Best Designed Luggage and Backpack

[vdj_145]

What is the best luggage and backpack for international travel?

Are there any stand-out products that are optimally designed and just work the way you need them to? Every product I've tried so far has fallen short - nothing that's given me an iPhone moment when I saw them.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I think ‘best luggage’ is very personal.

A good starting point would be something with a lifetime guarantee. For example Briggs and Riley, or dare I say it, Rimowa (yes yes I know the design isn’t what it used to be). Even Antler has lifetime warranty these days.

I travel with a Rimowa trunk. All the advantages of a hard shell, but split like a soft case, not clamshell like other hard shells. Much easier for packing and one side isn’t heavy.

A new innovation is 4-wheel cases where you can lock the wheels. Very handy on public transport or if you want to stop your case running away on a slight incline.

 

[kookaburra75]

We've been very happy with cabin cases and suitcases from July - an Australian company with lifetime guarantees. July Australia | Luggage Bags & Travel Suitcases Australia | July
They were my first foray into four wheelers, but they handled everything well so far.

 

[firewater]

As a design enthusiast, for travel gear, I astonishingly couldn't find much. The best I found was this wallet that was surprisingly well designed:

Fanning Wallet - Carbon Fiber RFID Blocking Wallet That Fans Out Your Cards | eBay

RFID Blocking - Prevents wireless theft and card skimming.

www.ebay.com.au

For those interested in board games, the pop up game sets featured on Dragon's Den UK is another example of optimal design:

Dreamfarm does many products that do everything you need them to and don't have many areas for improvement (but they mostly do kitchen tools):

Dreamfarm - Where great ideas grow - Kitchen Tools & Gadgets

If you love new things that solve a problem and work better than anything else on the planet, then you’re going to love it here at Dreamfarm. That’s all we do.

dreamfarm.com

All the above examples have demonstrable advantages in terms of functionality (factors include speed, durability, safety, etc.) and when deciding on backpacks/luggage, they serve as a good benchmark. Some design concepts are more functional than others hence why the original iPhone was well received compared to other phones in 2007.

 

[SeatBackForward]

Take a look at this website for reviews of many types of backpacks, they cater more towards the "casual" traveller than say "Business Traveller", and primarily around the concept of "OneBag" travel - that is where you essentially take all you need in a single carry-on bag.

Pack Hacker | Your Guide to Smarter Travel

Pack Hacker finds & tests gear for travel and everyday life. We believe the best reviews & guides are created through unbiased real-world testing & usage.

packhacker.com

I have an unnatural and unhealthy obsession with backpacks, and have far too many that I've collected from o/s (brands that are usually hard to get here in Australia), so if anything is of interest, I might be able to help!