Rick's luggage or travel pro or?

We have the 21" RS rolling bag and I swear by it. I had an earlier version for many years and the zipper finally wore out, but got another and am just as happy with this one. I have had this for about 5 years now and it still look brand new. No issues at all, and it gets used often.

I’ve had both brands and prefer Travelpro. RS bag starting looking thrashed/fraying sooner than the TP.

I have the RS rolling carry-on and really like it. Small enough to fit in overheads IF you don’t overpack, which is easy to do.

RS has a great warranty. The extension handle stopped retracting after a few years of light use and they replaced the suitcase. I didn’t expect them to do that. (Replacements are at RS’s discretion if your teen is hard on things.)

Which one weighs more empty? Edited to add that there’s a good Black Friday sale on Travel Pro on their website right now.

Everyone has their own preference, and your grandson may have already given you his, but after years of being a strong believer in my two-wheeled luggage (Eagle Creek, several different sizes), I finally purchased a four-wheeled roller bag and love it (I now have a couple of those, including a 21" travel pro, which is great for most of my purposes). So unless your grandson has already said he really wants a two-wheeled bag, think about four wheels. I don't have Rick's luggage, so can't compare it to Travel Pro.

And, making some assumptions about the strength of your grandson, he may be a little less focused on the weight of the bag than are some Rick Steves posters (me, for example).

RS weighs 6.5, Travelpro is 5.4. Travelpro is also an inch over approved airline size. That could be a problem.

Travel pro is definitely a problem on the discount European carriers (we checked ours for those short flights) but never been a problem on domestic or large international carriers. (Delta, BA, United etc)

What is your budget?
LLBean - Approach Rolling Gear Bag
How about a backpack for the teenager? Something around 32 - 35 liters.
I have a RS bag. However, airlines are getting stricter about size and weight. Backpacks weigh a lot less due to no wheels.

We have the travel pro max lite 5 roll aboard (22”) and have had no issues on Delta, American and Easy Jet; daughter has had no issues on TAPortugal or Easy Jet.

But I will be the first to admit, I think it may be a crap shoot on the budget airlines.

I have this Orvis luggage, and so far, love it! Depends on your price point.

https://www.orvis.com/product/trekkage-lt-adventure-40l-carry-on-roller-bag/3E0M.html

For your grandson? Rick Steves…bonus that it is on sale now. Anyway, that’s what we bought our grandson last year.
Full disclosure: Husband and I have TravelPro suitcases.

I really like 4 wheel hard sided bags so I have moved away from RS luggage.

So unless your grandson has already said he really wants a two-wheeled bag, think about four wheels.

I agree. I took my teenage grandson and younger granddaughter to London and Paris earlier this year and I bought them each a four-wheeled hard-side spinner carry-on before we went. They absolutely loved them. In fact my grandson kept looking over at the people who were pulling their two-wheel rollers behind them and said, "Ours is cooler." 😂 Please note: this is is not a dig at anyone using a two-wheeled roller bag. I know there are many people here that love theirs. I'm just saying at the teenager with me loved the ease that he could maneuver it through airports and through the towns and cities.

For what it's worth, I have the Travel Pro Max Lite 5 21" carry-on spinner and I love it. It's so light and easy to maneuver. I've had it for years and it's been so great. This is my second Travel Pro spinner. The first one (the Maxlite 4) I bought a while ago and eventually gave it to my daughter. She loves it and I got a new one for myself. It's only 5.4 lbs and that makes such a difference when you're traveling. I've also never had any problem using it as a carry-on even when I used some regional European airlines. That said I have not used EasyJet, but I've flown other regional airlines and never had a problem carrying it on.

I had written a reply last night but apparently it didn't go through. Grandson is 16 and strong enough to carry his suitcase. I thought about the backpack kind but he will have a backpack with him to carry his easily accessible stuff. I was leaning towards two wheels because his upcoming trip will have a lot of cobblestones. I really appreciate everyone's input and am amazed at how active this site is! Happy Thanksgiving to all.

We have the Travel Pro international carry on size two wheel and love it.

Be aware that the 2 wheelers have more internal volume due to their design. So you aree getting the space of a larger bag despite the smaller overall dimensions.

Also, they are much better at taking abuse from cobblestones and luggage carousels.

We had Travelpros for many years and they refused to die but they weighed 10 lbs empty. Currently have RS 20" 2-wheeled rollers which weigh closer to 6 lbs than the 6.5 listed, and seem to be well-made considering we're not the first owners. That said, they cost us around a third of new. Even on 20%-off sale these bags seem pricey. However the warranty surely counts for something!

That said I'm a grandparent and still carry a RS convertible as my main bag, with a Civita daypack as a personal item. Tbh I find rolling bags much more of a strain on my back, shoulders and wrists. If I were 16 I wouldn't even consider a rolling bag (actually I think when I was 16 there weren't any 😂)

I was leaning towards two wheels because his upcoming trip will have a lot of cobblestones.

I walk with a spinner over cobblestones lots of times and never have any problems. If it was ever too bad, I might pick it up and carry it. It's lightweight enough that I don't have to worry about it being too heavy. Either way, I wouldn't worry about cobblestones with regards to suitcases.

My spinner has traveled many a cobblestone street without difficulty.

Don’t rule out the backpack. He can place a small RS civita pack or a packing cube inside the backpack. This small bag can have stuff he needs for flight comfort. Then, after getting on airplane, just pull out the “packing cube” - toss the larger pack into the overhead bin. Then, place the small bag under his seat for easy access. Or, carry a fold-up packable daypack once at the destination.

There are a lot of benefits to a backpack. Teenagers are good at hauling them around.

Once again, Sun for the packing win!!!

(Happy thanks giving from me and my pinched pennies!!!)

I have the Travel Pro MaxLite International Size. I use it expanded on domestic flights. It has held up well.

Travel bags can easily be overstuffed making it too large to pass the carryon size limits even on US airlines. My trusty Away carryon hard sided bag cannot be overstuffed. And the spinner wheels are phenomenal. I’ve never had issues with cobblestones.

I have an old Rick Steve rolling carry-on suitcase. It’s a good bag. Works just fine. Problem is the length and weight. I am using backpacks more due to weight and dimension restrictions. I have a Rick Steve Appenzell and civita daypack. Also, some Rick Steve accessories. My daughter uses the appenzell as her travel pack. She is a small adult and it works for her. I just bought a 27 liter underseat bag for myself. For a travel pack - 30 -35 liters is a good size. 27 liters is getting minimalist.

Patagonia has a 32 liter blackhole bag that would make a good travel backpack for a teen. Can be used in adulthood as well. Save on bag fees.

4 wheel spinner bags are like bacon.

I have had both RS bags and Travelpro. My first RS bag was in the early 2000’s. It was before he included the wheels etc in his measurement. It looked like new still when I gave it away 10+ years later when I purchase his new more accurately sized roller bag in 2015. I loved that bag and it still looked like new in Dec. 2024 after many trips as well. I often check my carryon bag so it is put thru the ringer.

I wanted my next bag to be a spinner. I checked the two airlines I fly the most, Delta and British Airways and found the smallest measurement for carryon was with Delta, 14X22X9. Rick’s spinner is too wide as are many of TravelPro alleged carryons. The one that fit the exact measurements was Travel Pro’s Compact spinner. I want to have all my measurements correct as with a spinner, I want to carry it on because it means I don’t have to carry my personal item around the airport either. Most people say they have no issue with the bag measurements being off. That is fine, but I want to be in line with the rules so someone else has to check their bag at the gate, not me. (Oddly enough I used to love gate checking my 2 wheeled, but not my 4. LOL) The difference in weight between the RS and the TravelPro was just less than a pound. My knew bag held up fine in all conditions in France last year, but I grab another bag on other trips I often find, as I am still not sure how it will hold up.

If the RS measurement had been correct, I would have and would still have chosen his bag. I love the outside pocket configuration.

And now I see this is an old resurrected post. I wonder what the final decision was?

Timely topic in our household, as my wife and I recently decided to change out our luggage, beginning with this September's trip (RS' Berlin, Prague and Vienna Tour, w/ Amsterdam and Budapest 'bookends'). We've always done carry-on -- for the past ten+ years using Rick's convertible carry-on bag -- which works great for bypassing carousel at airport and having everything with you. But as we're getting older (not yet 'old' ... but that's a sliding scale 😉) we find deplaning and the distance getting to/thru Passport Control with all our stuff more challenging with each trip; especially after a cramped, sleep-deprived 11-hr flight. So we purchased two TravelPro 25" wheeled suitcases and, going forward, will carry our personal item/s onboard (backpacks with flight stuff, phone, prescriptions) and wait for bags to come up. For this exercise we made sure the suitcases purchased were not black (one's light-blue, the other olive), as it seems every bag rounding the carousel looks the same. And as we always come back with a few more items than on the outbound, we're thinking that the larger (checked) bags will yield more room for non-fragile souvenirs [we use RS' Don't-Tell-Rick bag for carrying back onboard anything fragile like Christmas ornaments, etc]. We've donated the carry-on bags to a women's shelter and will start the 'wheelie' experiment this fall. Beware the cobblestones!

I've concluded that, when it comes to carry-on luggage, there are 2-wheel people and there are spinner people. My wife and I fall into different boxes; I really, really prefer 2-wheel for the added capacity and for easier transit over rough surfaces such as one commonly encounters in Europe. She prefers to spin, but of course I get to wrangle her bags as well as my own. Hmph.

I give up, why are spinner bags like bacon? :-)

Please give a link to the actual bag to which you are referring. Looking at the Travel-Pro website, but I can't seeing to which bag to which you are referring, I would say that the Travel-Pro bags are too big for carryon, to heavy, and waaay overpriced.

Margie, try one. You will crave more.

I would say that the Travel-Pro bags are too big for carryon, to heavy, and waaay overpriced.

That would be an incorrect assumption. My TravelPro MaxLite 5 21" carry-on spinner bag weighs 5.4 lbs empty, and I bought it for around $140 a couple of years ago. It has gone with me as a carry-on bag on many flights overseas and on multiple airlines (both US and foreign) and I have never had it rejected.

I do not consider paying $140 for a bag to be overpriced, nor do I consider a bag that weighs 5.4 lbs to be heavy. Sure, there are other TravelPro bags that are more expensive and heavier, but the MaxLite line has some really great travel bags.

I know the original topic here wasn't a debate between spinners and two-wheelers, but since it's devolved into that, I'll weigh in.

I've used both. These are based on my experience. They're just my personal observations. YMMV.

Spinners are great for navigating through airports. Two-wheelers are more likely to bump other people. You have to be more careful and attentive. And if you drop your two-wheeler, you have to bend down to pick it up.

Two-wheelers are better for walking through cities (cobblestones or no). Yes, some spinners are durable enough to survive getting battered on cobblestones, but because the wheels on spinners are smaller, they are taking a bigger beating on rough pavement. (More revolutions per mile.) And they don't glide easily over bumps. I constantly see people with spinners using them like two-wheelers.

Two-wheelers also do better if you're taking them on the metro. And they glide in and out of elevators more easily.

Spinners also have less capacity because the wheels lift the body of the bag off the ground. Typical wheel clearance is 2-3 inches. The wheels on a well-designed two-wheeler don't eat up much of the inner space of the bag.

You can probably tell that, for me, spinners aren't bacon. I often walk a half-hour or more from train stations to hotels or apartments. I feel more secure with my two-wheelers. (I have a carry-on and a checked-bag, both TravelPro.) But if you are almost exclusively wheeling your bag through the airport or the hotel lobby, and if you don't need the extra capacity, spinners are probably right for you.

I'm sure plenty of spinner advocates can come up with other advantages. But there is no need to convince others that one is better than the other. Just to understand the advantages and disadvantages of each.

I'm like Rick in that I'll be carrying the backpack-style carryons as long as I'm physically able...and given wheelies are heavier and still need to be carried/lifted I think of the time comes I can't handle the backpack I won't be fit enough to handle a wheelie either. Plus I've never been asked to put the backpack in checked luggage.

That said I have two 2nd-generation (aka current) RS 2-wheelers incase I ever do want to use them. Paid around $50 apiece in LN condition on the Bay. Personally don't think they (or TravelPro) worth what they sell for new even on sale.

I did use a spinner (2kg "IT Luggage") on one trip...definitely easier to manoeuver especially up/dn the aisle...but the bugger kept falling on its face unless I propped it against something (tho that might be a model-specific design flaw). Loved its full-width handle that therefore did not subtract from internal capacity.

Lets just say I always pack my rick steves convertible carry on inside ANY other luggage i've owned so I have space to bring things home. The convertible carry on has lasted for over 15 years.

Hint - you can get discounts on certain TravelPro and Briggs and Riley through Costco ...

You can probably tell that, for me, spinners aren't bacon.

To me spinners ARE like bacon. I don't like either :-)

I'm a great grand parent and will carry my RS back pack as long as I am able. I love having my hands free. In busses and planes I will of course carry it on the front, to avoid bumping people I pass.

My Travel Pro is going on 20 years old. Love this 2 wheeled beauty ;even though it is an odd green color. Better than black for spotting at airport. Have traveled with it to Mexico, Australia, Canada, Belize and many road trips. I will need to check measurements against the new rules to ensure it will work for a carry on. I am coveting the spinner wheel ones but can't see spending that much when I have a great suitcase.

My day pack /2nd carry on is an REI flash pack. Super light weight with a few pockets. Also has chest and waist straps that are a must for my small frame.

Our boys used two-wheeled Timbuk2 Copilot rollaboards for years, starting at about age 10. It's lightweight, with a clamshell opening for easy packing, a solid handle, and nearly indestructible skateboard wheels that are stable, roll easily, and don't protrude:
https://www.timbuk2.com/collections/all-luggage/products/544-copilot-luggage-roller

Now that they are older teens, they both prefer backpacks and both use the Peak Design Travel Backpack 45L:
https://www.peakdesign.com/products/travel-backpack?Size=45L&Color=Sage

I don't think you can go wrong with either one. I have both, although I had the RS wheeled bag(s) for longer...9 years. I decided to switch to a spinner, but found the RS spinner too large. But I'll warn you, a lot of the Maxlite Travel Pro bags are too large as well; not necessarily by height but by depth. Look at your flights and see what the measurements are and then get one that matches the smallest size, if you are not checking. I would have preferred to purchase the RS bag as after 9 years, mine looked like new. After my first trip to Sweden in 2015 with the RS bag, the handle wasn't working well. They just sent me a new bag. You can't beat that. The only reason I got rid of it was because I was bringing a spinner in. And in my house when something comes in, something goes out. I gave it to a friend who was traveling to Italy for the first time. I wanted to keep my Eagle Creek wheeled bag because it was newer, even though the RS bag still looked like new, and I like the exterior pockets the best of any bags yet. So, I would lean toward the RS Bag if it fits your flight dimensions. Their spinner did not work for Delta's measurements, so I bought a Travel pro.

Please note that most of the Travel Pro Maxlite bags did not fit the dimensions of the smaller size of my regular airlines (Delta & BA). I went with the TP Maxlite Compact bag 22"x14"x9". I went with the spinner because I was getting over some health problems. I love the spinner. I don't know why people in the airport pull them like a two wheeler, but they do. I do not. I took it on an RS tour last year, and it worked fine on the streets on 4 wheels, except one location where I just picked it up and carried it across the street. I really like this bag. It's nice and light, which helps. It stands up well with my small personal item on it. Mardee would be the one to listen to regarding longevity. I am hoping to have the same experience as her, but it is too early for me to report on durability.

As the two wheeled comparison has become part of this conversation, I will say there are some occasions I would feel better with a two wheeled, and I never would have purchased the spinner if I hadn't needed to do so. Last weekend or so, I went to NYC with friends. I took my EC two wheeled bag because I knew I'd be walking 9+ blocks back and forth between the train station and the hotel. My Eagle Creek has super large, rugged wheels so I didn't have to worry about it walking through town.

So, my two cents, for an active 16 year old, I suggest the RS two wheeled bag. He'll have it well into his 20s.