Buying a new set of luggage, or just a few individual pieces here and there, can really start to add up in price so it’s important to ensure that you’re getting a good deal. By doing your research ahead of time, you can not only avoid paying too much, but you can also do as much as possible to prevent your luggage from breaking apart and spilling all of your items out – not what you want when you’re traveling. Keep reading for some tips on how to buy your luggage.
What Do You Need It For?
This is one of the most important questions to ask yourself before making a purchase. The luggage that you buy will hopefully be with you for many years to come, so consider what you will be using it for most often. Do you travel within the country a lot for work? Will you be making a lot of overseas trips? How much gear do you really need to take, and could you cut back on what you carry?
If you are looking for carry-on bags, consider something like a messenger bag, a soft case travel duffel, or even a regular backpack. These types of bags are much easier to squeeze into the space available for carry-on storage and will help you to stay under the weight and size limits of the major airlines.
When looking for larger luggage for your clothes and other items consider the size, weight, and material that they are made from. As with carry-on luggage, you are also restricted by how much weight your hold luggage is allowed to be. For this reason, it is important to check how much the luggage weighs while empty, and take that into account before you buy. For example, if you are taking a short trip and are only allowed 20kg, some of the luggage on offer will take up a big chunk of that weight even before you put anything in it.
Check the Warranty
If you have already started to shop around and look at prices you may have been surprised to see just how much it can cost, so for these prices, you will want to know you are covered by warranty for a reasonable amount of time. Some pieces of luggage will offer a few years of warranty, and some even cover you for a lifetime, but either way, you should check the fine print for any restrictions.
Your Kids Need Bags
Don’t be tempted into thinking that you will be able to just stuff all of your child’s things into your own luggage. Kids need a lot of stuff during a trip, including toys, clothes, and other things to keep them entertained, so it is almost always better to get them their own bags. If you are buying a whole new set of luggage for yourself, keep an eye out for ones that include kids’ luggage in the price because you will generally save a lot of money this way.
Buying Online
As with most things these days, it is almost always cheaper to buy online. This is due to many reasons such as the fact that an online luggage shop doesn’t need to pay the same overheads as a brick and mortar store so can pass the cost saving to the consumer, and also because it is much easier to shop around and compare prices when they are all just a click away instead of driving around to various shops.
Buying luggage is a big deal for most people, and it’s something that you shouldn’t need to do very often. So make sure you do your homework ahead of time, know what you want and what you want it to do, and follow the other tips here to help you on your way.