Briggs and Riley redux

I looked up the Rhapsody. I wanted to make you aware of 2 things. The listed volume is 18 liters. Is this going to be your only bag or a supplemental bag? Point 2: the 8.5” depth may be a disqualifier on budget airlines.

Hi, Sun-Baked, this would be my carry-on item on Virgin Atlantic. I check a 21" spinner. Their web site states that hand baggage should measure 9 x 14 x 22 inches.

9 x 14 x 22” is for an overhead bin bag. Underseat bags are even more restrictive. You could lift the B&R bag into the overhead bin if it doesn’t fit underseat.

I wonder if you would be better off with an 18 liter - zip-top tote bag. Like a Vera Bradley weekender. If you are hauling a computer - then, a wheeled bag is better.

I have the smallest B and R cabin bag. It is just so heavy! It's a real challenge to meet some international carriers' weight limits especially if the personal item is included in the allowance.
I do love how it glides through the airport but wonder how to hoist the "unit" created with the trolley sleeve if, say, you have a flight of stairs.
I have this one that's about 2 lbs. It opens like a clamshell and as a light, strategic packer I can go about 5-6 days. It has a trolley strap, too- but you can carry it with the shoulder strap if needed.
On sale for Thanksgiving:
https://nomadlane.com/products/the-bento-bag
Just a thought!

I should probably mention what I have used as a carry on
It's an LL Bean tote that's no longer made. I can carry it on my shoulder and it has a trolley sleeve.
Sometimes I feel like it's too hard to carry something on my shoulder. I've considered the Nomad and the Away bag. Last spring I was in the Away shop in Covent Garden and was very tempted!

Oh also I don't travel with a computer. Just a tablet and phone.

I can understand wanting a rolling bag to keep weight off the shoulder/body. I know it isn’t classy, but posters have said good things about the verage underseat bag on Amazon. There is also the blue boarding bag in different colors.
B&R is classy, business stuff.

You may want to consider function and criteria for your particular trips. I think a lot of cases are designed for business men rather than women. My 6 ft. tall husband can carry larger, heavier cases than me. I am leaving middle-age behind for my senior years. I just don’t have as much strength as my younger years and have shoulder and neck wear and tear from work. Weight is a bigger issue for me now.

Posted by Sun-Baked in Florida

I can understand wanting a rolling bag
to keep weight off the shoulder/body. I know it isn’t classy, but
posters have said good things about the verage underseat bag on
Amazon. There is also the blue boarding bag in different colors.

I have a 30-liter Verage underseater. They've made upgrades to it since I bought mine. You can see my comments on it in this thread. Verage

I like that the B&R bags put the handle on the outside of the bag so you don't have channels in the bottom of your bag, but I use the skinny packing cubes on either side to fill them in and have put skinny electronic bags down the center. Last year I trial packed the bag with my 9-liter tote empty and laid over the top or laid in the bottom and with my 9-liter tote packed like a packing cube. Using my tote bag like a packing cube in the underseater actually made it easier to close and gave me more empty nooks and crannies.

I think the Topo Design bags also have the handle on the outside, but I'm not sure they have an "underseat" size.

I recently bought the B&R baseline "underseat" cabin spinner (the one that is not on sale for Black Friday at B&R). I will use it for the first time in December on a trip to Europe. Although I have not field tested it yet, I really like the bag, and it is pretty slick how it can ride atop my 26 inch B&R spinner that I check-in for the luggage hold.

After my last trip in October, I decided I no longer want to carry anything over my shoulder again (in my late 60s now, too much shoulder pain) and this new bag will be my only cabin carry on, to hold just a few items like phone, charger, wallet/passport, and the Rx I carry on board (no more laptop or iPad for me). If it fits under the seat, great, but I won't mind placing it in the overhead, either.

Good luck.

I'm definitely looking at the Verage. Glad to see good reviews because I was a bit concerned about the quality.

I have a few items from the Rhapsody line and hard shell from Briggs-Riley. I have that rolling wide mouth bag and used it as my carry on a few months ago on United. I put the luggage above me. No problems with rolling. I prefer the 4 wheels bags. I did like it for when i don’t need a larger carry on. Usually, I use that rolling bag for one night stays.

Oh, I forgot to add that the Rhapsody line is generally lighter but at the expense of being smaller. For instance, I have both the 21 inch Sympatico hard shell and Rhapsody 22 inch carry on spinner. Capacity of 47 liters vs 36 liters, respectively.

Sandra, my husband used his B & R Rhapsody (widemouth spinner) for the first time on our 5-week trip in France. Two of those weeks were on the RS Eastern France Tour.
In the past, our carry-ons were the RS' Euro bags, but walking far in airports with those bags on our shoulders was not ideal. So, by purchasing one spinner, my husband could place my Euro flight bag onto the R & R widemouth spinner.
However, for our trip, I chose to take my new Tom Binh Synapse 19 backpack instead of the Euro flight bag to keep one hand free at all times. It was the perfect size and weight for me to carry so I was pleased with my choice.

We both travel with carry-on sized suitcases which we check. The B & R spinner fits on-top of the suitcase, but I noticed that my husband often chose to wheel them either one in each hand, or two side-by-side in one hand. The spinner is very easy to maneuver, even on sidewalks. It is very easy to lift a few inches, if necessary because it is so light compared to the suitcase.
Before and after our tour, we travelled by train several times and did not have a difficult time with our luggage. I think my husband did not have the spinner on the suitcase when boarding or exiting.