Best luggage for that late summer escape
![Suitcase at airport (Shutterstock)](/content/dam/ctvnews/en/images/2022/8/5/suitcase-at-airport-1-6015778-1659713536158.jpg)
Flying comes with its share of headaches including long line-ups, flight cancellations and delays, so the last thing you want to worry about is your suitcase.
However, if you think you’ve had it bad when travelling, imagine what your luggage goes through. In many cases, when luggage takes a beating, it can lead to broken zippers and damaged seams.
Consumer Reports tested suitcases and subjected them to some of the worst experiences an airport has to offer, to see how well they held up.
“We are dragging, dropping, pulling these bags to kind of simulate what it would be like if somebody was traveling with a piece of luggage,” said Tanya Christians of Consumer Reports. “Our tests find that you don’t have to spend a lot to get a quality bag.”
Testers filled the luggage with fabric, simulating a bag packed with clothing, and then ran them along a conveyor belt studded with obstacles for 50 kilometres.
To check handle strength, a machine lifted the weighed-down bags 5,000 times. This test checked for resilience by applying 220 pounds of pressure to the top and sides of the baggage.
It also simulated a downpour to see how much moisture would get through the zipper and seams of the luggage.
Tests found that four-wheel suitcases are much better than those with just two wheels and let you maneuver through crowds with ease.
According to Consumer Reports, for quality construction, you can’t go wrong with the Samsonite Outline Pro Carry-On Spinner, which costs $270. It outperformed models that are hundreds of dollars more, and a nice feature is that the handle can be expanded and raised to six different positions.
Amazon Basics 21-Inch Hardside Spinner, a hard-shell carry-on, skips the bells and whistles for $127. However, it still offers solid performance.
For a soft-sided carry-on, Consumer Reports suggests the top-scoring TravelPro Maxlite 5 21” Carry-On Spinner for $220. It offers excellent resilience and very good construction.
“If you often check a bag it may be worth it to get peace of mind by having a tracker on your bag. That helps you locate it in case you ever lose it,” said Christians.
It’s also important to check the measurements of a carry-on bag closely to make sure it will be allowed in the overhead bin. If it’s too big, you may have to pay an added fee to check it.
A hard sided bag is more likely to protect breakable items, but a soft sided bag can compress into tight spaces.
When purchasing luggage, you may also want to think about the colour. Black is the most popular, but a red bag may be easier to spot on the airport conveyer belt.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6993663.1723166222!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
U.S. presidential historian predicts results of November elections. Here's who he says will win
An American presidential historian is predicting a Kamala Harris presidency as the outcome of the upcoming U.S. elections in November.
7-Eleven ordered to pay B.C. woman $907K for pothole injury
A British Columbia Supreme Court judge has ordered 7-Eleven Canada to pay a woman more than $900,000 in damages after she tripped on a pothole and broke her ankle in the parking lot of a convenience store.
NDP MPs embrace distance from 'radioactive' Trudeau brand, as Singh convenes caucus in Montreal
Just days after demolishing his deal with Justin Trudeau’s Liberals, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is holding a three-day strategy session with his MPs in Montreal, where his MPs are embracing their new-found distance from what one called Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's 'radioactive' brand.
Buyers say they lost life savings to a Saskatchewan company selling luxury vacation condos
In 2022, Tanya Frisk-Welburn and her husband bought what they hoped would be a dream home in Mexico.
Inquiry into U.K. hospital where a nurse killed 7 babies will not review evidence against her
An inquiry into an English hospital where a neonatal nurse was convicted of murdering seven babies and trying to kill seven others began Tuesday as her supporters push to clear her name.
Viral Olympian Raygun ranked No. 1 breaker in the world by sport's governing body
Australian breaker Rachael Gunn, the Olympian widely known as B-Girl Raygun who went viral after her performance at the Paris Games, is now ranked the No. 1 breaker in the world.
Young camper diagnosed with life-threatening Powassan virus during northern Ont. trip
A nine-year-old boy contracted an often-deadly disease during a camping trip in July in northern Ontario.
Canadian fast food chains create value menus to win back customers
Canada’s restaurant industry is in a slump as money conscious consumers are eating out less and spending less when they do go out.
Judge reserves decision on Hoggard bail attempt as singer seeks SCOC leave to appeal
A justice with Ontario's Appeal Court has reserved her decision on whether Canadian musician Jacob Hoggard should get bail as he tries to appeal his sexual assault conviction at the country's top court.