I get many, many emails about luggage, types of luggage, European standards on luggage, how much is TOO much luggage, etc. Those questions prompted me to write an article seeking the best-rated, carry-on roller bags: The Best Roller Bag in Europe is…, and what you can do to prevent losing your baggage: Lost Luggage – Oh No!. Thus, many people ask me, “Where should I go to buy luggage.” I can give you my experiences and suggestions.
Living in Europe, we often order items online through US vendors, have them shipped to a family member’s house in the US, and ultimately bring them back overseas on the return trip from a visit to the States. We also have our list of must-buys we pick up at the local grocery store, Wal-Mart, or Best Buy. We suggest to folks visiting what they might bring! Last year we bought 6 HUGE jars of crunchy peanut butter. (Almost out… already on our list for our son coming in October)
Sometimes, that would even include the suitcase that everything comes back in! Frankly, sometimes it’s far less expensive for us to buy items online in the US. Online, you can also do side-by-side price comparisons far more easily. I’ve looked at many, many sites, including Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk… (the latter I frequent often living Europe). The luggage site I’ve used the most – for both ordering and research – is LuggageBase.com.
Since 1971, LuggageBase.com has been a part of a family owned business located on the beautiful central coast of California. LuggageBase.com does not carry every line of luggage but does strive to select the best bang-for-buck companies that provide the best quality luggage in the industry. (For example, they don’t have my Tumi Alpha International
As per their website:“If you find a lower price on the Internet* (items over $99.00), we’ll beat that price by $5 and give you free shipping! Simply let us know the current price of the set or piece of luggage you are interested in and the page where it can be located and purchased, by filling out our Price Beater form. Now sit back as we try and beat that price!”
LuggageBase can give you expert advice so that you can make an informed purchase. For example, they offer great tips such as: Buying Tips , Packing Tips , Longevity Tips , and even free Repair Tips . One feature I like is the Durability Scale. This is a simple scale from 1-10, 10 being the best, that can give you a quick reference on how LuggageBase rated the durability of each line of luggage, travel gear, or pack. I love this feature because most of my luggage has had the “stuff” beat-out-of-it traveling around the world. And being able to compare not just the price, but how well it will hold up… is very important to me.
LuggageBase carries many brands of Luggage, bags, and travel accessories, including but not limited to American Tourister, Atlantic (one of my favorite brands), Delsey, Eagle Creek, High Sierra, Kipling, Lewis N Clark, Rick Steves, Samsonite, Thule, Travelpro (another one of my favorites), Victorinox, and Zero-Halliburton.
They feature many different “types” of luggage, and you can sort any of these by category: Luggage Sets, Lightweight Luggage, Carry on Luggage, Wheeled, Spinner Luggage, Duffel Bags, Garment Bags, Garment Covers, Hardside Luggage, Leather Luggage, Tote Bags, Wheeled Duffels, Wheeled Luggage, Wheeled Totes, and Kids Luggage.
In addition to luggage, you can get briefcases, backpacks, handbags, camera cases, duffels, messenger bags, and travel accessories at the LuggageBase.com site.
Currently, they are running these specials:
• Eagle Creek HC2 Hovercraft Blowout Specials
• Eagle Creek Cloudstream Blowout Specials
• Rick Steves Luggage from LuggageBase
• Quality Luggage Sets For Less
• Free Delsey Ballistic Duffel with purchase of 2 or more of Pro H-Lite
• Save over $200 on the American Tourister Spring Ranch 3-Piece Lugga
LuggageBase has been featured in the L.A Times and the Wall Street Journal. The company is registered with the Better Business Bureau online reliability program, VeriSign, and Hacker Safe. Most items will ship the same day as ordered! You can read three pages of comments at BizRate.com – LuggageBase Reviews. Good Luck in your luggage search!
