With summer always comes lots of traveling. It may be a long weekend of camping, a destination wedding to wine country or a multi-week European adventure. Whichever one you’re headed on, having the right luggage will be key to your trip running smoothly. Best Buy has a large selection of luggage and bags here, but I’ve outlined some of our favorites below:
Swiss Gear Ballenburg 3-Piece Hard Side 4-Wheeled Expandable Luggage Set
This luggage set if perfect for any family traveling together this summer. Whether it’s going to Disneyland, visiting family or moving your eldest daughter to University, you’re going to need lots of packing space for you and the kids. This luggage set includes 20”, 24” and 28” cases and each piece is made from durable ABS hard shell material. Inside, there is a small zip compartment where you can keep documents and other important small items and straps for securing and keeping clothes organized during travel. All three cases have 4 spinner ball-bearing wheels, which seems to be the trend amongst cases these days. Having 4-wheels allows you to easily wheel the case in all directions. You can also wheel the case beside you rather than dragging it behind you, which tends to degrade the wheels faster.
Samsonite Tech 2 Hard Side 20” 4-Wheeled Carry-On Luggage
If you are just looking to upgrade one of your cases rather than investing in a whole new luggage set, this hard sided case from Samsonite is a great option. I think a high-quality carry-on size case is the most important case to have. Last summer, my bag was lost on my way to New York and after that I vowed to only travel with carry-on. So when I went to England for 3 weeks this past fall to visit family I decided this was going to the trip that I converted. When I first opened the case and realized how small it was I had a small panic attack but after making some tough outfit choices and aggressively culling down my makeup and hair products I actually made it work! If you know you will be staying places with laundry services, it’s not actually that bad! While I was there I was also thankful everyday that I had brought a carry-on. My family lives all over England so I was constantly traveling to different towns and rarely staying in one place longer than a couple of days. I don’t know if you’ve travelled around England with luggage, but it is basically a massive maze of stairs: down the stairs to the Tube, up the stairs to the train platform, up to the stairs to the front of the stations, up the stairs from the river to the street and then up the stairs to your hotel room. See what I’m saying? Having a carry-on meant that I could easily carry my case up the stairs, squeeze onto small spaces on public transit, and easily store my luggage in the designated areas on longer train rides.
This carry-on Samsonite case has a hard shell exterior made of durable, 100% polycarbonate material. This will ensure that your personal items stay protected from the constant squishing and banging of daily travel. The online reviews also state that this colour particularly doesn’t show scratches which is a nice bonus. To further protect your personal items, there is also a mounted TSA combination lock on the outside. This carry-on has 4-multidirectional spinner wheels for easy maneuverability. In regards to packing, this case is designed with a mesh zipper compartment on one side, which is great for smaller clothing items and charging cables etc and built-in elastic straps on the other side to make sure that all your clothes stay in place during travel so you don’t end up with a wrinkled pile of clothes squished at the bottom of your bag.
High Sierra Classic 2 35L Outdoor Frame Backpack
The large 35L main compartment of this backpack makes it great for packing essentials for an overnight hiking trip or camping trip. It is made out of a combination of durable nylon and Duralite and I like that it has two mesh pockets on either side of the bag for water or other items that need to be easily accessible. To save your back, this pack has an aluminum frame that contours the shape of your back and the adjustable shoulder straps have both padding and HEX-VENT mesh for added comfort. The aluminum frame is also attached to a foam back panel with AIRFLOW channels so your back can stay comfortable and cool. There is also an internal sleeve in the back with exit ports that can fit a hydration reservoir if you prefer to have water available through a tube rather than a water bottle. In addition to the draw string at the top of the bag and the top lid, there is also a rain cover to protect your personal items in bad weather. The cover can be easily stored in a pocket in the bottom of the bag when not in use.
Mancini Columbian Collection Laptop/Tablette Messenger Bag
This bag is perfect as a carry-on bag or as a day bag when checking out tourist sights in a new city. There is a back padded pocket that fits a laptop or tablet up to 15” in size, and other personal items can be stored in other pocket in the middle compartment or the two front pockets. The pockets are also RFID-protected to guard against identity theft. It is made of 100% Columbian leather and the shoulder strap is adjustable so you can wear it either hanging off one shoulder or across the chest.
Clearance Bags
Depending on what you are looking for, you may be able to upgrade your luggage for this summer without breaking the bank by choosing one of our clearance luggage items. If you’re looking for a tote that you can travel with, I love the Benetton Nicole Laptop Tote Bag. This large, off-white tote is the perfect size and style to fit all your travel, work and personal essentials. In addition to the large main pocket, there is also a zippered inside pocket to keep things safe and a padded zippered laptop tote to store your laptop or tablet.
If you prefer soft luggage to hard sided luggage, you may want to pick up the Antler Cyberlite 21” 4-Wheeled Expandable Carry-On Luggage. As mentioned above, I am a huge advocate of packing light and traveling with only a carry-on and this one is a great option! This soft shelled case has a lightweight design (it only weighs 2.4kg) so you have more weight left for your clothes and liquids. Underneath the fabric there is a durable base to ensure that there is not sagging underneath the case when full. There are external and internal pockets to keep small things organized and is also expandable to fit all your souvenirs. Similar to the cases above, this Antler carry-on has 4 wheels for easy maneuverability.
Having the right stuff when traveling is essential. This may mean having a durable suitcase for a trip abroad, a large carrier bag to bring with you on day trips or a lightweight backpack for overnight hiking and camping. The last thing you need in the middle of your summer adventure is a broken strap, zipper, or wheel. So before it’s too late, take stock of what you have and treat yourself and your family to some new luggage!
Happy travels!
