10 Dumb Luggage Features That Drive Travelers CRAZY

Summary

This video highlights 10 essential carry-on luggage features to avoid, focusing on common issues like faulty wheels, poor telescoping handles, and unbalanced designs that make travel frustrating. It also discusses beneficial features, including smooth Hinomoto wheels, reliable YKK zippers, and sturdy side handles. The speaker stresses the importance of choosing well-constructed bags with good warranties, suggesting the ideal price range is $150 to $300. He warns against bags that are too heavy or easily show wear and tear, and offers tips for selecting the best hard- or soft-sided luggage.

Takeaways

• 😀 Wheels are crucial: Opt for 360° spinning luggage with eight wheels to avoid issues like unstable or noisy movement.
• 🔧 Bad telescoping handles are frustrating: Look for sturdy, stable handles with multiple height stops and ergonomic designs.
• 🧳 Organization is key: Choose luggage with dividers, compression straps, and pockets for better organization, but avoid excessive compartments that waste space.
• 📎 Quick access is essential: A front pocket is handy for easy access, especially for frequent travelers using one bag.
• 👋 A side handle is useful: It's helpful when retrieving your bag from overhead bins or climbing stairs, so prioritize luggage with this feature.
• 🚪 Zippers matter: Opt for reliable YKK zippers or latches for clamshell bags to avoid snagging or water leakage.
• ⚖️ Balance is vital: A well-balanced bag stands upright and doesn't tip easily when packed, which prevents hassle during transit.
• 🛠️ Durability over looks: Hard-sided bags, especially aluminum, may look nice but show wear quickly, while soft-sided bags hide wear better.
• 📏 Size matters: Make sure to check external dimensions, including wheels and handles, to meet carry-on requirements and avoid oversized luggage.
• 💰 Warranty is important: Invest in luggage with a good warranty covering functional damage to avoid frequent replacements, and be wary of return policies that only apply if unused.

Q & A

What is one of the most frustrating luggage features for travelers?

A set of wheels that don't work properly is one of the most frustrating features. It can make the luggage feel worthless, much like getting a grocery cart with a bad wheel.

What is recommended for 360° spinning luggage in terms of wheel design?

It is recommended to choose cases with eight wheels, where each mechanism has two wheels. This provides better stability and ensures smoother movement compared to four-wheel designs.

What kind of luggage handles should travelers avoid?

Travelers should avoid telescoping handles that are flimsy, rickety, or lack side-to-side stability. A stable, sturdy handle with multiple height adjustments is ideal.

Why is the number of height stops important in a telescoping handle?

Having multiple height stops is important to accommodate travelers of different heights. Cheaper luggage often has only one or two stops, which can be inconvenient for people who are shorter or taller.

What should you look for in terms of luggage organization?

Luggage should have useful organizational features, such as dividers, compression straps, and small pockets. However, too many compartments can waste space, so avoid bags with unnecessary built-in features.

What feature can help prevent frustration when accessing items during travel?

A front or quick-access pocket can prevent frustration when trying to retrieve small items like headphones, especially in hard-shell or carry-on bags.

Why is a side handle a useful luggage feature?

A side handle is helpful when lifting the bag from overhead bins or while climbing stairs. It should be sturdy and easy to grip.

What type of zippers should travelers look for in luggage?

Travelers should look for YKK zippers, known for their reliability. Avoid recessed zippers, as they can be less secure and more prone to snagging.

What is the benefit of choosing polycarbonate or polypropylene for hard-sided luggage?

Polycarbonate and polypropylene materials are durable and more resistant to wear and tear than ABS plastic, which is prone to cracking.

What price range offers good value for carry-on luggage?

The ideal price range for carry-on luggage is typically between $150 and $300. Spending more than this often means you're paying for the brand name, while in this range, you can still get a good warranty and durable features.

Outlines

00:00

🧳 Avoiding Travel Luggage Headaches: Key Features to Watch Out For

In this introductory section, the speaker talks about the overwhelming options in the luggage market and the potential of wasting money on poor-quality luggage. The speaker, an experienced traveler, aims to help viewers by highlighting 10 critical luggage features that can ruin your travel experience. Starting with the importance of good wheels, the speaker advises opting for luggage with eight wheels instead of four to prevent issues like those encountered with faulty grocery cart wheels. Quiet, smooth-rolling wheels are essential, with brands like Level 8, Monos, and Hinamoto noted for high-quality wheels. Additional features such as a wheel lock for inclines are recommended.

05:01

📏 Telescoping Handle: A Crucial Feature to Test

This section emphasizes the importance of a sturdy telescoping handle in carry-on luggage. The speaker advises against flimsy, shaky handles that detract from the overall functionality of the bag. Instead, a well-constructed, stable handle with multiple height stops is preferable, especially for travelers of different heights. The speaker also discusses ergonomics, highlighting that wide handles can be problematic when used with a trolley sleeve. The Monos telescoping handle design, with angled tubing for stability and a comfortable grip, is praised for its functionality and comfort.

📦 Organization and Compartmentalization in Luggage

This paragraph discusses the importance of compartmentalization in luggage, particularly for hard-sided clamshell designs. Features like compression straps, dividers, and small pockets help organize contents, with brands like Monos, Away, and Gly being good examples. However, the speaker warns against bags that offer too many compartments or built-in pouches, which can waste space. The speaker mentions specific designs, like built-in shoe or toiletry pouches, that may not be practical for every traveler, and suggests focusing on more versatile organizational features.

🎒 Quick-Access Pockets: Essential for Smooth Travel

The speaker explains the benefits of having a front or quick-access pocket in luggage, especially for one-bag travelers who need quick access to items like headphones. Hard-sided bags often lack this feature, making soft-sided bags more suitable in this regard. However, some hard-shell models, like the Monos Carry-On Pro and Level 8 Road Runner, do come with front pockets. For travelers using both a carry-on and a personal item, a quick-access pocket is less critical, but still a valuable feature.

🖐️ The Convenience of Side Handles

Side handles are highlighted as a practical feature that many travelers overlook. They are useful for retrieving luggage from overhead bins or carrying bags up stairs. The speaker recommends sturdy, easy-to-grip side handles, and mentions the SoulGuard Carry-On, which includes a slow-close feature for added convenience. This section also hints at how manufacturers reduce weight by eliminating side handles, which may compromise ease of use.

🔒 Zippers and Latches: Security and Functionality

This section advises travelers to prioritize luggage with reliable zippers, especially YKK zippers, known for their durability. Clamshell bags should have flush seams for better water resistance, while bags with latches instead of zippers provide added theft protection. The speaker highlights that some brands, such as SoulGuard and Monos, use latches to enhance security. Travelers are also warned to avoid bags with poor weight distribution, which can cause the luggage to topple over when packed.

🛠️ Durability: Balancing Aesthetics and Function

The speaker addresses the common problem of luggage showing signs of wear and tear after just a few trips, despite being aesthetically pleasing. They highlight that aluminum bags, while durable, tend to show scratches easily. Soft-sided luggage tends to hide damage better, while polycarbonate or polypropylene hard-sided bags are more durable than ABS plastic, which is prone to cracking. The speaker suggests focusing on durability over appearance when choosing luggage.

📏 Luggage Size and Weight: Avoiding Oversized Bags

In this section, the speaker warns travelers to pay attention to luggage dimensions, including wheels and handles, to ensure the bag meets carry-on size restrictions. In regions like Europe, Asia, and Australia, weight restrictions are also stricter, so it's important to choose a lightweight suitcase. Many companies may only advertise internal dimensions, which can be misleading. The speaker also advises investing in luggage with a warranty, as good quality bags typically fall within the $150-$300 price range, providing a balance between cost and durability.

📦 Choosing Luggage Wisely: Final Thoughts

The speaker wraps up by encouraging viewers to be mindful of warranties when purchasing luggage. Many companies offer 100-day return policies, but these often don't apply if the bag has been used. The speaker stresses the importance of reading the fine print and investing in luggage that provides coverage for functional damages. Finally, links to the speaker's recommended bags and videos for both hard-sided and soft-sided luggage reviews are provided, and viewers are invited to subscribe for more in-depth content.

Keywords

💡Carry-on luggage

Carry-on luggage refers to a small suitcase or bag that fits airline size restrictions for cabin storage. In the video, the narrator discusses how to select the right carry-on luggage, focusing on features that enhance convenience during travel, like sturdy wheels, telescoping handles, and effective organization.

💡360° spinning wheels

These are wheels that rotate in all directions, offering better maneuverability for travelers. The video recommends choosing luggage with 8 wheels (four sets of two) for smoother movement and fewer issues with wheel malfunctions. It also highlights how bad wheels can ruin the travel experience, akin to grocery carts with broken wheels.

💡Telescoping handle

A telescoping handle is an extendable handle that allows travelers to pull or push their luggage. The video emphasizes the importance of choosing a bag with a sturdy, ergonomic telescoping handle that has multiple height adjustments. Weak or flimsy handles can affect both comfort and usability, especially during long walks or handling on stairs.

💡Quick-access pocket

A quick-access pocket is a small, easily reachable compartment on luggage, often used for storing essential items like headphones, passports, or tickets. The video mentions that bags with these pockets are particularly useful for travelers who want to avoid digging through their suitcase in public spaces like airports.

💡Compression straps

Compression straps are straps inside the suitcase that help secure and compress the contents to save space. In the video, these are described as beneficial for organizing and keeping items in place, especially in hard-sided clamshell bags. Luggage brands like Monos are highlighted for offering good organizational features, including compression straps.

💡Soft-sided vs hard-sided luggage

This refers to the material of the luggage, where soft-sided is made of flexible fabric, and hard-sided is made of rigid material like polycarbonate. The video explains that soft-sided luggage is more resistant to showing wear and tear, while hard-sided luggage, although more durable, is prone to visible scratches and scuffs after a few trips.

💡Zippers vs latches

Zippers are common closures for luggage, while latches are a sturdier, often more theft-resistant option. The video warns against flimsy zippers and recommends YKK zippers for their reliability. Some brands, like Monos and Solgaard, offer latch systems as an alternative to zippers, which can provide a more secure seal and durability.

💡Weight distribution

Weight distribution refers to how evenly weight is spread across the luggage. Poor weight distribution can cause the suitcase to topple when packed. The video highlights that a well-balanced suitcase will stand upright even when full, which is essential for ease of movement in crowded areas like airports.

💡Warranty

A warranty is a guarantee provided by the manufacturer covering defects in the product. The video stresses the importance of purchasing luggage with a good warranty that covers key parts like the wheels, zippers, and handles. Without a warranty, travelers might have to replace their luggage frequently, costing them more in the long run.

💡Organizational features

These refer to the internal compartments and design elements that help travelers organize their belongings. The video advises against bags with excessive, space-consuming pockets and features that might not be useful to everyone. Instead, it suggests finding a balance, with functional elements like dividers, compression straps, and small pockets that help keep contents organized.

Highlights

360° spinning luggage with eight wheels offers superior stability and smooth movement compared to four wheels.

Opt for quiet and smooth wheels like those found in Level 8 cases, Monos, or any luggage with Hinamoto wheels.

A good telescoping handle should have multiple height adjustments (3-4 stops) and avoid side-to-side shake.

Ergonomics matter: look for comfortable grips and avoid wide handles if you plan to use a personal item bag with a trolley sleeve.

Avoid bags with poor organization; dividers, compression straps, and small pockets like those in Monos and Away are key.

Avoid excess pockets that consume space unnecessarily, such as built-in shoe or toiletry pouches that may not be removable.

Quick-access front pockets are a must, especially for frequent travelers who need easy access to items like headphones.

A side handle is crucial for easily lifting the bag from overhead bins or stairs, with some brands offering innovative slow-close handles.

Look for reliable zippers, such as YKK zippers, and avoid recessed zippers which are prone to snagging or damage.

Poorly balanced luggage can topple easily, making it a hassle to manage. Choose well-balanced bags that stand upright even when fully packed.

Aluminum bags may seem durable but are prone to looking worn and scratched after just a few trips. Polycarbonate and polypropylene are better alternatives for hard-sided luggage.

Soft-sided bags hide wear and tear better and tend to look newer longer than hard-sided luggage.

Check external dimensions, including wheels and handles, to ensure your luggage meets airline carry-on requirements, especially in Europe, Asia, and Australia.

Investing in luggage within the $150-$300 range usually provides the best balance of quality and warranty coverage, avoiding the need for frequent replacements.

Warranties are important; focus on those covering functional damage to wheels, zippers, and handles, as some 'return policies' only apply if the bag hasn't been used.

Transcripts

if you find yourself in the market for a

piece of carry-on luggage you've

probably noticed there's an insane

amount of options out there you may have

also noticed that luggage isn't cheap

and the last thing you want to do is

waste your hard-earned money on a piece

of crap as a guy who's traveled a lot

and now tested and reviewed a lot of

carry-on luggage today I want to share

with you 10 luggage features that will

drive you absolutely crazy while

traveling I'll show you things that you

want to avoid wasting your money on and

also some positive features that in my

opinion you will not regret investing in

let's get into it one thing that can

make your luggage feel completely

worthless is a set of wheels that don't

work don't you just love getting that

cart at the grocery store with the one

wheel that has something wrong with it

no nobody does and you don't want

luggage that's going to have wheels like

that either if you're going with 360°

spinning luggage I highly recommend

cases that have eight wheels it looks

like they have four but it's four sets

of Wheels with each mechanism having two

wheels if there's just four wheels and

one goes out it's going to be like

having that cart at the grocery store

you should opt for wheels that are quiet

and smooth some of the smoothest wheels

that I've ever felt are on level eight

cases monos and any bag that features

hinamoto Wheels I recently reviewed the

air carryon and although that bag

totally has some issues in my opinion

its Wheels were some of the smoothest

I've ever felt it also had a wheel lock

where you can engage a brake mechanism

so if you're on a moving train or even

on an incline your bag is not going

anywhere this is one feature that I

really hope we begin to see on more bags

another luggage feature that will drive

you absolutely nuts is a bad telescoping

handle this is one of the first things

that I always test on a piece of

carry-on luggage there's a lot of ways

this can go wrong some issues are

comfort and ergonomics oriented others

are related to the bag's functionality

in general what you don't want is a

flimsy rickety handle with a lot of side

to side Shake you want a stable sturdy

telescoping handle that feels very

connected to the bag you also want your

telescoping handle to have enough stops

for height adjustments cheaper luggage

often only has one or two stops which is

inconvenient if you're shorter than 6'2

and taller than 4 fo8 for anyone using

the metric system that means really tall

or really short ideally find handles

with three or four stops you don't want

the grip on the telescoping handle to be

in uncomfortable shape if you're pushing

or pulling this bag over a great

distance on cobblestones Etc you want it

to be comfortable also I'd avoid handles

that are too wide especially if you plan

on traveling with a personal item

backpack that has a trolley sleeve if

the handle is too wide like wider than 6

in not all personal item bags are going

to fit in my opinion monos really shines

in the telescoping handle Department the

design is unique the tubing of the poles

is set at opposing 45° angles which

makes them sturdy and it minimizes side

to side shape

the grip is comfy and personally I like

that the button is on the underside

which makes it more ergonomic avoid bags

that give you zero options for

organization or

compartmentalization for hard-sided

clamshell bags look for dividers for

both sides that give you a way to keep

the contents of each side secure

compression straps and small pockets are

common in Brands like monos gly and Away

hidden pockets are a nice touch as well

for instance in the airbag that I

mentioned second ago it had a hidden

Pocket for an Apple Air tag but there

can be too much of a good thing way too

much I would avoid bags that eat up too

much precious space with extra pockets

and compartments that you don't plan on

using example built-in shoe pouches

example built-in toiletry pouches some

of these things could be removable but

you want to know that they are before

you pull the trigger you know what's

never fun having to dig through your

suitcase and the middle of the airport

or even worse in the middle of your

flight just for something simple like a

set of headphones for this reason it's

nice to have a bag with a front pocket

or a quick access pocket now if you're a

onebag traveler your main bag better

have a quick access pocket if you're

more of a two bag traveler AKA a

carry-on and a personal item you can

kind of get away without this feature

because you've got that personal item

bag most softsided bags come with a

front pocket and they have an upper

small pocket for these quick access

items

this is where hard shell bags typically

fall flat unless you are specifically

seeking out models with that feature

couple bags with the front pocket are

the monos carryon Pro or the level eight

Road Runner the next Super annoying

feature is not having a side handle

earlier this year I reviewed several of

the lightest carry-ons on the market and

while many great bags were featured in

that video I realized one of the ways

that these manufacturers shed weight was

by omitting side handles by the way if

you like videos like that subscribe to

this channel because there are many more

coming now personally I really like

having a side handle it's useful when

you're getting your bag from the

overhead bin your climbing stairs Etc

and what you want to look for is a

sturdy side handle that's easy to slide

your hand under there's a lot of good

options out there uh one really cool

option is the soul guard carryon where

the side handle has a slow close feature

let's talk about zippers flimsy

unreliable zippers and zippers that snag

are a huge pain look for bags with YKK

zippers which are known for their

reliability and if you're looking at

clamshell bags try to find ones that

aren't recessed I like ones that have

edgo Edge seaming that creates a much

more flush and watertight seal another

option is using bags with no zippers at

all opting instead for latches which can

be more theft deterrent for example

Soulard uses latches instead some of the

monos models use latches instead avoid

bags that aren't well balanced a poorly

balanced bag top topples easily when

fully packed and I see this issue

commonly with four-wheeled softsided

bags the weight distribution is kind of

like a dude with a beer gut in the same

vein some bags have awkward handle

placements which causes them to lean

heavily when you pick them up this makes

them a hassle to carry and it can be

quite annoying when you're rushing

through the airport a well-balanced bag

is going to stand upright and remain

steady even when it's fully packed hey

that's a nice looking suitcase you got

there

sure would be a shame if you spent $900

on it because you like the way it looks

and then it shows wear and tear after

one trip looking practically like it's

20 years old after a single use yeah

sure would be a shame this happens all

the time unfortunately for example

aluminum bags are very nice the idea of

aluminum bags is great because they're

durable right they are very durable but

if you're specifically buying this bag

because you think it looks pretty pick

something else because after one or two

trips it's going to look very beat up

soft-sided bags tend to hide wear and

tear the best and personally I find that

while in general hard-sided luggage is

more aesthetic it's also more prone to

showing scratches and scuffs if you're

focused on a hard-sided bag go with

polycarbonate or polypropylene but I'd

avoid bags made out of ABS because they

are prone to cracking buying luggage

that's too big and too heavy is another

commonly overlooked issue and you might

be thinking Nick duh but listen many

companies when they Market these bags

are sharing the internal Dimensions or

the dimensions without the wheels and

handles on bags that they name something

like the carry-on when it's definitely

bigger than carry-on size what you want

to look for is the external Dimensions

including wheels and handles to ensure

that your bag meets carryon requirements

in Europe Asia and Australia weight is a

major factor for carry-ons and you don't

want most of the weight taken up by your

empty suitcase something I see commonly

is people wasting their money on cheap

luggage that doesn't have a warranty and

then having to turn around a year or two

later to buy another bag because that

one broke to an extent you pay for what

you get with luggage Good carry on

luggage isn't cheap and in my opinion

The Sweet Spot really seems to be in

that $150 to $300 range most of the time

if you're spending more than that you're

really just paying for the brand name

but in that $150 to $300 range you can

get a great warranty covering functional

damage to the Shell the wheels the

zippers and the handles and just a note

the warranty is way different from that

100 day return policy you might see some

companies marketing that 100 day return

policy often applies only if you haven't

actually used the bag so make sure you

read the fine print so you know exactly

what is covered if you want to know some

of my top recommended bags I've linked

several options below if you're in the

market for a hard-sided bag and you want

a deep Di dive on several different

models check out this video and if

you're looking for something similar for

softsided bags check out this one

finally if you want in-depth luggage

reviews and no BS buyers guides be sure

to subscribe to this channel because

we've got a lot of good stuff coming out

thanks for watching happy travels