TravelproPlatinum Elite Softside Expandable Luggage with Swivel Wheels

Full Disclosure - I've been a Briggs & Riley (B&R) two-wheel suitcase user for the last 13 years, mostly for business travel with the occasional family vacation thrown in.This was a Christmas present for my wife whose generic two-wheeled carry-on tended to tip over while stationary if not loaded just right. My only previous experience with Travelpro was a wheeled suiter that I think I used for a grand total of two times due to functionality issues (my poor choice vs. any specific issues with Travelpro design or quality).To be clear B&R has been stellar, especially around their no questions asked repair warranty. I've had two different wheeled carry-ons and one 26 inch suitcase restored after airline/airport baggage handling destruction or B&R component failure. My two 28 inch suitcases lasted through several trips to Asia without any issue beyond cosmetic wear. I was willing to pay the price premium for the four current B&R pieces I have so that I didn't have to purchase anything in that size category again unless I wanted some feature/color upgrade - that is still my plan pending my comments below. Besides the price, the only other downside to B&R for me is that their pieces tend to be 1 - 3 lbs heavier than their competitors similarly sized bags which can be an issue, especially in Europe or Australia where the weight rules tend to be strictly enforced.My wife didn't want a new carry-on and the amount of personal travel that we do wouldn't necessarily need the B&R durability that I needed for business travel. Nevertheless I vacillated between B&R and Travelpro domestic 21 inch carry-on spinners based on my previous experience with B&R. What convinced me to go with the Travelpro was:a. The Platinum Elite wheeled luggage now seems to have a comprehensive warranty including airline induced damage as long as you register within the specified time period after purchase.b. The Travelpro weighed 1.5 lbs less than the comparable B&R model.c. The price of the Travelpro was a little over 60% less than the comparable B&R.d. The Travelpro magnetically aligned wheels seemed like they would be a good feature to have if they functioned as advertised.e. Wirecutter selected it as their top carry-on bag in a 2018 review.We just returned from a holiday trip where my wife packed a significant portion of her clothes in the Travelpro and wheeled the bag around the LAX and Seatac airports. This one trip alone is making me seriously think about getting a spinner for myself despite my B&R strategy articulated above. The difference in the effort needed to carry my backpack on her spinner vs. on my 2 wheeled B&R was pretty stark, especially when I projected that onto some of the bigger airports I’ve had to cross to make connecting flights – your arm gets tired with the two wheeled suitcase when the computer backpack resting on it weighs 15 - 20 lbs and you have to walk a considerable distance.Aside from the packing the capacity the magnetically aligned wheels seemed to work well for ease of movement in the crowds, all zippers functioned as they should when the bag was loaded, the adjustable height handle was used at a couple of different settings and she enjoyed the readily accessible outside pocket that easily held her 3 magazines and medium sized book. All in all the initial experience she had with the Travelpro was a good one. We didn’t use the bag in the expanded configuration (B&R has a better system and the Travelpro zipper expansion doesn't look to add much volume) nor the drop-in suiter, I doubt we’ll use the battery side pocket as intended and while having the telescoping handle rails inside the bag vs. outside (again B&R has a better system) is annoying for me personally my wife’s prior bag had the same configuration and she was used to it.I’ll update this when I have any data on durability/reliability or warranty fulfillment (which is why I only gave it 4 stars). I hope this helps people who had the same questions I had when considering Travelpro Platinum vs. B&R and couldn't look at the Travelpro in person..

3 years later and this is still going strong. The wheels are so smooth and I never have any trouble gliding around the airports.The outside pocket fits my laptop and is easy access as I tend to work on the plane. Thoughtful details like the bottom handle to lift is a great feature.The handle has also been solid and I like the different lengths.It took some getting used to with the opening not quite to the edge, but I’ve now learned to stuff things around the edges that allow me to put a lot in the suitcase.Definitely recommend and would buy again

This is a very well made piece of luggage but it is NOT considered carry on in Europe. Currently on a flight to Heathrow with a short layover then on to North America. Forced to check bags, have to pick them up at baggage collection at Heathrow and re-enter the airport rather than passing through as transit passengers. Couldn’t be more bitter right now as will likely miss connection’s.Just to be clear, my bag had approx 1/2 inch empty space at the top with the expansion zipper closed

Travel in style with this bag. It looks and feels like a million bucks. Travels great, shows wear and tear really well. No regrets buying this.The only word of caution...okay two words... 1. If you expand this bag, put laptop in the outside sleeve zipper, it will not stand on it own, it will fall over. ..2. Secondly, if you expand this, you will get flagged by the airline for this not fitting in their carry-on frame. I had to check the bag in at the gate.But overall this is really well made and looks ammmmazing!

I love the brown color on this one - it's very classy. There's lots of room inside, and the wheels seems very durable. I trekked across many blocks of salt-covered Toronto and Montreal sidewalks and streets and I am pleased to report that the bag worked very well. You can tip it and use it on two wheels very easily. I was worried that maybe the little wheels would be bad on the rough surfaces, but they really work just fine so far. Size-wise, I had no trouble with the bag on Air Canada or WestJet, though I did have to gate check it a couple times. I love how smooth the wheels roll. I found myself sort of dribbling the bag left to right in front of me as I walked down one empty corridor. That's about as close to playing hockey as I get! The only negative I can think of is that the wheels can be too smooth for their own good. I actually had to grab the bag a couple times when standing still because the most imperceptible slope of the floor will cause it to start rolling away. Once I was really caught by surprise when standing in line at a ticket counter because the bag just wandered off on its own! It was a little spooky. I don't think it's actually haunted, though. I think it just has good ball bearings. For CAD$200, I'm very pleased.