Europe for Visitors logo


Home Main Index Site Search About Us

Briggs & Riley
21" Expandable Upright Carry-On

Luggage Review

photophoto

ABOVE: By pressing two buttons and lifting up on the rim, you'll gain an extra 2½ inches or 6.35 cm of depth inside the protective frame.

by Durant Imboden

In an era when you can buy cheap wheeled luggage at any discount store, why pay more for a quality suitcase? That's easy: Because when your cheap bag pops open or gets flattened on its way from London, Ontario to London, England, you don't just lose your bag--you also risk losing what's packed inside. Even if you carry your bag onto the plane, the security of having a suitcase that won't burst open from being overpacked can justify the expense of a bag like the Briggs & Riley 21" Expandable Upright Carry-On--especially when it's backed by a lifetime warranty that states:

"If your Briggs & Riley bag is ever broken or damaged, even if it was caused by an airline, we will repair it free of charge. Simple as that!"

In late 2005, I field-tested the Briggs & Riley model U-21NX carry-on with the "One-Touch" expansion system to see how it compared with the TravelPro Crew5, which I'd been using on transatlantic trips for just over a year. After nearly five years, I'm still favorably impressed by the Briggs & Riley approach to suitcase design, and in the next several pages I'll tell you why.

Next page: Construction and packing features


In this article:

"Best of the Web"
- Forbes and The Washington Post


Our most popular topics:

  • Europe (Index)
  • Paris
  • Venice
  • Rome
  • Germany
  • Cruises in Europe



(c) iStockphoto.com/Robin Ahle

Need a car in Europe?

Auto Europe guarantees the lowest rental rates for standard cars, sports cars, SUVs, luxury cars, chauffered sedans, and RVs. Its Web site also has driving information for 38 countries.

If you live outside the EU, a tax-free Renault or Peugeot tourist lease can be cheaper than renting. Minimum driver age is 18, there' s no upper age limit, and rates include insurance. See: Short-term car leasing.


European train

Traveling by train?
Rail Europe has schedules, maps, and guides for 50+ European railroads. (Residents of North and Central America can buy tickets and rail passes online.)


From Europe for Cruisers:


Travel and cruise news:


Quantcast