Micro Mover or Travelite luggage Cart
May 7, 2010, 5:29 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 6
Micro Mover or Travelite luggage Cart
I don't want to jump to a roll-aboard, and so I'm exploring adding a luggage cart. I see that both the Samsonite Micro Mover and the Travelite carts come highly recommended. The Meritline seems like an unbeatable price, but I'm less worried about a couple dollars than (1) a small size that will fit in my duffle and (2) easy opening/folding.
http://www.amazon.com/Samsonite-Micr...pr_product_top
http://www.amazon.com/Travelite-Trav...3230494&sr=8-1
http://www.meritline.com/meritline-f...--p-23259.aspx
Does anyone have any insights about any of these products?
http://www.amazon.com/Samsonite-Micr...pr_product_top
http://www.amazon.com/Travelite-Trav...3230494&sr=8-1
http://www.meritline.com/meritline-f...--p-23259.aspx
Does anyone have any insights about any of these products?
no answers?
May 13, 2010, 6:04 am
#3
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: In a hotel somewhere trying to repack everything I brought (and bought) in to a carry-on smaller than my last one.
Programs: UA, Asia Miles, Southwest, IHG
Posts: 1,101
How well they work depend on what you put on it and how you plan to use it (i.e. how you plan on storing it once you get on board)
The Samsonite Micromover
Pros:
- Folds up very small so it's easy to stow away in your actual carry-on. The slightly narrower profile when folded enables one to stow it discretely in more places and in various bags.
Cons:
- Some people have difficulty getting the sequence right to open/close
- The base is 2 legs sticking horizontally out:
-- so saggy bags may drag in the middle
-- small bags may fall and drag in the middle unless secured to straddle both legs equally.
-There's a "lip" by each wheel, so depending on the dimensions on your chosen bag's trolley sleeve (the slip of fabric that some bags have to piggy back on a rolling trolley) your bag may not slide all the way down or it may slide over part of the wheel and cause wear and tear on that part of your bag.
- The width of the legs is wider than a letter-sized clipboard and so putting your documents at the bottom of your luggage to give it structure won't necessarily help it sit on the trolley any better.
The Other Two Trolleys.
- These both have bars across the middle bottom and so one doesn't get the saggy bag in the middle problem.
- It is still rather rectangular when folded and fit in few places for stowage.
- Easy, simple and quick to fold.
- These are bulkier than the Micromover and aren't as easy to slip into your carry-on when the GA suddenly decides that ALL wheeled bags must be gate-checked. In this scenario, they will still pick on you if you have one of these trolleys as the premise is that your carry-on must weigh a ton for you to use wheels. The Micromover looks flimsy enough that some GAs ignore it as long as one doesn't struggle with the carry-on.
For the Micromover, I have seen quite a few shop demo units have stress marks at the joints and some even are broken. Although the load capacity is supposed to be 50-lbs, one still needs to to be gentle with it. So dragging a suitcase off the carousel and dropping it on this trolley is an absolute no-no. It also doesn't like being dragged bumpity-bump down a flight of stairs either.
For the other two, I have had several that are very similar in the past (some might even be exactly those items - I can't remember) and they are sturdier than the Micromover. My main complaint during use is the wheels. The plastic wheels catch a lot of dirt and bits (especially in badly carpeted areas and over uneven pavement) and after a while make it hard to roll. I much prefer the inline-skate wheels of the Micromover for easy of manouvering and rolling over a variety of surfaces.
So the best trolley depends on how you plan to use it and on the bag you plan to use it with.
On a slightly different note, if you are in a situation where you need a sturdier cart that can also hold a large suitcase AND do cobblestone streets, the Westco Mini Mover is excellent for that. Metro - cobblestone streets - Paris flat then reverse to a similar situation in a smaller town in Germany was no problem for this cart with treaded rubber wheels loaded with two 27" suitcases of apparel samples.
The Samsonite Micromover
Pros:
- Folds up very small so it's easy to stow away in your actual carry-on. The slightly narrower profile when folded enables one to stow it discretely in more places and in various bags.
Cons:
- Some people have difficulty getting the sequence right to open/close
- The base is 2 legs sticking horizontally out:
-- so saggy bags may drag in the middle
-- small bags may fall and drag in the middle unless secured to straddle both legs equally.
-There's a "lip" by each wheel, so depending on the dimensions on your chosen bag's trolley sleeve (the slip of fabric that some bags have to piggy back on a rolling trolley) your bag may not slide all the way down or it may slide over part of the wheel and cause wear and tear on that part of your bag.
- The width of the legs is wider than a letter-sized clipboard and so putting your documents at the bottom of your luggage to give it structure won't necessarily help it sit on the trolley any better.
The Other Two Trolleys.
- These both have bars across the middle bottom and so one doesn't get the saggy bag in the middle problem.
- It is still rather rectangular when folded and fit in few places for stowage.
- Easy, simple and quick to fold.
- These are bulkier than the Micromover and aren't as easy to slip into your carry-on when the GA suddenly decides that ALL wheeled bags must be gate-checked. In this scenario, they will still pick on you if you have one of these trolleys as the premise is that your carry-on must weigh a ton for you to use wheels. The Micromover looks flimsy enough that some GAs ignore it as long as one doesn't struggle with the carry-on.
For the Micromover, I have seen quite a few shop demo units have stress marks at the joints and some even are broken. Although the load capacity is supposed to be 50-lbs, one still needs to to be gentle with it. So dragging a suitcase off the carousel and dropping it on this trolley is an absolute no-no. It also doesn't like being dragged bumpity-bump down a flight of stairs either.
For the other two, I have had several that are very similar in the past (some might even be exactly those items - I can't remember) and they are sturdier than the Micromover. My main complaint during use is the wheels. The plastic wheels catch a lot of dirt and bits (especially in badly carpeted areas and over uneven pavement) and after a while make it hard to roll. I much prefer the inline-skate wheels of the Micromover for easy of manouvering and rolling over a variety of surfaces.
So the best trolley depends on how you plan to use it and on the bag you plan to use it with.
On a slightly different note, if you are in a situation where you need a sturdier cart that can also hold a large suitcase AND do cobblestone streets, the Westco Mini Mover is excellent for that. Metro - cobblestone streets - Paris flat then reverse to a similar situation in a smaller town in Germany was no problem for this cart with treaded rubber wheels loaded with two 27" suitcases of apparel samples.
Last edited by tcl; May 13, 2010 at 6:21 am Reason: added item
May 14, 2010, 5:40 am
#4
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Over the Atlantic
Programs: DLPM MM
Posts: 115
The Samsonite Micromover
Pros:
- Folds up very small so it's easy to stow away in your actual carry-on. The slightly narrower profile when folded enables one to stow it discretely in more places and in various bags.
Cons:
- Some people have difficulty getting the sequence right to open/close
- The base is 2 legs sticking horizontally out:
-- so saggy bags may drag in the middle
-- small bags may fall and drag in the middle unless secured to straddle both legs equally.
-There's a "lip" by each wheel, so depending on the dimensions on your chosen bag's trolley sleeve (the slip of fabric that some bags have to piggy back on a rolling trolley) your bag may not slide all the way down or it may slide over part of the wheel and cause wear and tear on that part of your bag.
- The width of the legs is wider than a letter-sized clipboard and so putting your documents at the bottom of your luggage to give it structure won't necessarily help it sit on the trolley any better.
Pros:
- Folds up very small so it's easy to stow away in your actual carry-on. The slightly narrower profile when folded enables one to stow it discretely in more places and in various bags.
Cons:
- Some people have difficulty getting the sequence right to open/close
- The base is 2 legs sticking horizontally out:
-- so saggy bags may drag in the middle
-- small bags may fall and drag in the middle unless secured to straddle both legs equally.
-There's a "lip" by each wheel, so depending on the dimensions on your chosen bag's trolley sleeve (the slip of fabric that some bags have to piggy back on a rolling trolley) your bag may not slide all the way down or it may slide over part of the wheel and cause wear and tear on that part of your bag.
- The width of the legs is wider than a letter-sized clipboard and so putting your documents at the bottom of your luggage to give it structure won't necessarily help it sit on the trolley any better.
The wheels are not up to the job for uneven surfaces or anywhere there is gravel, loose stones or rough surfaces. So it is not for going about the average town street or many car parks.
The problem of unstructured bags dragging on the ground and getting caught in the wheels is fatal for my Red Oxx Air Boss and I tried it with it only once in the real world, after erroneously convincing myself that it might be OK after trying at home.
A problem for all such trolleys is dealing with stairs. The wheels are too small to bump up or down stairs, the method of securing the bag to the trolley makes is difficult to lift the whole thing to go up or down. So if you are planning to go anywhere where there might not be an elevator or escalator, then you will deal with some frustrating times when you wonder why you bothered with the trolley.