OK, This isn't about Best Buys at the store, but a view of the recent Consumer Reports article (December 1998 issue) on luggage. Although the tests that they did seem good, I think that it would have been better to put the luggage in the hands of some real travelers for a few months and check out the results. The comparison ranked luggage that has very little in equal durability. It would be like comparing cars, and including everything from Mercedes to Yugos. Although both will get you down the road, I think you may be able to expect a little more out of the Mercedes. Many features about the luggage was not discussed such as frame, or hardware components, or where it was manufactured. Valoroso, which is Andiamo's top line got the best ranking (I agree there), but ranked less expensive was Atlantic Infinity II. It would have been a lot more fair to compare the Andiamo to Atlantic Professional (now there's a best buy). Oh well, off my soapbox. If you want a fair evaluation ask me and I'll send you my views. Tell me how much you travel, what you expect your bag to survive, what you want to spend, and I'll give you my best advice based on what I see that needs repairs and what doesn't.
Consumer Reports did another ranking of luggage in the December 2000 issue. We again have a few problems with the way the ranking was done and many things that they ignored in determining the durability of the bags. One thing is they specified the fabrics on many were nylon, but failed to tell you the difference between Cordura Nylon, Asian Ballistic Nylon, and DuPont Ballistic Nylon. The DuPont Ballistic Nylon is the best of the 3, and Cordura and Asian Ballistic are about equal. The Consumer Reports rankings seemed to favor lower priced bags. All I can say is that those folks don't travel very often. Again, if you want our opinion, let me know and we'll tell you.
And again December 2001 was a luggage ranking. Note that fabrics were not discussed, and there seems to be more importance placed on price than quality. After the issue was published we had Travelpro Platinum II priced below Crew4. While Crew4 was rated a best buy, Platinum II was rated more durable. Explain that to me! Also look at the garment bags they rated. 3 sell for more than $300, and 1 for around $100. While I like the Andiamo Garment Bag (around $500), I've got garment bags from $40 to $800. I think there are several in the $150 to $200 range that would suit (no pun intended) most folks. Want real advice? Visit us, or email your questions.
This is my personal soapbox, so please realize this is my personal opinion and not something a lot of scientific research has been done with. We have been selling luggage for over 20 years, and too some extent, yes, you get what you pay for. I rationalize it to many customers that you get what you pay for... to some extent. If you don't travel a lot (more than twice a month), and don't expect your luggage to survive forever, there are many good alternatives. There are many good bags available that can do a good job if you want to put a little more work into your packing. I tell my customers in the store how to do it, but am not ambitious enough to do it on the website (till enough of you hound me to) right now. I've had so many nice comments about our advice that I decided to add to this section. My best advice for quality vs. durability vs. price. I base this on my 15 years as a park ranger when I looked at luggage prices and said "NO WAY WILL ANYONE PAY THIS MUCH" and now I sell a lot at "that much". My backpack, tent, sleeping bag, etc. costs as much or more than the "high" priced lines I sell. I love them to death (my outdoor equipment), because I bought the lesser priced stuff and had to replace it. BUT, I'm a shopper too. I've bought stuff at close out prices (last years model, color, etc.), and still find the "good" stuff is good. We offer many lower lines that I think are great for the less frequent traveler. Base line, look at the Pathfinder lines and Travelpro lines. Many of my vendors will hate me for this, but remember that you could pack in a shopping bag and still get your stuff there. It's all a matter of how convenient it is and how well it does the job. Remember, you could have bought a Toyota Camry instead of a Porsche (I'll probably get in trouble for that, DARN.) OK, off the soapbox, let me know if you have questions.
Kevan :)
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