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Suggestions for new compact travel bag

Posted by (South Florida) on

Well, after only two tours (27 nights) my Rick Steves carry on roller broke. The telescoping handle came off on one side with springs and bits and bobs flying everywhere. This is pretty disappointing for a $179 bag, although I paid $129 on sale. I was never crazy about the telescoping handle which always seemed wobbly and flimsy.

Anyway, I am in the market for a new bag and I would really appreciate some suggestions. What I really liked about the RS roller is that the extended 43L capacity was perfect for me. If anyone out there knows of a better quality bag that won’t break the bank please let me know. Here is what I am looking for:

Maximum of 22 inches
Should be small but not necessarily carry on compliant
Soft exterior
39L or 40L, extendable to 43L or 44L (this is a must)
Sturdy handle and wheels
Spinner preferred

Thanks in advance!

Posted by
2175 posts

Actually here's why my vote is for the Rick roller bag. I am on my 2nd one. The first lasted 16 years and many trips over the pond and was still in good enough shape for me to donate to a charity. The latest one developed a problem with some of the outside pocket seams coming undone after just a couple short domestic trips. I took photos and wrote to the office and immediately got the reply they would replace the bag and to pleases gift my current roller bag to a charity. They do stand behind their product. Mine isn't the one that is the Spinner and it is soft on all but the back which has a hard plastic shell which makes it sturdier.

Posted by
9315 posts

I do agree with Laurie Beth that Rick stands behind his products, so it would be definitely worthwhile to contact their office about this.

That said, I love my TravelPro Maxlite 5 soft-sided carry-on spinner. It's expandable, sturdy, extremely light-weight (5.4 lbs.), and is so easy to maneuver in airports and one sidewalks, etc. I've even taken it on many a cobblestone street without any problems. In the event I need to life it off the ground, it's easy to do so, given its light weight. It also has a handle on the side that helps. I had the Maxlite 4 series for years, then finally gave it to my daughter and I've been using the Maxlite 5 for my last 4 European trips, plus multiple trips in the US. It is relatively inexpensive (I think I bought mine for around $145) and you can often find it on sale.

Posted by
367 posts

Contact the Rick Steves office and tell them what happened. I had a wheel problem with my 2016 Ravenna Rolling bag and they replaced it free of charge. The Revenna has been replaced by the Riga Rolling bag which is quite similar.

Posted by
168 posts

Agree with the rest, they stand behind their bags at RS. I came home from a tour once and the handle on my rolling carryon was "sticky", they have be send a video of the issue and a new bag was her in the same color within a week. If you feel like getting a different bag and spending the $ go for it, but you can also just get a free new one!

Posted by
17264 posts

I agree with the others and definitely contact the RS travel store. I've had problems with bags over the years and they were great about replacing them. Just make sure you have photos or a video ready to send.

If you have a two wheeled bag, and they offer to replace it, ask instead if they will give you credit towards their spinner.

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