And it’s hard to carry, and it’s a pity to throw it away – this is definitely not about a reliable suitcase , which we will help to choose for those who are going on the road.
Consider the characteristics of the road “satellite” from “A” to “Z”, starting with the materials of manufacture and ending with the inner filling. We are not lost in guesses how to choose a suitcase for an airplane, bus, train and other transport, but we begin to study this manual.
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How to choose a travel suitcase: basic requirements
Experienced people pay attention to four things.
Responsible for the appearance, durability and strength of the product. The most requested options are made of plastic and fabric.
Locks, latches, zippers – must withstand repeated opening / closing, securely hold the contents inside the suitcase and not jam at the most crucial moment.
- Size and weight
The capacity of the product, the convenience of its operation and the possibility of using it as carry-on luggage depend on this.
- Additional functionality
It is desirable that the suitcase has wheels that facilitate its movement, a retractable handle, the ability to change the volume, and so on.
It is equally important what is inside the product, how convenient and neat it can be to place things in it.
You will learn more about all this in the following sections.
Purpose of use
Before flipping through information, how to choose a suitcase, you need to decide where, when and why it will be used:
- For business trips
There is no need to take a huge suitcase. It is better to look for a small or medium-sized option, where there is additional useful functionality: covers for shoes and used clothes, a USB plug with a charging cord, as in the Wenger Zenyt 610161.
- For family holidays
It is necessary to take with you a lot of things of different sizes, personal hygiene items. Therefore, the presence of several compartments and pockets inside the product will allow you to neatly arrange everything you need and quickly get the right thing without interrupting the entire volume.
There are whole suitcase sets, where models of different sizes are presented. This is a great option to insure yourself for all occasions and be ready to travel alone or in the company of a large family.
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Which suitcase is better: plastic or cloth?
For the correct selection, use the following model information:
- Plastic ones are made of polycarbonate , polypropylene, ABS plastic. The hard case will not allow you to damage fragile items inside, such as souvenirs. At the same time, plastic can be scratched or, even worse, cracked. This material is not much, but still heavier than textile options. But in leaving it is nowhere easier: wiped it with a cloth or a damp cloth from dust – and it is as good as new.
- Cloths are made from nylon and polyester. For example, Wenger Deputy 20 “is lighter than plastic. Such suitcases are wear-resistant, easily cleaned from dirt, retain a presentable appearance for a long time. High-quality waterproof fabric with impregnation is able to withstand all the hardships on the way: rain, sun, constant movement. But if you put a large load on top , the body of the product can deform, crushing the inner contents, and if you put a greasy or other hard-to-remove stain on the fabric, you will have to use additional means to remove it.
Both options are in demand and have shown themselves well on the road. Therefore, you need to choose, taking into account your own preferences and the purchase budget.
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How to determine the size of a suitcase
Depends on several factors:
- How long will the trip be?
Going on a business trip or on vacation for one or two days, it makes no sense to take a large number of things with you. Usually limited to a set of changeable clothes, toiletries. In this case, you need a small suitcase like the Wenger Lyne with a capacity of 41 liters. If you are planning a multi-day family trip, you need to be equipped with everything you need on the road: from things for different weather changes to various accessories. Then we choose a more spacious model, such as Wenger Matrix 28 ” , designed for a volume of 110 liters.
- How much and what things do you need to take with you
Depends on the duration, direction of the trip and the number of travelers: whether you are traveling on your own, with a soul mate, children, other relatives. Adults can complete and carry each with their own suitcase. You cannot load a child with heavy luggage, you need to provide a place for his things in your bag. Consider where you are going. If in hot countries you can limit yourself to summer clothes, then you will have to take jackets, warm pants, sweaters with you to the ski resort, which take up a lot of space inside.
- Way to travel
How do you plan to get to your destination: by your own car, bus, plane, train? If in personal transport the volume of things can be limited only by the size of the trunk, in public transport there are certain requirements for the dimensions and weight of the luggage. If you do not want to check in your suitcase, it must fit into the carry-on baggage allowance. Requirements depend on the chosen air, rail or transport company.
The size of the suitcase can be:
Name | Volume (liter) | Weight, kg) | Hand luggage |
Small | 31-50 | 02.apr | Some can be used |
Average | 51-90 | 03 May | Some can be used |
Big | 91-130 and more | 4-6 and more | No |
2 or 4 wheels: which is better?
There is no need to carry weights in your hands if you can roll your luggage. It remains to decide which suitcase is better: on 2 or 4 wheels.
The two-wheeled versions work like a trolley: grab the handle and pull. The two castors on the side of the handle will make it a little easier to transport things, but can be difficult when turning. But they can be rolled even on uneven surfaces.
Four-wheeled options allow you to carry rather heavy and bulky items with a minimum load on your hands. If you choose a model with spinning wheels that rotate 360 °, you can easily roll the product in any direction. Such a suitcase is easy to transport on a flat surface, but if there is sand or snow under your feet, the wheels can skid, it will be problematic to go further.
Hardware requirements
The main thing to remember when choosing:
- The standard equipment of most models is one handle in the upper part of the case and next to it there is another telescopic one. The latter is needed when you need to roll a suitcase. The retractable handle can be adjusted in height by 1–3 positions; it must be equipped with position lock buttons. There are options with an additional holder on the side, like in the Wenger Legacy middle . It is good if the top and side handles are equipped with soft pads for easy carrying of the luggage.
- Must be strong enough to withstand the pressure of the contents from the inside and the constant fastening / unfastening. Suitcases are often equipped with spiral zippers (plastic, metal), which show good tear performance. The larger the “slider” on them, the more convenient it is to use the fastener.
- The product can be locked with metal or plastic latches that allow quick access to the inner compartment. But when the suitcase is stuffed to the eyeballs, it may simply not close.
- They can be equipped with conventional combination locks or versions with TSA, like the Wenger Pegasus small . The latter is more preferable if frequent border crossings are to come when baggage inspection may be necessary. The TSA system has a keyhole, a special key from which all customs services have, which means that the suitcase can be opened and closed without damaging the combination lock.
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What’s inside?
Internal filling depends on the selected model and manufacturer. What can be useful here:
- Cross straps – used to securely fix the luggage on one of the inner walls of the product. Compression straps are very elastic, while ensuring a snug fit and preventing them from falling out.
- Internal pockets – with zippers, with mesh inserts for improved air exchange or without them. Here you can put small personal belongings, documents, care supplies and more.
- Expandability – to make the suitcase more roomy, just open the side zipper. This will allow you to fit an order of magnitude more things. A similar function is available, for example, in the Wenger Zenyt 610160 .
- USB plug – convenient for recharging your mobile gadget on the go, when you can’t use a power outlet or power bank .
- Built-in tray (plate) – will help to identify the owner when you need to find your suitcase among other people’s things, like in Lumen 28 “.
Inside there can be 1-2 or several closed or open compartments where you can arrange things according to their intended purpose, frequency of use and other signs. The ease of use and capacity of the suitcase largely depends on the internal filling.
Choosing a color
There are no restrictions on shades, you can choose an option for every taste, even classic black , even turquoise , even red. The only thing, take into account the soiling of light tones, your capabilities and desire to constantly wipe off drips, dirt. At the same time, the slightest scratches and stains are clearly visible on models of dark colors.
Most often, suitcases are one-color, but there are options with prints of cities, flowers, cats and dogs, abstraction and other things. The variant with a bright and unusual pattern is easier to spot and identify among other bags on the luggage strap.
A word of advice to travelers: quickly change the color of the suitcase and organize his defense against scratches, scuffs, moisture, you can use removable covers as the Tucano COMPATTO of L Mendini .
Now that the answers to the basic questions of how to choose a suitcase for travel have been received, you can safely go in search of the ideal travel “companion” that will withstand all the loads on the way and will delight the owner with an excellent appearance for more than one trip.
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