Before this review, I want to tell you just a little about me so understand my experience level/preferences. Reviews are always affected by traveler preferences and may have nothing to do with the luggage itself. For example, one person likes two wheels, one likes spinners, one likes hard side, one likes nylon, another likes hybrids. Some like tons of pockets some like simple, open boxes.

I'm an experienced traveler and I tend to favor a minimalist design. For example, perhaps my favorite rollaboard was the Original Crew Series (no number) by TravelPro. It was a simple box with a zip-in-the-lid suitfolder, a slash pocket on the front and a small, flapped boarding pass pocket and an expandable pocket between the handles in the back which was perfect for a book. So far, I've hated all the expandable multi-pocket stuff that's become the norm. Heavy and the pockets reduce usable space. Plus I'm not a one-bagger, I always have my Tumi laptop bag, so organizationally I don't need the pockets.

Although the bag I am about to review is only $50 I am not always looking for budget luggage. I have a Mulholland latigo brief bag I got 20 years ago for about $425, the equivalent of $600-700 in today's dollars. I currently use a Tumi Alpha expandable computer brief as it better suits my needs these days. I have Briggs & Riley Baseline simple box rollaboard (about a 7-8 year old design) that also was a simple box, suit folder fits in lid, slash pocket. For me it's not about the money or the brand recognition, but functionality and value. Period. I don't give a hoot whether it's Tumi, B&R, Samsonite, or eBags brand, it has to work, and I am not out to impress anyone. I'll come back to this after the review.

Link to luggage: http://www.costco.com/Ricardo-of-Bev...100083302.html

$50 If you are not a Costco member the Ricardo Sunset Boulevard is practical identical, available from Amazon for $102 Here:

http://www.amazon.com/Ricardo-Beverl.../dp/B00DSYD6ZG

So let's call this a $100 bag for comparative purposes, Costco pricing is just a bonus. Here are some pics. Note: It comes in Slate, Blue & Red, they are the same





Here is the review I posted at the Costco website.

While I like just about everything about this bag, I think what I like most is the divided packing compartment where my suit goes. You can pack without putting a lot of pressure on your suit, which is key. On my first trip with this, a two-city, week-long affair, my suit always looked great coming out of the suitcase and perfect after hanging in the bathroom while I showered. An added bonus was I put product literature in between the halves and lessened the weight in the briefcase.

Now about economics (which I am trained in and what influences my thinking), I sincerely believe the value proposition in this case is hard to beat. Yes, yes, I know 'you get what you pay for' has an element of truth in it, but a LOT of what you are paying for is brand recognition. With traditional nylon rolling luggage, you can get real junk, to be sure, but from a decent maker like Samsonite to a Tumi, the law of diminishing returns sets in with a vengeance. I think from Briggs & Riley to Tumi pricing it become vanishing marginal returns. But I will acknowledge that the range of quality in nylon luggage, is pretty wide.

On the other hand, with these new polycarbonate shell cases, the range of differences narrows a lot. I mean luggage 'makers' are pretty much assemblers, using similar parts. Sure one has a beefier zipper, one has a beefier handle or wheels. But these types of cases are so similar the range from top to bottom tier in terms of quality is very narrow. The shells are very similar, good cases are using quality Hinomoto wheels, I suspect the biggest difference between bags would be handle differences.

I know all about lifetime warranties, but you know, no luggage will last a lifetime, and getting luggage shipped or taking it to a repair center can be economically prohibitive and is always a PITA. So my view is, this is priced to be disposable. It probably won't be, it seems pretty well-made. But when you talk to me of the differences between this and, say a Tumi Vapor, realize that the Vapor is $650. You could get six of these at $100, or an astounding 13 of them from Costco for the same price. Rimowa is priced similarly, and the B&R Torq is about $480.

My big regret in travel luggage was not getting 3 of the TravelPro Original Series so I would have spares. I'm getting one of these for my wife and two kids who don't travel much so I have spares in the basement. I like it that much. I will post an update after 6-10 trips with this.

How I pack it-- I put the folded suit in dry cleaning plastic, but left it off here so you can see it in the zippered half. Here is a shot of both sides



And the suit side open, plastic removed.



Do I feel silly putting a Tumi briefcase that costs as much as 7 of these on top of this case? Nope. Like I said, it's all about functionality and I'm not out to impress anyone in the airport I'm never going to see again. Having had to repair both some TravelPro and B&R gear in the past, I think the concept of 'disposable luggage' this good makes a ton of sense. My briefcase is worth every dollar spent on it. Paying $600 for a shell case like this, not so much. I think buying several of these makes a lot more sense than stuff which, I really believe, won't last much longer than this, if at all.

I rate this a solid