I am looking to buy new carry on luggage (21") that is lightweight and is roomy, and was considering getting one with spinners. Do the spinner wheels add alot of weight to the luggage, and is it really worth getting? Is there any particular one that is recommended? I was looking at Samsonite.
I'd go to less than 21". Preferably overall measure less than 20". The next carry-on restriction will certainly come and it will make things even stricter for sure.
Wheels may easily push it over the 20" limit or even the 21" limit. They also take space away. At that point the bag will have so little volume that you cannot really fill it up to make it so heavy that it would require wheels. On the other hand wheels add weight. If you get rid of the wheels, the bag might be so lightweight that you can actually carry it and don't even need wheels.
The rule of thumb for what you can comfortably carry is 10% of your body weight. That works pretty well. I weigh 73-74kg and I can carry 7-10kg easily. Over 10 it starts to get cumbersome.
If you use the roller bag to actually carry (piggy back) a second bag like a laptop bag, then it starts to become justifiable.
Still, spinners are fantastic for big heavy suitcases. For a carry-on they are overkill in the sense I explained above (reduced volume, added weight, more fragile). Most spinners also don't have outer pockets. But these pockets are highly desirable in a carry-on.
In a word, a small spinner is aberrant. Sorry.
If you absolutely need wheels, go for a lightweight two-wheeler. Check the "lightest bag" thread on FT.
Don't get me wrong, I totally dig my 32" Rimowa jumbo trolley. I can load that thing up with 70lb or more and maneuver it with two fingers on a smooth airport floor and with one hand on pavement. For a small case four wheels are just not needed.
If you do still want a small spinner the Rimowa polycarbonate ones are highly recommended and are among the rare ones that do have outside pockets. Not cheap, though. About twice what Samsonite would cost.
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To the original poster, please note that I do not own a spinner. I was looking into them when I needed a new bag a couple of years ago, and decided against it. Two reasons for going away from a spinner. One was due to the loss of carry volume.
The second - I couldn't convince myself that these four wheels hanging off into space would survive for a very long time. If the only place I ever rolled my bag was the airport, then I might think differently. But the reality is the bag gets rolled in the parking garage, down city sidewalks, through rain, snow, grass - basically anywhere I walk. I had a bag once where I took it through a snowy day, the wheels got fouled with salted snow, and never worked well again. With a spinner, there seems to be four opportunities for a failed wheel, any one of which renders the bag useless (at least, as a spinner).
No matter how much you spend, those wheels will be the weak link of the bag. Even if you buy an expensive bag, are the wheels for it manufactured in the same Chinese factory as the wheels on the Costco bag?
It sounded good, but I checked this one out at Kohl's and it seemed kind of heavy. I guess the 4 wheels add to the weight and I think it seems it also takes away from some of the space inside. So maybe I'm better off without the extra wheels, although it seems like a nice feature. I guess it is a trade off between a spinner and weight/space. Maybe for a small carryon it is not that important to have spinning wheels? Thanks everyone for the advice, and if anyone has any more suggestions it would be appreciated.
I have Spinner luggage from Samsonite but will only buy it for checked luggage. The reason being the 4 wheels make lugging large and heavy luggage easier.
For a carry-on, it's so light that you really won't be using those 4 wheels at all.
I 2nd the suggestion for sub-20". If you want a carry-on that's guaranteed to pass all carry-on requirements, including LHR, that's what you should get.
For what it's worth, I have a spinner carry on bag that I use in combo with a laptop backpack. I can't find a link to the exact one, but it is a Samsonite brand. Here are some thoughts of mine:
1) It is smaller in capacity than my 2 wheel carry on; however it's still large enough for me to get everything I need for a M-F trip in it (plus my laptop backpack). For 1-2 day trips I can still fit an extra pair of shoes, for longer trips I forgo the extra shoes to fit more clothes inside.
2) I used to use a shoulder bag and a 2 wheel carry on and I found that the constant strain on my shoulder (whether from the shoulder strap of the laptop bag, or on my arm from the roller bag with laptop bag stacked) started to bother me. Since I don't check bags, I was carrying these with me everywhere. Switching to the backpack (weight well distributed) and the spinner solved that problem for me. Plus, it's quicker (going up stairs/escalators, and not having to un-stack and re-stack).
3) I have had no problems with durability, but I've only had it about 6 months. I do have to gate check it quite a bit.
4) When going through a crowd, into/out of bathrooms, restaurants, etc. the spinner is nice. It's easy to get through tight areas when you can navigate the bag in front of you.
5) The 4 wheels do make it interesting when going into bins on some aircraft. Sometimes it is just too long to fit wheels in. I find it fits better wheels out, but some planes it simply has to go sideways or not at all.
6) The weight doesn't matter to me because I'm not dragging it. The weight is supported by the 4 wheels 90% of the time. If I were a small person or slight build, I might care for a lighter bag, but I have no problems lifting it to get into bins, etc.
7) I actually do like having the spinning wheels for a carryon, simply because I rarely/never check a bag - so why would I pay extra for spinner wheels on a large bag that I would use maybe once a year? The spinner wheels are convenient and add mobility, which is what I want in a bag I'm carrying everywhere with me (less so in a bag that I'm checking to my final destination). Also, not sure how well the wheels would hold up on a checked luggage bag that gets heavy use.
7) I actually do like having the spinning wheels for a carryon, simply because I rarely/never check a bag - so why would I pay extra for spinner wheels on a large bag that I would use maybe once a year? The spinner wheels are convenient and add mobility, which is what I want in a bag I'm carrying everywhere with me (less so in a bag that I'm checking to my final destination). Also, not sure how well the wheels would hold up on a checked luggage bag that gets heavy use.
Very good argument and a valid way of seeing things. I guess this is one of the cases where both sides are true and viable. It shows that bag choice depends a lot on individual preference, circumstances and how and what you pack. I really think that most people get frustrated with their bags because they don't think analytically enough to find the right bag for their needs. OTOH, most people just don't give a dime and only want to get stuff from A to B on rare occasions.
I've been using a Heys carry-on spinner for about a year now and love it. Super light and maneuverable, it makes a huge difference on your back/shoulders to be able to push it along side you on those long terminal treks rather than dragging it behind you.
Two caveats: Carpeting makes it harder to roll beside me, in that case I drag it behind like a regular wheeled case. Also, the lack of handles on the side or bottom can make it challenging to fish out of the overhead at the end of the flight (I'm only 5'1"). Other than those two things, I highly recommend it.
I have both a 4 wheel samsonite spinner carry onand a more stylish 2-wheel carryon. I'm always torn as to which to take with me, but it usually comes down to:
Spinner wins: when I'm bringing another smaller bag (having the 2nd bag also leaning on your pull handle just creates more weight/strain) and will be hauling the bag for quite a distance upon arrival, or through a connection or two. I looove the ease of the spinner in the airport (esp in the bathrooms)
2 wheel case wins - when I'm on direct flights and only hauling it to/from a car and lightness & style win over ease of movement.
Hi,
I bought this set specifically for a three week trip to England and Ireland. I wasn't sure how they would hold up - especially having to deal with trains, planes and automobiles, not to mention security screening and generally being thrown around. They were fabulous! The rolling wheels are smooth and make moving them easy, even when the large one was packed to 50lb capacity. I had no problems with them at all - I've lost handles, wheels and locks in the past, but not this time! They came back looking as beautiful as when they left. A+
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I have a suitcase with 2 wheels and one with spinners. Love my four wheels. No more catching on stuff or people. They are not the best on carpet though, but I think it is really the one I have. I have taken both of these on the same style of planes (not at the exact same size). They take up the same space and take the same beating.
You got it! Just as I said.
What about Walkin'Bag??
