Good, inexpensive luggage?

[delacrue96]

Not all lifetime warranty's are the same. Read the fine print. Do they cover wear & tear? If not then the warranty just means "we will fix it if we made it wrong in the factory".

Check out their website
NO MATTER WHAT™ WARRANTY
Our No Matter What™ Warranty covers the Lifetime Warranty promise plus the added insurance of repair or replacement due to product failure during the product lifetime, regardless of the cause. During this period, we will repair or replace it at our discretion. Contents of your bag are excluded, as are lost or stolen parts (such as zip-off daypack, backpack straps, Cargo Net, etc.)

 

[outofofficebrb]

Check out their website
NO MATTER WHAT™ WARRANTY
Our No Matter What™ Warranty covers the Lifetime Warranty promise plus the added insurance of repair or replacement due to product failure during the product lifetime, regardless of the cause. During this period, we will repair or replace it at our discretion. Contents of your bag are excluded, as are lost or stolen parts (such as zip-off daypack, backpack straps, Cargo Net, etc.)

To piggy back on that, Lifetime Warranty is defined as the following on the Eagle Creek website: "Our Lifetime Warranty covers workmanship and materials against defect for the entire life of the product. During this period, if the product is covered by the warranty, we will repair or replace it at our discretion. Contents of your bag, normal wear and tear, abuse and cosmetic wear and tear are excluded. ‘Lifetime’ is defined as the lifetime of the product not of the purchaser."

Here is a link to their Warranty page for your light reading : Warranty

The "lifetime of the product" is still a moving target and will depend on how often it is used and in what manner. (Dragging it behind your car 1 time is only going to have a lifetime of 1 hour.....if that...and would probably be considered abuse and negligence, lol) I used to work for an outdoor company (also owned by the same parent company as Eagle Creek) and used to answer this question for many customers on an every day basis. It is often on a case by case basis and they can sometimes make a determination based on condition whether it will be covered. Most of the time, they honored it, despite age and condition but you never know.

 

[ThatDogDontHunt]

Check out their website
NO MATTER WHAT™ WARRANTY
Our No Matter What™ Warranty covers the Lifetime Warranty promise plus the added insurance of repair or replacement due to product failure during the product lifetime, regardless of the cause. During this period, we will repair or replace it at our discretion. Contents of your bag are excluded, as are lost or stolen parts (such as zip-off daypack, backpack straps, Cargo Net, etc.)

Read the next paragraph...a few significant exclusions... normal wear and tear, abuse,...

Our luggage has only every failed due to normal wear and tear or abuse.

"Our Lifetime Warranty covers workmanship and materials against defect for the entire life of the product. During this period, if the product is covered by the warranty, we will repair or replace it at our discretion. Contents of your bag, normal wear and tear, abuse and cosmetic wear and tear are excluded. ‘Lifetime’ is defined as the lifetime of the product not of the purchaser."

 

[outofofficebrb]

Read the next paragraph...a few significant exclusions... normal wear and tear, abuse,...

Our luggage has only every failed due to normal wear and tear or abuse.

"Our Lifetime Warranty covers workmanship and materials against defect for the entire life of the product. During this period, if the product is covered by the warranty, we will repair or replace it at our discretion. Contents of your bag, normal wear and tear, abuse and cosmetic wear and tear are excluded. ‘Lifetime’ is defined as the lifetime of the product not of the purchaser."

Yep, it is very grey. You may come in contact with a warranty representative who will replace a zipper or will replace a whole bag even though it may be wear and tear. You never know. But, at the very least, something with a warranty like that is a very good start. I do find that bags that have these warranties are generally sturdier and I have had a lot of bags from Samsonite, Travelpro, Tumi, Patagonia, The North Face.

 

[Diver below 83]

Ogio is another brand worth checking out. You can grab a year or two old model style and save tons. They typically only change color patterns. Tons of different sizes and styles. They hold up really well. I have both a large two wheeled roller I could easily fit 3-4 full sets of scuba gear. I also have a duffle I could easily fit 2 full sets if needed.

 

[scubadada]

Ogio is another brand worth checking out. You can grab a year or two old model style and save tons. They typically only change color patterns. Tons of different sizes and styles. They hold up really well. I have both a large two wheeled roller I could easily fit 3-4 full sets of scuba gear. I also have a duffle I could easily fit 2 full sets if needed.

Wow, 3-4 sets would be extremely heavy, I know that two sets weighs 60 pounds or so. Even business class has a free limit of 70 pounds

 

[Diver below 83]

Wow, 3-4 sets would be extremely heavy, I know that two sets weighs 60 pounds or so. Even business class has a free limit of 70 pounds

Ya it would be very heavy. I was just using that for reference of internal size. I’ve never actually packed 4 sets in it though.

 

[UGLY]

Maybe sharing what I do can help Kimela and elicit constructive advice for me. I fly several times the Earth's circumference every year for diving, but mostly work :/

I've got two packing permutations.

OPTION 1

This is for basically "dive only" trips where I don't have to use up carry-on space for things like business clothes.

Almost all dive gear goes into a big North Face Base Camp duffel (BPW, wetsuit, fins, DSMBs, spools, and other tough bits). Bits of clothing are in here as well, usually in packing cubes. This is checked in. This duffel is also my boat/ shore bag. I strategically pack with wetsuit covering BPW, fins as "barriers" and wing partially inflated. I figure the last part may save from pinch tears. From lots of flights, things arrive as perfect as they should.

Regulators, masks and other fragile things are carry-on.

OPTION 2

I basically dump the duffel as packed above above into a Briggs & Riley check-in suitcase. Maybe fins taken out and put alongside the suitcase's interior as barriers if I'm not lazy. The difference is that I also include a Pelican case in the suitcase just big enough for my regulator set (I may stick masks and some fragiles in as well). I'm a bit concerned about airport security mishandling regulators and such, but so far so good. This allows me to carry on pressed business suits, dress shirts, etc. I don't get my business clothes pressed at the destination as that takes up time.

For either permutation, I'll have inside my carry-on a small, lightweight waterproof bag (the kind that has a roll up top). Inside are various dive-trip bits, like sunscreen, cert cards, save-a-dive/ first aid kits, etc. I bring this to the boat/ shore. Also, both permutations are compartmentalized meaning they do not require any repacking once I arrive into the hotel, just grab the right bags in the morning and go (duffel and waterproof bag).

@Kimela: my setup is generally water resistant (have been through monsoons, etc). But the key aspects for water resistance are the duffel, Pelican case, waterproof rollup bag, and packing cubes. The suitcase basically just sees the airport, the inside of whatever mode of transport and the hotel. If needed, you can just pack a lightweight rain cover (a garbage bag will do). Plus, it's mostly dive gear ... getting it wet isn't the end of the world for me

 

[UGLY]

Separately, for hardside luggage, check out Muji. Most people in the US have never heard of them, but they're really high value for the money if you can get in Asia. I like the Muji store in Singapore's Changi airport, it has a good selection, often discounts and tax-free for tourists if I recall.

However, note that they only come in spinner configuration (ie four wheels/ sets of wheels). The protruding wheels are in theory added failure points as compared to luggage that you roll which has tough, recessed wheels.

 

[ThatDogDontHunt]

Yep, it is very grey. You may come in contact with a warranty representative who will replace a zipper or will replace a whole bag even though it may be wear and tear. You never know. But, at the very least, something with a warranty like that is a very good start. I do find that bags that have these warranties are generally sturdier and I have had a lot of bags from Samsonite, Travelpro, Tumi, Patagonia, The North Face.

Grey? I claim that shade of grey is pretty much black and white. They clearly exclude normal wear and tear as well as abuse. If you are refused you should not be surprised.

We wore out 1 pair of wheels on a spinner. It came back from repair with 4 new wheels. The Depot said it did not spin properly with 2 new and 2 half worn wheels. A limo driver dropped a spinner onto the pavement and snapped a wheel off. Pure abuse. Another bag had the handle extended and bent over. Again, pure abuse. All repaired under Briggs Riley warranty.