theshaun

Hi All,

Debating between the Kirkland 22" https://www.costco.com/Kirkland-Sign...100368877.html or the eBags Motherlode Mini 21" https://www.ebags.com/product/ebags/...uctid=10362788
Edit: let's throw the Magna 2 in the mix https://www.amazon.com/Travelpro-Pla...rds=magna+2+22

Hoping to hear thoughts on these two. I travel with carry on only. About 10 times per year. North America only (including Mexico) with maybe 1 international trip per year. Europe, Asia, Australia.

Looking for two wheel, well thought out design (pockets, zippers, wheels, etc.), smooth rolling, durable. Of my 10 trips 3 may require me to pack a suit. It is this requirement that makes me unsure of the eBags.

doubletissue

I had and returned the eBags. I didn't like how it had to use these fiberglass rods to stand up. I seemed a bit shoddy, and I was irrationally afraid of them shattering. The straps on the side were very ineffective at tightening down loads for me. I have no experience with the Kirkland suitcase, but you can't beat the return policy and it looks like it has a hook for hanging a suit in it. However, I think the ebags has better organization overall (divided main compartment that can be opened to a single large space, the nice pocket up top).

Jaimito Cartero

Does ebags have a lifetime, full refund policy? If not, it’s really no contest. Costco/Kirkland is really good stuff.

GoRavens

Full disclosure: I own two Kirkland bags, both the previous generation, one two-wheel, and one spinner.

Also, I've never bought from eBags, but I've spent hours looking there.

Personally, I think the Costco satisfaction guarantee and their willingness to basically take back anything, after virtually any amount of time, tips the scales in favor of the Kirkland.

Also, parts are available for Kirkland bags. If the store doesn't just replace the entire bag on the spot, they will offer to take the bag back and give you your money back. Otherwise, if you just need a part, you can contact Ricardo Beverly Hills (the OEM manufacturer) directly.

FWIW, I've been very happy with our Kirkland bags. They're no frills, and have zero design aesthetic, but I think they're the best value out there.

I could easily afford Rimowa, B&R, etc, but I just don't think they're worth 2x as much (and certainly not 5x-8x as much).

Jaimito Cartero

I think the Kirkland bags are stylish, as long as you like black.

Certainly not ugly, and the spinner is a bit more stylish than the 2 wheel type. A good value is hard to pass up.

I own at least 4 Kirkland bags. 2 older style 22”, 1 21/22” spinner, and a full sized earlier version spinner.

nomad1972

Costco has the weight of the the current generation two-wheeler at 8.8lb (or 4kg) which is pretty heavy for a carry-on. Can anyone confirm this is in fact the real weight and not a shipping weight?
Thanks!

ddavault

I just bought and used the eBags Motherlode on a 7 day trip to Italy. I normally check a bag when traveling, but on this trip I wanted to just do carry on. I also have the Kirkland 22" Spinner and 2 Away Medium bags, along with 2 Tumi Vapor Medium Bags that are about 10 years old and I no longer use because the wheels have given up.

I was amazed how much I was able to get into the Motherlode. I used a couple of the Eagle Creek compression bags and had no problem getting everything I needed in the bag + a Tumi messenger bag for electronic. This included a spare pair of size 12 loafers.

I didn't have any dress clothes on this trip. I agree that packing a suit in this may be problematic.

The bag felt well constructed, the packing area was well sized and I like how you can unzip the divider and make it one large compartment. The fiberglass rods were odd, but once they were installed I had no worries. And they seem to work as the bag never tipped.

For the price I was pleased with the purchase.

Just for fun a pic is attached of how I packed compared to my 3 friends for this trip.




My eBags Motherlode on the left.

theshaun

Has anyone had issues carrying on the Kirkland given it's 22"?

Jaimito Cartero

I don’t have the newest version, but the one before that I do own was about 9 pounds with the garment bag insert.

GoRavens

Never.

Before that, I used a TravelPro 22" Crew 4, which was slightly larger, for 10+ years, domestic and internationally (mostly to Asia, plus a few Europe trips), and never had an issue with that bag either. probably 300-400 flights, and not one single time was I asked to put it in the sizer.

IMHO, if you're nice to people (especially the airline employees), and aren't obviously taking advantage with a massively overstuffed bag, they don't care if your bag is an inch too big. It's the "do you know who I am?" types that talk down to the gate agents, who are told to put their bag in the sizer, then told with a smile, "I'm sorry sir...".

Just my 2˘.

KRSW

The previous version of the Costco bag has been my travel companion for the past 9 years, and I'm still using it. For reference, I'm on the road ~200-250 nights/year. It still looks pretty darn good, but it's rarely checked. I'll echo GoRavens' comment -- as long as the bag doesn't look big and heavy and you're reasonably pleasant, no one will ever notice it.

Madone59

I got an ebags back pack last year and I absolutely love it! It is really well built and I wouldn't hesitate a second to get something else from them in the future.

Dianne47

I would advise looking closely at the weight of the Kirkland carry-on. I had one years ago and it was heavy. I own that eBags TLS Motherlode and find it doesn't hold much, I can't figure out why because the dimensions are the same as other similar bags. I have both the original Platinum Magna (22- and 25-inch spinners, rolling tote, and boarding tote) and the PM2 lines (20-inch spinner), I like them very much. The contoured handle on the spinners is great and the spinner wheels are a dream. The bags have excellent capacity, certainly better than the eBags TLS. The PM has an excellent warranty, too.

MicWebb

Per the Costco product description page, my comments are in bold:

Specifications:

• Overall dimensions: 22" H x 14" W x 9.5" D [maybe Costco is including the wheels now, their years-ago measurements didn't]
• Expansion 1" [OMG if it's only a 1" expansion, tolerant airlines might even accept it in "expanded" mode]
• Weight 8.8 lb
• Packing Capacity: 2,726.5 Cubic Inches
• Packing Dimensions: 20.5" H x 14" W x 9.5" D [nice to have interior dimensions; they stay unchanged except height so the wheels and handle probably add 1.5"]
• Linear Cubic Inches: 43.5" [this is smaller than the commonly permitted 45"]

Also of interest: the new soft-sided (unlike the prior polycarb) 22" Kirkland spinner got reviewed online and they measured the spinner variant at 20.2 x 14 x 9.5 inches vs. Costco's claim of 20.2 x 14 x 9.5 inches - on the face of it, Costco calling it 22" is out of sync with Costco's own published measurements. Review online: http://www.reviewed.com/home-outdoor...rry-on-luggage

Since my very first, 1990's "Smuggler" labeled Costco Kirkland weighed a whopping 12 pounds, I welcome the reduction to a claimed 8.8 pounds. The lightest wheelie I've had was 6.6 pounds but that was an LLBean Medium Rolling Adventure Duffle, which is just a toboggan plate/telescoping trolley handle with a nylon fabric duffel top. I have an order in for this new Kirkland and will update my comments when it arrives next week. The most common complaints at Costco's website on the new version are the fact that the "suit folding panel" is only partially removable, thereby taking up space and adding weight; and that the bottom panel is not longer a flat rigid panel, but rather fabric over framing.

I can't help you compare the other bags you mentioned. While I've "strayed" from Kirkland's own now and again, it's hard to beat the quality and ruggedness. A lot of carryon bags work if you never have to check them in. My opinion of the non-polycarb Kirklands 22" bags is that they will hurt the bags next to them before they are hurt by them.