Received BR luggage earlier this week and have been pleasantly surprised that my new global carryon duo (12.8 lbs) is a full 4 lbs lighter than my old Tumi pair (16.8 lbs)

The Switch: FROM Tumi large expandable leather computer brief (6.4 lbs) & 22” expandable rolling carryon (10.4 lbs) TO Briggs & Riley rolling brief VBR412X (7lbs) & Suiter unwheeled carryon 235X (5.8 lbs)

Initial Impressions: Better than anticipated; will be testing it domestically & internationally during next 2-3 weeks for 20,000+ BIS miles trip

BR Bag I - VBR412X - Verb expandable rolling brief weighs 6.8 lbs w/o strap & 7 lbs w/ strap

PROS:
1. After flying well over 1 million BIS miles throughout the globe, my “#1 Travel Complain” should now be solved: Absolutely no more shoulder /back lugging of a heavy briefcase whilst traversing long corridors at large airports, i.e., at LHR T5, I was always forced to check-in the 22” Tumi rolling carryon and lug the heavy Tumi briefcase on my shoulder; same shoulder-free benefit will also apply for my hotel/office daily commute
2. Hassle-free, iron-clad Lifetime warranty (even if airlines fault)
3. Lightest (7 lbs) rolling brief in its class (Lifetime warranty , high quality, smart design); surprisingly this wheeled bag only weighs roughly half a pound more than the Tumi unwheeled briefcase that it’s replacing
4. Linear inches when not expanded is 35” and 37” when expanded (AA official definition of personal item is 36 linear or less)
5. Surprisingly roomy for a compact looking piece; the expandable 2” section allows me to carry comparable volume to my old larger Tumi briefcase (this had been a major concern of mine, but it turned out to be a non-issue as I was able to fit everything I needed)
6. Very well designed for a global road warrior needing to carry 15” laptop or smaller, gadgets, business files, easy access exterior pockets, etc.
7. Value purchase when compared to similar Tumi models costing nearly twice as much, heavier & no lifetime warranty
8. Shoulder strap helps make the bag highly versatile for commutes involving stairs, cobble stone or crowded metro stations
9. Elegant look suitable for most global business travel

CONS:
1. Can be pricey for someone who does not travel / use enough to justify the $297 price tag
2. Stylish orange thread/zippers makes the bag call too much attention to itself, thus, prone to theft (If BR had a non-orange trim version, it would have been perfect for global travel)
3. Might not be suitable for global travel in some countries, where one already calls enough attention in a business suit, let alone with an obvious “upscale” looking briefcase (BTW, is anyone aware of a place to purchase a generic elastic plain black cover that would double as a “rain cover” for this bag? – this would make the VBR412X more global proof for those places where theft maybe rampant)

BR Bag II – BR 235X - Baseline Suiter Tote carryon weighs 5.2 lbs w/o strap + suiter & 5.8 lbs with

PROS:
1. Hassle-free, iron-clad Lifetime warranty (even if airlines fault)
2. Meets both domestic/international carryon guidelines as it measures 43.3” linear inches when not expanded and 45.3” when expanded (AA official carryon definition of “… 45” linear or less with each dimension no larger than 22 in long, 18 in wide, and 10 in height…”; London Heathrow official cabin baggage is almost identical and described as “….must be no larger than 22” tall, 17.7” wide, and 10” deep…”)
3. Surprisingly roomy for a compact looking piece; still need to confirm that expandable 2” section would allow me to carry comparable volume to my old larger Tumi 22” rolling bag
4. Appears to be very well designed for a global road warrior needing to carry 2 business suits, long sleeve shirts, etc . (have yet to pack bag and confirm initial observations)
5. Value purchase (on sale @ $157) when compared to similar premium brands costing nearly twice as much & no lifetime warranty
6. Shoulder strap helps make the bag highly versatile for commutes involving stairs, cobble stone or crowded metro stations
7. Elegant, “understated look” is ideally suited for global business travel; does not call attention to itself (can be worn with long plain sleeve to the outside, where no labels are shown; it seems like it can fly “under the radar” in terms of appearing less prone to theft
8. Can be easily carried on top of a rolling brief bag horizontally via the slip through sleeve, as well as, vertically by attaching the magnetic handle to the rolling bag handle (this allows for a smaller footprint when traversing the narrow 17” economy class corridor or when in crowded places; additionally, it does not tip over even when standing vertically on top of the rolling brief case)

CONS:
1. Can be pricey for someone who does not travel / use enough to justify the $157 price tag
2. At 5.8 lbs, it’s certainly not the lightest carryon, but that becomes a non-issue if it’s paired with a rolling briefcase

(BTW, all weights were obtained from my Tanita digital scale which rounds to nearest .2 lbs)

While I have already fully packed my VBR412X rolling brief, I have yet to pack the 235X to be able to make any further comments. Besides, I’ll have to go back and review Till’s “Best Practices” on packing this particular bag. If memory serves me right, I should be packing my 2 suits (jacket + pants) in the suiter compartment and my 4 long sleeve shirts in the side mesh compartment??? and everything else in the middle??? including shoes?? Thanks to Till and everyone else in this thread that helped me through the buying process. It turned out to be relatively quick and efficient; which is how I like to do things.