aww3583

Any recs for a two-wheeled carry-on? Random list of considerations below.

1. Love the concept of the B&R Domestic Carry-On Two Wheel. I grabbed on one Amazon last year when they were half off. I sent it back when I realized the suiter in the lid wasn’t removable and ate up a ton of space. If it was missing that one feature, it would be the perfect bag. I don’t carry suits or clothes on hangers on any trip.

2. No 4-wheel swivels. No auxiliary batteries, smart features, etc.

3. Prefer soft side, but hard side is acceptable. 90% of my travel is road warrior in and out of hotels. 80-100 nights per year, less than 10 flights.

4. Tumi only sells 4-wheeled bags.

5. A warranty would be nice if the price point is higher. For the last 8 years, my method has been to purchase an entry level Samsonite at an outlet and discard it when the wheel/zipper fails. I’ve gone through 4-5 bags.

Edit: thoughts on the B&R Commuter series?

Global Adventurer

I thought the same thing about the suiter in the B&R carry-on, as I'm a hiker adventurous type of packer, an basically pack only hiking pants/shirts, but I use the suiter section and love it. You just lay all the clothes out on top of each other and flip up the suiter. The bottom part of the suiter zips off if not necessary. Then I put all under clothing and socks or whatever in zippered compartment and there is all the clothing all in one place. Everything else goes on the other side. Best suitcase I own, hands down better than my Rimowa, except the wheels. The suiter definitely keeps all types of clothes from wrinkling if they're on hangers or just laid out inside it. Best thing since slice bread.

aww3583

Thanks!

I nabbed a 19" Commuter Series from WalMart for 35% off retail. Looks to be about 3" shorter than the larger carry-on, but doesn't have the suiter. Almost a full pound lighter than the larger variant.

Global Adventurer

Excellent! Enjoy😊

jhalapin

So, most of my flying is on regional jets and I hate having to wait for a valet bag so I purchased the . I don't travel with big boy clothes either and I find I can pack for 3 to 4 days of business travel with this bag.

This bag fits in the luggage overhead on both a CRJ-700 and 900 like a glove.

Global Adventurer

I have three under seaters, and actually my briggs & riley "expandable cabin bag" is the trooper of the bunch. It's the only one without wheels, but travels better than the other two. The shoulder strap is just as good as my tom bihn absolute strap. No fatigue from carrying it at all. Love the compartments especially the one for clothes. I can travel at least a month with this bag. Fits under all seats. I'll check out your link.

SFO_UGS

Go with a 4-wheel spinner from Briggs & Riley. But then, I'm (now) biased. :-)

I recently purchased the Briggs & Riley Soft-side Expandable 22-inch Carry-on Spinner. The 4 wheels have not been an issue and I have not had any problems with the bag tipping over or placing it in the overhead bin. For the smaller planes (Embraer's), I always check it at the gate (when that's an option) or carry it outside to plane-side check so I can retrieve it on the jet bridge - same thing I did with my Rick Steves bag (see below). The best part: The expandable and compression option – turns out great for me. It’s a nice touch and very helpful. I don’t know how long the mechanism will last, but it has a life-time guarantee. I’ve completed 2 cross-country trips (3 and 5 days, respectively) and two short haul flights (Embraer) and the B&R bag has been fine. Even if corporate travel becomes a "thing," again, we generally wear a sport coat so the suiter section will be fine.

Sadly, my Rick Steves, 2-wheel carry-on, purchased cira 2001, bit the dust. It was a great carryon, but that model is no longer manufactured. They still make a 2-wheeled carryon, but it’s much smaller, now. I even stopped by Rick Steves in Washington to ensure they no longer carried the bag! It was that good. Great size, excellent space, never tipped over; it was a workhorse. I do have the newer Rick Steves 2-wheel carryon and I use it for an overnight trip to LA or Las Vegas.

Before I purchased the B&R 4-wheel spinner, I looked at Tumi and Away and almost purchased Tumi until I saw it first-hand in the store. (Note to everyone: If you’re buying pricey luggage, see it “live” and in person. You really do want to know how it handles, feels, look, maneuvers, etc. – especially at these ungodly high prices.) Has anyone noticed those insane locks found on Tumi and Away luggage! Good grief, I was put-off by that. Who has time to insure all four locks are engaged (using Tumi as an example)? I like to “zip and go.” Not “zip, lock, miss the insertion, lock, miss the insertion, lock, lock and then go.” Seemed like way too much work. Which is why the Tumi wasn’t an option. Otherwise, I would have purchased one.

ikwia

Wow, I missed that Tumi dropped their last 2-wheel rollaboard. I am surprised there isn't enough demand to keep at least one model. When did they drop it?

Although it hasn't been available for quite a while, I highly recommend the Kirkland (Costco) 2-wheel rollaboard if you can find one. It's a durable piece with good design.

PeteyNice

That is a shame. Two wheels til I die. Carry on sizes are already small, giving up packing space for spinner wheels seems like a bad trade. Anecdotally, my travel companion has a spinner carry on and they are asked to try it in the sizer orders of magnitude more often than I am with a similarly sized two wheeler. I assume because it is harder to quickly visualize the size of a bag being dragged behind you vs one upright at your side.

I have been using a B&R Explore Upright for years and while the curved top is disappointing, like all B&R, it is a well made bag.

aww3583

Can’t find any available online, but the photos/specs look great.

bchandler02

My go-to is a B&R BU222x, but I don't see them on the site, perhaps discontinued. Amazon has them though.

Global Adventurer

Do those cinch straps work or are they for decoration?

bchandler02

They help a bit, not a night and day difference but I do use them on longer trips when packed full.

ikwia

So am I correct to say that of the "major brands", the only 2-wheel options left now are from B&R (which waste space due to the external frame) and TravelPro?

NYC Flyer

Tumi still has the two-wheeled international carry-on available on their website (on sale)...who knows how many are left, though.

Tumi International Two-wheeled