Luggage Direct Buying Guide

This luggage buying guide has been created to help you choose the right luggage for your next trip, weather overseas or in Australia. When buying luggage you need to determine the material, strength, size, weight and price of the luggage you will need based on where you plan on going and what you plan on doing. By carefully making the right decision you can avoid unnecessary problems when you are on holiday or on that business trip with your expensive laptop.

Below we will briefly go through each factor to give you a better understanding of the different types of luggage sold at Luggage Direct.

Material

Today luggage can be made out of several different types of materials such as polycarbonate, leather, nylon, polypropylene, plastic and even metal.

For short trips we recommend soft lightweight luggage made of leather or nylon where there will be less abuse of the luggage during transport and by baggage handlers. An example can be the Samsonite Duralite Expanding Bag which is a great all purpose bag that is very light and durable.

When travelling overseas we recommend hard case luggage made from polypropylene or polycarbonate because of the abuse put on the luggage by overseas baggage handlers and airport employees. Hard case luggage can also vary depending on price, two of the most popular choices at the lower-mid range end of the market are Samsonite A.T LA-360 Lite and Antler Liquis Graphite.

We always recommend that if you can afford it, to purchase the better brand as it may save you time and money in the long run.

Strength

The strength of your luggage also depends on the material it is made from. For trips where your luggage may be exposed to extreme abuse it is very important to spend a little extra money to get a specially designed bag or suitcase to meet those conditions. Our two strongest and most popular luggage products are the Samsonite Cosmolite which is the lightest and strongest Samsonite ever made, and the Victorinox Spectra.

We have heard of many stories where travellers buy a cheap Chinese bag for their travels only to have the bag or suitcase rip or tear when overseas causing them a lot of frustration. When buying luggage you need to make sure you buy it right the first time, if you are forced to re-buy luggage at an airport you may end of spending hundreds of dollars more than if you bought the right bag the first time.

Size

Generally the longer your trip the bigger the size of luggage you will need.

• For trips longer than 2 weeks you want to ensure you purchase luggage with a capacity of 100 litres or greater.

• For trips of 1-2 weeks we find that a suitcase with a capacity of 70-80 litres is sufficient.

• For trips of 1 week or less we recommend a backpack from our large selection of Roman products.

• For daytrips we sell a large selection of high quality daypacks, perfect for the 1-2 day trip.

• For business travellers looking for a laptop bag we also sell a wide range, from rolling laptop bags to laptop backpacks.

The capacity of each bag is listed in the product specifications on each of the product pages. But if you have more questions or need any help deciding which luggage to choose for your trip please contact us and we will be happy to assist you.

Weight

Weight is another big factor when buying luggage. Luggage companies such as Samsonite and Antler are always coming out with lighter and stronger materials for their products. You want to spend as much as you can when buying luggage because the weight restrictions on airlines are getting more restrictive and the cost for extra weight is always increasing.

If you have a 20kg weight limit but your bag weighs 7kg than you only have 13kg of belongings you can pack. Qantas charges up to $35 per additional kg for checked in baggage, so by spending a little extra for that lighter bag may pay for itself after a few years of travelling. International Traveller sells the world’s lightest luggage with an 80 litre suitcase that weighs just 2.1kg.

Duffle bags are also a good choice; however, they are more used for short trips as they can be a pain to carry around as the light duffle bags do not come with wheels. Roman produces a 90 litre duffle bag that weighs less than 1kg that we can recommend for travel within Australia.

Price

As mentioned above the more you spend on luggage the more features and better quality material you will get – generally. At Luggage Direct our prices are already discounted up to 80% off the regular retail price. By buying your luggage online though us rather than a retailer you are already ahead of the game. We have been in the luggage business for more than 15 years and have seen all types of cheap luggage and heard all the horror stories from our customers who come to us having bought cheaper luggage in the past.

If you can afford it we recommend spending as much as you can on the best quality, lightest and most suitable luggage for your needs. Our entire luggage range is backed by the full manufacturer’s warranty and guaranteed for life from some brands. If you need help deciding what to purchase please contact us and we will be glad to help.