We bought our D Delsey luggage last Christmas. It’s very lightweight and they have a carry on that fits for international flights.
Delsey has always been a super value for the $. I have really old Delsey bags that are still serviceable. Definitely worth consideration!
I have found that the telescope handless finally give up the ghost after repeated use. any way to fix them? WD40 didn’t help
That seems to be one advantage of using a backpack carry-on. I once flew four segments on an Asia-based airline with a 7kg carry-on limit. Only once was I asked to weigh it, and it showed 8kg on their scale, but they let me carry it on anyway (I did have the most essential items in a smaller bag that I could take out and put under the seat if necessary).
My guess is that they do not want the flight attendants to get injured helping passengers with very heavy carry-on bags. They probably assumed that a passenger handling a backpack with no difficulty would not ask the flight attendants for help with it.
Rick Steves has a carry on spinner that is also expandable. It’s on sale right now, through December 8th I believe. My mom has that bag, likes it a lot.
Away luggage has served my two big travelers well. It also is on sale right now (everything, I believe is 25% off). Through December 2nd.
One thing I really like about Away bags is that they stack inside one another neatly, reducing the amount of space you need to store if you buy more than just the carry on. Also really like their options for personal item bags, and how easily their handle loops slide to rest on top of carry on luggage.
Pricey, for sure, but has worn very well.
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I chose the monos pro because I want a hard shell and liked the laptop compartment in the actual carry on itself - so I don’t have to schlep my computer (work laptop, hp, not light) separately in a computer bag or backpack. I think the inside packing compartments also work well and I feel I can fit more in than other carry-ones. there are two sizes, and I got the smaller one so it would fit all airlines. My husband, who would always use a separate backpack anyway, uses a samsonite - like another poster above, all our samsonites come from Ross etc!
I’m a total spinner convert btw - one of our older suitcases only has two wheels and it is so much more painful to get across an airport easily. I especially like that you can push spinners in front of you. Our other carry on bags (various backpacks and a weekender) have sleeves to fit over the handles on a spinner. They’re all different brands but work with each other.
I was reading the wirecutter reviews last night - $699 for the B&R stood out among the others for cost alone. I have the B&R executive duffel which is great for weekend trips, but is almost too heavy as a supplement to a carryon suitcase.
H bought a Travelpro a couple of years ago and likes the size and weight.
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Yeah, I’m leaning towards something that fits Alaska guidelines as they’re closer to the international carriers I’d fly (Lufthansa, Air France).
Take a tape measure with you while shopping–make sure the measurements include the wheels.
You’ll get more luggage space out of a two wheeler because of the configuration. The wheels will be inset into the suitcase vs on the outside. It can make a difference.
The IT bags are extremely lightweight. You can pack a lot and never feel the difference. Sometimes the handles are far apart so it’s hard to carry stuff on top. They keep changing though.
I have a new four wheel spinner Travel Pro I love. That’s my new go-to if I can cram everything in.
My Delsey (two wheel) is the one I use when I really need to take a lot but still want carry-on.
These days I’ve worked on packing as little as possible. I throw it all on the bed first and pare it down to essentials before I even look at the suitcase.
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This! This is what I mentioned upthread. More room in the 2 wheeler, if you are an over-packer like me 
Definitely more room in the two wheeler. But then when you do get it heavy you will be carrying a lot more of the load rather than it resting on four wheels.
Four wheels–stands alone, takes less space in crowds, easy to manuever in tight spaces, great on flat surfaces. Can’t pack as much.
Two wheels–pack more, better for uneven surfaces (because you’ll be dragging it anyway if two or four wheels). Wheels are usually more durable for uneven surfaces.
Yes! I cried when Tumi refused to repair my 30-year old 2-wheeler. That would’ve been only the 2nd repair after 30 years of 10-15 trips per year, both times the handle and not the wheels. Darn thing still looked practically new.
Anyway, I’m now in 4-wheeler replacement and there’s definitely less space. I’ve managed ok with it for a couple 3-week multi-city international vacations so far, so the missing few inches are more psychological than practical at least for me.
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3 week multi city?!? Was that a checked bag or a carry-on???
Seems doable with a carry-on bag, at least for warm weather destinations and activities that do not require dressy clothing or bulky equipment, at least if one is willing to do a bit of laundry.
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Carry-on, no issues with size and weight on a local air carrier in Spain last year fortunately. Although very much a squeeze to smash them under seats on a crowded local train in Italy the year before. We would’ve had serious issues on that train if we’d had full-size bags as it was standing room only and people were packed in tight.
These are the Tumi international-size carryons. My soft-sided bag is heavy but I think my wife’s hardshell is lighter.
Wow. I bow at your feet. My DH is much better able to pack like that than I am. I once managed a 12 day trip with carryon only and that was a challenge!
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Yes. My comment was not that you should buy another B&R but that you may already have one “best in class” bag and that your new bag might be one that’s different and excels in another class.
I think it’s probably important to think about how much you’ll use it as well. One of the B&R attributes is durability, and that may matter to a serious road warrior. But if you travel perhaps once a quarter, it’s going to get a lot less wear.
Also, as mentioned, the bigger the bag, the more you can put in it, and ime, that’s more of a contributor to weight than the bag itself.
The problem with 2 wheelers is that aisles in planes are narrowing and it’s increasingly tough to get 2 wheeled bags through narrow aisles in planes. If you are good with picking it up and carrying you have more options.
My biggest and heaviest issue is my medical equipment is bulky AND heavy. I can’t travel without it but it’s literally a drag. U have a company who will mail some equipment to our destinations but still need to fly with some.
I am constantly on the lookout for the lightest bags because I weigh less than 100 lbs.There are bags in Europe that are much lighter than those for sale in the US. I bought a Samsonite d’lite 55cm expandable spinner that weighs only 2kg in Vienna last year. I don’t think this model is available in the US. I purposely didn’t bring a carryon to Europe so I could bring one back.
If you got through 12 days then you’ll make 30. Not much difference. Learn to wash some items in the shower or go to laundry and you’ll be set for a very long time.
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