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Checking on Amazon is good to get a good picture of them and reviews. Important to read 1-2 star reviews.
Duffel style luggage usually has only two wheels. I would also look for durable materials like ballistic nylon, which is much more resistant to wear and tear than polyester. Those cost more for a reason.
Also pay attention to the weight.
You didn't mention size preference.
Soft shell luggage on two wheels (also my preference) is now very hard to find
Travelpro is a well known name. Their luggage is very durable. Often used by airline staff. Basically one of the very few brands that still comes with two wheels.
Duffle style is more versatile and generally lighter. Personally, after having both styles, I prefer duffels. Wider selection for two wheelers. Don't like the handles? Cut them off. Then they will look like regular luggage.
I recently bought 2 pieces of Travelpro luggage based on favorable reviews and recommendations and being moderately priced (as opposed to Tumi or Briggs & Riley). This replaced my 30 year old Samsonite luggage - the larger piece could no longer be checked because it did not fit within the airline allowed dimensions.
The challenge was that I wanted matched 2 wheel luggage in a carryon size and a larger piece about 24". Most luggage brands offer 2 wheel carryons and then jump to 26" or larger. The closest I could come to this in Travelpro was their Bold collection with a larger 25" 2 wheel. However, I found out later that if you go to a flight crew website such as mypilotstore.com, there is a Travelpro Flight Crew 5 collection with a 24" 2 wheel piece but only in black.
Travelpro has several collections with good reviews: their Flagship Platinum Elite collection with the better warranty, the more rugged Bold collection, and the Crew Versapack with a lot of gizmos - built in lock, area to fold a suit, water water resistant storage area, straps, and accessory pocket. The MaxLite collection got worse reviews. Remember that if you use carryon, international flights require slightly smaller dimensions so carryons come in either international/global sizes or the max domestic sizes.
The Travelpro website seems to have discounts of 10 to 20% off. I got 15% off during their New Year's sale and then another 10% off from using their website for the first time and agreeing to receive texts and emails. Be careful of department store prices. One major department store had the same prices as the website while another major department store doubled the prices on all their brands.
My suggestion would be to look at Briggs & Riley for a larger case you'll be checking, and a Rick Steves Rolling Carryon for an international-size carryon that will fit in any overhead bin.
My suggestion would be to look at Briggs & Riley for a larger case you'll be checking, and a Rick Steves Rolling Carryon for an international-size carryon that will fit in any overhead bin.
Meh, B&R is now made in China and not what they used to be.
They offer a lifetime warranty, but I wouldn't want to deal with the merchant in China.
To me their luggage isn't worth $500+ anymore.
Same with Tumi.
You pay mostly for the name.
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I will +1 Travelpro as some of the other posters mentioned - its what the majority of pilots and flight attendants have used for ages. I have Travelpro luggage that has been through hundreds of flights and still survives - if you want softsided and rugged it is hard to go wrong IMO. I wasn't aware they have different quality lines now but I would be targeting that Crew Versapack line which seems to be their midrange.
I've had "lesser" two wheel bags - and they ALSO break the wheels. Then you're carrying the whole bag at all times. At least with a four wheel, you can limp to your car without a crazy struggle on three wheels.
I'm also pretty content with Travelpro. My one nit is that on two of the bags, the zipper tabs on the little outside pocket have snapped off, probably because they're pretty exposed if someone is sliding the bag around. We've never had any issues with the zippers for the main compartments, and the telescoping handles have also been issue-free.
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for a real luggage geek....
