After a recent trip across the country, I realized that my favorite carry-on duffle was starting to look really worn. It’s a great bag that’s served me well over the years, but it’s definitely seen better days. The holiday shopping season is approaching fast, so I’m officially on the lookout for a suitable replacement and wondering if I should use this opportunity to upgrade to something a little more lavish.
The way I see it, my carry-on luggage is certainly a bag I use a lot, so why not opt for something nicer if I’m able? However, I still have some doubts and am having trouble deciding if getting designer luggage would even be worth it.
Mainly for two reasons:
1. Fear of Theft
It’s commonly thought that it’s better to have luggage that stands out because it reduces the chances of your bag getting mixed up with those of others. It’s just easier to spot a vibrant one when hurriedly fishing through the sea of bags that were moved by a stewardess or had been stored under the plane at the last minute.
Something bright and bold seems ideal, and that gives me the option to choose from some pretty funky pieces. (I LOVE this Fendi embossed logo duffle, even though I don’t usually go for monograms.)
But at the same time, the thought of carrying something that is both designer and kind of ﹘ loud ﹘ makes me worry that it would increase the chance of my bag being a tempting target for someone with sticky fingers.
Honestly, it’s not really the thought of being in the airport with it that concerns me, but the thought of walking from a car or train drop-off to wherever I’m staying that does. The world is big, and not everywhere is as safe as we wish for it to be, so I try to be mindful of how I come off when moving through certain areas.
2. Quality Vs Price
A big reason I buy luxury bags is that, for me, the quality justifies the price (on top of them being cute.) I’m not afraid to admit when the quality of a bag is subpar or doesn’t meet my needs, no matter how expensive or revered its brand might be.
This makes finding a cute designer bag that can also handle being thrown around for years without falling apart seem like I’m asking for a lot. To increase my odds of getting something long-lasting, I’ve also considered getting a piece from a more trusted luggage brand.
But which? Even with this consideration, I’m still left with a few options:
- Option 1: Get a bag from a fashion brand with a history of making luggage (Louis Vuitton; Goyard, Fauré le Page, etc.)
- Option 2: Get a bag from a collab collection with a luggage brand. (Tumi X Missoni; Rimowa X Dior)
- Option 3: Get a bag from an outdoorsy fashion brand that is now trying its hand at making luggage. (Moncler)
Decisions, decisions…
The options already seem endless, and I’m even open to getting a style that’s technically made for men.
Who knows. Maybe I’d just be better off scrapping the idea altogether and hitting up my local Macy’s for a new carry-on. Thankfully, I’ve still got time to decide.
But what do you all think? Is designer luggage worth it?
If you have a private plane, then buy it… otherwise, no! 😂
We bought our Rimowa luggage in 2011. It cost much less than it does now (even accounting for inflation) and still looks great with no broken wheels or other damage. However, we don’t use the larger pieces for flights to the U.S. — for that we use beat up soft Samsonite suitcases. We reserve the Rimowa bigger pieces for train travel or for flying business class with certain airlines like Singapore. For any other brand of designer luggage (Goyard or LV), we’d buy in carryon size only.
Sooner or later, you will have to check that bag. And when you do, it will be hurled into dirty carts, slammed with other people’s bags, and then loaded on a conveyor belt that never gets cleaned.
Buy a sturdy bag in ballistic nylon. I like Tumi.
Fortunately, we fly seldom. But we travel by train a lot throughout Europe (we live in Switzerland), almost always in first class. We stow the luggage ourselves, usually above our seat. So it’s not hurled around by strangers, slammed, or loaded onto filthy conveyor belts or carts. Which is probably why our Rimowa luggage looks almost as good as new, more than a decade after we bought it.
To be honest, I think something like Rimowa qualifies as luxury within the luggage world, even outside of its designer collaborations, even though it doesn’t have logos. People who know know it’s nice. That’s personally what I would do, but I travel alone a lot and I personally would be a bit paranoid walking around alone in pickpockety places like Italy with flashy luggage. I think it really depends on how you travel though… if I wasn’t a big solo traveler I might feel differently.
My issue with Rimowa (which is now own by LVMH by the way) is that the classic aluminum case quickly shows wear and tear. It does have its charm—it looks lived in. But you have to be okay with that from the start.
Yes and Rimowa seems to take pride in that. At the Rimowa boutique in Bon Marche (Paris), a battered old aluminum case is prominently displayed.
Yes, my husband has the 3 pieces aluminum set, and it’s all dented and scratched. I think the airline does not take care the luggages even if he always travel in business class.
As a frequent traveler, I take great pleasure using my Louis Vuitton suitcases! That’s how I got into the brand in the first place. However, for luggage I intend to check in, I prefer hard-wearing and no-fuss pieces from Tumi and Victorinox.
Agreed! My large Tumi suitcase is my favorite. Unless you fly private you have zero control over your suitcase, even your carry on, many times the carriers make you check it. I cannot justify the price of designer suitcases when they will end up thrown around by the baggage handlers.
No, I’d never buy designer luggage. I just purchased a beautiful piece of luggage and the airline threw it around and there are dings etc. on it. If they are this rough with less expensive luggage then how will they treat expensive luggage? They don’t care so why waste my money.
I know how this feels like. Im already having a tough time seeing my pink samsonite luggage with scratches. I cant imagine entrusting designer luggage to the airline same as i wont let anyone else hold my designer handbags.
When I travel, I like to stay nondescript and low key. Nothing worse than being targeted and followed. *PTSD* however! I do love admiring people who aren’t afraid to wear their best out!
I’m in the market for a new suitcase, but I doubt I will get a designer one. I’ve seen the way luggage gets treated. No. Thank you. However, I wouldn’t mind having something like a Keepall 45.
Definitely not! I see how awful my brand new luggage looked after just checking my baggage once. Maybe I would consider a carry on in designer, but I absolutely hate putting stuff on the floor on the airplane or even stashing it in the overhead. Planes are gross, and unless you can easily clean and sanitize the luggage, I avoid it.
A handbag you have control over how roughed up it gets, luggage not so much.
I have Tumi for a wheeled carry on and backpack and Samsonite for larger bags.
i saw a lady one time who was literally shoving people out of the way to be the first to get off the plane because her LV carry on was too big to go in the overhead so had to be put in the luggage compartment of the smallish plane.
i don’t ever want to be that fearful my luggage might be stolen.
I may be in the minority here…. I use luxury carry on bags on every trip. I own LV, Prada, Gucci and Bottega Venetta roller bags and love them. For check bags I only use Briggs & Riley. I travel internationally 2-4 times a year and numerous times domestically.
I love my luxury carry ons and they have not let me down yet
Got my LV Damier carry on the first time it came out, until now it’s still in good condition. The only problem i have is that it only has 2 wheels, so it does not rotate. If i need to be fast catching a connecting flight, i use my Red Rimowa.
I too thought about this and made the plunge. I have an LV Damier Pegase and I only use when I feel like there is a very good chance I will carry on (no small planes, check the seat map for how full the flight is, carrier, etc.). The few times they have threatened to check I insist on being able to see if there is room, which there always is. I have never had to check that bag. I have a Damier keepall which works as a personal bag without any issues. I do tend to Uber (vs. use public transportation) when I travel with these pieces unless I know the area. My Tumi is my backup roller that is fine to check if I’m worried. I love all three pieces and think they are definitely worth it!!
I do think it is
I can easily justify spending on my designer bags because I carry them daily (at least until the next acquisition) But I only travel for leisure, not work, so I use luggage 4 to 6 times per year. I can’t see spending on a bag that will spend most of its time in a trunk, overhead compartment, hotel room or storage room. Maybe if I were a celebrity who got photographed while traveling…
I’m an expat who flies intercontinentally at least a couple times a year, so I’ve thought about this a lot… When my big suitcase finally had zipper issues, I went with a (sorta) combo of the above: my checked bag is good, sturdy Samsonite, flexible hard-sided, and in a nice shiny red that’s easy to see on the luggage belt. It also got scratched and scuffed on its first trip through, but that’s ok – it makes it less tempting to others (I keep telling myself that).
My carry-on (also gets checked sometimes) is from a Samsonite x Liberty collaboration. It’s purple and flowery! I’ve never seen anyone else with one, which means I know which one is mine immediately. I didn’t want to splurge on a carry-on wheelie bag because sometimes they do need to be checked and I don’t want designer luggage getting lost or damaged on the way.
For a carry-on/regular bag it’s either a large Liberty tote or a LV tote (zipped). I know these will never get checked, and they take a beating really well. They’re also large enough to hold what I’ll need onboard.
My train trip/long weekend bag is a fuchsia (practically neon) North Face duffle with backpack straps. It’s VERY visible, which helps when your bag is on the luggage rack in the train car and you want to make sure nobody is walking off with it during stops. That’s my only really bold, attention-grabbing bag, but the tradeoff was worth it for peace of mind.
For me it is worth the price! I own Louis Vuitton luggage and a couple of Hermes HAC’s. Most of the time I fly private so, not so much worry of theft or if my luggage is being tossed around. The quality is excellent as some of my luggage is 20 plus years old some wear and tear but, that is normal.
It just all depends on the individual and what his/her needs might be.
I got the Tumi X Missoni small roller bag two years ago just because I thought it was so pretty. I don’t use it very often, only for short trips and when I know I can take it in the cabin. It doesn’t hold enough for me for a long trip and I would never check it anyway. For long trips I have a top of the line black nylon TravelPro bag that has withstood baggage handling abuse on a number of overseas trips in recent years. My husband has the same one, and after a business trip to Asia it looked like it had been dragged behind the plane but cleaned up pretty well.
Even hand luggage can end up in the cargo hull. This is why designer luggage doesn’t make sense for flying unless you have your own plane.
I have a Samsonite large suitcase, a medium soft one from Kipling, a small hard suitcase by Benetton and a small soft one from Eastpak.
They don’t look expensive and this means I don’t have to worry about my luggage looking tempting to thieves, about it making me a target or panicking about scuffs and scratches.
If you want to spend more money on luggage, steel cover Rimowa is the way to go. Those have good solutions inside, the materials are great and they can take pretty much anything any baggage handler and airline can throw at them.