has them): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005LFOHN0/ref=twister_B01IAAGKVO?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Chute water bottle (except mine is all gray, I had to piece together some items I already had, you can buy just the cap): https://www.amazon.com/CamelBak-Chute-Insulated-Bottle-6-Liter/dp/B00O0UVACI/ref=sr_1_8?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1481509898&sr=1-8&keywords=camelbak+chute

https://www.amazon.com/CamelBak-Chute-Water-Bottle-Accessory/dp/B00OBVOO56/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1481509872&sr=8-7&keywords=chute


My standard work travel setup looks like:
- The small Samsonite carry on (if it is winter, my coat folds and fits in the open handle section that velcros closed, then I can still put my laptop bag on top of it)
- The Baggallini tote as my work/laptop/personal item
- The Flip & Fold bag rolled up and in my tote
- Water bottle & S-Clip, usually inside my tote but if my bag gets too full, then I can clip it on the outside

Key features to me:
- On larger bags, spinner wheels. Awesome for going through security lines or setting stuff on top. On smaller bags, spinners are a bit harder to find and you tend to lose packing space, which I couldn't "afford" on a bag that small.

- Straps inside that cinch down, not just elastic "hold in place" straps. Those cinch straps on the Lipault have saved my butt several times and made the difference between being allowed to carry on vs check. Airlines are getting insanely strict about dimensions.

- Pull out handles that have TWO columns, not one. Does that make sense? A lot of the smaller bags pull out a handle that is a single rod. It does take up less room in the frame of the suitcase, but it is way less stable and you can't balance your tote on it.

- Some narrow outside pockets, bonus if there is a plastic lined pocket (I travel with a body poof and a Turbie Twist, which seems insane but is totally worth it to me - doubles as a shower cap -- they aren't always dry when I'm ready to leave).

- I love the fabric the Lipault is made of. It has been incredibly durable and shown almost no wear, especially compared to the regular nylon type fabric most soft-sided suitcases are made of. Not a deal breaker, but I think that Lipault fabric is great.


Hope this helps. I know it's very detailed, but getting my luggage situation based on my trip needs figured out made travel 100x easier for me.