Best Luxury Travel Luggage
Sturdy and Handsome, the Best Designer Brands are Worth the Expense
There are many top luxury designer brands of luggage. The best carry-ons and suitcases are both durable and handsome, while cheap replicas are poorly made and don't last.
The best vacation can be less than perfect without the best travel gear. Shopping for luggage isn't exactly fun, but the best quality luggage for any trip is important. Luxury travel designer luggage, often made of leather, should be hardy enough to stand up to the bumps and scrapes of a trip, yet also attractive enough to make its owner proud. Frequent travelers all have a trial-and-error period with luggage (no more LeSportSac for me!) before finding the best luxury luggage for their travel needs.
When considering which is the best travel luggage, one must consider several things. Luxury travel bags with designer labels may instill a sense of pride as it rolls down the baggage claim, but top luxury brand luggage don't always hold up over time - and some aren't even waterproof. Top designer luggage that is the equivalent of a hot house orchid, unable to withstand the vagaries of a vacation in the real world, does its owners no favors. The best luxury travel luggage must be hardy as well as handsome.
Best quality luxury travel luggage:
- Swiss Army - Victorinox Swiss Army Travel Gear won first prize in the Travel Goods Association's 2007 Product Innovation Awards. The Victorinox Swiss Army Hardside collection, which won the prize, is the most durable traditional hard-sided luggage around. The high quality, soft Wheeled Overnighters and Mobilizer Ultra-Light Swiss Army luggage, are known to withstand the tests of time and travel.
- Tumi - Tumi collections include leather and canvas and nylon luggage and carry-on bags, and are universally of a handsome design. The sturdiness of Tumi brand luxury travel luggage is of the highest quality. Tumi's Theorem Collection won the second prize 2007 Product Innovation Award from the Travel Goods Association. The Ducati Tumi Collection is especially rugged.
- Louis Vuitton - Sure, Louis Vuitton is a top luxury label, but this brand of designer luggage also holds up remarkably well. The Louis Vuitton monogram is a familiar sight among the luxury travel set, and with good reason: Instant recognition as owning a designer luggage set is important to some travelers. But the classic style of LV leather keep-all travel bags and luggage is complemented by their sturdy design and well-made shoulder straps and wheels.
- Coach - Coach is famous for its high end, top quality purses and handbags. The craftsmanship that goes into those bags also goes into Coach designer leather, nylon and canvas travel totes and luggage. The Coach Signature line is as recognizable as is the Louis Vuitton monogram collection, with a somewhat less gasp-inducing price tag. This is not cheap designer luggage by any stretch, but as the designer label goes, it is more affordable - yet also sturdy, well designed, and beautiful.
- Kenneth Cole - Kenneth Cole Reaction business luggage looks great, and adds a touch of class to business travel. In no-nonsense black and muted colors, this designer luggage line is professional enough for work trips, and sturdy enough for some mild adventure and luxury vacations. Kenneth Cole is a brand known for its simple, classic design - but the punny names (Wheel Estate, Jack the Zipper, I'll Be Right Bag, etc) add a little levity. Don't like puns? No one else has to know the jokey name, of course.
Now, there are plenty of other designer label, luxury travel luggage brands. These listed here are tried and true: Good looking and long lasting, easy to clean, and as sturdy as needed. All the above luggage companies have reputable customer service, as well. The market for designer replica luggage, or cheap imitations of the real thing, is huge. However, the cheap replicas are never as well made or durable as the originals. Caveat Emptor!
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