I’ve bought, tried out and travelled with dozens of suitcases over the years, but I couldn’t believe the quality of this one – it’s so lightweight and easy to push
As a travel editor of over 10 years, I should know a thing or two about packing – and while admittedly I’ve yet to master the art of travelling light, I like to think that I know which suitcases are the best.
I’ve owned and used lots of different sizes and from different brands over the years, including Antler, American Tourister and Away, but the latest I’ve tried has impressed me the most.
After seemingly constantly seeing all the most stylish and jet-set travellers raving about Briggs & Riley luggage, I got my hands on the brand’s Torq Large Hardside Spinner – and it proven to be the best suitcase I’ve ever used.
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Although fairly standard in design, inside this suitcase seems incredibly spacious, with no chunky mechanisms or parts of its structure taking up the precious packing area (although I do swear by packing cubes to maximise the space). It’s split 70/30 between each side, meaning the lid won’t be too heavy to close – something that’s not always thought about.
Other nice touches include a crease-resisting suit holder, a handle that’s long enough even for someone tall like me, and the ability to have your initials added onto a subtle section on the front for free.
Once packed and setting off on my travels, however, what impressed me the most was just how easily it manoeuvred – it’s so lightweight and the 360-degree ball-bearing spinner wheels glided like a dream across the floor, and in fact if seemed as if you barely needed to touch it to get it moving. For this reason I think this case would be an excellent choice for anyone with back or shoulder issues, as it really requires very little effort to pull or push.
At £599 for a medium and £679 for a large, these suitcases are certainly an investment, but Briggs & Riley luggage all comes with a lifetime guarantee, meaning that if yours breaks or is damaged – even by an airline – the brand will repair it for free – you don’t even need to provide proof of purchase. This means that you genuinely may only need to buy one suitcase in your lifetime.
If this is a little out of your budget, however, I also own and can vouch for Antler’s Large Suitcase, £255; although not quite as high quality as Briggs & Riley’s, it has served me well on many a travel.
Alternatively there are some bargain ones to be found on Amazon. This medium Amazon Basics one comes in five colours, starts from £59.49 and has thousands of five star reviews, while this ATX Luggage one is even cheaper currently at £50.99.