Literally. Not figuratively. Baggage has been on my mind lately.

I travel for work about once per month, usually just overnight. Up until last week  I had always just used my normal purse to pack for overnight trips – keeping my personal items to a bare minimum.  That technique required precision and planning, was getting annoying, and looked like this:

It was time for an upgrade, so I began my search for the perfect bag. My requirements:

1. Compact and lightweight and on wheels.

2. A compartment for clothes, and a separate compartment for work files/reading/paperwork. I wanted to be able to access work stuff without my toiletries flying out accidentally.

I turned to my friends who also travel a lot, to ask for their opinion. I looked online. I ended up trying three options at three different price points, all good, quality brands:

1. Victorinox architecture rolling briefcase. This one was the least expensive, most lightweight and compact. It might have been my choice except my husbands shoes wouldn’t fit in the clothes compartment (too small), and he wanted the option to use this on his business trips as well. In the end it was TOO compact.

2. Briggs and Rielly Baseline Spinner. Spoiler alert – this one was the winner. It was the middle of the road cost wise, the biggest of the three, but still more lightweight than the Tumi. One of my best buds also gave the brand Briggs and Rielly a glowing review – she is still using her fathers suitcase from the 1970s, and the company has done repairs free of charge whenever necessary. She swears by the brand.  I specifically liked the way the clothes compartment opened up for easy access even when the bag is standing on its wheels. And my husbands shoes fit :).

3. Tumi Alpha 2
This was the premium choice, and the quality felt noticeably better. Everything was solid. It was a beautiful bag. But at $645 I just couldn’t stomach it. 
I have yet to use my new purchase…but will be soon enough. I’ll report back.