10 Bad Luggage Features That’ll Drive You Crazy While Traveling (Do NOT buy these bags)

Today you are going to learn 10 luggage features to absolutely avoid before you buy a new suitcase for airline travel. One of you asked me, do you know a good carry-on suitcase that I could buy? I need a new one. I learned from a mistake by buying the absolute not good bag for a carry-on suitcase and it made me think of 10 other features that you need to know before you get a new suitcase this year. The first feature you want to avoid when looking for a new suitcase is wobbly handles. You need to have solid suitcase handles because you're going to need to maneuver through airports. You're going to need to walk down the aisle of an airplane. You want effortless movement while you're traveling with that carry-on suitcase or checked bag. If your luggage handles jiggle back and forth when you're trying to walk with your suitcase, avoid that feature. Steering your luggage over carpet in an airport will also be difficult and we cannot be bothered by this stress while we're on vacation. Before I go any further, I want to just remind you that I am not dissing this brand. This is one of their limited edition because it's so shiny. So maybe there's a reason that it is poor quality. Many of their other suitcases have been raved about on YouTube videos. So please just take my experience with a grain of salt and apply them to what you are looking for when you're searching for a bag. As a pilot's wife, we can only pack in a carry-on suitcase. So I have gone through many types of carry-on suitcases and I also want to let you know that I'm not trying to push the brand that I usually travel with. I have three and four that I've never shown you before because I knew you would not like it. But just so we're clear, I'm not, this is not sponsored by any luggage brand, okay? The second feature that is really important when you're searching for a new airline bag is the wheels. Check the wheels steering. Even on tile floor, I fought this suitcase the whole way. So this is how you can test it in person. Like I went into Macy's years ago and tried all these different brands that I had not tried before and I really liked them. I have that in my other suitcase carry-on bag video that I'll link for you. Because airport carpet is short pile or short pill, you want to test it on really short carpet. For example, you're not going to test it on the shag carpet somewhere in your house, but you are going to walk across that carpet and see how the bag steers itself without you putting a lot of pressure on the handlebars. See how mine immediately tries to steer me to the right? It did that every time, even on tile floor, which most airports are. So you also want to try it on tile floor. The number three travel tip is to avoid single wheels. That feature does not mean that the bag is a deal breaker, but you just want to avoid that because of two reasons. Number one, the wheel probably could pop off pretty easily in baggage claim or in transit. And number two, you want it to be rugged for or protected somewhat in what other features I'll talk about on uneven pavement. For example, cobblestone roads in Europe, maybe, or Savannah, Georgia. The number four travel tip is to choose wheels that have little friction. When I was living in Atlanta and we would roller blade down the Comet Trail, I had the first time that I tried it, I've had the worst wheels ever. Like when you spun them, they would hardly spin twice around. Okay. That means they are slow. I'm not sure if this is the right comparison, but this is what we're going to do when we're testing a suitcase in a store or in your house. You want to stand with your suitcase and push it and they will go to the right or left. So that's not how we're checking the steering, but you want to see how far that will go. How long will those wheels of your suitcase keep rolling on tile floor? The easiest, least friction surface you could test it on. If they go for a long ways, you've got good wheels. If they go for just a short distance, then you know, avoid that bag. Do not buy a new suitcase if the wheels are bad. That's the easiest feature to check for. The number five feature, which isn't that big of a deal for me is the baggage weight. A lot of you are restricted on the weight of your suitcase. So just check your airline's size requirements. And that will also tell you their weight requirements as well. My favorite brand is the level eight suitcase. I have three of them. These are the textured, there's one with a pocket. And I have a fourth one that I've never shown you or talked about because it weighs 10 pounds, empty. And I knew my audience was not going to like that. So I said no to that video proposal, but it doesn't zip. So if you want one that just has the little handles on the side, I really liked that part, but it's 10 pounds, but I'll link it just in case. And the number six, most important tip is just like tennis shoes, do not buy a suitcase because it's cute. I was totally going to return this suitcase. I even had the easily attainable return slip. It was so easy. And then I opened the suitcase. The stripe lavender fabric is so cute. And all of the little extra features, they were so cute. Stripes get me every time. They're the inside fabric of my two favorite backpacks. So do not buy it just because it's cute. So I did not return the bag in time before I used it because I loved that fabric. But sometimes you've got to kiss a lot of frogs before you find that prince. Can I get an amen? All right, tip number seven is avoid carry-on bags, especially that do not have the extension of the suitcase that goes down between the wheels for added packing space. You are going to need that extra space of like two or three inches. You can pack three more shirts in addition to all of your other travel outfits if you have that extra space included. I do not know why so many suitcase brands do not add that. You're going to see so many suitcases in online and in some small stores and they are so cheap. Like read my neon sign right here. Do not buy the kind that are just a rectangle and four wheels hanging by a hair or hanging by a thread underneath that rectangle. The number eight travel tip is to look for wheels that are somewhat embedded. You're going to need that protection for going over rough surfaces with your suitcase. So my travel pro one of my two-wheeled suitcase that is still available but I just like the spinner suitcase now for going down the aisles of airplanes again finally. So but that is the top-notch 100% top quality of embedded protection for the wheels of your suitcase and they also come on their other sizes of suitcases as well. As well as my under seat that has fit under two airplane seats as a rolling hand luggage. If you're interested in that I'll link it. However I have not been impressed with their quality of their spinner so that's why I've not purchased one in the last few years. But you want them to be embedded somewhat. The really cheap quality suitcases have those wheels hanging down by a thread with absolutely no embedded protection. So just check that out. It's the number one easiest feature to look for even at a distance. Number nine is to check for quality zippers. If your zipper breaks on vacation it could just ruin your entire flight. So you're going to zip in the store or when you get it you're going to unzip and zip all the way around. And you want to especially notice how the zippers glide around the corners of your suitcase. YKK zippers are the best zippers around but the main travel tip is to make sure those zippers are smooth along every step as you're gliding them open and closing them. You can use the TSA approved locks. We never lock our luggage and mine has been checked since so many people are on the airplane these days. Mine has gotten checked to the belly of the airplane many times last minute because overhead bins are full still. You just never know. Okay so I have never used those locks but these have been fine. And this is a pet peeve feature for me. If you are right-handed you must have this feature in any kind of suitcase that you own. Okay you are going to stand up above your suitcase and you're going to look down and you want the handle on top and you want the other handle to be on the left hand side of your suitcase. Okay and there's a reason for this because I bought a Delci carry-on suitcase and I gave it away because after many of you said, oh just turn it around, I did and it's uneven. Okay like this one the luggage handle is more on the top. So the main reason that you want this is because the hand that holds the luggage handle at the top that needs to be your strongest muscle field arm because that's bearing all of the weight of the suitcase and your left hand or your weaker arm is going to glide it up or just guide the suitcase up or even on a luggage rack. By the way this is my favorite luggage rack. We got one that has been awful and heavy. This is the best luggage rack for your guest room or for yourself. But if you turn it around, sorry if my suitcase is reflecting all the lights that make me bright and awake looking, but if you turn it around now your weak arm is trying to lift that suitcase but you're also twisting your wrist up to hold that suitcase which is now on the top side. It's not level in the middle of the bag and then it's just it's way too hard to do it. So just trust me or try it in a store and say, oh yeah you were right. The number 11 travel tip is to look for all of the space inside the suitcase and make sure it goes all the way to the corners. You are going to need all of that space to pack your travel essentials. I think that is the most overlooked feature in carry-on bags especially and that is very helpful for airline passengers because it means you can pack more. Okay, I also have a video that will teach you some tips and tricks or travel hacks for packing in those overlooked areas of your carry-on suitcase. So be sure to check that one out and everything will be linked in the comment section. The first pinned comment. So if you're watching this again, go back and find the pinned comment. Hope that helps and say hey if we have not met before.