Recently I’ve been thinking about shopping for suitcases. Not only is it summer but I’ve been reading a travel memoir as part of From Left to Write book club and just got home from a fabulous time at Type A Parent Conference in Asheville, North Carolina.
With the many trips I’ve taken throughout the first half of 2011 and the second half looking just as busy, I’ve come to realize that it’s really important to know what to look for when purchasing a bag for travel purposes.
I’ve been working with KIVA Bags to test out some of their rolling bags during recent trips. Comparing their bags to others that I’ve personally purchased and traveled with over the years allowed me think about features that can make traveling easier.
Since a new suitcase is an investment, take some time to research different brands and models to figure out what will meet your needs. Your needs help determine the kinds of features you need in your new bag.
Here are some tips for shopping for a new suitcase:
- What kinds of trips will you use the bag for? Family vacations require a larger bag to accommodate clothes for multiple family members whereas business travelers only need to worry about packing for one.
- How many days do you typically travel? Longer trips require a bigger bag.
- Hard sided or soft sided suitcase? A hard sided suitcase provides a durable exterior shell but the soft-sided fabric gives a little, often accommodating extra items.
- What about pockets? Pockets on the inside help provide compartments for organizational purposes for smaller items whereas outside ones allow for easy access to items.
- Do you need compression straps? Compression straps? Yes, those straps on the inside of the bag. Sometimes they’re elastic to stretch and clip over contents to hold them in place and other times they are adjustable, helping to eliminate extra space between items. Figure out how you use your compression straps or if you need them at all.
- What kind of warranty or guarantee comes with the bag? We know bags take a beating when we say goodbye to them as we check them to our final destination. Normal wear and tear is one thing but mishaps like a wheel falling off, a handle not telescoping properly, or a zipper breaking usually means the death for a suitcase. Some companies offer lifetime warranties.
- Are more expensive bags better? Not always. More than the price, consider what you need from your bag and find the suitcase that fits your budget based on how often you plan to use it.
| KIVABags 26″ Rolling Upright |
I’ll be reviewing the KIVA 26” Rolling Upright![]()
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that I’ve been using for my past two trips and sharing the features that I love that make it a great suitcase for all kinds of travel soon!
This travel post was inspired by The Unexpected Circumnavigation, this month’s From Left to Write book club selection. I received a copy of the book for review purposes and KIVA Bags provided luggage and travel accessories for me to test during my trips. I will be writing occasional travel related posts to share my experience using their bags. No compensation was received for working with KIVA Bags and all opinions are my own. This post contains Amazon Affiliate links.
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Original post by Tech Savvy Mama
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Suitcases are definitely important. And they must have wheels and handles to pull them with. That looks like a really nice bag. Great way to tie the book in as well!
We bought suitcases earlier this year and it is a complicated decision. It’s hard to choose one suitcase that would work for all of the kinds of trips we may one day want to take. We ultimately decided to buy what we needed for the trip we had planned and see what happened after that.
My parents have taught me and the girls some great traveling and packing trips. Like tying a colored ribbon around black suitcases to easily spot them on the carousel!
cool bag!!!
Soooo… what you’re telling me is that travel might be easier if I didn’t use my dad’s 40 years old Air Force bags?