Best luggage for a late summer escape

With long lines, flight cancellations, and delays, the last thing you want to worry about at the airport is your luggage. Does that mean you have to spend a small fortune to get a quality piece of luggage? Thankfully, the answer is no. Consumer Reports does the hard work for you… by putting luggage through a series of rigorous tests to find some budget-friendly options.

According to Consumer Reports, the luggage tests mimic the airport experience and everything in between, such as pulling, dropping and tugging on bags to simulate how someone travels with a piece of luggage.

CR’s tests have shown that you don’t have to spend a lot to get a quality bag.

The testers fill the luggage with fabric – to simulate a bag full of clothes – and then run it for 50 kilometers on a conveyor belt riddled with obstacles. To test the grip strength, a machine lifts the weighted bags five thousand times! This test checks the load-bearing capacity by applying a pressure of 100 kilograms to the top and sides of the luggage.

This is a simulated downpour to see how much moisture penetrates the zipper and seams of the luggage. To assess maneuverability, men and women of different sizes roll the luggage over curbs, stairs and sidewalks.

You can’t go wrong with the Samsonite Outline Pro Carry-On Spinner, which costs $140, for quality craftsmanship that outperform models that cost several hundred dollars more. A nice feature is that the handle extends and adjusts to six different positions.

The $70 Amazon Basics 21-Inch Hardside Spinner suitcase strips out the frills and costs about half as much, but still offers solid performance.

If you’re looking for a soft carry-on, consider the top-rated TravelPro Maxlite 5 21″ Carry-On Spinner for $145. It offers excellent load-bearing capacity and very good construction.

One final travel tip from CR: If you frequently check luggage, it may be worth attaching a tracker to it for peace of mind, making it easier to locate if you ever lose it.

CR recommends using hard-shell luggage when packing fragile items. Soft-shell luggage, on the other hand, is lighter and can be deformed and compressed in tight spaces. No matter which type you choose, check the dimensions of your luggage to make sure it meets your airline’s carry-on baggage regulations, or plan to check your bag.

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