Pinned

Hey all,

As a follow up to my last thread HERE, I wanted to ask for some feedback on my current considerations.

I stopped by my local luggage shop and checked out some bags. I was considering Travelpro strongly before, but am now not so sure. The Briggs & Riley bags seem much nicer - and I was told by the shop owner or employee I spoke with that they have been selling more and more B&R and less Travelpro despite the B&R being considerably more expensive.

Anyhow, the bags I'm looking at are the BRX BU120XW and the BRC BU122X. I also checked out the Transcend 22" carry-on and the Baseline U122CX.

I didn't care much for the Transcend. I did like the Baseline's expansion-compression system, but it's just too pricy for me. I also don't really need a garment bag, so the BRXs with the organizational pockets are a better fit for my needs.

Between the two BRX bags I was shown and recommended the U120WX. I would prefer the 22" U122X though, as the super wide bag may cause issues. However, I read some reviews and it seems to be stated quite frequently that the 22" BRX doesn't fit into overhead bins without turning it sideways! I also read that the BRXs seem to suffer semi-frequently from an issue where the handle gets stuck in the upright position. But I really like the design of these bags, they seem incredibly well constructed, and if they fit in the bins properly, well thought out too.

So I turn to you, FlyerTalk, what's the consensus on the B&R BRX bags? Good purchase for $300? Will they fit in bins on 737s, MD80s, 757s, etc? What're my chances of a handle failure?

Thanks for any advice or experiences.

GadgetFreak

Well, interesting questions. I am a huge believer in small bags. I have the BRX19, with is a bit smaller but it makes it so much easier to find space for it. For me, being forced to pack a bit less, more efficiently is worth the extra flexibility in finding overhead space and not worrying as much about smaller bins.

As to the handle, no idea how frequent that is, but I did have that problem. I have 5 B&R rollers, all Baseline except this one. I have had things break on two other B&R bags, handles in one or both cases (don't remember for sure on one of them). The two Baselines were more than 10 years old when it happened and had had the crap beat out of them for years. For most of the time I had them I was doing 200,000 miles per year and literally bounced them down stairs and over walls in some cases. The BRX was pretty new. All were fixed under the warranty for no cost. Overall I like the bag a lot. I basically use either the BRX19 or a Baseline rolling cabin bag as my main carryon now. I should add that in general the extra wide bags would make me nervous as well.

aBroadAbroad

Can't help you specifically with issues relating to this bag, but I can tell you from personal experience that if there is something malfunctioning because of a design flaw, B&R will work out a better design and install it on items submitted for repair.

I have a 10-year-old large suitcase with a push-button expansion mechanism that broke on two different occasions. Repaired quickly and at no charge, but still frustrating. When I received it back from the second repair, the mechanism was clearly a very different design from the original, and I could tell right away that it was much improved. I asked the shop owner about it, and he confirmed that there'd been a great many damaged expanders from that generation of the bag, so B&R redesigned it to be sturdier and to ensure it would lock in place better.

Four or more years and 150k+ miles on — no additional problems whatsoever. Works like new.

Pinned

Thanks for the input GadgetFreak and aBroadAbroad - good to know that B&R will actually take care of the bag if something goes wrong.

I'm going to measure my current bag and go check out the B&R tomorrow. Looks like the U122X is about an inch taller and thicker than the standard carry-on size, which is odd as I wouldn't expect a company like this to offer a bag as a carry-on if it didn't actually fit.

luxtrvlwrks

I have the BRX 22 inch bag, as well as larger Transcend and Baseline bags. I don't think it is intended to be an airline carry-on bag. It's great for car or train travel, but I wouldn't want to a) stress over having it not fit b) have to constantly shove it into an overhead bin with the buckles/straps on the sides. Furthermore, it looks big in person, so even if it would technically fit you might get pulled aside at the gate.

My Baseline bags definitely feel the most durable and their simplicity is in some ways a plus - fewer zippers to break. The Transcend is a nice compromise between the BRX and Baseline. I have removed the suiters from all of my bags, as I never use them.

I would go for the Transcend and use packing cubes or some other system to keep organized. Pockets can be added to any bag (so to speak), but you can't make an oversized bag fit.

Pinned

I appreciate the response. Unfortunately I really cannot spend more than $300 for a bag at this point, so the BRX20XW and the BRX22 are at the top of my price bracket. Seems terribly odd that B&R has designed two "carryon" bags that may not be able to be carried on. I'll have to go by the store again and see if they'll allow me to demo this bag out on the planes I most normally fly somehow.

Cloudship

Take a tape measure with you. If the total length is over 23in it is not going to fit for US domestic. Keep in mind there might be differences in foreign carriers, but 23in will fit in all US carriers dimensions. Actually, there IS one exception - the first few rows of First in narrow body aircraft (737/757 and 319/320/321) taper to the nose. sometimes in those seats bags don't fit in wheels or handle first. If you slide the bag back along the bin, or into the adjacent bin, you see that space increases. I believe the FAs are aware of this however, as it was one of them who first pointed it out to me in the first place.

GadgetFreak

I got the BRX19 for those reasons. It gives a lot more flexibility in terms of which bin sizes it will fit in. That few inches makes a lot more difference in terms of bins than packing in my experience.

Pinned

I'll measure the bag in person sometime this week, I guess that'll be the only way to know.

A 19" bag is just too small - I only have one bag so a 22" is the minimum that I'd buy unfortunately.

tcook052

FWIW I bought the previous model of B&R Baseline and mentioned it here. In the 18 months I have it the bag has stood up well so would definitely say the B&R build quality is higher and IMHO worth the premium.

I like the overall organization of the bag and haven't had issues with any aircraft types, though I had to push & pull on a recent DH8 Q400 recently, so it has performed well on that front. More than once FA's or GA's look and say it's too big and will have to be gate checked but I smile and assure them it will fit and it has with more than a few watching just to make sure.

Just my B&R experience.

Badenoch

I agree with this approach which is why my main carry-on is a B&R U119CX. What I give up in space I gain in flexibility. I've done 6 day business trips with it and a large laptop bag. The other advantage is because it is smaller it doesn't tend to attract the attention of gate agents who want to weigh the bag.

http://www.briggs-riley.com/category...Upright_U119CX

Among the BRX line I'd definitely choose the 19 inch. I looked at one and was impressed.

GadgetFreak

Yes, I have the older models (quite old actually - more than 10 years) of the Baseline 19 inch, 22 inch and rolling cabin bags as well as the vertical rolling garment bag and the BRX19. I virtually never use the 22 inch anymore. I primarily use the rolling cabin bag and have done a roughly week long, round the world trip where I had to pack a suit with the rolling cabin bag and an LL Bean large backpack. I had to get the suit pressed, but I was a lot more comfortable with that kind of itinerary knowing it was real unlikely I would have to check a bag. I prefer the 19 inch BRX to the Baseline because of the external pockets and lighter weight, but the CX feature intrigues me. I'm considering getting the small CX Baseline.

Badenoch

The CX has come in handy a couple of times. I don't mind checking a bag on the homeward journey and the extra space is appreciated. On a recent trip I was given a bottle of very fine brandy by a client that couldn't have been carried on. There was room for it and more with the bag expanded.

I considered the BRX19 when I bought the Baseline and may eventually buy one for more casual travel. I also looked at the rolling cabin bag and thought it a bit too small for my needs.

aBroadAbroad

I have a 20-some-year-old B&R 22" that I now use exclusively as a checked bag

Agree with others that you're best off going with a 19" particularly if you get an expandable version. If there's any chance you'll find yourself in econ on a European carrier at some point, you'll be glad. I believe your other thread says you carry a backpack and don't pack anything like a suit, so I'm surprised you feel only a 22" will do.

My current "large" rollaboard is a B&R expandable 21" that works fine on my TPACs in biz, and always fits on mainline domestics, even if I have to turn it wheels out. You might consider that as a compromise if you're absolutely adamant about not going with the 19" bag.

Personally, I'm finding that even the 21" is almost always quite a bit larger than I need — it works fine if I'm doing a week out of a carryon, but I only do that once or twice a year these days.

GusandShawn

Which 21" do you have?

I am currently debating the 22" Expandable Upright http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...=ATVPDKIKX0DER and the 20" baseline Domestic Upright http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...=ATVPDKIKX0DER

Any thoughts?

Generally I prefer a bigger bag, but want to make sure it can be carried on. From reading here and at the B&R website, the 22" is actually 23.5 inches. Seems like people haven't had trouble carrying it on, but with airlines tightening down I don't want to get caught having bought a very expensive check-only bag. I wonder if the compression feature of the 20" would make up the space difference?