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Tumi vs. Briggs & Riley

Tumi vs. Briggs & Riley

Old Dec 18, 2015, 8:09 am
  #1  
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Tumi vs. Briggs & Riley

I am on the market for a new carry-on. I get deathly terrified when airlines are staring down bags as we are boarding through the jet bridge. What are travelers' thoughts when it comes to these two products: Tumi Alpha 2 INTERNATIONAL EXPANDABLE 4 WHEELED CARRY-ON vs. Briggs & Riley DOMESTIC CARRY-ON EXPANDABLE SPINNER baseline, U122CXSP. I have been loyal to Tumi for quite some time but am thinking that Briggs & Riley has Tumi on this one.

Thoughts?
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Old Dec 22, 2015, 3:54 pm
  #2  
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Originally Posted by FoJ4life
I am on the market for a new carry-on. I get deathly terrified when airlines are staring down bags as we are boarding through the jet bridge. What are travelers' thoughts when it comes to these two products: Tumi Alpha 2 INTERNATIONAL EXPANDABLE 4 WHEELED CARRY-ON vs. Briggs & Riley DOMESTIC CARRY-ON EXPANDABLE SPINNER baseline, U122CXSP. I have been loyal to Tumi for quite some time but am thinking that Briggs & Riley has Tumi on this one.

Thoughts?
How does B&R have Tumi on this one?

Percentage of bags needing repair due to defect in the first 1 year, 2 years, or 3 years? Nope Tumi wins hands down, less than 1/3 the number of bags needed repair in 2014, and Tumi sells about 26 bags for every 1 B&R sells.

Especially when you consider the handle is on the outside of the bag making it bigger. This will make the B&R less likely to meet your needs and concerns if it goes in a sizer!

Tell me what I am missing?

Style or Design? That's a personal choice, and if you like the way the B&R looks over the Tumi, then it wins on that.

Weight, the B&R is a little lighter.

Suiter portion: No contest Tumi smokes anything B&R has.

Expandable. It's about the same, biggest difference is the rigid form factor that expansion is with B&R. If you use the expansion, good luck stuffing into an overhead or sizer. So the winner again is Tumi.

Casters: The wheel system is so much smoother on the Tumi. Comparison B&R old horse drawn carriage, take the Tumi you will feel like your driving a Maybach.

Other than weight and what your personal take on style is, Tumi wins the rest of the competition. Especially if you are concerned about being able to actually bring it on board.
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Old Dec 23, 2015, 12:44 am
  #3  
 
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I use to use Tumi now only Briggs and Riley. Tumi's ballstic nylon frays over time. I had one computer bag and wallet both develop large holes. My Briggs and Riley has been amazing. I had a problem with a latch and took it in to one of their repair shops and they fixed it in a few days.
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Old Dec 25, 2015, 8:15 am
  #4  
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Case in point, the above post needed a repair.

Facts are that Tumi's patented ballistic weave pattern it uses on Alpha and above products is the strongest in the world, until 2026 when the patent runs out on it, or until something better comes out. As far as frays, the B&R products will fray as much or more if used in the same way, unless you were comparing a T-Tech or another lower product line from Tumi that doesn't use that ballistic weave. I don't know what the previous poster had for a bag that wore, nor how it was used. I also don't know that the Tumi products you had were genuine, 5 years ago 75% of the Tumi brand in China was counterfeit, just like 95+% of the Louis Vuitton bags in the U.S. are today, and almost 99% around the world.

Tumi was the first company to use Ballistic Nylon for Luggage, and they have been the most innovative with the material not just using a basic 1080D double weave. The company I work for wants to use Tumi's weave for higher end sports equipment bags, but we can't.

Also B&R is back to charging $10 for shipping and handling on all self repair kits (each). Shipping domestic shouldn't be more than $5 for any of their little kits. So are you paying for the replacement parts? (answer is really yes, so much for the warranty)

Last edited by mspreh; Dec 25, 2015 at 8:20 am
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Old Dec 25, 2015, 9:06 am
  #5  
 
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Originally Posted by FoJ4life
I am on the market for a new carry-on. I get deathly terrified when airlines are staring down bags as we are boarding through the jet bridge. What are travelers' thoughts when it comes to these two products: Tumi Alpha 2 INTERNATIONAL EXPANDABLE 4 WHEELED CARRY-ON vs. Briggs & Riley DOMESTIC CARRY-ON EXPANDABLE SPINNER baseline, U122CXSP. I have been loyal to Tumi for quite some time but am thinking that Briggs & Riley has Tumi on this one.

Thoughts?
You're going to get a lot of emotionally charged opinions on this one, there are fans of each brand and they're (we're) pretty passionate.

Having owned both brands for many years, the answer is pretty simple actually: Pick the one you like best. Neither is worse than the other, however there is one nuance that directly talks to your fear of a gate agent thinking your bag is too big:

B&R puts its telescoping handle on the outside of the bag as opposed to Tumi who puts it on the inside. As a result, the B&R looks thinner as it lacks an inch or so of case surrounding the handle. Both have the same packing capacity, so no worries there, but the Tumi will look chubbier to a passing eye.

BJ
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Old Dec 25, 2015, 9:06 pm
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Never used B&R, but have been using Tumi for over 9 years. Their carb cases are awful, glad your staying away, but the 4 International Carry On is excellent it is my go to cabin luggage.

Highlights in its career:
- in India it survived being dragged through the local streets and handled on multiple Air India domestic flights as checked luggage exceed the weight of cabin luggage. Also these aren't the streets of NYC or Mumbai I was in some outskirt cities.
- Survived being pulled through the streets of NYC multiple times and I mean miles at a time and I just drag it up cuebs,
- Survived rain storms of Taipei (not water proof but no rust and the luggage was pretty dry some items were a tad damp, but it was in heavy Monsoon rains for about 45 min)
-Survived direct sunlight of Singapore (no warping of parts)
- Fell down a escalator at ATL.
- Accidentally left in the snow of our rental homes porch when skiing last year in Jackson Hole. (Everything opened fine while frozen before thawing and did not feel brittle)
- Dragged onto a beach in FL and while camping the damp muds of new england (sprayed the wheels under the hotel sink so they would role a tad better)

Yes the plastic bottoms looked scratched, but the zippers, handle, and fabric, and wheels spin as new.

Now that I have told you how its tough. Why is it practical

1. Met EU, Asia domestic hand luggage restrictions never given any issues in both economy and business class. Can fit under the middle seat of some domestic UA 757 and has always fit in the overhead.
2. Lot of pockets, 2 side pockets for ties, close hangers for suites, front pockets for random stuff, and also you can get a Tumi toiletry kit that spits in half and is clear on one side. Maximum space usage for clothes especially if rolled, a exterior hook that can be attached for the extra bag.
3. Its expandable (though it will have be checked)
4. It has 4 wheels for stability and one hand use and it has hand is adjustable.
5. LOCAL TUMI stores if you have problems to actually talk to someone face to face. They also give loaner luggage like a car dealer when you go in for service.
6. 10 year warranty. I know people complain Tumi quality has gone down and yes it has. I can confirm, but to be honest after 5 years I would be looking to upgrade anyways. I have a Tumi brief circa 2005 that just sits in my closet. Why because the new breifs have more features. Hence I would say about 5 years life is fine me. These aren't classic cars.
7. Accessories you can buy and attachments from Tumi online or their local stores.
8. There are Tumi stores in Malls you can stop into to look at the luggage in person.
9 Zipper never have gotten stuck and can be serviced at a Tumi store.
10. Their alpha 2 collection pairs perfectly. I have multiple briefs and backpacks and they don't just match aesthetics, but they also can go over the handle to lock on the luggage.
11. Monograming, looks nice.
12. Great customer service.
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Old Dec 26, 2015, 8:29 pm
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Assistance

Thank you, all, for your assistance here. I am leaning towards the Alpha 2 International Carry-on. Packing capacity is a concern but feel like I should be okay. I am scaling down from an older Alpha (wider) Continental Carry-on but am getting comfortable with my decision to scale it down. Getting gate checked is a major concern for me.
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Old Dec 28, 2015, 11:27 am
  #8  
 
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For Christmas, my wife just bought me the Tumi Alpha 2 4-Wheel Expandable International Carry-On in navy/anthracite (she's a keeper). I haven't traveled with it yet since it's brand new, but I'm looking forward to taking it out on a three-night business trip next week. Storage is a bit limited, but it's Tumi so layout is functional and I'm a fairly light packer. I also like the matching Alpha 2 items that you can get to keep the look consistent. She picked up a matching toiletry bag too.

Normally, Tumi is excluded from online sales for third-party resellers (probably a requirement of theirs to preserve brand value), but she found a site--on her 20th try or so--that seemed to allow a coupon code to be used and was able to get it for 25-30% off. I think it was EastDane.com.
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Old Jan 1, 2016, 7:48 pm
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I prefer B&R.
  • Collapsing the bag is a lot easier.
  • Suiter opens over the bag not away from the bag.
  • Flat bottom inside the bag.
  • Lighter
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Old Jan 7, 2016, 12:28 am
  #10  
 
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After much research & reading multiple threads re: luggage on FT,
ACCDraw.2 was torn between Tumi and Briggs & Riley. B&R was having
a sale, that settled it - ACCDraw.2 bought one & is crazy about it.

The only time it's been gate-checked has been on a CRJ700.
It seems most, if not all carry-ons are gate checked on those 'lil guys.

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Old Jan 7, 2016, 12:41 pm
  #11  
 
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I opt for a bag, messenger. For everyday life in the city. The choice stood between Tumi and B&R. These are the models:
B&R: pic1, pic2
Tumi: pic1, pic2

For yet there is no way to try to touch them before buying. It is very important that they were not to get wet (rain, snow) and were good quality.
What advise to choose? or perhaps you have some other interesting options.
Thanks.
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Old Jan 7, 2016, 7:22 pm
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Originally Posted by mspreh
How does B&R have Tumi on this one?

Percentage of bags needing repair due to defect in the first 1 year, 2 years, or 3 years? Nope Tumi wins hands down, less than 1/3 the number of bags needed repair in 2014, and Tumi sells about 26 bags for every 1 B&R sells.

Especially when you consider the handle is on the outside of the bag making it bigger. This will make the B&R less likely to meet your needs and concerns if it goes in a sizer!

Tell me what I am missing?

Style or Design? That's a personal choice, and if you like the way the B&R looks over the Tumi, then it wins on that.

Weight, the B&R is a little lighter.

Suiter portion: No contest Tumi smokes anything B&R has.

Expandable. It's about the same, biggest difference is the rigid form factor that expansion is with B&R. If you use the expansion, good luck stuffing into an overhead or sizer. So the winner again is Tumi.

Casters: The wheel system is so much smoother on the Tumi. Comparison B&R old horse drawn carriage, take the Tumi you will feel like your driving a Maybach.

Other than weight and what your personal take on style is, Tumi wins the rest of the competition. Especially if you are concerned about being able to actually bring it on board.
Whoa whoa whoa, wait a minute my friend.

Tumi is in NO way superior to BR. The weight, the build quality, options, and warranty.

Let's compare the 21" wide-body (21" x 15" x 9") from BR Baseline and the Tumi Kirtland 22" (22" x 16" x 9").

The Tumi is smaller off the hop (38L), whilst having slightly better organization by utilizing a hard-shelled style of having a 50/50 split. Which is odd for a soft-sided peice of luggage.

BR is 44L with one packing area and the lid having a tri-fold garment bag (last fold is removable to turn the garment bag into a large lid pocket).

You mentioned expansion? The rigid frame expansion from BR is called the CX expansion, and it blows standard zippered expansions out of the water. The idea is to pack your bag with the expansion UP at first. then, once you've packed what you want to take, you zip the lid shut and push down on either end of the bag. The ratchet system in the bag then compresses your clothes and brings the bag back down to the necessary 9". (This is also available in the 19" international carry on (19" x 14" x 9")).

To expand the Tumi, you use a standard zip. To compress it, you basically have to sit on the bag and wrench the zipper shut. Which is EXTREMELY bad for a nylon coil zipper.

As for warranty, BR does NOT need to go right back to them!! It can go to any authorized luggage repair shop, and warranty is honored (No shipping charges). Airline damage, accidental, intentional, stupidity, they cover it all (I have see them literally run over, dragged three blocks and replaced). The rule is, if it can't be fixed then it's replaced at no charge to the customer. (Source: I work in luggage repair). They send the parts directly to repair centers for a quick turn around, and this warranty can be accessed globally and without a receipt. Every BR bag has a serial number and bar-code on a metal plate inside of it. If a bag is replaced, the metal plate has to be taken out, to insure no one pulls the broken bag out of the dump to get it replaced (this could easily happen if a plate was left in).

Tumi will NOT send parts to luggage repair centers, and luggage repair centers can NOT bill Tumi for repair, thus their warranty is not covered everywhere. (Example, Tumi bags in Canada need to go to Tumi in Calgary.) They also got rid of their lifetime warranty and only offer a 5 year LIMITED warranty, only the first year covers airline damage as well. Be wary of the word "LIMITED", Heys and Samsonite say the same thing.

Volume of sales does not actually show whats better. It may even show that Tumi is having customers need to purchase replacements because their bag ran out of warranty.

All in all, it doesn't matter how much you spend, or how tough it is. You can spend 100$ on a bag and have it last 8 years, or 800$ and lose a wheel the first trip. -Warranty - That's what you look at.

Quick tips:
# year limited warranty - Bag is covered for man. fac. defects for # years.
Lifetime Limited warranty - Bag is covered for man. fac. defects for the life of the BAG.
Simple as That, No Matter What warranty (BR and Eagle Creek) - All damage, no matter what causes the damage is covered.

Simple as that.
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Old Jan 8, 2016, 5:33 pm
  #13  
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I have a Tumi and I hate it. The case itself is really heavy before you even start putting anything in it. Lifting it when it's fully loaded, into a overhead locker usually requires help and you risk killing someone when trying to get it down again.

It has annoying ridges in the base which make it awkward to pack. The handle has a really feeble guard on it to stop it changing position. It doesn't work, so the handle changes position when you don't want it to, causing you to have to stop and re-fix it ALOT. The gadget you are supposed to use to secure another bag on top (so you use the Tumi a bit like a trolley) is also really feeble and doesn't work. This means your other bag is forever sliding off the wretched Tumi and you have to stop and correct that too. In Europe, very often there are no trolleys (particularly at Eurostar stations) so this is a big issue.

Finally, the thing is front heavy once it is packed, so it topples over.

Trying to manage my luggage through Brussells Eurostar station late at night nearly finished me off. I was by far and away the last person out and ended up alone on a pavement in a strange city, waiting for a cab. I had pulled a muscle and other passengers just stood and laughed.

Never again! I'm ebaying the hated thing!
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Old Jan 9, 2016, 8:24 am
  #14  
 
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Originally Posted by Sq9
I have a Tumi and I hate it. The case itself is really heavy before you even start putting anything in it. Lifting it when it's fully loaded, into a overhead locker usually requires help and you risk killing someone when trying to get it down again.

It has annoying ridges in the base which make it awkward to pack. The handle has a really feeble guard on it to stop it changing position. It doesn't work, so the handle changes position when you don't want it to, causing you to have to stop and re-fix it ALOT. The gadget you are supposed to use to secure another bag on top (so you use the Tumi a bit like a trolley) is also really feeble and doesn't work. This means your other bag is forever sliding off the wretched Tumi and you have to stop and correct that too. In Europe, very often there are no trolleys (particularly at Eurostar stations) so this is a big issue.

Finally, the thing is front heavy once it is packed, so it topples over.

Trying to manage my luggage through Brussells Eurostar station late at night nearly finished me off. I was by far and away the last person out and ended up alone on a pavement in a strange city, waiting for a cab. I had pulled a muscle and other passengers just stood and laughed.

Never again! I'm ebaying the hated thing!
Sounds like the replacement for your hated Tumi will be a Louis Vuitton Pegase, or at a minimum a Rimowa (which I highly recommend)
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Old Jan 9, 2016, 2:49 pm
  #15  
 
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Originally Posted by rOtK
I opt for a bag, messenger. For everyday life in the city. The choice stood between Tumi and B&R. These are the models:
B&R: pic1, pic2
Tumi: pic1, pic2

For yet there is no way to try to touch them before buying. It is very important that they were not to get wet (rain, snow) and were good quality.
What advise to choose? or perhaps you have some other interesting options.
Thanks.
There are a few threads that mention "Lo & Sons"
https://www.loandsons.com/the-cambridge

They look well made, but I'm waiting for the styling to become a bit
more crisp. I don't like the zipper on the top. Would prefer a flap.
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