Overall Impression A funny think happened as I began packing my new Briggs and Riley 20-inch Carry-on Expandable Wide-body Upright for a recent multi-week, winter into spring trip to Europe: I became convinced that its designer had been reading my mind. I had long harbored the fantasy of one versatile suitcase that would be the only piece of luggage I would need; a suitcase that would, as circumstances required, instantly morph from carry-on to checked baggage and vice-versa. Now, there it was, sized to meet most major airlines current carry-on requirements for domestic as well as international travel. Yet it was wide enough to accommodate side-by-side two neat stacks of sweaters, shirts and other travel necessities, plus a mesh and nylon side pocket to keep small items within easy sight.

The contents could be held down by broad compression panels, leaving sufficient room to hold the deep zipped compartment fitted in the case’s lid. A tri-fold sleeve turned this top compartment into a full-length garment bag where dresses and suits could be secured by wide velcro’ed flaps for wrinkle-free travel. There was an additional zipped pocket on the face of this internal compartment that proved handy for stashing flat items. Then there was the ultimate feature: a 2.5-inch (6.5 centimeter) zipped expansion gusset extended the capacity of the suitcase by almost 25 percent, for those situations along the way when a carry-on bag will definitely not suffice.

The exterior of the 20-inch Carry-on Expandable Wide-body was equally well designed. The lid included two zipped pockets, with the upper one sized to keep travel documents and small electronic gadgets or books easily accessible. The lower pocket occupied three quarters of the lid. It was convenient for additional storage of flat or crushable items. At the rear, the telescopic handle was stored in a smooth external housing, with an additional deep zipped pocket tucked in the center of it. I found it an ideal storage space for the infamous one-quart (one-liter) toiletry bag required by airport security check.

The expandable carry-on was as convenient to handle as to pack. The broad wheelbase, large smooth wheels (three inches or 7.5 centimeters in diameter) and adjustable height telescopic top handle made it a breeze to steer, even in airplane aisles and on crowded train platforms. The front stabilizing feet extended with the gusset, ensuring that the case remained balanced when heavily loaded. The streamlined top and side grip handles facilitated retrieval from the most awkward overhead bin. But it was in unusual travel situations that the 20-inch Carry-on really showed its mettle. It became an impromptu stool when I found myself traveling for one hour in the corridor of a high-speed European train, and its wheels and rear kick-plate remained unscathed when I had to drag my heavily loaded case up one flight of Paris métro stairs.

With its compact and exceptionally sturdy exterior, outstanding packability and easy handling, my Briggs & Riley 20-inch Carry-on has become my traveling companion for short trips as well as longer itineraries where it can alternate between checked-luggage and carry-on functions.

Colors Chocolate, olive, black. Mine is black.

Dimensions 16 x 20 x 8 inches (40.5 x 51 x 20 centimeters). Expands to 16 x 20 x 10.5 inches (40.5 x 51 x 26.5 centimeters)

List Price $369

Manufacturer-Distributor Briggs & Riley Travelware, LLC.

Materials Exterior: abrasion resistant, water repellent 2520D ballistic nylon. Interior: nylon twill.

Type Of Product Soft-sided rolling carry-on suitcase.

Warranty A lifetime “Simple as that” warranty covered even damages causes by travel carriers.

Weight 9 pound and 6 ounces (4.4 kg)

Features Protective corner covers and wheel housings; exterior adjustable telescopic handle and handle housing for maximum packing space; outside zipped pocket for security-checked items; built-in retractable luggage tag sleeve for privacy; easy to grip side and top handles for good handling; sturdy bottom front stabilizing feet; expendable main compartment zips-out added an additional 24 percent capacity; interior compression panels to secure packed load; two-inch (five centimeter) deep zipped compartment in suitcase top with tri-fold garment sleeve. It came with a resettable three-dial combination Transportation Security Agency (TSA) approved cable lock.

Countries Tested Belgium, France, Germany, Italy and United States

Date Of Last Review April 2010

Number Of Days Tested 60 days

Reviewers Article and photographs by Josette King

Would You Use This Product Again? Yes

Overall Impression With airlines issuing ever more restrictive luggage regulations in recent years, I had gradually adopted a rolling duffle bag as my checked baggage for long trips; but I yearned for the stable, tidily organized suitcases of earlier times. Until the recent demise of my latest duffle led me to consider the Eagle Creek Hovercraft 25. Its firm, heavy gauge Cordura nylon shell, coupled with the packing convenience of a hard-sided suitcase and the reduced weight of a duffle made it especially attractive. The broad wheelbase, sturdy knurled wheels (four inches or ten centimeters in diameter) and adjustable height telescopic top handle made it a breeze to steer.

The base also featured a long front stabilizing bar to keep the case upright even when it was heavily loaded. This efficient stabilizer doubled as a grab-bar, which in addition to the large padded top and side handles facilitated retrieval from the most chaotic airport luggage carousel. The front flap of the suitcase had two external high-capacity front pockets with three-sided U-shaped zippers for easy access. The exterior of the Hovercraft 25 was designed to avoid handling damage. It included thoughtful details such as a streamlined shape with no sharp angles or visible seams, deep wheel wells and a rear kick-plate that provided extra protection to the base of the suitcase.

The Hovercraft 25 was as convenient to pack as to handle. Its large, well proportioned opening easily swallowed multiple layers of bulky clothing that could then be neatly flattened under the 14 inch (35 centimeter) wide compression flaps, leaving room in the remainder of this 11 inch (28 centimeter) deep case for multiple easily accessible piles or bags of other travel necessities. In several instances I fitted smaller soft bags inside my Hovercraft 25, each filled with the items specifically required for various side trips. Two large interior netting pockets conveniently fitted in the front flap were large enough for everyday items and toiletries, placing them within easy reach and sight. This bag also featured a two-inch (five centimeter) zipped expansion gusset said to extend its capacity by 15 percent. However the bag has proven so capacious in its original state that after several long trips, I have yet to need the additional space. With its lightweight, smooth exterior, easy handling and gargantuan appetite for my belongings, my Hovercraft 25 travels like a twenty-first century steamer trunk. It has become an indispensable accessory for any long, multiple destination journey.

Colors Graphite, tomato, marine blue and tree frog green. Mine is blue.

Dimensions 16 x 25 x 11 inches (41 x 64 x 28 cm). Expands to 16 x 25 x 13 inches (41 x 64 x 33 cm)

List Price $249

Manufacturer-Distributor Eagle Creek, Inc.

Materials Main body: 210D Mini Diamond Helix Nylon, 500D Tough Weave. Shell: 915D HP Cordura nylon

Type Of Product Soft-sided, lightweight rolling upright suitcase

Warranty Lifetime, a “No matter what repair policy”

Weight 8 lbs. 14 oz. (4 kg)

Features Protective kick-plate and wheel housing; adjustable telescopic handle for easy wheeling; large, soft side and top handles for convenient handling; bottom front stabilizing bar doubles as additional grab handle; retractable luggage tag sleeve built into the top of the suite case to ensure privacy; expendable main compartment zips-out to add additional 15 percent capacity; interior compression panels to compress and secure packed load; reflective center front center strip for nighttime visibility.

Countries Tested U.S.A., France, Portugal, New Zealand, and Australia

Date Of Last Review March 2009

Number Of Days Tested 90 days

Reviewers Article and photos by Josette King

Would You Use This Product Again? Yes

Overall Impression The Eagle Creek ORV (Off Road Vacation) Gear Bag was everything I ever hoped for in a duffle bag! Compact enough to meet airline carry-on requirements, it also managed to hold everything I needed to take along on two-week African safari. Its oversized, three-sided top opening and its two internal zip-up divider panels made packing a breeze. Contents were neatly stowed, readily visible and accessible. It stayed put even when the bag was tossed from the hold of a small airplane into the back of a land cruiser, and then taken on an hour-long rocky ride. The exterior organizer front panel kept my travel documents and reading material close at hand. Two interior zipped pockets were fitted into the top flap of the bag. One was lined with heavy plastic, making it an ideal place to store toiletries. The bag was lightly padded for optimum contents protection.

The ORV Gear Bag was as convenient to handle as it was to pack. It could be carried either with a conventional padded shoulder strap, as a backpack or using the sturdy grab handles located on the top and at each end of the bag. When not in use the padded backpack straps were tucked away in their own compartment at the bottom of the bag. This also provided additional padding to the bag’s bottom. The detachable shoulder strap featured one additional refinement: the triangular fastening loops were located on one side of the bag, near the bottom. This allowed the padded bottom of the bag to lay flat against the body while making the top handle easy to grab for additional stability; a welcome detail when jostling my way through crowded airports.

Although only three pounds in weight, the Eagle Creek ORV Gear Bag was exceptionally sturdy. It was made of tough, lightweight Cordura Nylon and all exterior seams were double-stitched. The bag came back from that African safari and several shorter trips since showing no signs of wear. With its superior design, lightweight high-quality construction, and packing and handling versatility, my ORV Gear Pack has quickly become a favorite travel partner.

Colors Black, Palm, Sangria and Sienna Mine is Palm.

Dimensions 26 x 10 x 13” (66 x 25 x 33 cm)

List Price $135.00

Manufacturer-Distributor Eagle Creek, Inc.

Materials Main body: 420 denier HT Ripstop Cordura Nylon. Bottom: 1000 denier Cordura Nylon

Type Of Product Carry-on duffle bag

Warranty Lifetime, a “No matter what repair policy”

Weight 3 lbs (1.36 kg)

Features Zip-up inside dividers customize bag to fit packing needs; oversize top opening for easy packing; three-way carrying options include hide-away backpack straps for hands-free carrying, padded top and ends grab handles and shoulder strap; exterior organizer compartment for travel documents; two interior side pockets, including one liquid proof; exterior compression straps to alleviate stress on zipper; meets many airlines carry-on requirements.

Countries Tested USA, France, South Africa, Zambia, Mexico

Date Of Last Review October 2007

Number Of Days Tested 30 days

ReviewersArticle and photographs by Josette King

Would You Use This Product Again? Yes

Overall Impression This little bag, boasting of being 30 percent lighter than the competition, won our hearts. The sturdy frame protected the inner contents from being crushed by other bags. Even when loaded with heavy items, the unique shape prevented the bag from tipping over and allowed it to roll easily. We carried our electronic equipment for our traveling office and laptop inside ours and found it secure, spacious and easy to organize. Its combination light weight, durability, design, manageability and warranty features made this one the best carry-on suitcases I’ve ever traveled with.

Color(S) Black, Palm and Rapid Blue

Made In Vietnam

Made Of 100 percent Cordura Fabrics

Manufacturer-Distributor Eagle Creek

Retail Price $235

Sizes 14 x 22 x 9.5″ / 36 x 56 x 24 cm

Type Of Product Carry-on wheel bag

Warranty Lifetime, a “No matter what repair policy”

Weight 8 lbs (3.8 kg)

Features Curved Touch Point® Radius handle System, Unique Sole patch corner guards to protect critical wear points with TPU (thermo plastic urethane), protective kick plate and wheel housing keeps the bag safe from urban obstacles such as stairs, curbs and car trunks, Auto Cinch system compresses the load without hanging straps, pockets design to fit the Eagles Creek Pack-It® ES System, expandable main compartment ads 2.5″ (15 percent) capacity, meets many airline carry-on requirements.

Other It would probably be a good suitcase for clothing too…

Country(S) Tested Botswana, France, South Africa, and U.S.

Date Of Last Review January 2006

Number Of Days Tested Eight weeks

ReviewersArticle by Gary Cox

Would You Use This Product Again? Yes

Overall Impression We chose the RedOxx Safari-Beanos Bag PR6 because it was spacious enough to be used as a main check in luggage bag, yet narrow enough and tall enough to still fit into a charter plane luggage space for our trip to Africa. It is a soft sided bag made of durable 1000 weight urethane coated Dupont certified Cordura nylon. We particularly liked that all zippers are self-locking and the seams are double stitched. Our khaki colored bag was easy to carry and to handle.

The Beanos Bag has one large storage area with six assorted size side pockets. One of the key features for our purposes was its 12″x12″x31″ size which fit well into a small charter aircraft luggage space, yet provided enough space to carry 10 days worth of clothing and gear with room to spare for additional items purchased in the field. The Beanos Bag held up well through 13 airport transfers without any tearing or problems. We found it best to transport sturdy items unlikely to break easily; because it is a flexible bag we would not use it to transport fragile or breakable items again. We recommend the Beanos bag for our friends who are looking for a good light weight and durable bag that fits well into cramped charter aircraft spaces.

Color(S) Amethyst, Black, Bordeaux, Coal, Forest, Khaki, Mariner, Midnight, Olive, Red, Saffron, Safari

Machine Washable It is possible to wash this bag by hand, but the manufacturer does not recommend putting it in a washing machine because of the heavy hardware.

Made In U.S.A.

Made Of The Beanos bag is made of 1000 weight urethane coated, Dupont certified Cordura nylon fabric

Manufacturer-Distributor RedOxx

Retail Price $200

Sizes 12″x12″x31″ Capacity: 4,464 cu. inches (the size of the PR6 that we tested). There were also Beanos in 11″x11″x27″ capacity: 3,267 cubic inches; 10″x10″x24″ (carry on) capacity: 2,400 cubic inches and 9″x9″x19″ (carry on) capacity: 1,539 cubic inches

Type Of Product Travel Bag

Weight 4.5 lbs

Features Zippers were #10 YKK self locking, Thread: #92 bonded SolarMax nylon, All seams double stitched and bound

Country(S) Where It Was Tested U.S.A., South Africa, and Zambia

Date Of Review November 2005

Number Of Days Tested 10

Reviewers Article by Chester Godsy

Would You Use This Product Again? Yes

Overall Impression One of the risks we often take as travelers is dehydration. It’s subtle and slow and not always noticeable. We realize we may be dehydrated when we start feeling tired. By then, we’re probably in sore need of liquid replenishment. In these days of complicated and time consuming travel with less food and drink offered in flight, we loved the light weight and easy to carry Liquid Luggage ™ sleeve. We used the pilot designed devices successfully to carry 24 oz and one and a half liter (our favorite size) bottles of mineral water in domestic and international flights. Other than one airport security employee who wanted to make sure the bottle was unopened, it passed through security checks without a second glance.

The bottle fit snuggly in the sleeve. This was important because it kept it from falling when we had a drink of water or when it became necessary to adjust the Liquid Luggage ™ at security checkpoints and to load it into vehicles. It was for the most part easy and practical to use. We had to take the sleeve and bottle off the wheelie suitcase to pass through x-ray machine and checkpoint. This was as convenient as the rearranging all our other hand luggage required. Our tote looked attractive with our luggage and provided ready access to the water on and off planes without having to open the wheelie or other carry on luggage. We plan to take water in the Liquid Luggage ™ sleeve on future flights, especially in airports where the only water available for purchase is purified (rather than spring or mineral) water.

Colors Black

Made In U.S.A.

Made Of Cordura ® fabric (same material used for luggage)

Manufacturer-Distributor Travel Products, Inc.

Sizes Available in 24-ounce ($10.95) and 1.5 liter ($10.95)

Type Of Product Water bottle tote

Warranty 100 percent lifetime warranty

Washing Instructions Machine wash cold and line dry. Do not place in the dryer.

Weight 2 oz

Features Made of durable machine washable fabric including Velcro straps and special foam backing to keep the liquids cool.

Other Would only work with round bottles. Continental Airlines and ExpressJet employees were eligible for a 15 percent discount when presenting a purchase coupon

Date Of Review February 2005

Number Of Days Tested Twelve flights (eight domestic and four international)

Would You Use This Product Again? Yes

Overall Impression For those of us who wear two pairs of eyeglasses, this well designed and handsome case provided a convenient and lightweight way to carry them with minimum fuss. Made of handcrafted glove-tanned cowhide, it had two pouches with space for a pair of glasses in each one at the same time. It was the first and only double eyeglass case we found. We love it.

We liked the secure pewter color clip-on clasps. It looked great and still smelled of leather months later. It was easy to clip on to a briefcase, handbag or pant belt strap. Once on, it was so lightweight (our glasses were titanium) it was easy to forget you were wearing it. We look forward to years of enjoyment and have recommended it to friends and family.

Colors Black, Brandy (brown) and Red

List Price : $24.95

Made In China

Manufacturer-Distributor Osgoode Marley of New Hampton, New Hamphire

Release Date Fall 2003

Size 6¼ x 3 x 2″

Type Of Product Leather eyeglass case for two pairs of eyeglasses

Weight 2 oz.

Features Clip-on leather strap in matching color, cashmere lining and Velcro closure. A rigid cardboard in the middle enforced the case for added stability.

Date Of Last Review August 2004

Number Of Days Tested 60 days

Would You Use This Product Again? Yes

Overall Impression The Osprey Transporter 90, a combination backpack and luggage, made an ideal companion for the remote locations we visited during our Southern Africa adventures. It was soft sided allowing it to conform somewhat to the shape of the space we placed it in. It was versatile and sturdy; handsome enough to accompany us to five star properties and sporty enough for camping accommodations. The padded sides provided extra protection for our contents. The Transporter had straps across the front, which made it possible for the bag to shrink or grow depending on how much we wanted to carry in it. This feature was useful when we purchased a large souvenir that would not fit into any of the other bags. The souvenir fit into the Transporter because the bag expanded to accommodate the extra contents.

Thanks to the Transporter concealable shoulder straps we could carry it as a backpack, a useful option to anyone who had to walk a long distance over terrain unsuitable for rolling wheeled luggage. We successfully used this backpack feature on several occasions. A tough piece of luggage, the Transporter held up well under our African game viewing travel conditions. Though the transporter 90 was the intermediate sized bag of the Transporter line, it was surprisingly spacious. We were originally going to use the transporter 130, but the manufacturer’s representative advised us to size down to the transporter 90. This turned out to be good advice because the T90 carried more than our original estimates based on the dimensions of the bag. It was also just right to fit in the bush planes we flew in from camp to camp in Botswana.

Capacity 5500 cu. in/9 0L

List Price $139

Made In Vietnam

Manufacturer-Distributor : Osprey Packs, Inc.

Release Date 1999

Size 27x14x14 inches

Type Of Product Backpack

Weight 3lbs., 11oz

Features Straight jacket compression, shoulder and hip straps, two (2) pockets, Padded (foam) Sidewalls, made of 500d Broken Twill Nylon, top slash pocket with key clip, oversized zipper pulls, Excessory attachment D-rings, magazine pocket on frontal panel, tubular carry handle.

Also, a zip-away fixed harness along with a tuck-away fabric wing hip belt, to comfortably carry it through long airport concourses and from the airport to wherever your final destination may be. The front panel offered a spacious magazine pocket. Inside, there was a flap mesh pocket and a handle side mesh pocket.

Other Though usually our first choice for travel is luggage with wheels, the Transporter 90 made an ideal companion for the remote locations we visited during our Southern Africa adventures. On the same trip, another new, but less sturdy, bag with wheels broke down on its maiden voyage. The Transporter weathered the same conditions and returned home no worse for the wear. More than once we worried the porters, who were using the wrong handles to hoist the backpack onto their shoulders or luggage carts by mistake, would end up with the fabric in their hands. It never happened on nearly 40 occasions over five weeks of travel.

Countries Tested Botswana , South Africa and Zambia

Date Of Review June 2004

Number Of Days Tested Five weeks

Would You Use This Product Again? Yes